It's huckleberry heaven

Some people are drawn to Montana for its untamed beauty — and some for the wild huckleberry, which defies attempts at domestication.

To the delight of huckleberry pickers, the 2014 season began about a week or two earlier than last year and is proving to be bountiful. 

This may be attributable to a good snowpack, mild temperatures during blooming season and precipitation during a rainy spring, according to Flathead National Forest Botanist Chantelle DeLay. 

The huckleberry season typically begins in mid-July and can continue into early September.

On Thursday in Hungry Horse, Huckleberry Patch Supervisor Shauna Clevidence took a break from slicing luscious huckleberry pies to show just how phenomenal the season has been.

She retrieved a single huckleberry brought in earlier. Opening her palm, she revealed a huckleberry about the size of its domesticated counterpart, the blueberry.

“This year we’ve gotten the biggest berries in and the most I have seen, probably in five years,” Clevidence said.

Once tasted, there is no confusion between the huckleberry and the blueberry, which belong to the same plant family as the cranberry. 

The bright flavor of the wild huckleberry is tart and sweet. The tartness provides an excellent balance when processed into pies, jams, jellies, fudge, syrups, ice cream, toppings and other delectable treats, according to Huckleberry Patch baker Erna Fortin.

The Huckleberry Patch already has bought 1,000 pounds of huckleberries, Clevidence said. 

It’s a similar story at Huckleberry Haven in Evergreen.

Owner Ed Springman said this year has been the best huckleberry season in the 10 to 15 years he has owned Huckleberry Haven. The weather conditions were a perfect combination of sun and moisture which caused berries to bloom two weeks earlier than usual, he said. 

Veteran huckleberry picker Greg Sorenson, 71, of Columbia Falls summed up the season with one word: “tremendous.”

“We’ve had good picking years, but I’ve never seen the size of the berries this year,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson recently returned from a fishing trip in the South Fork and brought back five to six gallons of huckleberries.

“I spent more time picking huckleberries than fishing,” Sorenson said with a chuckle. “I only picked for four days. I couldn’t pick more — my refrigerator was full in my camper.”

Oftentimes, the best spots for picking huckleberries are on steep terrain, according to DeLay. The huckleberry grows at elevations of 3,000 feet and as the season progresses so does the elevation where berries are ripe. 

“It’s a lot of work,” DeLay said, but added that pickers can find huckleberries this season not far from their parked cars.

The huckleberry flourishes in acidic, moist soil under partially shaded coniferous forests. The shrub typically grows around 2 to 3 feet.

DeLay said people should look for purple or reddish berries. Single berries will be located on a stalk, not clustered together. The elliptical-shaped leaves grow alternately on each stem.

DeLay, who had been out picking last week, is like most huckleberry pickers — secretive about their prized patches — but she said the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir has been ripe for the picking. Huckleberries are also readily available at Crane Mountain. People who want easy access can take a gondola ride at Whitefish Mountain Resort and walk down the Danny On Trail.

There are Flathead Forest product permits for people who plan to pick 10 gallons or more. A five-day permit is $20. A season permit is $80.

DeLay said the permits help rangers manage Flathead Forest from being overharvested.

DeLay also discourages huckleberry “rakes,” which are destructive and strip the shrubs, setting them up for failure over the winter.

“It robs them of photosynthesizing,” DeLay said.

As much as huckleberries are beloved by humans, they too are popular with bears and other wildlife. DeLay reminds people to carry bear spray. She said it’s best to also pick with a partner or group.

“I think just about everything in the woods loves huckleberries — birds, moose, deer, rodents,” DeLay said.

Despite a recent altercation between two territorial huckleberry pickers in the Blankenship area that led to one man firing gunshots into the air, Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said such violence is isolated.

“Their biggest competition is going to be bears,” Curry said.

Both DeLay and Curry remind people if they are picking on public land, everyone has the right to pick freely.

DeLay suggested some polite picking etiquette that if there are people picking in a particular area,  hike farther and look for a different spot at least 100 yards away.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.