Commercial Huckleberry Picking Survey--Gifford Pinchot

[fireweed]

The Gifford Pinchot paused Commercial Huckleberry Picking but are considering returning it.  They are seeking comments.


https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/giffordpinchot/newsroom/releases/gifford-pinchot-national-forest-would-hear-about-your-2025

[chukarchaser]

Thanks for posting

[Bullkllr]

 

And not a bad survey. Hopefully if they open commercial harvest back up it will be better managed. If they can't do that then leave it closed imo.

[MADMAX]

I’ve never seen so much trash as some of the out of state commercials camps

[teanawayslayer]

I think commercial picking of anything in the nf should be illegal!

[Kingofthemountain83]

I went down GP last summer for our yearly bear hunt/camping trip/hike... It was definitely the latter two... We usually try a new area for about 4 or 5 days every year... There were so many people and so few berries I see why it was cancelled last year... Did find some bear sign in a small area... Saw some deer, elk, grouse, and a coyote... I won't be going back for another hunt... I can't imagine how crowded it would be with commercial pickers... Went down to the ranger station in Trout Lake one afternoon and they said it was about half the people as normal because of a low crop... And there are rarely any bear sightings reported...

[actionshooter]

And not a bad survey. Hopefully if they open commercial harvest back up it will be better managed. If they can't do that then leave it closed imo.

100% it has become insane how many people are there and how much garbage is being left.

[Ac04]

I went down GP last summer for our yearly bear hunt/camping trip/hike... It was definitely the latter two... We usually try a new area for about 4 or 5 days every year... There were so many people and so few berries I see why it was cancelled last year... Did find some bear sign in a small area... Saw some deer, elk, grouse, and a coyote... I won't be going back for another hunt... I can't imagine how crowded it would be with commercial pickers... Went down to the ranger station in Trout Lake one afternoon and they said it was about half the people as normal because of a low crop... And there are rarely any bear sightings reported...

This year was my first time really targeting gifford pinchot for bears, from what i had heard usually it’s crazy with berry pickers and I did see a few just out recreationally picking but the amount of berries i saw didn’t seem to be a bad crop, it seems like everything ripened at once but i didnt see a lack. I could see how it would vary from area to area throughout though. I really hope they don’t open it back up, i think it would benefit everyone lol

[Kingofthemountain83]

I went down GP last summer for our yearly bear hunt/camping trip/hike... It was definitely the latter two... We usually try a new area for about 4 or 5 days every year... There were so many people and so few berries I see why it was cancelled last year... Did find some bear sign in a small area... Saw some deer, elk, grouse, and a coyote... I won't be going back for another hunt... I can't imagine how crowded it would be with commercial pickers... Went down to the ranger station in Trout Lake one afternoon and they said it was about half the people as normal because of a low crop... And there are rarely any bear sightings reported...

This year was my first time really targeting gifford pinchot for bears, from what i had heard usually it’s crazy with berry pickers and I did see a few just out recreationally picking but the amount of berries i saw didn’t seem to be a bad crop, it seems like everything ripened at once but i didnt see a lack. I could see how it would vary from area to area throughout though. I really hope they don’t open it back up, i think it would benefit everyone lol

Went early September... There were a lot of people... Indian Heaven Wilderness was where we found the most recent and abundant bear sign... Off trail... There's some in there... A FS guy saw two while surveying lower elevation in the timber... SE of Indian Heaven... A couple weeks before he said... We hunted that area too... Saw some deer...

[Ac04]

I went down GP last summer for our yearly bear hunt/camping trip/hike... It was definitely the latter two... We usually try a new area for about 4 or 5 days every year... There were so many people and so few berries I see why it was cancelled last year... Did find some bear sign in a small area... Saw some deer, elk, grouse, and a coyote... I won't be going back for another hunt... I can't imagine how crowded it would be with commercial pickers... Went down to the ranger station in Trout Lake one afternoon and they said it was about half the people as normal because of a low crop... And there are rarely any bear sightings reported...

This year was my first time really targeting gifford pinchot for bears, from what i had heard usually it’s crazy with berry pickers and I did see a few just out recreationally picking but the amount of berries i saw didn’t seem to be a bad crop, it seems like everything ripened at once but i didnt see a lack. I could see how it would vary from area to area throughout though. I really hope they don’t open it back up, i think it would benefit everyone lol

Went early September... There were a lot of people... Indian Heaven Wilderness was where we found the most recent and abundant bear sign... Off trail... There's some in there... A FS guy saw two while surveying lower elevation in the timber... SE of Indian Heaven... A couple weeks before he said... We hunted that area too... Saw some deer...

Where i was at I saw a few deer and no bears up high, Tons of bear sign though, berries were there but it seemed they were so abundant at a large band of elevation I didn’t see any on the berries up there. I was closer to st helen’s and the soil there may have played a part in the amount of berries i saw but all the bears i ran into this year were low elevation in private timberlands but still saw quite a few scouting and during season especially for my first year targeting them.

[JakeLand]

I think commercial picking of anything in the nf should be illegal!

exactly 100%

[Kingofthemountain83]

I went down GP last summer for our yearly bear hunt/camping trip/hike... It was definitely the latter two... We usually try a new area for about 4 or 5 days every year... There were so many people and so few berries I see why it was cancelled last year... Did find some bear sign in a small area... Saw some deer, elk, grouse, and a coyote... I won't be going back for another hunt... I can't imagine how crowded it would be with commercial pickers... Went down to the ranger station in Trout Lake one afternoon and they said it was about half the people as normal because of a low crop... And there are rarely any bear sightings reported...

This year was my first time really targeting gifford pinchot for bears, from what i had heard usually it’s crazy with berry pickers and I did see a few just out recreationally picking but the amount of berries i saw didn’t seem to be a bad crop, it seems like everything ripened at once but i didnt see a lack. I could see how it would vary from area to area throughout though. I really hope they don’t open it back up, i think it would benefit everyone lol

Went early September... There were a lot of people... Indian Heaven Wilderness was where we found the most recent and abundant bear sign... Off trail... There's some in there... A FS guy saw two while surveying lower elevation in the timber... SE of Indian Heaven... A couple weeks before he said... We hunted that area too... Saw some deer...

Where i was at I saw a few deer and no bears up high, Tons of bear sign though, berries were there but it seemed they were so abundant at a large band of elevation I didn’t see any on the berries up there. I was closer to st helen’s and the soil there may have played a part in the amount of berries i saw but all the bears i ran into this year were low elevation in private timberlands but still saw quite a few scouting and during season especially for my first year targeting them.

FS said hunting was better closer to St. Helens for everything...

[timberhunter]

It should be left closed along with the commercial picking of anything. The amount of trash that some commercial pickers leave behind is unbelievable at times. I have seen pickup loads of garbage left behind when they have broke down camp.

[nwmein199]

Thank you so much for posting this!

I have been so frustrated with the commercial berry pickers in Gifford Pinchot for many years. 2025 was hands down the best berry picking season my family and I have had in a decade.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

I think commercial picking of anything in the nf should be illegal!

exactly 100%

I don't... to me this is the same as saying that commercial crabbing or fishing should be illegal in US waters. Or that timber harvest should be illegal in NF (which we need more of). Part of what makes Public Land so valuable is that it has an economic value whether we like it our not and a recreational value. And some public land has more restrictive use, like Indian Heaven where commercial harvest was never allowed.

It's a renewable resources that is hard to replicate on private ground. It does support a lot of local business. Although I may wish there was not the need for commercial harvest for huckleberries, I understand why there is.

I would think of out of the box ideas like setting up Huckleberry Management Zones similar to a GMU for hunting or marine area for fishing could be interesting. You could set season restrictions, access restrictions, etc while still providing an opportunity for all. Of course it will have some of the same battles we have fishing and the cries of over harvest by commercial pickers but it sets up some better boundaries.

Examples of HMZs Restrictions:
These units are flat closed to commercial harvest
These units are only open to commercial harvest on odd years
Commercial harvest is allowed from August 15 to August 31.
These units are closed to all huckleberry harvest (the plants need a break from any harvest like are fishing or hunting does at times)
Even number HMZs are open to commercial harvest on even years

It goes on and on what you could do with HMZs but its just an idea.