Commercial Huckleberry Picking Survey--Gifford Pinchot

[Okanagan]

According to their population, I don't think the bears in this state are having any trouble finding food. I was talking about commercial berry picking and a lot of ethical small business people have built up their businesses over decades which depend on hucks.

   Agree that I don't think commercial harvest is hurting bears!  But it had been mentioned.  I do hate the thought of hurting small business that sell huckleberry products, but allowing that in a regulated way sure gets complicated.  FWIW, my kids and I picked and sold huckleberries one summer when there was a bumper crop.  Good experience for them to manage it as their business, with me as the only one with a driver's license.

[pianoman9701]

According to their population, I don't think the bears in this state are having any trouble finding food. I was talking about commercial berry picking and a lot of ethical small business people have built up their businesses over decades which depend on hucks.

   Agree that I don't think commercial harvest is hurting bears!  But it had been mentioned.  I do hate the thought of hurting small business that sell huckleberry products, but allowing that in a regulated way sure gets complicated.  FWIW, my kids and I picked and sold huckleberries one summer when there was a bumper crop.  Good experience for them to manage it as their business, with me as the only one with a driver's license.

[bearpaw]

Cancelling berry picking is a lot like liberal gun control. Some abuse the law so let's restrict everyone, right? Make the laws so expensive to break that for some, they'll be a deterrent and for the others, make enough income that the FS can afford to investigate and enforce them. Then the local businesses, ethical pickers and buyers don't suffer needlessly.

totally agree