Let's visit on the Porch II (Billings, Noxon: homes, buy, shoppers)

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

My grandfather had a vicious war with raccoons in his corn for years. Boy they can do a lot of damage in just one night!

We've got raccoons, too. They drive our two dogs crazy! We've seen them rush to one of our tall pines and climb to the top (the raccoons, not the dogs...) because of our dogs barking--but we know they can be formidable fighters, so we keep the dogs away from them.

One night when our house was still under construction and the opening for the future French doors was just covered by heavy duty cardboard, we were sleeping on an air mattress in what was to become the living room, and we heard this furious scratching on the cardboard. Knowing that it might be the bear, we had a few moments of, well, terror. We sat there clutching our bear spray cans. And then the scratching stopped. Next morning we saw the scratches, and they were racoon-sized! Later we saw the little scoundrel sneak under our deck.

[Reziac]

Couple years ago we repaved the local highway using raccoons... one day I counted 38 roadkills (all within the previous week) between me and the Yellowstone River bridge, about a mile away. Yeah, I'd say we've got plenty... durn things can destroy a whole barnful of hay if they take up residence in it, but ain't nothing a couple of Patterdale terriers can't fix. Back in the day the coonhound folks in Bozeman would cross their hounds with a Labrador, because a raccoon would drown a coonhound if it caught the dog in the river, but with the Lab crosses it went the other way around.

Wonder if it's safe to look at the garden again? Last time, I made it snow...

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

Good idea. It's always a race with the bears for the lowbush huckleberries near my cabin.

I'm not really a fan of huckleberries (nor of blueberries, tho I've got one planted that I kinda like), but my sister loves 'em. They like it cool and damp and sun not too harsh, right? I'm thinkin' they'd like it real well along the little ditch where it stays cool and damp and morning sun but out of the afternoon heat, or around my sister's little cultivated tree patch... I see they don't transplant well but supposedly start easily from seed. Anyone got some spare seed?

https://www.extension.uidaho.edu/pub...20and%20Grapes

Huckleberry Species - International Wild Huckleberry Association

[MTSilvertip]

Originally Posted by Reziac

I'm not really a fan of huckleberries (nor of blueberries, tho I've got one planted that I kinda like), but my sister loves 'em. They like it cool and damp and sun not too harsh, right? I'm thinkin' they'd like it real well along the little ditch where it stays cool and damp and morning sun but out of the afternoon heat, or around my sister's little cultivated tree patch... I see they don't transplant well but supposedly start easily from seed. Anyone got some spare seed?

https://www.extension.uidaho.edu/pub...20and%20Grapes

Huckleberry Species - International Wild Huckleberry Association

Baker Creek heritage seeds sells them. I tried some in Helena, but it was too hot and dry. The land around the cabin is on a North slope and under lodgepole pine so the dirt is a deep damp loam of decomposed wood.

The road between Roundup and Harlo is called "blood alley" by the locals. Lined with roadkill from moose to sharptail grouse. One morning going to work before sunrise I came around a corner and a semi had hit a cow Elk and it was lying across the road. I couldn't avoid it without rolling the truck, so I jumped it. Made it ok. I drug it to the shoulder and started back for work.

About a mile down the road I found the 18 wheeler. The Elk had taken out his radiator.
Just another morning in Montana.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

Baker Creek heritage seeds sells them. I tried some in Helena, but it was too hot and dry. The land around the cabin is on a North slope and under lodgepole pine so the dirt is a deep damp loam of decomposed wood.

Ah, naturally since I already got whatever I'd ordered from them...
<goes to look>
They have "garden huckleberry" and several variants thereof, which are solanum, different berry entirely (also toxic when green). Ours is "Vaccinium membranaceum" and that they don't have. Did find this, tho, an outfit I hadn't heard of:

https://sheffields.com/seeds-for-sal.../membranaceum/
"collection locale Lincoln County, MT"
$16 packet after shipping and only 40% germination. Well, I suppose it's cheaper than driving over there and wrestling with a bear.

Along my little ditch there's decomposing everything-but-evergreens, tho I suppose I should avoid the black walnut (too bad its nuts are so bitter they're like sucking poison, it makes a lot of 'em). Spruce on the other side if they want really deep shade and more drainage.

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

The road between Roundup and Harlo is called "blood alley" by the locals. Lined with roadkill from moose to sharptail grouse. One morning going to work before sunrise I came around a corner and a semi had hit a cow Elk and it was lying across the road. I couldn't avoid it without rolling the truck, so I jumped it. Made it ok. I drug it to the shoulder and started back for work.

That sounds more exciting than is strictly required!

Saw a docuslasher film on Hwy 93 around Hamilton... F&G guy said they were averaging 280 deer per DAY.

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

About a mile down the road I found the 18 wheeler. The Elk had taken out his radiator.
Just another morning in Montana.

Whoops

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Reziac

Ah, naturally since I already got whatever I'd ordered from them...
<goes to look>
They have "garden huckleberry" and several variants thereof, which are solanum, different berry entirely (also toxic when green). Ours is "Vaccinium membranaceum" and that they don't have. Did find this, tho, an outfit I hadn't heard of:

https://sheffields.com/seeds-for-sal.../membranaceum/
"collection locale Lincoln County, MT"
$16 packet after shipping and only 40% germination. Well, I suppose it's cheaper than driving over there and wrestling with a bear.

[snip]

In the far NE where I grew up we had black and red currant bushes. I miss those little tart berries--they make awesome juice and jellies. I know I can order the bushes from our local North Idaho nursery. Have you tried growing them? I'd probably have to fight the bears for them, too...

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

In the far NE where I grew up we had black and red currant bushes. I miss those little tart berries--they make awesome juice and jellies. I know I can order the bushes from our local North Idaho nursery. Have you tried growing them? I'd probably have to fight the bears for them, too...

I thought there were native red currants out your way?

We have golden currants here and they are the most worthless thing you've ever seen. Lots of fruit but it tastes like absolutely nothing. They're like weeds, they come up everywhere that's halfway shaded... but I've noticed that intermediate generations often present as "devil bush" (or whatever someone called it) -- solid mass of thorns covering every stem, but otherwise an identical plant (wild roses are jealous). They've landed on my list of things that if they're in the way, they get pulled up.

[MTSilvertip]

Originally Posted by Reziac

I thought there were native red currants out your way?

We have golden currants here and they are the most worthless thing you've ever seen. Lots of fruit but it tastes like absolutely nothing. They're like weeds, they come up everywhere that's halfway shaded... but I've noticed that intermediate generations often present as "devil bush" (or whatever someone called it) -- solid mass of thorns covering every stem, but otherwise an identical plant (wild roses are jealous). They've landed on my list of things that if they're in the way, they get pulled up.

We had wild golden currents in Helena. Made great jelly.
Got Buffalo Berry all over at the new place. Pain to harvest though, LOTS of thorns. Only way to work it is lay a tarp on the ground, and hit the Bush with a stick to knock the berries off.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

We had wild golden currents in Helena. Made great jelly.

I wonder if there are different varieties. These are completely tasteless, only way to make great jelly would be to use something else.

I haven't seen any buffalo berry around here... hitting 'em with a stick is how some folks here harvest wild plums, mostly because they arrive by the thousands and it's just faster! they do make good jelly.

[MTSilvertip]

Originally Posted by Reziac

I wonder if there are different varieties. These are completely tasteless, only way to make great jelly would be to use something else.

I haven't seen any buffalo berry around here... hitting 'em with a stick is how some folks here harvest wild plums, mostly because they arrive by the thousands and it's just faster! they do make good jelly.

Might be, maybe different soil. The ones we had were pretty tart, but add a little sugar, the jelly was very nice. Delicate citrus flavor, not quite like lemon, I'd say similar to gooseberry but not as strong, or maybe sour persimmon.

Buffalo Berries are really prolific around here. You just have to wait for a frost for the sugars to set.

Still, I prefer wild strawberry or raspberry over all, but so do the bears.....