Insider tips to huckleberry picking

BONNERS FERRY, Idaho (KIFI)- Throughout Huckleberry season, the delectable fruit is ripe for picking. But the search for 'berried treasure' can be harder than it may seem.

The fruit may be a tasty treat for many to add to everything from Milkshakes to jams.

But, because the flavorful berries are so elusive it can be hard to find a patch that hasn't been picked clean.

The Piippo Family of Post Falls showed us their own special berry patch in Bonners Ferry.

"My husband's uncle used to be the superintendent here in Bonners Ferry," Huckleberry enthusiast Bobbi Piippo tells us.

"They oftentimes come up and go berry picking. And so they've shown us a few places to go. And we've just kind of kept coming ever since."

Idaho may be one of the few states in the country where huckleberries grow, but that doesn't mean they are easy to find. Brian Piippo says you have to know what to look for.

"Things that were cut that are fallen apart. Deadfall. Anything like that. They seem to grow around that really well," Brian Piippo said.

According to VisitIdaho.org, the Teton Valley is one of the best places to pick huckleberries.

But wherever you go, huckleberry picking will take you out into the backwoods of Idaho. So it's important to be prepared.

"Bring bug ,spray sunscreen and long pants; because you're going to get scratched up by the bushes. And you've got to watch for bears and things like that, too, because they like the huckleberries," Bobbi said.

Berry picking and hunting for a patch can be a tedious ordeal. But Brian says every so often you find an ideal spot.

"Where we stopped first last year, we had more berries than we can pick. (Today) We were done with that area in about 10 minutes. And then we came up two miles down the road and you're sitting in the middle of a berry patch," Brian said.