How to Hunt Blackberries

Obtain a guide to foraging for edible plants. Blackberries are easily recognizable; they have thorny bushes, compound leaves with toothed margins and lovely white flowers in the spring -- as well as the berries themselves. Although no aggregate fruit (such as blackberries) is toxic, it is a good practice to accurately identify plants.

Prepare for your hunt. Use a good bug spray and don protective clothes that will protect you from getting scratched by the thorns. June and July are generally hot, sunny months so you might want a hat to keep the sun off of your head. Also, consider wearing boots in case of snakes.

Plan your hunt. Blackberries grow nearly everywhere but you'll want to start looking in likely places first. Walk by river and creek banks and at the edges of sunny meadows first.

Expand your hunt to country roads and overgrown farm fields; you can also search for berry brambles under powerline right-of-ways, as anywhere that looks like disturbed ground is a likely place for berries.

Hunt for blackberry bushes in urban and suburban areas as well. Many people have planted blackberry canes in cities and suburbs. Once you know what you're looking for, you'll start seeing distinctive blackberry thickets everywhere.

Pick the berries when your hunt is successful. Cut the thumb and index fingers off of the work gloves on the hand you'll use to pick berries; your other (fully gloved) hand can move the canes around to make for easier picking. Pick only the black berries, as green and red ones are not yet ripe and blackberries don't ripen further once they've been picked.