When do you harvest Wild Rice?

Steve Sanford

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
All~

A friend and I are planning a trip to northern NY in hopes of harvesting some Wild Rice. We have not done this before and want to make sure we hit it at about the right time. I am hoping some of you in the northern States and/or southern Provinces can give us an idea of when we can best bend it over our canoes - and then proceed to fill the canoe with those lovely brown kernels. Right now we are looking at mid to late September.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve, I've never harvested, but intend to try some this year.

We have abundant rice around here. Usually it's falling into the boat in early October for the duck opener; sometimes in September when I hunt rails. The season extends over several weeks--it doesn't all ripen at once.

Looks like lots of work to get the kernels free of the husks.

Google turned up this--maybe Minnesota is earlier than here?

http://www.startribune.com/business/272367681.html

Most of the rice areas I hunt are freshwater tidal. I don't know if that makes a difference in the season.
 
i have no clue when to harvest but a good majority of the creeks off the CT river have rice in them.

i use it to grass my boat but, i have never harvested it. i think I'm going to give it a try this year. my buddy has a canoe and I'm thinking it will be close to ready in a week or two. ill let you know how it goes.

I'm already thinking about what dishes i can incorporate the rice into.
 
Steve,
The Northern States, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the UP will be harvesting starting in September. If I had to pick a day to head out it would be September 20th. Some would already have fallen but I am sure I could still get a canoe full if I wanted. In Manitoba they start ricing around September 1st.
 
Thanks, Pete~

I drove up to Missisquoi NWR - at the outflow of Lake Champlain - earlier today. A quick survey of rice plants showed many still in flower, only a few with seeds. Brandon's suggestion of September 20 looks better and better.

All the best,

SJS
 
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