Looks like might have a heckofa pinion nut harvest fall of 2025.

Dumdum

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We had heavy wet winter snows this year and now the pinion trees are bursting with male/female buds and we get covered in yellow pollen when disturbing branches. My past experience has led me to expect a good pinion nut harvest in fall of 2025 (not 2024). The last time we got a big harvest was around 2018.

My question here is how does this effect elk, deer, turkey hunting?
 
We had heavy wet winter snows this year and now the pinion trees are bursting with male/female buds and we get covered in yellow pollen when disturbing branches. My past experience has led me to expect a good pinion nut harvest in fall of 2025 (not 2024). The last time we got a big harvest was around 2018.

My question here is how does this affect elk, deer, turkey hunting?
Personally, it ruins it. I stop everything and gather piñón nuts.
 
So you're saying the wet weather doesn't necessarily help this fall, but the following one?

And regarding how does it affect hunting (good one 2lumpy), my experience is where you find a bunch of pinons would be a good area to look for bears.
 
So you're saying the wet weather doesn't necessarily help this fall, but the following one?

And regarding how does it affect hunting (good one 2lumpy), my experience is where you find a bunch of pinons would be a good area to look for bears.
The piñon trees form green “pine cones” the first year, which then mature and dry out opening the cone's petals gradually to drop the nuts in the second year.
Personally, it ruins it. I stop everything and gather piñón nuts.
Yeah people go crazy when the nuts are dropping. No Trespassing signs are ignored and in our neighborhood we’ve had multiple instances of people cutting barb wire fences to get access! The last big harvest they were selling pinion nuts for $40/lb !
 
Dang, I've never gathered nuts except to occasionally eat some as I'm hunting. Didn't realize it was a full-contact sport, including poaching/trespassing.
But I have a particular spot in mind I'll keep an eye on for bear sign next fall!
 
The piñon trees form green “pine cones” the first year, which then mature and dry out opening the cone's petals gradually to drop the nuts in the second year.

Yeah people go crazy when the nuts are dropping. No Trespassing signs are ignored and in our neighborhood we’ve had multiple instances of people cutting barb wire fences to get access! The last big harvest they were selling pinion nuts for $40/lb !
I gather strictly on public land…..🙂↔️🙂↔️. That’s no joke…. Really. No joke.
 
Personally, it ruins it. I stop everything and gather piñón nuts.
When I was a kid we would stop hunting midday and pick them. Usually a long drive home after that because we used our shirts to hold them all. That and having sap all over you. 🤣🤣
 
And regarding how does it affect hunting (good one 2lumpy), my experience is where you find a bunch of pinons would be a good area to look for bears.
Oh! I’ve never considered the bears! We’ve got bears here and now that I think about it the sight of me crawling around on all fours pawing the ground for nuts might appear pretty appetizing to a bear … kinda like a feral pig but with more fat.
 
Yeah people go crazy when the nuts are dropping. No Trespassing signs are ignored and in our neighborhood we’ve had multiple instances of people cutting barb wire fences to get access! The last big harvest they were selling pinion nuts for $40/lb !
I didn’t know you could trespass for em. They got any of them nuts up in Utah or Idaho? #pinonfreak #gamechanger #onebadnutcop
 
When I was a kid we would stop hunting midday and pick them. Usually a long drive home after that because we used our shirts to hold them all. That and having sap all over you. 🤣🤣
Yeah the pinion tree sap makes a mess. I don’t wear long sleeve shirts or good hats when working with piñon firewood or collecting nuts. I’d rather scrub my arms and hands (and scalp) raw then ruin even my work shirts. I will wear an old ratty work coat if cold, it’s already messed up.
 
I didn’t know you could trespass for em. They got any of them nuts up in Utah or Idaho? #pinonfreak #gamechanger #onebadnutcop
People shouldn’t trespass if signs are posted. A number of them do anyway.

Pretty sure piñóns are in Utah, dunno about Idaho. They’re definitely in Colorado. They don’t seem to grow above 7200 ft altitude.
 
The piñon nuts in my part of Utah are smaller than a dry pea……. Usually just an empty shell.

Dumdum……. May I have permission to ruin my deer hunt, this fall, on your property? Asking for myself and 8 or 10 very nice other people.
 
Yikes!

(Robot voice): You have exposed my ruse. I am an AI bot purposed to entertain hunters to distract them from the fact globalists are taking over the world. Do not adjust your horizontal. Do not adjust your vertical. Look into my pen while I flash a light to wipe your memory.
 
Yikes!

(Robot voice): You have exposed my ruse. I am an AI bot purposed to entertain hunters to distract them from the fact globalists are taking over the world. Do not adjust your horizontal. Do not adjust your vertical. Look into my pen while I flash a light to wipe your memory.
Before you flash, does that mean yes, apparently I’ll need it in writing.
 
It’s a freaking circus at our place when the piñon comes! People give absolutely no 🖕🏿’s about private property! We have to patrol on horse back and the highway! Clean up everything from diapers to beer bottles! Found one group 2 miles off the highway!
They twist the barb wire and leave so the calves get out it’s just a disaster! The people who ask permission are always granted it from us because there’s plenty to go around, the nuts aren’t the issue it’s the filthy pigs .
 
It’s a freaking circus at our place when the piñon comes! People give absolutely no 🖕🏿’s about private property! We have to patrol on horse back and the highway! Clean up everything from diapers to beer bottles! Found one group 2 miles off the highway!
They twist the barb wire and leave so the calves get out it’s just a disaster! The people who ask permission are always granted it from us because there’s plenty to go around, the nuts aren’t the issue it’s the filthy pigs .
Then everyone wonders why LO’s can be assholes. Reality is most are good people as long as you respect their land.
 
It’s a freaking circus at our place when the piñon comes! People give absolutely no 🖕🏿’s about private property! We have to patrol on horse back and the highway! Clean up everything from diapers to beer bottles! Found one group 2 miles off the highway!
They twist the barb wire and leave so the calves get out it’s just a disaster! The people who ask permission are always granted it from us because there’s plenty to go around, the nuts aren’t the issue it’s the filthy pigs .
Your place is a lot bigger than ours!

Your description of piñon mania sums it up nicely!

Twice I’ve found fresh human poop with stained tissues back in the trees, they didn’t even try to bury it!

I’ve found broken branches cause they shake them hard to cause more nuts to fall.

One problem with letting some groups collect nuts is other people driving by see the people and cars and join in thinking it’s a free for all.

We just lock our highway gate. Stops most of them.
 
Then everyone wonders why LO’s can be assholes. Reality is most are good people as long as you respect their land.
Yessir! All we ask is if you want to pick piñon pull in and ask permission!
One group pulled into the yard and started picking and when confronted they decided to act like 🍆🍆a so I took their 5 gallon bucket of nuts !
How do you literally park in someone’s driveway and proceed to pick while the property owners are on the porch watching and don’t even have the decency to come come talk? 🖕🏿’n people!!!
 
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Your place is a lot bigger than ours!

Your description of piñon mania sums it up nicely!

Twice I’ve found fresh human poop with stained tissues back in the trees, they didn’t even try to bury it!

I’ve found broken branches cause they shake them hard to cause more nuts to fall.

One problem with letting some groups collect nuts is other people driving by see the people and cars and join in thinking it’s a free for all.

We just lock our highway gate. Stops most of them.
We don’t have a gate off the highway only to headquarters. Reason being if someone has the respect to ask permission well more than likely gladly give it. Even to hunt.
 
would anyone be willing to let me pic some piñon on their land? I’ll leave you with a good little bag. I was hopping to go sometime in the next week.
 
Anybody been out in Utah this fall yet, and found any nuts in the cones?

I went exploring the Indian Peaks area and the piñons here locally, about two weeks ago, and the nuts were all powder. Bug poop I think. Never found any with nuts in them.

I’d like to give the Utah border, east of Ely but it’s a darn long drive if there are no nuts again this year.

Tks for any info. your willing to share.
 
would anyone be willing to let me pic some piñon on their land? I’ll leave you with a good little bag. I was hopping to go sometime in the next week.

IMG_2822.jpeg
 
Somebody said/implied (on local Face Book msg) that someone was asking $80/lb for premium piñon nuts! If I remember correctly the last time we had a good harvest they went for over $50/lb! Inflation???
 
Well it’s possible the piñon rush might be starting in this area.

Saw an suv slow down and stop on the pavement of the two lane Hwy next to us (no place to pull over) and a passenger got out and was picking things up off the ground next to Hwy at a tree line.

Watched a couple minutes then another car came up from behind the suv and slammed on their brakes (blind curve). Fun every minute.
 
Mrs picked a bunch from the back yard. Less than 1 in 10 had the nut meat filling (what's up with that?). She didn't even bother saving the ones she found. Just sat there and ate every one. They're about $10.30 pr 4-oz ($41/#) shelled at Whole Foods.
 
Anyone selling in bulk? Man last time we had a good crop I could buy bulk for 20 a LB , I cant stomach paying 45 a LB to me that is crazy , but that is asking price right now
 
Mrs picked a bunch from the back yard. Less than 1 in 10 had the nut meat filling (what's up with that?). She didn't even bother saving the ones she found. Just sat there and ate every one. They're about $10.30 pr 4-oz ($41/#) shelled at Whole Foods.
Oh boy. She just salted all of her shelled pinon and roasted them in the oven. All of them.

I might go buy some at Whole Foods and leave some lying around so she gets in there and starts cracking open the salted roasted empty shells. The rest are going into brownies and pesto.
 

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