Can someone identify this thorn/weed

[HuntIL2]

I have this red-ish colored thorny stuff growing in my timber. Does anyone know what this is? I'd like to get rid of it.

 

[MickT]

Appears to be wild raspberry.


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[Skelly]

Just curios why you would want to get rid of it?

Deer will nibble on the ends around here when everything else has died. I’m adding fertilizer to thicken up the patches I have.

 

[Rit]

My first thought was raspberry also. I’d prefer that over loads of other stuff.

 

[HuntIL2]

That's interesting that it looks like raspberries. The thing is I've never seen any berries on it that I remember.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

They're blackcaps. Technically black raspberries I believe they're called, but everyone here calls them blackcaps. The berries taste great (make unbelievable jam) and they show up where ever there is sun hitting the woods floor since birds eat them too and poop the seeds out everywhere. The deer browse on them and they make thick cover, so I like them. They don't seem to impede the long term growth of shrubs or trees either. they are really common on field edges and logged areas that get decent amounts of sun. Pretty much the exact areas that deer like. I would leave them all.

If that's the worst weed you have on your place you are in great shape.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have them along the sunny edges of my plots, and roads. I usually grab berries anytime I see ripe ones, which mine seem to ripen about mid to late August. They are a yummy treat.

 

[Apple Junkie]

I agree with the folks above, those are black raspberryies. I wish I had more of them on my land. They are delicious to eat and the deer, bear, bunnies, and birds love 'em too. Over time, your forest will natually shade them out. In the mean time, enjoy them while you have them. At least that's my opinion.

 

[HuntIL2]

OK I'll have to pay more attention to them. I honestly don't remember seeing them have any sort of berries on the plant. I also don't recall if the vines had leaves of any kind over the summer. That being said, yes they are growing in an open area in my timber right along a creek that runs through the middle of the property.

Thanks for all of the assistance.

 

[H20fwler]

They are great bunny cover too.

 

[WTNUT]

I agree with the folks above, those are black raspberryies. I wish I had more of them on my land. They are delicious to eat and the deer, bear, bunnies, and birds love 'em too. Over time, your forest will natually shade them out. In the mean time, enjoy them while you have them. At least that's my opinion.

That is exactly what it is and you could not have anything better on the edges of a food plot in my humble opinion. I have them around every plot. I pushed over trees to make sure there was a 5-7 yard strip outside of the plot for them. Deer love them and will eat them all year. The berries are just a bonus.


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[yoderjac]

The OP is not alone in this, we all tend to do the same thing. Our first reaction is to "get rid of it". It has taken many years to change that knee jerk reaction in me. Over time, I've come to the place where when I see a "weed", my first thought is: "Gee, I wonder what it is and how deer and other wildlife relate to it? I wonder how best to manage it?" Sometimes it turns out to be something noxious that I really need to try to control, but much more often than not, it turns out to be precious.

 

[chummer]

Hands down my favorite pie. I know a couple commercial properties that they grow behind and I make sure to pick them July 1st every year. Some years I get 1 quart some years 4.

 

[Yarg]

I have Blackberry thickets throughout my land and around my food plot and it is a primary browse. They even get a lot of attention when the soybeans are thriving.
My neighbor offered me some raspberry plants that were overgrowning his patch so I transplanted a bunch as edge cover hopefully they will take.

 

[Jonscoll]

Looks like wild blackberry. Native, non-invasive, good cover for small animals, pollen source, bird food, in growing season. If it isn't in the way of something, I'd keep it.