Pinon seeds lure pickers to area forests

By Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

ZUNI MOUNTAINS — Pinon nuts have dropped and pinon pickers are out in force picking up the tasty little hard-shelled food.

The Mount Taylor Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest, along with Bureau of Land Management lands, private lands and El Morro and El Malpais National Monument lands have pinon pine trees.

Mount Taylor Ranger District Timber Sales Specialist Don Olson said the pinon pine cones generally opened last week because of favorable weather conditions, which, in turn, kicked off the pinon nut gathering season.

Olson said pinon seeds are in a lot of areas in the Mount Taylor Ranger District, but pinon pine trees are not over the entire district.

Pinon pickers seem to be a family event enjoyed by Native American families, and, pinon gathering is also a tradition of the Hispanic people, Olson said.

There are no special permits needed to gather the nuts, however, Olson said pinon gathering on national forest lands is limited to non-commercial ventures. The same rule stands for Bureau of Land Management property. On National Monument lands Field Law Enforcement Ranger Tony Troxel said pinon gathering is permitted, but with limits. As with other federal lands, commercial pinon gathering ventures are not allowed. However, the personal limit is generous. "You can only pick pinon nuts for yourself, and you are allowed 10 pounds of pinon seeds per day, per person," Troxel said, adding that persons picking wild berries are allowed one-quarter of a pound of berries per day, per person.

The pinenut gathering season begins in late summer and ends in the fall. Olson said the pinon nut gathering season usually ends with the first snowfall.

The pinenut meat is yellow-orange in color and are translucent and soft.

"I was told by one pinenut collector that our pinon nuts, as far as pinon nuts go, are the best in the world," Olson said.

As a word of caution, the pinon gathering season usually coincides with big game hunting seasons in New Mexico. The pinon pine trees are in the same neck of woods hunters pursue big game. Although it is not required, for safety-sake, pinon nut gatherers should wear highly visible clothes, such as a fluorescent orange vest and hat while in the hunting woods.