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Cooking with wild game can be an exciting culinary adventure for those willing to explore new flavors.
Wild Game Favorites: Hard and Soft Mast
Many hunters know the term “hard mast.” Acorns and hazelnuts are well-recognized hard masts, favorite foods for many birds and animals, including wild game like bears, deer, and turkey. However, soft mast doesn’t get as much attention.
Understanding Mast
Collectively, all fruits, nuts, and seeds of woody plants are mast. Nuts and seeds are hard mast, while fruits and berries are soft mast. Plants with soft mast rely on birds and animals eating the fruit or berry and dispersing the seeds.
Key Soft Mast in Ontario
In Ontario, especially in the north and central parts, blueberries are the most important mast for wildlife. Blueberries, a soft mast, are abundant with five species. One hectare can produce up to 4,500 kilograms of blueberries. When blueberries are plentiful, a black bear in a lush patch can eat 30,000 berries a day.
Other Vital Soft Mast
Blueberries aren’t the only important soft mast for wild game. Strawberries, raspberries, Saskatoon berries, cranberries, wild plums, wild grapes, and apples are also vital. These fruits are crucial for both resident and migratory game. Most fruits and berries ripen in mid to late summer, but it’s common to find patches of berries in early autumn.
Wild Game Diet
Wild plant fruits and berries are not just for wildlife; they are also delicious and rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for humans. Here are some notable ones:
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Saskatoon berries: Equally delicious as blueberries, they are plentiful in Ontario.
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Haw berries: These helped early European settlers battle scurvy on Manitoulin Island.
Cranberries and Other Berries
Cranberries, found mostly in Ontario bogs, ripen in late August. Black bears forage for cranberries in bogs after hibernation. The highbush cranberry, a viburnum, is also vital. It grows in swamps and bogs, providing food for ruffed grouse and moose.
Wintergreen and More
Wintergreen, often found with junipers and bearberries, produces vibrant red berries that ruffed grouse enjoy. Many soft mast species, such as cherries, plums, and apples, are relished by wildlife and human hunters.
Importance of Soft Mast
Like hard mast, soft mast crops vary yearly. Some years, every plant species produces abundantly, while other years, only a few species have good fruit and berry production. Knowing where to find these fruits and berries benefits both hunters and gatherers.
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Wild Game Favorites: Hard and Soft Mast
Many hunters know the term “hard mast.” Acorns and hazelnuts are well-recognized hard masts, favorite foods for many birds and animals, including wild game like bears, deer, and turkey. However, soft mast doesn’t get as much attention.
Understanding Mast – Wild Game
All fruits, nuts, and seeds of woody plants are collectively called mast. Nuts and seeds are hard mast, while fruits and berries are soft mast. Plants with soft mast rely on birds and animals eating the fruit or berry and dispersing the seeds.
Key Soft Mast in Ontario – Wild Game
In Ontario, especially in the north and central parts, blueberries are the most important mast for wildlife. Blueberries, a soft mast, are abundant with five species. One hectare can produce up to 4,500 kilograms of blueberries. When blueberries are plentiful, a black bear in a lush patch can eat 30,000 berries a day.
Other Vital Soft Mast
Blueberries aren’t the only important soft mast for wild game. Strawberries, raspberries, Saskatoon berries, cranberries, wild plums, wild grapes, and apples are also vital. These fruits are crucial for both resident and migratory wild game. Most fruits and berries ripen in mid to late summer, but it’s common to find patches of berries in early autumn.
Wild Game Diet
Wild plant fruits and berries are not just for wildlife; they are also delicious and rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for humans. Here are some notable ones:
-
Saskatoon berries: Equally delicious as blueberries, they are plentiful in Ontario.
-
Haw berries: These helped early European settlers battle scurvy on Manitoulin Island.
Cranberries and Other Berries
Cranberries, found mostly in Ontario bogs, ripen in late August. Black bears forage for cranberries in bogs after hibernation. The highbush cranberry, a viburnum, is also vital. It grows in swamps and bogs, providing food for ruffed grouse and moose.
Wintergreen and More
Wintergreen, often found with junipers and bearberries, produces vibrant red berries that ruffed grouse enjoy. Many soft mast species, such as cherries, plums, and apples, are relished by wild game and human hunters.
Importance of Soft Mast
Like hard mast, soft mast crops vary yearly. Some years, every plant species produces abundantly, while other years, only a few species have good fruit and berry production. Knowing where to find these fruits and berries benefits both hunters and gatherers
Initially revealed within the Fall 2023 difficulty of Ontario OUT of DOORS
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