On gently flowing rivers and lakes throughout Wisconsin, you can find wild rice. Harvesting rice is a culturally important part of tribal communities in the state. In recent decades, others have also learned how to harvest wild rice which involves getting in a canoe and using a rice stick to collect the rice.
Jason Fleener, Wetland Habitat Specialist for the Wisconsin DNR, assists in supporting the wild rice population and managing the harvest season regulations. While rice hasn’t disappeared from it’s traditional waterways, the abundance of rice has declined. That is why the DNR has a harvesting season for wild rice.
“One would have to purchase a harvesting license if they’re not a member of an Ojibwe Tribe,” said Fleener. Anyone under the age of 18 or over 65 also does not need to purchase a license. The fee is only $8.25.
Money collected from the licenses sold goes to support rice preservation. There are other regulations including a 10AM start time and size limitations on canoe and ricing stick size. Size regulations also help ensure the historic traditions of harvesting rice continue.
Typical harvest usually includes two people – one person to move the canoe and another to harvest the rice. Two ricing sticks are then used to pull rice grass over the canoe and rake in the rice. The peak harvest time for mature rice is the first half of September.
Harvest was a mixed bag this year. Some of the waters did not produce well and others produced a significant crop. “Those who found those good lakes did very well,” Fleener said. “I did go out to a lake and had one of the best harvests I ever had.”
Fleener says that the number of licenses sold every year varies depending on how good the crop is. “We might have anywhere from 300 to 1,000 people who harvest annually,” said Fleener. In addition to those harvesters, there are a couple hundred Ojibwe who harvest every year. There are also many unaccounted for because they are older than 65. The demographic of harvesters leans older.
There is a growing interest in harvesting. Providing more resources for those who are interested in harvesting is something the DNR is working on. “It’ll be interesting to see if the younger demographic will pick up the pace,” Fleener notes.
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