Wild Raspberries Everywhere ...

Hi there! I have another question similar to the nettles question. Another thing that grows wild on my property (as in everywhere) is wild raspberries. I did get some from a friend two years ago and it seems to spread over the whole 3/4 acre. Then again, it could have been there before and I didn't notice it until now. I do like raspberries and love to harvest them, but I don't want it everywhere, and was wondering if someone had tips for containing it somewhat. It also makes me a bit nervous with bears because I have read that berries attract bears on your property. (which is why I was reluctant to take any in the first place.) I would welcome hearing any input or feedback. Thanks in advance!

Picture of a sweet innocent seedling for context:

I'm wondering, based on the photo, if all of it is wild raspberry or if some of it is something else, like maybe some birch sprouts. I may be wrong, but the raspberry canes I have seen have a straight shot growth pattern with little thorny bits on them, and some fine ridges along their length; and this little guy has a little bend, then a leaf node, then a bend, leaf node etc. You could cut one and see if it's solid or hollow, as rasp. canes are more hollow in the center. Also, unless yours are spreading via seed all over the place, I usually see them spread away from the original clump. So maybe it's a mixture of wild raspberry and something else?

As far as raspberries, they do respond well to pruning. It helps them come back productive and healthy, but if you have an area of unwanted growth, you could dig out and share and then prune back any canes that poke up for a couple of years until it gives up in that area. It's the gentlest way of discouraging them  that I know of and you should be able to compost and mulch with any biomass you cut back.  I am not qualified to answer the bear question, but I understand its a valid one. I know it's hard to create a productive food forest without attracting wildlife but people in bear country may have ideas for discouraging them in general.

Yeah, you may have taken a picture of the wrong thing.

Prune them back. Those things are pretty resilient & most plants in that species stop giving fruit if a single plant gets too big. Plus, they can start passing diseases between each other. It isn't going to cause enough of a problem. You can consider every place they root to the ground as it's own plant, honestly & attacking one stalk will do absolutely nothing to the other stalks of the same plant.

In case it helps for reference or consensus, these are fresh sprouts this year from our semi-cultivated raspberry and our very wild blackberry.