Part 3 — How to Find Resin in the Forest (Training the Resin Eye)

Now that you can identify spruce and pine trees, the next step is learning how to find resin in the forest. This is a skill that develops over time, and once you understand what to look for, you will begin noticing resin everywhere. Many wildcrafters call this the resin eye. It simply means being able to scan a forest and quickly recognize where resin is most likely to appear.

This guide explains what to look for, where resin naturally forms, and how to spot it efficiently during a walk in any wooded area.

Why Resin Forms Where It Does

Resin appears in predictable places where the tree needs to seal a wound or protect itself.

Old Broken Branch Stubs

This is the most reliable place to find resin. When a branch breaks from wind or age, the tree produces resin to close the wound. Some stubs build up resin for years.

Wind Facing Sides of Trees

Trees take the most damage on the side that faces the prevailing winds. Small branches snap, bark cracks, and wildlife activity is higher on this side.

Animal Damage

Claw marks, antler rubs, and chew marks often lead to resin formation. These patches are usually small but clean and easy to gather.

Frost Cracks and Weather Splits

Rapid temperature changes in winter cause long vertical cracks in the bark. These cracks often develop long seams of resin.

Fallen Trees That Hit Others

If a fallen tree struck a standing one, you may find a long lasting resin patch at the impact point.

Trees With Repeated Minor Damage

Some trees get bumped, rubbed, or scraped year after year. These often turn into dependable resin producers.

         Resin dripping down from a damaged pine tree- healing its own wound

How to Scan a Forest Efficiently

Finding resin is really about learning to notice contrast, shine, and texture on bark. With a few simple habits, the forest will begin to reveal far more than you expect.

    If you scan the side of this spruce tree youll see a slightly raised bump- Thats sap!

Look for Light or Shiny Spots

Resin often appears as pale yellow, amber, white, or glossy patches on darker bark. These small highlights usually stand out once you know what you are looking for.

Use Peripheral Vision

Your side vision often notices shine or colour changes more easily than looking directly at the bark.

Scan at Eye Level to Shoulder Height

Most resin forms between waist and head height. Beginners often miss resin because they look too high or too low.

Move Slowly

Resin hides in bark texture. Slowing down helps you notice small details on the trunk and on branch stubs.

Look for Patterns, Not Perfect Drops

Instead of looking for a single round bead, look for raised areas, healed scars, dried drip lines, bark bulges, and areas that look different from the rest of the trunk. These patterns usually point directly to resin.

          Resin will drip down an entire side of the oldest most damaged trees

Resin Hotspots People Often Miss

Base of Older Trees

Where bark meets the roots, small cracks and splits often form. These can produce good amounts of resin.

Under Moss or Lichen

Resin can become partly covered by moss. Some of the best pieces are hidden this way.

The Back Side of Trees

Always walk around the tree. Resin is just as likely on the far side, away from the trail.

Broken Tops or Old Damage High Up

If a tree snapped during a storm years ago, resin often ran down the trunk at the time. These seams may still be visible.

Trees That Rub Against Each Other

Wind rubbing causes friction wounds that often produce resin.

What Resin Looks Like at Different Stages

Fresh Resin

Sticky, golden, glossy, and soft like thick honey. 

                                                       Fresh pine resin

Semi Hardened Resin

Slightly firm, pale yellow or orange, less sticky. Excellent for chewing or gum making.

Fully Hardened Resin

Brittle, white or chalky, crumbly at the edges. Very good for purification.

                     Older more crystalized  resin 

Dark Brown or Black Resin

Old and oxidized. Some may still be usable. Avoid resin with a rotten or chemical smell.

How to Tell Good Resin From Bad Resin

Good resin has a clean pine scent and feels firm, sticky, or brittle in a natural way. It should not smell sour or chemical like. Avoid resin that has heavy mold, black slime, large insect colonies, or comes from polluted areas such as roadsides, railways, or sprayed zones.

Understanding Productive Resin Trees

Some trees produce resin regularly. This usually happens because they are older, receive more wind, are exposed to more sunlight, or have many old wounds. Once you learn to recognize these trees, you can return to them year after year.

The Reality of Resin Abundance

Despite what some people claim, spruce and pine resin is not rare. It is common, renewable, and naturally produced as part of the tree’s own healing process. Once your eyes adjust to noticing resin, you will begin to see it on many trees in forests, trails, campsites, cutblocks, and disturbed edges.

Resin harvesting is accessible to anyone with the patience to look for it.

Next in the Series: Harvesting Resin Safely and Respectfully

Now that you know how to find resin, the next part of this series will explain how to harvest it properly. Part 4 will cover the tools needed, how to collect resin without harming the tree, and how to clean and prepare it for later use.