TOPIC: TNhunter 2013 Season...

That's a dang good trip man, I have only dug over 2lb in a day once in my lifetime.

Cograts TN, I knew it wouldn't be long before you dug a pile;) some great looking plants and roots. Happy B-day!!!

Thanks guys...

Rickyc - I can't remember for sure but I would say the days I have got more than 2 lbs are very few. Possibly only 2 or 3. This was definately a very good hunt.

My best day ever (so far...) was 3 lbs 1.5 oz. I think that was a once in a life time hunt. Would be hard to beat that for sure around here anyway.

Something that I wanted to mention about yesterdays hunt for the benefit of those that grow seng.

I hunted two hollows that ran parallel to each other, and they ran almost due north/south. With the head of the hollows being south, and mouth to the north.

These hollows were fairly steep and along the bottom edge of the hillside the faced to the east and in the hollow bottom I was finding seng.

I hunted down the first hollow and started finding seng about half way down it... and only found some decent to smallish 3 prongs (probably 40 or 50 of those).

But when I got to the mouth of that hollow and went around the end of the ridge and started back up the second hollow... the ridge on the far side of it (that had the east facing hillside) that ridge top had been clear cut and planted in pines.

So along that hillside there was quite a bit of light. It was grown up in weeds, polk salid, even had some jewell weed growing on it.

And SENG - BIG SENG !

I found so many big 4 prongers in that location that I lost count and there was big seng steady all along that hillside where there was extra sunlight getting in.

Just up that hollow about 1/2 mile, the ridge top had not been cut, so the shade went back to normal woods shade. As soon as I got to that part, the seng turned into smallish 3 prongers again. It continued quite a ways up that hollow but was smallish seng.

I have seen this same thing in other hollows where the ridge top had been clear cut and the hollow bottoms still had good timber.

When the hillsides are opened up to more light like that - the seng will grow crazy big.

If you know of any places like that - with ridge tops clear cut and planted in pines (or just clear cut) but the hollow bottoms still have good timber - better check em out !

TNhunter

That's a nice haul. I can't believe how addicted I got to hunting this stuff. Not to mention, it's a nice supplement to a fixed income.

TNHunter you have had a good time digging so far this year!!!!! My goodness I am so heartsick right now. I have to wait another 9 days before I am able to hit the woods! I enjoy seeing everyone's ginseng, but boy it makes the heartache tough to bear.....

NICE!!! Happy BIRTHDAY TN.
Latt

I can't help but admire the soil you have there. That's some good looking dirt.

Thanks everyone...

LJ - on the dirt there. It was special for sure - and I have found seng in soil like that several times and it is always happy.

It was rock chip filled, and between the rock chips was a nice dark loam type soil. Seng just loves soil like that. Good drainage, but also rich fertal soil and I would expect it to be high in calcium and other minerals with all of the rock chips.

PS - this morning I am heading out for a short hunt on some property a friend from Church has. I have been talking Ginsng with him for a couple years at Church and he does not know what it looks like but wants to learn.
He has a couple of nice north to north-east hillsides up a hollow behind his house that look promising on topo map.

We'll see what we can find down there today.

Meeting him there at 8 am - will hopefully have a few pics and roots to show off later today.

Good Luck to all that are heading out this moring for a hunt.

TNhunter

Well - back already and had no luck on this little hunt.

Turned out the nice hollows I was seeing on topo were not on his property. His land was mostly east facing hillside, and it just was not right for seng. He did have one small hollow on his place that had a nice slick rock branch up it and in one spot found some maidenhair fern, hog peanut, an one little 2 prong ginseng plant - but that was it. No more to be found.

He is signing on a 100 acre lease for deer hunting next week and said once he gets that settled we can go check it for seng. He said it has some nice deep hollows on it, so perhaps that will work out.

Good luck to all that are hunting this fine Saturday !

TNhunter

Got to go on another hunt this morning, about a half day hunt.

There was some decent seng in this hollow but nothing real big - mostly a bunch of nice 3 prongs.

Red berries were showing off today. Think it is about the peak of red berry time here.

Here is a pic of the pile on the scales. 11.3 oz.

TNhunter