TOPIC: Ginseng hunting season 2013

Before the Mud

The woods where friendly that day also. Thank the good Lord for all of his wonderful Bounty.

Love the pics of the mud fellas. Man you sure find some beautiful seng!
Latt

Billy... You ought to name them boys \"The Bell County Kentucky Mud Daubers\"! Sure looks like they were having fun. However, I would bet that the fund stopped when they got home and your wife saw their' clothes that she was going to have to wash! LOL!! Kind of reminds of the story of the woman who had nineteen kids and one of them, a boy came up missing one day. She looked high and low for him and finally found him stuck in a barrel of tar behind the tool shed. She pulled him part of the way out of the barrel of tar, then dropped him back in and said, \"Boy, it would be easier to have another one, than it would be to clean you up!\".


Frank

bahhhaaaa

huntsman53 wrote:

Billy... You ought to name them boys \"The Bell County Kentucky Mud Daubers\"! Sure looks like they were having fun. However, I would bet that the fund stopped when they got home and your wife saw their' clothes that she was going to have to wash! LOL!! Kind of reminds of the story of the woman who had nineteen kids and one of them, a boy came up missing one day. She looked high and low for him and finally found him stuck in a barrel of tar behind the tool shed. She pulled him part of the way out of the barrel of tar, then dropped him back in and said, \"Boy, it would be easier to have another one, than it would be to clean you up!\".


Frank

One of my last finds this season two beauty's the double top was near 7 ounces and the bulby one is 5 ounces they where right beside each other not 3 feet apart.

I was beside myself I love those big yellow tops. A week later and I would not have saw these two.

I left 3 four prongs and a host of three prongs a lot of the tops where dead and dying I thought that I would like to see the rest of that patch when all the tops where up and with red berry's I will return to that spot in 2 or 3 years maybe the Lords will.

Billy.

Billy,
Congratulations on some beautiful roots right at the end of the season. I wish that I could dig all of mine in the future as perfect as you have done with these. Not a flaw in them. I know you're looking forward to next year.

Hugh

Dang Billy, that is some nice seng as usual. You sure know how to find the good ones. Can't wait each year to see what you find in them mountains.
Latt

I had not looked at this post for a very long time. Great photo of the fun times mudding.

those roots you find never cease to amaze me, Billy. You really are \"in tune\" with our favorite plant.

Do you keep maps of where your places are? so you can get back to them in the future?

Thanks Hugh it really is important not to damage the water/fiber roots

Thanks Latt

Thanks Whitjr I have never used a map to go back to a spot bro I bought a hand held gps one time and it was fun, but after I got it I didn't ever use it much so it is in my drawer at home.

I remember a lot of spots and I really do not know how that I can remember them. My Elder Adam Campbell that taught me how to ginseng told me that I had a natural eye and a built in sense of direction, I think I picked up some of my ability in the Mountains from watching and learning from him. He never used maps etc. either.

I have certain natural markers in many of the spots and that to is how I go to the spots from the trail or road hen I find the places that I have dug and replanted the seeds in by walking it all. Once this year I went to a holler where I had planted a lot of berries a few years back it was like 5 to 6 years back there is a big rock the size of a small house there I planted the berries back to the left and right of the rock and I saw 35 nice three prongs and a lot of good 2 prongs and small 2 prongs and 3 leafs there where only 7 four prongs that seemed to be from the seed that I had planted. There was also 8 plants that where older and better sized than the seed I had planted, I dug those 8 and learned L.Bill and Caleb the spot and gave it to Caleb and I gave L.bill a place on the other side in a pretty holler we all three know that some ginsenger could find those two spots but but I am learning the boys the importance of patients and how much better the harvest is if you let the ginseng mature. I always tell them Boys I know it is hard to walk away from mature 3 prongs but if you come back in 2 years these will all be 4 prongs or big 3 prongs and so far they have made it you could harvest 2 pounds here at the right time verses 14 to 17 ounces from the same plants. And on top of that there will be 100s of 3 leafs and 2 prongs that wasn't here today to replenish what you harvest in 2 years. I hope the boys get to dig those but if not it is what I was taught and it has always been for the good to me even though I have lost a few here and there.

This spot where I dug those 2 plants has a few nice bunches to return and get I figure to let them grow 2 years and return while the berries are red it will be a picture perfect dig if the Lords will.

Below is a photo of my teacher Adam Campbell one of the best men that I have ever known. He is not able to go any more. There is never a big plant that I find that I do not think of him and how he loves and respects the forest and what he taught me.

Billy.