TOPIC: Question about prevention of poachers

This is one for all and I need some good advice. I have some land that I dig on each year, only harvesting the mature plants. Each year we are able to get about 1/2 pound of dried roots. Keep in mind since this is family land there are a few large and old plants that I choose to leave each year because of the amount of seeds/berries they produce. If I had to estimate I would say there is around 400-600 plants over the 12 acres. About 60-70% of them are 2-8 year old plants as we don't harvest anything under 8-10 years old.

With that said, my issue is this, I just found out that one of my crack-head cousins has intentions of going out there this friday, his next day off work, and digging all he can. Basically I am assuming he is going to wipe out most everything. My question is can I cut the tops off all the plants?

My thoughts are this, knowing cutting the tops off now grants that I will have no seeds this year and won't be able to harvest any this year either. But, by doing this it will leave him with nothing to dig and no sign there is any there, thus preventing him from attempting it in the future. Will this be ok for the plants though? I don't want to do anything to harm them but at the same time I'm not willing to see years and years of good stewardship go to an addicts habit. Believe me, if I had time I would just hang out in the woods with a gun but that won't work.

Any help or advice appreciated.

Cut um you got nothing to lose . u c also leave some n set a game camera to catch him in the act n have him arrested. My self I'd cut them n mark the ones u want to dig on a GPS so u can go back n get some. Good luck to u

Have you thought about confronting him? Let him know that you already have notified the local authorities and they will be watching. And, if anything turns up missing, they will know who and where to put on the search warrant for his HOUSE.

I\"m not one to bluff, so I really would do that.

As for cutting, well you can but you have an accurate assessment of the results....assuming he thinks logically.

Confronting him won't make a difference, he did the same thing to a similar place a few years back and left nothing. Sitting up a camera wouldn't help either since the local authorities won't prosecute for poaching, been down the road here already with them. As for if it did work, he don't really have a home, he's in his 40's and stays at different places everynight. I found his most recent meth lab a few months back in these same woods not much more than 1000 feet from some ginseng.

I feel the only thing I can do is cut the tops and wait about harvesting til next year. My main concern was killing or harming the plant. I am assuming that cutting the tops won't kill the plant and they will come back next year. Can anyone confirm this?

You are correct. The plants that have enough growth (likely everything at this time of year) will be back if you cut the tops.

Cut them, they will be fine. I would still try to get him busted with possesion of root out of season if he managaes to get any.

Good advice guys. I would cut them too. Problem is he knows the ginseng is in there and will probably want to do the same thing next year. I would call the authorities and have him arrested. Too bad you can't legally beat the crap out of him.

If the plants have green berries on them try this. After you cut the stems at ground level, take the plant tops with your berry stem in tact and put the base of the stems a good 4 inches deep or more into the soil.

Depending on how far along the seed development is, there is a chance the green berries will ripen if conditions are right. Then you can pick them and plant them.If you try this and the green berries do not ripen after a few weeks I would plant the green berries anyway. Chances are good if the seed is developed enough they will germinate still even if they come from a green berry.

Latt

What about the dye that the government uses? Could a grower get his hands on that and dye some of his plants so the poaches a would get caught.Just make sure you know witch plants are dyed.Or get his hands on some the government had died and plant them in his patch. Wow They would get busted big time.For digging on federal land.

Do any of you cut the tops after the berries are done for the year? I know the plants will come back, but does it hurt the overall health in any way?

Lenno,
I always heard the sap/juice in the plant top and stem migrates back down into the root in the fall where it is stored which helps the root store energy for the winter. Kind of like how the sap moves to and from/up and down the roots to the tops of the trees in the spring and fall.

I would think that would make the root healthier. On the other hand if I thought my wild or planted seng plants were going to get stolen since an amateur can spot the bright yellow seng plants in the fall from 30 yards, then I wouldn't hesitate to cut the tops off.

Latt