TOPIC: Scouting for ginseng

What type of makers do you use to ensure you find ginseng back while out scouting during the spring/summer?
GPS or actual physical markers?

Thanks for any replies,

John B

GPS

I don't do a lot of scouting in the summer but have done that a few times.

When I did I marked them with GPS. I have a Garmin that is quite accurate.

Back in 2011 I scouted a couple times in early August and marked several nice plants and some patches. By the time seng season opened we had an awful drought going on and most of the green stuff in the woods was dried up and dead. What was left the deer were hitting hard.

Of all the plants that I marked while scouting I would say 80% or more had been browsed by deer when Seng season opened.

I still found several of the plants I marked, with nothing but a stem sticking out of the ground.

GPS sure helped that year.

TNhunter

If possible, buy a gps system. Too many risks marking areas that others could possibly find

Ya I was scared to put any kind of a marker over a nice group of plants I found a month ago. I haven't been able to locate them again since. I don't plan to dig anything this year anyway but was really hoping to get the berries and help the wild population in that area. Thanks again for the relies, will be looking into a GPS.

John B

John B,
I have seen deer browse an entire patch of mature plants that I had marked. They come back up the following year. So it may be possible you found the area and they just aren't up now due to the deer.
Why they browse some patches and not others I have no idea.
I have always wondered if the deer just don't find all the wild patches. But then again I have seen mature plants growing right beside a deer trail. So go figure?????
Latt