TOPIC: hey i'm new to hunting genseng

can any body give me any ideals on where to start in thin or thick woods

Actually I'd say that somewhere in between is best. I have found ginseng in woods so thick you couldn't get through it, although that isn't the norm. if there are alot of plants growing on the forrest floor then that probably means that those woods are getting to much sun. Ginseng doesn't like too much sun. If there are few plants on the floor then it may not be getting enough sun.
I can tell you this, you never know if a woods has ginseng in it until you look. I've been to places that I would have sworn there was no ginseng and find it all over the place. We found a pine forrest last year that was loaded with ginseng (that's abnormal) and on the other hand you can go someplace that seems ideal and not find a thing.
The people on this site can tell you and I would agree that it's true. Once you get a little experience you can walk into a woods and almost feel that it's there. I know that probably doesn't help, but it's true.
Woods with walnut, beach, tulip trees. If you see ferns growing or jack in the pulpit... or a really strong sign is if you can find yellowroot. Around here Mayapple is everywhere, but it can also be a good sign. There is a plant called a pointer, it has white berries on it. if you find that then you're definitly in the right place. The old timers call it a pointer because it's suppose to point to ginseng.
Also, look along deer paths or Find a nice shady hill that overlooks a water source like a creek, stream or pond.
Finally I can tell you that you might find ginseng growing about anywhere. I have even found it growing in gravel and even grass.
Look around dead tree stumps and fallen timber that is rotting. Don't be content with just looking in the wide open. Move stuff around, look under larger plants, small trees. walk the same path from different angles. There is a reason we call it \"hunting\" ginseng.
Good luck.

thanks for the help now i'm gona get started and i hope that have some luck

Hey Jeff are you by any chance from VA?If you are I don't mind taking you with me to try and find some!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jchrisfos, I could not have said it better myself, thats dead on, you have to hunt it enough to feel that it is there, and still we are always learning new habits of the plant

Hey paul, it's funny-- isn't it? You can just sense
that it's there. You seem to know what I mean.
I can tell you it's a strange thing. Who knows how a person comes to that point of knowing a thing. On the same token you can also pretty much sense when it's not there. I guess it's experience to a larger degree, but sometimes I wonder.
Do you know what I mean when I say that it seems like sometimes the ginseng just finds you?
When I hunt ginseng I don't really have to even look for it, it's kind of like it jumps out at me. I could tell you some really strange stories about hunting ginseng.

no doubt, I think that the knowing comes from the experience of hunting. When you hunt the plants, you follow guidelines of hills to get you to the spots where you just know when you go up it will be loaded. I have methods of hunting that always improve with direct knowledge.

hey jc that is so right. it is kinda weird. Just like last year when i was marking timber with the other rangers and foresters that don't seng we were in a spot that i told them there has to be some seng here. And one of them said why here, i said it just is a spot where it shoould grow it just looks like a good spot. And he said that i was crazy only to go about five more feet and we fount three big four prongs. Kinda weird huh. i do know what u mean

no i'm northwest ga

Perfect describtion Hillbilly, Paul, I joke with my buddy who hunts with me sometimes. I'll say, \" Let's look around here a little more... I can smell it!\"