TOPIC: Ginseng Reality Show coming to a holler near you

This is going to bring ginseng to the attention of millions who never knew of it before. This will bring more poaching, more turmoil and then more and stricter regulations than we already have.

I have to agree with you Hill.

I think the only thing we can do as a group is to write (nice and polite) letters to the network once we see the first episode. Until then, we really don't know what the show will be like. At least that is what they would say I'm sure.

In the States where wild ginseng grows there are all ready millions who know the root but not near that many dig the root. I do not worry that it will cause people to dig, but I worry that it will cause people to disrespect the plant, the people who truly love the plant and the true integrity of good stewards of the mountains the true wild ginseng hunters. This is a made up bunch of garbage in my opinion I can tell by just the advertisement of it. Wild Ginseng Hunters are Great people and they are not thugs who run around with a shot gun and the dealers do not try to demise one another and neither does the diggers say I don't want to hurt anyone but I would if I had to. Wild ginseng is not pot patches in the Mountains and people do not sit over the plants with guns. The show is garbage if that is what they base it on and if that is what they want the world to believe and consider reality it is in fact non reality and I will certainly do my part to stand against it teaching that in every way that I can.

If this show would have been done in the right way it would be very good, but they are making it out to be that the wild ginseng people are a bunch of thugs running around in the Mountains with guns after one another. I have been confronted by Reality TV. Presidents for over 5 years wanting me to do a show like this and I have told them that we are not idiots or thugs in a nice way and sent them well on there way several times. It would seem that they have found someone now who knows about ginseng but truly does not care about the truth of it or the integrity because they are willing to make a show out to be a lie concerning it and the people that are playing in it are not true wild ginseng people as we all are and they will make it something that none of us true hunters will like or agree with, I can guarantee you that, because I have herd them try to sell there pitch and refused them and these people have excepted them. It is no good.

Billy.

After going to the History Channels website and reading\"about the show\"it appears the show is a hatfield and mccoy type drama with heavy emphasis on drama.I hunt seng in the ozarks which is kinda its western range and know of no other diggers who come even close to this type of balogna.What a disgrace.I worry for what harm this show will do.

Here's how i think this will turn out. In keeping in line with other reality shows.
Alot of people watch these shows and convince themselves that they are now experts in something they no nothing about. thanks to shows like storage wars, we now have storage companies all over the U.S. building fake storage inventories and advertising in local trader papers and scamming people out of thousands of dollars. And alot of idiots fall for it.
Alot of people watch pickers and convince themselves that it is ok to drive by any old barn in the country and jump out of the car and run over to the barn and start rummaging thru your stuff.
I went to the lake last summer, and was fishing from a pier by the boat ramp, there were several small and protected turtles around the ramp, anyone care to guess what happened, yep you're right, Out of a car jumps a junior \"turtle-man\" and jumps right into the water, splashing around trying to catch turtles. I just shook my head and thought \"WHAT A DUMBASS\".
So if i was a betting man, i would guess that next year we will have a thread on this forum titled, post your poacher trailcam pix here.
Face it, next spring there will be more paochers in the woods than ever and it will be 100% the fault of this show. On the plus side most of them will not have a clue of what to dig, and alot of virgina creeper and mayapple will be removed from the forest by the new found ginseng tycoons.

Kduce it is disturbing how people do.
K_duce wrote:

Here's how i think this will turn out. In keeping in line with other reality shows.
Alot of people watch these shows and convince themselves that they are now experts in something they no nothing about. thanks to shows like storage wars, we now have storage companies all over the U.S. building fake storage inventories and advertising in local trader papers and scamming people out of thousands of dollars. And alot of idiots fall for it.
Alot of people watch pickers and convince themselves that it is ok to drive by any old barn in the country and jump out of the car and run over to the barn and start rummaging thru your stuff.
I went to the lake last summer, and was fishing from a pier by the boat ramp, there were several small and protected turtles around the ramp, anyone care to guess what happened, yep you're right, Out of a car jumps a junior \"turtle-man\" and jumps right into the water, splashing around trying to catch turtles. I just shook my head and thought \"WHAT A DUMBASS\".
So if i was a betting man, i would guess that next year we will have a thread on this forum titled, post your poacher trailcam pix here.
Face it, next spring there will be more paochers in the woods than ever and it will be 100% the fault of this show. On the plus side most of them will not have a clue of what to dig, and alot of virgina creeper and mayapple will be removed from the forest by the new found ginseng tycoons.

It is greed for one thing or another that leads to utter downfall of any thing even to the good man if he is not careful and a man sure needs to weigh every matter out before he decides the matter is right or wrong. Unfortunately the reality TV show owners have no scales or a thought to weigh and find any balance all they see with is greedy eyes,Neither values or integrity matter to them concerning there fellow man. It is up to the cast members that makes the deal with the TV. show owners whether the show is good or bad because the reality TV. owners do not care for any thing but ratings and money and they will pump a man who cares not with any thing he will let them pump him with, but if a man does not agree with these blown up ideas then the show can be a good thing and educational and teach respect and love for the Mountains it is really a matter of decision This world is not my home and never will be, but I have got to pass through it because that is the Lords will, if a man has hope in this old world or in a lot of people in it then he will be miserable but hope in the good things that God has allowed to be in this world is a very good hope and people like us have just got to share the good seeds in a world of bad seeds and those that are good will enjoy. One thing is certain to me no matter how much bad is done I will continue to try and do good and wild ginseng hunting and the Mountains are very good I will not let those who are bad destroy what is good to me.

Billy you may find yourself buying more sarsparilla !

If it's portraying diggers as a bunch of idiot thieves I could just see a lot more regulations coming down the pipe. Not good!

Wow! Been offline for awhile, and look what happens....

Been busy with lots of family, and haven't even posted once in few days. Now this! I have to agree with you guys, can't really see what benefit this will have for our endeavors. I like the approach Latt has taken, think I'll do that as well.

grumble, grumble, grumble....