TOPIC: (things) u have ran into while ginseng hunting

for me i was hunting in the mountains of jackson county kentucky. i just had stepped into woods and there was a 5 prong the first one i have ever found. but there was a catch a big one. between me and the big 5 prong was a rattle snake. now i wanted that plant very bad im sure u all know the feeling but the rattle snake had other plans. i tried cirling around but it was as if the rattler was protecting it. it hissed and rattled so i just said i would put this one off till tommorow as bad as i hated to. i didnt sleep to good that night but i got to claim my trophy in the morning

I've yet to run into a rattler, although there are supposed to be a few around here. I have seen a couple of copperheads, but as far as I'm concerned the worst thing that I've come across are those dreaded ground hornets. It really sucks when those things start divebombing me in the middle of digging a plant. I've had to abandon digging a couple of good ones in my times afield.

One of the better things I've come across are Chantrelle mushrooms while doing some preseason scouting for seng. The chantrelles usually come up toward the end of June or first part of July around here. Those are a very tasty treat. I've found some other musrooms as well. Hens, Chickens, and of course I go out looking for morrels in the spring. Sometimes I've found seng while looking for shrooms. I guess it works both ways.

One cool thing I ran into while hunting was some old log cutting tools like manual saw blades, log rollers, chains, and some hand tools. Plus, there were old glass Coke bottles and the oil cans you had to puncture with a spout yourself laying around. I can't imagine why that stuff was left laying there, and I also can't tell you how many years ago the place was logged, but it was neat seeing all that old stuff. Some of it looked like it would clean up pretty good.

I've found a broken off knife blade next to a monster root tangled up at the base of a tree, had to dig a HUGE hole under it to get it out properly, luckily didn't cut myself on the blade. Someone else was obviously digging the same root one day and didn't get it, not sure what else they would be doing burrying a knife into the ground and breaking it off.

89,

If you had a good ole long handle digger like mine (36\" hickory handle) and Billy digs with one just like mine but his handle is oak.

Anyway - a rattler would not keep you from a 5 prong, nor decent 3 prong either. I can sure make it hard on a snake with my digger.

I have had to handle at least 3 rattlers and a few coperheads while sang digging over the many years. Rattlesnake is actually not bad eating. If you like frog leggs, rattlesnake meat is very similar.

Some of my least favorite things to run into while seng digging are seed ticks (getting coverd with those critters), yellow jackets, hornets, stinging weed, and poison ivy.

Some of my favorite things to see is a nice patch of big mature seng plants with red berry pods, and also some of the great natural bueaty we have around these parts in waterfalls, and just sweet looking slick rock branches.

On odd man made things, I have run into more than one old abandoned whiskey still.

TNhunter

I hunt mostly in Clay,Leslie and Jackson counties and I tend to find a whole lot of pot patches. I havent really had any problems with snakes or bees but I guess im just lucky, knock on wood. I usually rake in about 5 pounds a year but between school and work I only got 1 pound and 10 ounces dry this year.

Once I was digging a patch that had around 25 diggers and numerous small 3prongs 2,`s and 3 leafs around in it.While I was diggin I looked up above me to see if I could notice any ginseng by a thicket from where I was digging.I di not see ginseng,but I saw a shinny bright looking silver object.Well as soon as I got done diggin them plants I moved up to the object and I have never saw one like this,but it was a very well made metal screw driver with a L shaped handle drilled through and attached to the screwdriver for prying.The screwdriver was all metal and I can tell that it is old.I pulled it from the ground and just sit and entertained the thought of !! I wonder what ole digger had found this patch of ginseng and had used very good stewardship in what they had dug and left for the future as there was still nice 4 prongs and mature 3`s in the patch.I thought he must have been so pleased with his dig that he didnt need his digger again that day and just forgot to get it,or else when he had found another patch he would have come back over here and got the handy little digger.I took the screwdriver/digger home and still have it to this day and from time to time when I see it I am still thankful for the one who had left it because he was a true man of the Mountians,I would not have mind at all finding him and giving his screwdriver/digger back

Billy.

One of my favorite moments was coming upon a very small clearing and was surrounded by Monarch Butterfies,,,I mean 100s of em,,and they seemed to kinda float in the air,,and were kinda bobbing about like they were controled by strings! It was a very magical moment!! Hard to explain to people how cool it really was!!......Hey Billy,,,you feeling better?

The most interesting thing I ran into wasn't quite magical like northern digger's. I was nearly running through the woods tryin to get back to the four wheeler because I stayed longer than I meant and had an appointment that evening. I came racin through an old hilltop field that was grown up with Poplar but they wasn't large enough yet to give the shade necessary to restrict much undergrowth, anyhow... barrelin through there, some how the top end of a small saw briar managed to find it's way up into my nose and stick. You talk about an ol boy throwin on the brakes! About ten minutes and a few tears... no,alot of tears later I managed to get myself loose.

89sangslayer wrote:

for me i was hunting in the mountains of jackson county kentucky. i just had stepped into woods and there was a 5 prong the first one i have ever found. but there was a catch a big one. between me and the big 5 prong was a rattle snake. now i wanted that plant very bad im sure u all know the feeling but the rattle snake had other plans. i tried cirling around but it was as if the rattler was protecting it. it hissed and rattled so i just said i would put this one off till tommorow as bad as i hated to. i didnt sleep to good that night but i got to claim my trophy in the morning

Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.





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