# picking ginseng



## localyahoo

I had seen an ohio sportsman show about a year ago and I told my buddie that looks like it would be fun and he said that he thinks that it's illegal to pick it in michigan??? Also in ohio the plant needed to have three prongs to be mature/legal? I find it funny that they even practice QGM:lol:


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## Linda G.

is protected by law in Michigan, and it IS enforced...


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## GIDEON

localyahoo said:


> I had seen an ohio sportsman show about a year ago and I told my buddie that looks like it would be fun and he said that he thinks that it's illegal to pick it in michigan??? Also in ohio the plant needed to have three prongs to be mature/legal? I find it funny that they even practice QGM:lol:


 Ginsang is dug not picked.

Digging Ginsang is fun, and profitable,($1250 a lb two years ago). Three prongs are not uncommon, more importantly than that is to wait until the berries turn before you dig it. Lots of quality time in the woods searching for it. Looking for and finding it are two different things though. My father and I dig a lot of it, (3 to 4 lbs wet a year) usually starting in mid to late Aug., through Oct. Yellow root is another fun one to hunt. Being a good sang hunter is becoming a lost art.


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## Linda G.

very interesting. I've done several articles over the years on ginseng, there's quite a market for wild sang in a number of eastern states, but like you said, it's becoming a lost art. 

What state do you dig in? I'd love to tag along with someone some time. I know how to find it, too, although my experience is relegated to Michigan. 

There's a lot more in Michigan than most of us think, but it only grows, from what I can tell, on land that hasn't been disturbed or developed at all. And there's a lot less of that these days than there used to be...


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## malainse

The Michigan Ginseng Act was passed in 1994 to regulate the harvest, sale, and distribution of American Ginseng in Michigan. This act covers both cultivated and wild ginseng, and makes it unlawful to take American ginseng from the wild without a permit from the MDNR.

Link to act:
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(q0...cl-act-184-of-1994&queryid=1120411&highlight=


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## GIDEON

Linda G. said:


> very interesting. I've done several articles over the years on ginseng, there's quite a market for wild sang in a number of eastern states, but like you said, it's becoming a lost art.
> 
> What state do you dig in? I'd love to tag along with someone some time. I know how to find it, too, although my experience is relegated to Michigan.
> 
> There's a lot more in Michigan than most of us think, but it only grows, from what I can tell, on land that hasn't been disturbed or developed at all. And there's a lot less of that these days than there used to be...


 A number of factors lend to desirable Ginsanging areas. Types of timber in area, undergrowth, soil moisture, north south east or west side of hills or knolls, then you have a number of wild plants known as sang pointers. Old farms with fences running thru the woods, soil density, just to name a few. I have seen it growing from the state line up to about the Mio area as a northern boundary. And yes Michigan does have a LOT of it. 
Southern states are the most predominate places for selling it, fascinating and elaborate farms in Wisconsin and Minnesota also. Although cultivated sang only brings about 1/10 of the price of wild sang.Presently a fellow that I dig with and I have about 4 lbs. drying at his place waiting on the fall selling season. I am hoping for another $1000 a lb season


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## localyahoo

if you have a permit, can you dig it up on state land or private only? Also is there a place that I can inquire about all the rules or at least ask questions about it?


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## malainse

Use the below link "Locating a CO". Call you local DNRE service center. They can point you in the right direction to have your questions answered. 


http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-42199-24666--,00.html


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## Deviate01

I got myself a permit from the MDNR last year for picking american ginseng.. now this year I would like to start. I know right now is a good time to look for it. I heard different thing about where to look but i was wondering if anyone had any more detailed information about finding it. I'm also in the Marquette area.. is it too far north?


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## GIDEON

Deviate01 said:


> I got myself a permit from the MDNR last year for picking american ginseng.. now this year I would like to start. I know right now is a good time to look for it. I heard different thing about where to look but i was wondering if anyone had any more detailed information about finding it. I'm also in the Marquette area.. is it too far north?


How did you get the permit, is it for both private and public land...........berries should be ripe about now.


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## inland44

We raised Ginseng when I was a kid in the UP for about 15 years. At the time we were the only growers in Michigan and there were a few in WI. Very labor intensive and it takes 4 years to mature so the initial investment does not turn around quickly. Toward the end there was an explosion of farms in Northern WI that caused the bottom to drop out of the market. The price went from $400-500 a pound to $80 a pound in the last couple of years we raised it. I recall a Korean buyer came to our place to inspect the dried root in our barn. All along one wall we had a couple dozen sets of antlers from over the years, nothing big spikes, fork horns ect. The guy went crazy and offed $50.00 a set to my dad.


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## TrekJeff

Details


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## flyonsweetangel

I have lots of wild ginseng on my farm. And your right this land has not been farmed for over 50 years. I called DNR and was told the wild ginseng can not be dug up. In Michigan you must cultivate it and have the permit to do so. Sad all this wild ginseng can not be used.


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