# Cheboygan County Hot Spot, Courtesy of Afton Sheep Farmer



## FreePass (Oct 19, 2009)

My wife and I decided to cap off our mothers day adventure by taking our 15 month old daughter for her first morel excursion. Since we would be traveling past a state land spot that I have picked on and off for the last ten years I figured that would be a great place to go. As we were getting the little one out of her car seat we heard another vehicle coming down the two track. The vehicle came to a stop about one hundred yards short of our location. After the car door slammed we heard the first very loud rant of obscenities. The lone occupant continued her rant as she climbed up the ridge towards where I had picked before. Apparently oblivious to what was going on, I figured she was yelling at her kids or something. Nope, it was at us. We got our stuff ready and preceded to walk up the ridge (still figuring she was yelling at her kids). After being on the ridge for a while, we ended up crossing paths. An acknowledging nod from me was met with some "under the breath" muttering I couldn't understand. Now I was a little less oblivious... As she turned and headed away from us she got on her cell and initiated rant #2. Apparently she has been picking this ridge for 35 ****ing years and there are a couple ****ing ***holes picking in HER spot and how ****ing Pi**** off she is right now. After this loud verbal display, which was clearly intended for us to hear, we decided that this was not how we wanted our mothers day to go out. We loaded up into our vehicle and headed back out the two track we came in on. As we come to her vehicle, we find it 100% blocking the road. She parked in the only spot where we couldn't get around. I speculate that it was intentional parked as such. I got out and asked her if she would move her vehicle and she initially refused, continuing away from us on the ridge, still picking mushrooms. It wasn't until I said my next line of action was to call the authorities (her vehicle was blocking a public right-of-way) that she finally came off the hill. In a horrible display of "off roading" she finally turned around and left, leaving the road clear for us to get by. She did however stop every 100 yards or so to make sure we were still following and leaving "her spot".

I love picking mushrooms, and I fully understand the desire to keep your findings and your hot spots on the down low. I do not, however, understand why anyone would put on such a temper tantrum in front of a family with a small child. 

I have other spots that I pick. This one is about 30 miles from home so I only go there once or twice a year. I have no desire to ever have an encounter like this again, so I'm more than willing to give this up to fellow pickers who may not have the opportunites that I do (and who don't mind temper tantrums). Judging by what I saw, this woman has very poor social skills. I figure the best way to fix this is with social interaction. I invite everyone to visit this spot and maybe by meeting and interacting with numerous people she will eventually build the social skills needed to survive and thrive in the world we live in.

GPS coordinates:
45* 22.168 N
84* 25.109 W

The enterance is south off M68/33 between fingerboard corner and Osmund Rd, west of the spring shop. The area to pick is a nice elm ridge. 100 yards wide by 150 yards long. Once you see it you'll know what I'm talking about. This is a very productive area and it's easy to access public land. I hope someone takes advantage. Have a nice day!

PS: Beware of the light blue/grey Chevy Trailblazer with the busted out front grill and handicap plate. According to the woman's shirt, she is the Afton Sheep Farmer.


----------



## esgowen (Feb 27, 2011)

Well played sir half way through reading your story I was thinking exactly what you ended up doing . I myself have run into rude people in the woods not to that extent but some will walk right up to you like your in there spot on state or federal land and try to muscle or push you out of there . It's been awhile since I've had little ones in the woods with me my youngest is 12 but I'm not sure I would have handled it as good as you you did hats off for keeping your cool cuz I think you were well in your rights to **** punt that bitch for talking that way in front of your little one


----------



## Troutguy (Aug 28, 2012)

Sorry you met such an awful person, but your post made my day!


----------



## DanSS26 (Jul 10, 2008)

You handled this very well. I hope she sees lots of visitors.


----------



## Wylan (Mar 12, 2012)

http://www.gps-coordinates.net/ type in the GPS coor here to get an idea where your headed... Burt lake area here we come


----------



## FreePass (Oct 19, 2009)

In using the link above, the coordinates I put in the original post seem to be a few miles off. I appoligize. They were taken off of my phone. To help clear things up I have taken the coordinates off of flash earth. When these are plugged into the website of the above link the resulting pin is very close to the area. Close enough that you'd have no problem finding it.

Updated coordinates via flash earth
45* 22' 9.6" N
84* 25' 6.5" W


----------



## bigair (Apr 16, 2004)

alt 0176 for degree symbol


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Hopefully she is inundated with folks.. Might not hurt to run an add in the local paper.. 

_Morel Mushrooms FREE!!!
You Pick
Directions_


----------



## benster (Jul 31, 2006)

I get this every year where we turkey hunt up that way. The same guy comes off private property onto state land and says we are ruining his hunt? He has been patterning the birds for weeks. The funny part is we have never even heard a call from him? I think he just basically tries to run us off or hunts them like deer. We have gone in there and been done with our hunt in 10 minutes before, amazing what a call can do, lol


----------



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Awesome!!! Lmao

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## V.P.594 (May 11, 2009)

Going to the cabin this weekend just south of onaway to look for morels. I will be checking this hot spot out!


----------



## Troutguy (Aug 28, 2012)

I'll be in Boyne City for the mushroom festival, maybe I'll check out the spot too. Imagine if she sees a Canadian licence plate and realises the spot has gone international? LMAO

Freepass: Do you park by the red pickup truck on satellite view here and walk in or is there an entrance between the two houses:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/45...49,157m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en


----------



## panfishking (Jan 2, 2011)

Awesome job man! Looks like her spot is pretty screwed over now.


----------



## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

Maybe a local Boy Scout Troop would like to make a weekend morel picking camp out 


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


----------



## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

Maybe they could get community service hours for helping out the Afton Sheep dipper with her social skills 


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


----------



## Nolan3387 (Sep 10, 2008)

That's only a couple miles from our deer camp. Nice to hear the shrooms are out. I am heading up this weekend to plant some trees, I will be sure to check for some at our place. If timed right, we usually get a big slough of them.


----------



## FreePass (Oct 19, 2009)

Troutguy: the green arrow is dead on. The entrance is just slightly west of where those houses are. You'll drive in the two track and a couple hundred yards in, after the wet and rutted up area there will be a left branch off of the two track. Follow that around and it'll loop back to the north. You're actually accessing it from behind. The ridge butts up to the back of the property those houses are on.


----------



## NorthWoodsHunter (Feb 21, 2011)

Brilliant!


----------



## nick 74 (Dec 4, 2008)

This just made my day!! Well done!!! Please post if anyone goes and checks it out.


----------



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Priceless. Might be a lesson to be learned here. 

I hate people who have to get right up on you. Had a guy this weeked, even after turning away from him he seemed intent on picking in my sack! I get I may have been in his favorite spot but if he was there I never would have just barged righ up on him. I'd have moved on away and come back later...


----------



## RMH (Jan 17, 2009)

:lol::lol:


----------



## DanSS26 (Jul 10, 2008)

I thought a few more people may want to read this story, so I posted a link to it on the Michigan Morels website.  They like the way you handled it too.


----------



## FreePass (Oct 19, 2009)

Post a link Dan, so we can all follow!


----------



## DanSS26 (Jul 10, 2008)

http://www.michiganmorels.com/funtalk/showthread.php?t=17336


----------



## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

This officially qualifies as ..."PRICELESS"!!! :lol::lol::lol::lol:


----------



## DanSS26 (Jul 10, 2008)

After reading about this terrible greedy selfish person, it is nice to read a good story about morel picking.

http://www.michiganmorels.com/funtalk/showthread.php?t=17383


----------



## vsmorgantown (Jan 16, 2012)

LMAO!! This is truly a feel good story. :lol: My blood was boiling when I first started reading because my thoughts of you, your wife, and precious 15 month old getting accosted by this low life but that soon turned into laughter and a smile. I know I could not have kept my cool and my hats off to you for handling it the way you did.


----------



## DanSS26 (Jul 10, 2008)

So, did anyone get a chance to check this place out? Just wondering how many guests she had at her private little honey hole!


----------



## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

Stopped by there today . Had to park closer to 68 do to the wet area being so rutted up walk upon the ridge but it seams to have been picked over ?? and theres a lot of new growth of some small plant with leaves 2 inch wide and 3 long not trillium also a lot of orv tracks filed for next yr or so 


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


----------



## FreePass (Oct 19, 2009)

Bump


----------



## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

I live east of Cheboygan but will pass the information along to some of folks I know. We had rain Sunday then a bunch of heat Monday so I'm sure more did pop up before this cold weather hit.


----------

