TN TN - Scott Hawkins, 51 & Tracy Hawkins, 44, brothers, ginseng hunting, Rocky Top, 6 Aug 2021

[lindylou]

Appalachian Outlaws is a tv program that shows the dangers of ginseng hunting. Appalachian Outlaws - Google Search
I hope they have not encountered some of the people guarding their crop!

 

[killarney rose]

That certainly leads to the assumption of foul play.

 

[bykerladi]

sadly, no updates. This poor elderly mom lost BOTH her sons. My heart breaks for her.

 

[December]

This is so sad.

I have known people to hunt ginseng for a long time now. Back in the day, people who were in the woods a lot anyway would get some to sell or use themselves. But, this was mostly before anyone was trying to sell to China therefore not particularly dangerous and only really worthwhile if a person was really good at being in the woods.

It sounds like they were really good at being in the woods, and they are old enough that they maybe remember when not that many people did it.

 

[siliconrod]

No updates on MSM so I am assuming both are still missing.

 

[Rescue63]

We used local search groups, Christian Aid Ministry on two occasions as well as Texas Equasearch/Midwest for two days. Other than an occasional dig hole, water bottle or cake wrapper, no trace has been located.

 

[bykerladi]

No updates. For both of them to have had an "Accident" seems unlikely, unless one tried to save the other and they both perished. OR their ginseng hunting got them in trouble. Poor momma.

 

[ThoughtFox]

Thank you for the updates. I live in Tennessee and haven't seen any news about this case whatsoever. It's just shocking that they could disappear completely so close to a town, even a small town. What happened to them? Maybe as people are out hiking and looking at wildflowers this spring someone will find a trace of them.

 

[Armalita]

Thank you for the updates. I live in Tennessee and haven't seen any news about this case whatsoever. It's just shocking that they could disappear completely so close to a town, even a small town. What happened to them? Maybe as people are out hiking and looking at wildflowers this spring someone will find a trace of them.

I also live in Tennessee and I have never heard of this until now. It amazes me how some cases get attention and some get zero attention.

 

[ErinC]

I did not know ginseng hunting was a thing, or that there was a market for it in the US.

Yep! Am from Appalachia, would dig a small amount of roots as a kid for spending money. I remember it being something like a dollar a root in the mid 80s. I don't know that it is used extensively in the US but overseas buyers go crazy for it.

 

[Meesh87]

According to their mother today (April 8, 2022) they are unfortunately still missing.

I feel like it must be foul play. Anything else there would be traces of them. Misadventure you'd find a body, animals you'd find bones, only another human could erase all evidence. Especially since there is 2 of them.
My guess would be them stumbling onto something illegal. Even if they were familiar with those woods they could have gone a different way or further than normal. Also, the illegal operation could be new.
It's a very strange case. One hiker going missing is odd enough but two.. and brothers.. strange. Also the windshield could mean they either a. got into an accident which led to head trauma or b. foul play.

 

[Vern]

Yep! Am from Appalachia, would dig a small amount of roots as a kid for spending money. I remember it being something like a dollar a root in the mid 80s. I don't know that it is used extensively in the US but overseas buyers go crazy for it.

I'm saddened that no trace of these gentlemen yet been found. Hopefully, this spring will yield some answers.

I'm in New Brunswick, (East Coast of Canada) and, IIRC, it was Holly Bobo's case where her remains were finally found by ginseng hunters. Is Appalachia part of Tennessee? I take it that ginseng grows widely there?

 

[OddOneOut]

I'm saddened that no trace of these gentlemen yet been found. Hopefully, this spring will yield some answers.

I'm in New Brunswick, (East Coast of Canada) and, IIRC, it was Holly Bobo's case where her remains were finally found by ginseng hunters. Is Appalachia part of Tennessee? I take it that ginseng grows widely there?

Tennessee or part of it is part of Appalachia. Appalachia is an area of hills and mountains that goes through several states including Tennessee, Kentucky, and (I think) West Virgina.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Pretty much the whole state of West Virginia is included:
Appalachia - Wikipedia

 

[bykerladi]

Just bumping for these two. My heart breaks for their mom.

 

[sadiebean]

Last thing I have seen (April 2022):

High Street B.C. to hold ceremony for missing Hawkins brothers

 

[OddOneOut]

What kind of dangers are in those woods besides getting lost? Bears, snakes, drug dealers?

 

[Krimoney]

What kind of dangers are in those woods besides getting lost? Bears, snakes, drug dealers?

I think they found someone's honey hole and got got.

 

[bykerladi]

I was about to say then wouldn't their bodies have been found. But then I remembered - Hubs and I found someone's grow once in upstate NY. We found it by accident - we got major lost in the woods. Took us hours to get out. I highly doubt anyone would've ever found us if we had perished there. Took LE several tries to get to that place (we gave them the coordinates when we got out) that's how remote it was. Probably something happened here like that.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

The brothers disappeared only a few miles east of Frozen Head State Park, where the Barkley Marathons, aka the "world's hardest marathon", is held each year. I would suspect it is very similar terrain. The race was just held again this year. Nobody finished. Competitiors are allowed 60 hours to complete five laps of a ~20 mile vaguely defined course. As far as I know, all runners have been accounted for each year. The race was inspired by James Earl Ray's unsuccessful attempt at escape from nearby Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in 1977. He only made it 8 miles in the dense brush.

The Barkley Marathons Is One of the Hardest Races in the Ultrarunning World

See what arguably the craziest race in the world entails.

www.runnersworld.com