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 MushHunter08
Mycological Pupil
Registered: 06/08/08
Posts: 522
Loc: B.F.E
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 Morel Hunting Info 
#9786761 - 02/12/09 06:51 PM (15 years, 2 months ago) |
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I figured I would share this information with everyone. I know most people like to hunt actives, but this is for those that enjoy hunting fresh edibles as well.
Timing is critical in finding morels. They come up about six weeks after the ground thaws. It might be eight weeks, if dry weather slows down their growth. This means early April in Missouri, late April in Iowa and middle of May in northern Michigan. Experienced morel stalkers check an environment several times starting early and after every rain. Morels usually come up after a rain. The day after a rain is the best time to look for them. They will still be in good shape for 3-5 days, if someone else doesn't get to them. In about a week, they start to break down, and bacteria grow on them, which will make a person sick. So don't eat morels which are old and starting to break down. Some of the best places to find morels are......
• Near dead trees
• Under and near Cottonwood trees
• Under and near Poplar trees
• Under and near Tulip Poplar trees
• Under and near Ash trees **White Ash**
• Under and near Apple trees
• Under and near dead or dieing Elm Trees
• In old apple orchards
• On south-facing slopes
• On north-facing slopes
• **In sandy soil**
• Near old sawmills
• Near wood piles
• In dried river bottoms and creek beds
• Along river beds
• At burn sites
• Near railroad tracks
• In Mayapple patches
• Open fields
• In Open green grass
• Cemeteries
• Along fence rows
• Along roads
• Near Stumps
In the early spring hunt Southern facing slopes. These areas will get more direct sunlight and warm the ground temperature much faster. Morels will tend to show themselves first in areas that will get more sunlight early on in the season.
Later on in the season, hunt Northern facing slopes. These areas get less direct sunlight and will tend to hold the moisture a bit longer. When the weather becomes more on the hot side morels will dry up and stop producing in areas with direct sunlight most of the day. By hunting northern facing slopes, you can actually extend your morel season a bit longer.
Normally when you find a morel usually there will be more near by. Get down close to the ground and scan the ground ahead of you instead of always looking straight down at it. Sometimes it is easier to see morels at a longer plane of view rather than trying to spot them looking straight down at them.
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"The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom...for we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough."
-William Blake-
The most simple method of growing mushrooms:
www.mushroomvideos.com
MultiSync's lazy bastard print/syringe guide
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Bobzimmer
Crawlin' Kingsnake
Registered: 09/07/08
Posts: 8,696
Loc: NY
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Thanks for the tips, MushHunter!
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Mr. Mushrooms said:
I will confess something that should be quite obvious, CC. I love mushrooms, i.e. fungi. I really do. I am talking about a strong feeling, i.e. emotion, for them. I think they are beautiful. I even dream of them.
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 Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,364
Last seen: 10 hours, 36 minutes
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In California they like to grow with Douglas Fir. If there are no burns nearby I drive around back roads looking for dead douglas fir trees. When hiking through douglas fir forests you will find one per hour on average when they are in season, under a dead tree you might find 20. This recent rain will probably kick off the season in CA in the areas where the soil temperature is warm enough (the lowlands).
They always fruit first in areas with sunlight. The extra rain runoff from roads adds nutritious trace minerals (mostly lead) while increasing the number of fruits significantly.
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Chaos_ultt
Stranger
Registered: 09/05/08
Posts: 1,050
Last seen: 9 years, 6 months
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Why would you do this to meeee
I've got morel fever
I can't stop thinking about them :/
A couple pictures from last season:
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Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector
Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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Excellent thread! 
I'm going to dispute this though:
Quote:
In about a week, they start to break down, and bacteria grow on them, which will make a person sick.
I like to take development shots of mushrooms. Last year I photographed a particular morel over the course of a month. When I found it, it was about 3 inches tall. It never grew another centimeter and it was in good shape until the last week, fresh as a daisy. In the last week temperatures soared into the 60's. I imagine how long a mushroom lasts has a lot to do with the temperatures.
I also watched some Hypholoma sublateritium grow over a 3 month period this winter. That has to be the slowest growing fleshly fungi I have ever seen.
Thanks for the hunting tips!
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MushHunter08
Mycological Pupil
Registered: 06/08/08
Posts: 522
Loc: B.F.E
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Quote:
Mr. Mushrooms said:
Excellent thread!
I'm going to dispute this though:
Quote:
In about a week, they start to break down, and bacteria grow on them, which will make a person sick.
I like to take development shots of mushrooms. Last year I photographed a particular morel over the course of a month. When I found it, it was about 3 inches tall. It never grew another centimeter and it was in good shape until the last week, fresh as a daisy. In the last week temperatures soared into the 60's. I imagine how long a mushroom lasts has a lot to do with the temperatures.
I also watched some Hypholoma sublateritium grow over a 3 month period this winter. That has to be the slowest growing fleshly fungi I have ever seen.
Thanks for the hunting tips!
Yes I agree after thinking about it. I should have said depending on temperature. I live in the Midwest so during morel season it can sway heavily from one temperature extreme to the next. One day it will be very warm and humid and the next day you might have snow and ice!
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"The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom...for we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough."
-William Blake-
The most simple method of growing mushrooms:
www.mushroomvideos.com
MultiSync's lazy bastard print/syringe guide
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luke2000
Stranger
Registered: 07/28/08
Posts: 103
Loc: new jersey
Last seen: 10 years, 8 months
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I'm starting to think they grow overnite I too have watched the growth of morels,Ive never seen them change in size.I have seen small ones that never change huh.
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schutzemdown
Waste of Space
Registered: 01/06/09
Posts: 4,048
Loc: The Hoosier State 
Last seen: 13 years, 2 months
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Re: Morel Hunting Info [Re: luke2000]
#9791822 - 02/13/09 06:02 PM (15 years, 2 months ago) |
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I find 5-6 pounds in and around the old apple orchard next to my dads house every year! I need to start selling or something there is to many to eat in a year! Lots of other mushrooms to, I just got into hunting other species.
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Money can't buy you love, but it can buy you drugs.
Try practicing safe sex and go fuck yourself!
AMU
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trigger
non-trusted identifier
Registered: 08/13/06
Posts: 2,092
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these guys made me walk 250+ miles last spring.
here are some of last years pics!
record 11.5 inch 2/3 lb
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If you want to under stand me more better, use a hillbilly redneck voice while trans posing my words
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schutzemdown
Waste of Space
Registered: 01/06/09
Posts: 4,048
Loc: The Hoosier State
Last seen: 13 years, 2 months
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Re: Morel Hunting Info [Re: trigger]
#9791926 - 02/13/09 06:21 PM (15 years, 2 months ago) |
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Whats your guys favorite way of eating them?
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Money can't buy you love, but it can buy you drugs.
Try practicing safe sex and go fuck yourself!
AMU
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Bobzimmer
Crawlin' Kingsnake
Registered: 09/07/08
Posts: 8,696
Loc: NY
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Re: Morel Hunting Info [Re: trigger]
#9791951 - 02/13/09 06:29 PM (15 years, 2 months ago) |
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Nice shots! They make me hungry!
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Mr. Mushrooms said:
I will confess something that should be quite obvious, CC. I love mushrooms, i.e. fungi. I really do. I am talking about a strong feeling, i.e. emotion, for them. I think they are beautiful. I even dream of them.
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Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector
Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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Re: Morel Hunting Info [Re: trigger]
#9792088 - 02/13/09 07:06 PM (15 years, 2 months ago) |
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Damn, that's a lot of walking.
I only walked 100 yards and just found one.
Of course it weighed 27 pounds and was just under 4' tall. After that, I just gave up.
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Beege
gatherer
Registered: 08/02/08
Posts: 4,466
Loc: Germany
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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haha?
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MushHunter08
Mycological Pupil
Registered: 06/08/08
Posts: 522
Loc: B.F.E
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Quote:
Mr. Mushrooms said:
Damn, that's a lot of walking.
I only walked 100 yards and just found one.
Of course it weighed 27 pounds and was just under 4' tall. After that, I just gave up.
I like to saute them in butter and a dash of garlic.
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"The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom...for we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough."
-William Blake-
The most simple method of growing mushrooms:
www.mushroomvideos.com
MultiSync's lazy bastard print/syringe guide
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MasonsChild
Fellow Traveler>^..^<
Registered: 03/18/05
Posts: 657
Loc: Upper Midwest
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Good advice. I only check first and second year dead Elm trees. The more black bark the better. North and South dose not factor for me. The roadside advice is great, I usually don't turn off my car unless I have to grab a box because there are hundreds. You won't find them if you don't look. They are everywhere, just getting them at the right time before anyone else looks is the catch.
There are not many in SE MN so don't bother looking here.
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Truckin' ain't for Sally's
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Basement Boy
Only two degrees of separation
Registered: 11/06/08
Posts: 580
Last seen: 14 years, 10 months
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I was in heaven last year while walking the AT. Was picking them fresh every day for a week or so and having them with my dinner. Freeze dried spaghetti tastes a hell of a lot better with a bunch of these in it. It is one of the few mushrooms that I feel confident picking from the wild. I would really like to get better at hunting mushrooms. I need to try and find someone near where I live, or at least with in a few hours, who would be willing to teach a noob a few things.
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Don't Panic It's Organic 
Edited by Alan Rockefeller (02/19/09 02:51 AM)
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mushroomhunter10
Jack-Of-All-Trades
Registered: 10/04/08
Posts: 3,360
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 8 years, 10 months
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Quote:
Mr. Mushrooms said:
Damn, that's a lot of walking.
I only walked 100 yards and just found one.
Of course it weighed 27 pounds and was just under 4' tall. After that, I just gave up.
Wtf?
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MY TRADES
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Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector
Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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Yeah, how could a person NOT find that one? 
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BoulderBoomer
Super Tramp
Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 347
Loc: Kanchanaburi Province, Th...
Last seen: 4 years, 3 months
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In the foothills/mountains of Colorado, besides the cottonwood groves along the riverbeds, I learned on a Colorado Mycological Society foray that black morels often grow at the interface between the aspen groves and the conifers. Good to know if you're hunting in that region 
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"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."
-Willy Wonka
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Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector
Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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You guys really have it made picking morels. The mountains extend the season by a long time. Can't you like pick them from June through August or something stupid like that?
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