Anyone find any yet?

Hoping to get on some this weekend coming up...

Too cold here still. No pheasantback yet as well. Havent seen fiddleheads either but they’re close. Ramps are showing.

About another week here till they start up, but it varies with regions. Usually about this time they are finding them in Maryland not all that far south of us. I tried Pheasant Back and didn't care for them, but some folks like them alot. I have to start looking for some new areas since we are getting more mushroom hunters up and about in this area; some of the younger folk are getting into it.

Found 56 big yellows and whites yesterday in middle Tennessee.

Brad, I got a message saying that a friend of a friend(both very reliable sources) found several black morels in southern Butler county yesterday.

Ok. Thanks guys. I figured with the warm nights and the recent rain they would be popping.

I'm just finishing up long weekend, but been so busy I didn't get a chance to go look.

Found a few in Northern Bama. A lot of rain past 3 weeks. Hoping for a dry spell for a good pop.

Mushroom knife for little mushrooms.

Here in Ga they usually peak around late February/early March, but I haven’t found anything worth writing home about in 3 years now, just a very few here or there.

Nice knife Jeff.

Thanks. I just honed the edge on it today. It's scary now. I'll probably regret doing that because I usually push the mushroom stem into it with my thumb. I don't know what I was thinking. Blonde moment ;^(

Morels rare in Maine but we do have fiddleheads coming.

A buddy found 11 greys in Columbiana County Ohio. I have found 0 . Did pick two bags of ramps.

We, my wife found two black ones today, didn’t have much time to look, Morels come on. Good luck, Good Eating.

Just starting here in central Ohio. I usually don't make the big hauls unti the 3&4th weeks of april.

Every year I see these threads and want to try them. Not even sure if they grow in NE Illinois. Any suggestions? We do have forest preserves but don't recall ever seeing them.

Aisle 8 near the canned veggies in my store

Gorbin, I’m sure they grow there. It’s really difficult to give someone advice on where to look. They just grow where they grow. In my part of the world, I can walk through the woods and see a spot that looks a certain way and think “Yep, morels will grow there.” But they grow in places you’d never think of. They’ll grow by the 100’s in one spot this year and nothing at all next year.

The little black ones like pictured above, grow in my yard under a dogwood and a couple Bradford pears. We start finding them there in late February usually. Most years we will find around 50 there and then there’s about a 2 week period after they are done til the big ones start coming up elsewhere. This year, we found over 200 in that little spot...it ain’t as big as truck!

Sometimes they’ll grow around cedar trees. Sometimes around poplar trees. Sometimes around dead elms. Sometimes around sycamores. Sometimes around ash trees. Sometimes in the middle of nowhere and leave you thinking “what the heck?”

They grow in Illinois. My buddy’s farm has em on it anyhow. Find out when it starts, and what type areas/trees to key in on.

Found some black sponge today !!

Old apple trees is where I find them more than any other kind of tree. But I found some monster yellows by accident under white pine trees. Also found a bunch in hawthorn trees. You can do your homework on which trees they like, which side of the hill, etc but often they just are where they are.

Ash trees used to be my best trees until the emerald ash borer killed them all around me :^(

I have a better chance of killing a 170 buck here than finding mushrooms. People here put out signs. No mushroom hunting Lol. No kidding. If you are allowed to hunt em then you won’t find em. Private and protected.

found 3 so far here in ohio

Lots of public land here to hunt them on and that's where I find most of mine.

I don't usually find them until the end of April here in Eastern PA.

They grow up here, but first the snow must melt. I'll start seeing the black morels when walleye season kicks off next month.

Anyone spotted them in Eastern NC?

Found a couple little ones last week here in South East Illinois. My friends and family down in Southern Missouri are finding a bunch now. Mine usually start coming up really good about a week later than them so tomorrow will hopefully be a great day in the woods.

Good Day , black morels and some young yellow morels, need some rain an warmer weather in central Pa. Wife helped today good to get out in the woods.

Can you freeze those?

Yes, vacuum freezer bags , some people do it different, but never the best taste as in fresh ones, I don’t freeze any more.

Awesome!

I've been freezing most types of wild mushrooms less and less. I might freeze a bag or two to be used soon, but then dehydrate the rest. They keep better, keep longer, take up less space, take no freezer space, easier to transport, trade, ship, or give away, and they're just like a dry sponge and reconstitute in a bowl of lukewarm water by the time the pan is hot.

Morels though, I usually don't find enough to have to worry about preserving them. I generally don't find more than I can eat in a day or two... unfortunately :^(

Here you go Jeff, a two gallon + container, not quite full use some now an then, Some dry ones been in their over five years. Just use as flavor enhancers in some recipes.

I would take them and cut them in half, wash them, dust with flour, and put them singly on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and freeze. Then I would bag them.

Now that's what I'm talkin about, Wayne. Very nice.

I walked a long ways but I found a nice bunch this past weekend here in Mid-Missouri. Unfortunately, the weatherman is calling for a snow/rain mix in the morning & hard frost for the next three nights. That should put a damper on things.

Wow! Nice finds Wayne! Mushrooms don’t last long in my house. I like to eat them fresh. With back straps, in a stew, or in a pizza! Yum!

I made sheepshead in a cream sauce with garlic, parmesan, and herbs last weekend. Dang it was so good. Best mushroom recipe I've eaten yet. I put it on deer chops, chicken, and pork chops so far. I'm going to try it with chanterelles one of these days.

I don't know if I'd do it with morels, I kinda like them cooked more simple. A little garlic and butter works for me.

YOUR GOING TO EAT THEM AFTER 5 YEARS. WOW THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SEND YOU ON A WILD TRIP. lol

Just an fyi in case anyone doesn't know. Put your morels in an onion bag or some other net type bag when you pick them so the spores can drop as you walk and replant them.

I have a cousin in mid-state Illinois who has been finding some beautiful yellow morels.

GLF, onion bags , mesh bags , don’t work , ask me how I know over 30 years of picking back an forth along paths, Not one or a string of mushrooms growing. Only at the sites where we pick them, The Morels know where they want to grow, and it’s Not everywhere.

Yea if you get too many then you can’t eat em all.

I've heard the same thing GLF said, but like Wayne, it hasn't helped for me yet.

Numerous times I've found sheepshead next to a giant old oak tree, with another giant old oak tree next to it, and taken entire mushrooms and scattered them around the tree, on the leaves, under the leaves, for years, and nothing has grown there. Meanwhile, 60 yards away is another oak with 18 sheepshead around it. I think their relationships with the trees and environments are a little more complex than most of us realize. The mycelium is often there, but doesn't fruit mushrooms unless perhaps a tree is sick, or other conditions are just right.

Apple for reference

Some more

those are some monsters PDK! They will pair well with all that pork you have stacked up!

If their were Slippery Elms cut , some might pop up , back when ash trees were good and were timbered, Yes we still found some around the stumps, but we found them around the same tree years before,

pdk25 I would like to hunt in your area, deer , hogs , & Morels, how is the fishing, Good catch you have their, Nice ones, Don’t get any better does it.

No it diesn't give you new places but it keeps your existing places refreshed so more will grow there.

I find mine in old growth forests, usually on the side of large ravines with a creek going thru it. Seems the ground damper.

Love me some morels!

Get that other one on the ground growing above your hand, Nice yellow ones Wayne B.

I did that last year. I found one morel under an apple tree, took a picture of it, and when I looked at the picture and zoomed in to make sure it was focused, I saw another that was a little better hidden.

Wayne, I have been very fortunate, and put in alot of hard work, these last 11 years. Oklahoma is tough to beat for year round hunting opportunities. I had a pack of wild dogs push the hogs across the river for the time being. This is the first year that I have had Morels to speak of, and I don't think that it is a coincidence. This may be the last year hunting on my property for me, and I have could have done more if not for work requirements.

And don't forget that I get to hunt turkey here too, lol.

Small game also, wild dogs not so good, the saying hard work never killed anybody, Bologna. pdk25 enjoy it when you can. it’s Morels time.

Yep, got that one too! Good catch... they are hard to spot.

Do morels grow in the winter? Cuz apparently it's that time of year here again already. Quick turnaround this time.

A pack of wild dogs?? That sounds like another good hunting opportunity!

Yes this will put the chill on then

Found 5 in the laurel mountains over the weekend but still a little small maybe a couple more weeks should be getting bigger

Question:

founds some wee-little ones last week. If you leave them will they get bigger? A friend says no but I am curious what others experiences have been.

Thanks

Some times, Some times Not, next time their Gone, someone else picked them, they didn’t get any bigger to tell, good luck if you have a spot that No Buddy knows about that you can watch and See. Tell US your findings.

Sometimes environmental conditions don't allow them to grow bigger. I've checked back a few days later thinking little pinky sized ones would grow bigger, but they usually don't.

Some species of morels just don't grow as big as others. Those who study such things say there are 19 species of morels in North America that they found, so far.

They are described at the following link. Scroll down and look for their names on the right side. Clicking on them will bring up their own pages and full descriptions.

https://www.mushroomexpert.com/morchellaceae.html

No, but I've found them in the summer, sliced them so they were like pancakes and fried them in butter and put good maple syrup on em next to some of my thick sliced homemade bacon.

Yep on the puffballs, just remember there are bad puffballs to. When ya slice them, make sure there solid on inside, meaning no gills,the best way I can describe there gills is they look like little round tunnels like termites do in wood. They will make ya sick.

Went out for stumps this morning.

Came back with a handful of morels.

Also found this guy.

Wife and i are starting to find spikes. The rain should being on the sponges.

I'm going to look for some this year. I have a morel story for you too. A few years ago, my brother found some morels and brought them to me to fry. He told me he had properly cleaned them, so I tossed them into oil and started frying. As the oil began to sizzle, out popped a black bug and fell into the oil, lol! I couldn't find it, so I figured it would just add a little seasoning to the pan and finished them all up. I served them to company who wolfed them down. I ate one, but it had some sand in it. My brother had not done a good job of cleaning them. After everyone finished their meal and expressed satisfaction with the flavor, I told them about the bug. It was too late for them to do anything about it, lol!

Joe

Have my shroom call all tuned up and sounding good, listen,....... sounds good don’t it? Still haven’t found any, maybe I’m to aggressive in my calling , gonna keep at it though

Hoping to stumble across a few over the turkey opener this weekend, we've had a few overnights above the 40's finally.

They are done here

Done here too. Found my last batch about 2 weeks ago. They were already well past their prime.

Found 127 around one tree in Columbiana County ohio 2 days ago . And hot two different spots one yesterday and one today. And got 18 more both days.

Apr. 30 Their getting bigger here in Pa. and some getting washed out, dry on ends from rain then shrinking up, but still Good.

Wayne and Bob, I'll PM you guys my address so you can send some up here LOL! Great finds guys. We had 4" of snow Monday so it will be awhile.

Found a two-fer today.

A lonely one an gray color

Their still growing, May 1

I found these today. Cooked them in a butter, onion, thyme, cream sauce and put them over chicken.

These two grew together

Good one Jeff we found two together with a baby one in between, crazy an no camera, so no pictures to prove it. Take morels to make mushroom soup and thicken it and poor over Rice, Wife does it best.

Sounds good. I've eaten a lot of different wild mushrooms, but there's nothing better than morels. So tender and mild.

and earthy

My son and I found a couple dozen today in northern Illinois.

Wife and I got out this morning to beat some rain, and found some.

6 came up in my late spot. Hope more to come.

You guys are making me very jealous. And hungry.

Just picked a double handful on our property here in N Idaho last night...Be eating them with asparagus fresh picked from the garden and Tenderloin from last years buck for dinner tonight!

Found these today. Just got home. I was out in the woods in a big thunderstorm that just went through. I thought the rain was quitting when I left the truck... nope. It got worse, way worse. I put waders on and crossed a swamp and walked quite a ways through the woods, so I wasnt coming out because of a little rain... but it got to POURING and lightning. I couldn't have been more wet if I fell in the lake. Lol. It was fun though. A little rain won't hurt ya. Seems I hunt harder for mushrooms than I do critters.

Nice ones Jeff. JF

I agree Jeff, an the ones that play peekaboo, we got damp yesterday but not soaked,

Yes, there were a few today that I almost missed, peeking out from under leaves, logs, brush piles. They're sneaky.

Anybody else notice a good morel hunting pace and acuity is reminiscent of a good stillhunting pace and acuity? I'm more successful when I'm done trying to get somewhere, settled for a bit, and scanning with great intent.

They were good on steak tonight.

I see the lilacs are blooming around me in WI the past couple days. Must be time.

Yes Lilacs, and when they are done, most Morels are done.

What happened to B arthur that started this post, where is your Morels? Well I got out May 6 , found theses.

Nice batch, Wayne.

Today I cooked morels for a friend who's never had them. I cooked them with butter, onion, garlic, and white wine and put them on deer backstrap medallions. They were well received.

Went out May 7, Found this bunch

Craig , The Twist Naturally.

Jeff I gave some to a friend that never had them before, My wife helped me the Seventh, we got back home before the Rain, She cooked some venison stakes and a baked potato and a good cup of coffee. We have tried most all kinds of ways to prepare Morels, We like them best in light flower and in olive oil cooked, they absorb too much of the other flavors of what you cook them in, but still delicious,

Wayne, I'm keeping tabs!! I found about 2 lbs of black Morels last weekend and I got about 15 nice yellows today.

My hunting buddy found this little guy while looking for fungus. We also found some oysters today.

B that yellow Morel is nice, I like black ones, haven’t stumbled onto any of those spotted little guys yet, and we haven’t found any half frees yet, we usually do, they are sweet. Enjoy this time of Year we do.

This was a few years ago. Nothing growing in that spot now. JF

Little boy was so tired. Lol. Now he's 14. JF

body man, they do come and go, the search goes on, or is it feast or fathom?

B my wife said just the other day, That she is keeping her eyes looking for Oysters, love them too

Goodness....That's some good harvest fellas! Must be a boomer year for them as my sons and grandsons have collected a couple hundred at least in the past week.

I'm waiting on my "share" from them as my bad hip has me too crippled up to hunt them anymore. Get this..we've found them everywhere, live elm, dead elm and just about any hardwoods.... but,,,one big yield came from a grass lawn with no trees in the vicinity in two consecutive years, third year nada. My son moved from that place in the country since.

We did the the mesh bags when collecting, ...couldn't tell you if it made a difference but on my land we had so many one year we tossed a couple dozen along a tree lined draw onto the lawn bordering it and had morels the very next year...none the next. Maybe there's a certain time when they release their spores, I dunno. Damn delicious tho...eh!!

Ottertails, good information, I know about bad hips and knees, I’m getting their, I hope you do get a share, I hope someone can give me some when I can’t get up and go . Enjoy. P.S. I think different geography of areas do play a role in Morels, from east to west. I think the mid states always have good production.

Morels for Happy Mother’s Day,

I went and visited mom and was going to check for morels on the way home but it's pouring rain and 37 degrees. Pass.

More going to some lucky friends, All cut up some smaller ones , wife makes some great Morel soup . P.S. maybe not so lucky if you can’t get out in nature

1 more found this morning. First time I've ever seen one past first week of May.

Found over 80 last weekend. They really seem to be peaking right now for some reason.

More and when I start finding the little ones as below the bigger one it’s starting to wind down in my area.

Thai is the Last of my findings, was leaving more bad ones at trees, All the little ones went into a Rice Casserole, Yum. Now onto Shooting the Bows

THE BIG ONES, we used to cut in half, stuff with Crab stuffing and bake, OK, now we cook the MORELS separate and crab cake separate and enjoy each for their flavor

I found a couple pounds this morning.

Just recently got back into mushrooms.

There are no toxic lookalikes to morels?

Not that we know about outer than false Morel ,

Nice ones B arthur, still going on in your area

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