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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: SEMO_HUNTER on March 25, 2012, 07:42:00 PM

Title: First Spring Morels
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on March 25, 2012, 07:42:00 PM
I looked through Pow Wow and didn't see a thread started for mushrooms so I thought I'd go ahead and get one going.

I found these little grey morels this weekend. Found 55 on Saturday 24th, then found 26 more today Sunday 25th. If memory serves correctly, the greys are about 1-2 weeks early this year. I guess since it's been so unusually warm and almost no winter to speak of. These are quite a bit smaller than the big blonde shrooms we find in April, but still just as tasty.
I hope this is just a precursor for what's to come cause I Love Eatin' Em!!   :goldtooth:  

 (http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/littlegreymorel043.jpg)

55 little grey morels Saturday 24th

 (http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/littlegreymorel055.jpg)

26 more on Sunday 25th

 (http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/littlegreymorel001.jpg)
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: wooddamon1 on March 25, 2012, 07:47:00 PM
I'm droolin' all over! Nice find!
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Mike Vines on March 25, 2012, 07:54:00 PM
Nice find.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: on March 25, 2012, 09:13:00 PM
awsome!! I new i should have went this weekend.  :thumbsup: ,
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on March 25, 2012, 09:30:00 PM
Cant wait to find a few here.

Good pick   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on March 25, 2012, 09:37:00 PM
Thanks fellas, gotta love spring time!
It was an absolute awesome weekend to be out in the woods.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: fnshtr on March 25, 2012, 09:39:00 PM
semo... others, could you give some tips on where to look? I've never hunted or ate them but would love to give them a try!

Thanks!
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: rjackson on March 25, 2012, 09:55:00 PM
What fnshtr said x2.

RJ
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: on March 25, 2012, 10:22:00 PM
look on south facing slopes early season,(the ground warms there first) then look in creek bottoms,then north facing slopes and ridges,
(moist and warm ground.) there are specific trees that some feel they grow around. but i havent found that to be true and hard.once you do find some, keep going back to that area every spring.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: rjackson on March 25, 2012, 10:26:00 PM
Can you find them in Alabama? Never seen them here.

RJ
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: 684Kevin on March 25, 2012, 10:38:00 PM
Found 56 Saturday in Fayette County Ohio but they did not have the size of the big ones in the pictures above.  Biggest one was 4" at best.  First time ever finding them in March, usually find them near April 15th around here.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Earl E. Nov...mber on March 25, 2012, 10:53:00 PM
No shrooms here yet,, Lilacs are just thinking about budding, but the ticks are active.  Got 6 of them yesterday.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on March 25, 2012, 11:35:00 PM
I find these early grey ones within about 10-20 yards of the river. It's kind of a flat that gets flooded when the river gets up and it gets full sun morning, day, and evening. There are lots of ash, elm, and big maple trees. I found most of these growing in the maple leaf litter, but that's not a definite because I find just about as many that are just out on open ground. I'm sure the trees have something to do with it, but not certain what role they play?
I've looked in other areas that are nearly identical and didn't find a single mushroom. Soil type, soil temp, and moisture probably plays a bigger part in where they grow and why than any other variable. Of course the spores have to be present for them to grow and maybe some areas just don't have 1 or several of those variables? Just get out and comb the bottoms and keep going back every few days because they literally grow full size overnight. One day there is nothing and the next day there are shrooms all over the place. Also you might ask around to see if there's an experienced shroomer in your area that wouldn't mind tagging along with you and help you find the best suitable areas on your property. Then split the rewards down the middle.
That's the best advice I can give.

Good Luck!
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on March 25, 2012, 11:42:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by rjackson:
Can you find them in Alabama? Never seen them here.

RJ
If you have river bottoms, I bet you got morels. It should be prime time that far south right about now, I'd get out and look before it's too late. When it gets too hot or the grass gets too high they get tough to find.

One thing I failed to mention before and this is VERY IMPORTANT...........Never eat any fungus you find unless you are 100% postitive that it's a morel. Look at the first pic at the top of this thread and copy/print it off if you need to. If it doesn't look like the ones in the pic....Don't Eat It!!
Because it's just not worth the risk to eat something you cannot positively identify. Many states conservation departments offer books on identifying mushrooms and edible plants, it might be a good idea for the new guys who want to get into shrooming to get ahold of a plant/fungus ID book.
If you still can't ID what it is then send me a picture of it and I'll tell you if it's the genuine morel or not.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: fnshtr on March 26, 2012, 09:46:00 AM
Thanks!! I hope to get out and about later this week here in WV.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Robhood23 on March 26, 2012, 09:51:00 AM
I took my son to a state park this last weekend to learn how to harvest mable syrup and I asked the specialist when to start looknig for morels and she said to start looking when the oak leaves are as big as a mouse ear and when the lilacs start blooming!
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: dougbutt on March 26, 2012, 10:07:00 AM
went out all day saturday and for one beefear, i think. it looked like a very large morrel with a brownish orange top and it was not hollow. is that correct name for the mushroom im decribing? i didnt take a picture
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: on March 26, 2012, 02:18:00 PM
i found one in my book that is called a beefsteak but looks nothing like a morel, these are the false morels.
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/001-7.jpg)
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/002-11.jpg)
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/003-5.jpg)

there are a lot of mushrooms that are edible(some even better than morels), but it takes alot of time to know what your picking and eating,SO IF YOU DONT KNOW, DONT EAT!!

THERE REALLY IS NOTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A MOREL.IMO!
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: WRV on March 26, 2012, 02:19:00 PM
Nice Find!! I am ready to harvest some
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: dougbutt on March 26, 2012, 02:26:00 PM
it look like the big red false morrel thanks.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Jim Jackson on March 26, 2012, 03:25:00 PM
I found a few this weekend also.  Seems very early.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on March 27, 2012, 02:34:00 PM
Those are what we call Red Mushrooms or Morels, and yes they are more toxic, but many people do eat them. My neighbor probably eats more of these than the true morels, he's 74 yrs. young and says he's never had any ill effects from them. He could out walk most men half his age in the turkey woods come spring.
Just be aware that different mushrooms effect different people in different ways. For safety sake to all the newbie mushroom hunters is to steer clear of any "False" morels and just stick with the larger white or blonde morels. I believe that even the ones we call "Greys" are listed in a book as a false morel, but my appetite can't tell the difference and I've never felt ill from eating them............and I've ate a truckload of them.   :thumbsup:  

I wish some of you all would post pictures here of your finds. Remember to carry a camera with ya and get your picture taken with your haul.
Happy Hunting!
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: twitchstick on March 28, 2012, 10:03:00 AM
I love morels! I just wished they grew around here.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: fnshtr on March 29, 2012, 09:26:00 PM
Took a 4 hour hike this evening hunting morels. The only fungi I found were what we always called mushrooms or toadstools... white to cream colored with the umbrella tops. Would that be the same type of area to find morels?

I did make some neat finds though. Seen a longbeard as he trotted up from a stream in front of me and then later seen 3 jakes together. Turkey season starts here in about 3 weeks. Also found a turkey skeleton (nice big tom evidenced by the size of his spurs), a doe skull and a buck skull with one antler (4 points on that side, other antler was broken at the base).

The dogwoods and redbuds are in blossom along with that pesky (but oh so fragrant) russian olive. Took a close up of a squirrel and got a pic of a snapping turtle.

Great day to be out and about! Hopefully I'll find some morels this spring.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: on March 31, 2012, 08:59:00 PM
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Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on April 01, 2012, 06:32:00 AM
Wayne, I do notice some toad stools and little brown mushrooms (highly toxic) in the same areas where I find morels. But that doesn't mean that one can't grow without the other. It just means that the moisture/soil conditions are right to support fungi.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Jim Jackson on April 01, 2012, 07:55:00 AM
Several weeks early for sure:

 (http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q176/akinslow/Birds/CopyofIMG_1823.jpg)
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Earl E. Nov...mber on April 01, 2012, 08:22:00 AM
Well the lilacs have popped here (about three weeks early) but it has been pretty dry, so I doubt if there is much, but would love to find time for a hike and see.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on April 01, 2012, 02:31:00 PM
Checked a few spots today that have had them in the past.  

still a touch too cold I speculate!
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: on April 01, 2012, 02:57:00 PM
well looky there!....
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/020-2.jpg)
theres another...
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/022-4.jpg)
and another one...
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/023-3.jpg)
oh' another one...
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/024-2.jpg)

   i found 8 , after several miles of walking.  just arent up real good just yet, i dont think.
 (http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae69/arrow30_photos/028.jpg)
i was really hoping to find a big patch of them.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Paul/KS on April 01, 2012, 09:37:00 PM
They are a bit early this year but the wet weather a couple weeks ago plus the warm weather this week pushed them up. I found a dozen of the greys in my little spot out back... 100 yds from the house.  :)
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: LONGSTYKES on April 02, 2012, 08:25:00 AM
Looking forward to getting out. Just a little early here in MT.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Lost Arra on April 02, 2012, 09:02:00 AM
Morels in action this past weekend.
Paired with venison.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/LostArrow/deermorel.jpg)
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: Two Arrows on April 02, 2012, 10:31:00 AM
They are popping up in Nebraska now. I found about 25 small ones on Saturday March 31st.
Title: Re: First Spring Morels
Post by: fnshtr on April 02, 2012, 01:22:00 PM
Thanks semo!

I hope to get out again tomorrow. It appears here that things have really greened and shot up the past few days.

Keeping my fingers crossed and have been researching it on the internet.