MOREL TIME!!

It's finally getting right to start finding some morels here, I've found them as early as March 17th here before but this year it's been to cold up until now, we've had a couple days with highs in the 60s and night temps in the 40s, and we are getting rain 2 out of next 3 days so I'll be getting out looking and I'll post some pics. Anyone found any yet?

everything is coated with freezing rain here this morning but gotta say i've had a hard time not looking for them when i'm out and about now that i know they may be here.

Mother’s Day up here.

I'm going out Sunday morning and I'll let you guys know what I find, hopefully I can at least get enough for a meal

A little early here.About three weeks and we should be finding a few grays.


Dan

Just starting

im gonna try this weekend - weather is about that same here as in TN it seems

Their finding some in nw ark and Okla the last few days.....won't be long here

Got a friend in Kentucky that has found some this week.

Happy birthday Clete!
They found some by Nixa and by Gravois a couple days ago get out and look.

so i should be able to follow this thread as the work their way popping out south to north??

I figured you would chime in soon Matt, I remember you were a week or so before me last year

https://www.morels.com/threads/morels-2019-chit-chat.710536/page-9#post-742768
This site may help you pcr. It has alit of people who love to hunt morels.

It's been slow for me so far but others are doing real well. In the center and south part if our state they are finding them by the hundreds.

Willy
My phone number is 1-231-233-3791 I can get text messages. My email is hortonpentwater@hotmail.com
I text the owner every time I catch a mole. That way they know how I am doing and that I have been at there home that day.
Ev.

thanks for the pics the Glaciers have not receded in north Mi. yet but maybe in another month morels be popping up here

Here are some from the last couple years to get you fired up! Hope it is a good year again. The one pic is a full size kitchen sink and a large cast iron skillet. These things were huge! Good luck to everyone, hope you find lots!!

I would think so PCR2, probably be a week or so behind us

Everyone is finding them in my part of the state except me it seems like. This one little Grey is the only one I have found. The big messes are a couple of friends of mine that have been out this week.

It's not like you to not be showing off a big haul of shroom this time of year Matt. Are they not showing in your area yet?

Well I couldn't help bit go look this evening in some of my better spots but struck out. We had rain today and temps are supposed to stay in the 60-70s daytime temps all next week so it should get good

It's slow here in this county okfuskee. I dont know what's up we have found maybe 150 all togather so far between me and a buddy. What county did your friend get the sink full? I have seen good number come out of love,carter,oklahoma and Stephens counties. I have heard that one guy has found over 600 in Hughes but no pics.
We did find 30 this evening and I will check another spot tomorrow when the rain stops.

What's the 3 day 4in average soil temp. There RM?

That sink full and all the others I pictured were from Blaine County. My mother went out this afternoon and found 60 some. Had the first mess of the year for supper!

RM Trapper, I found one today. I just checked a few hot spots real quick. It was still a little dry around Bean Station. Good Luck.

Our ground is plenty wet enough but I think the soil temps are just now getting warm enough, last week we were in the 30s most nights but it's been lows in the 40s and highs in the 70s the past few days, so should start popping. I'm at 4,000 ft elevation

Says it's 57 soil temp today Matt, but the 3day average was 47

Found 18 big ones this evening.

I start getting good finds when we get over a 50 three day average here. For a week.

It should be good in a few more days, it's supposed to be highs in 60s and lows in 40s for the next week and 3 days of rain out of 7. Me and my 7yr old son have walked almost 2 miles this morning and have nothing to show for it but some good exercise. Lol

Dad found 14 black 9nes today on the side of the road so it's starting here

Found 134 to day and found that giant sycamore tree.

Nice Matt, my dad found those few blacks today, and my uncle found 40 blacks today driving out a little backroad, so the greys and yellows are probably a week away

I guess I am going to have to go check some diffent spots, I had to work pretty hard for these and a lot of people are having a fabulous year.

I got rained out at work around 2 so I went and found around 45 blacks today, finally got a mess to eat

Good job RM. Hope you have a great season. Do you find the blacks in the same spot every year?

Yea Matt I went to a spot were we generally find the first black ones every year, the yellows are usually a week or two behind them. I have several spots that produce blacks every year but only one of those spots produce both really well

None up here yet

These blacks are very hard to spot in the leafs, they blend in very well

Them are some great pics RM.


Found 46 this evening and left some smaller greys to grow

I know I missed several, the leafs were deep and they blended in so well, ready for the yellows cause they are a lot easier to spot

Dang them would be real hard to see. Got to have a good eye for them. others in my state are having a fantastic year this guy has made some good finds of 2 to 3 hundred a few times this year but this is a heck of a haul.

That's crazy Matt. I ran into something like that in the woods I'd probably look like a rat on acid. Lol

Went for just a few minutes before work this morning and found a few yellows and greys, it's about 20 miles from my house and an average temp of 10 degrees higher so they are usually up earlier there

Real nice guys! Keep the pics coming I like to see how others do.

What part of Virginia you in captgus? I'm about 30 mins from Bristol

Yea have a buddy that lives in Wise county, been thru there many times. Looks like you had a good day. I'm in Roan Mountain if you know where that is

Found 106 this evening some were to far past.

Do you sell some Matt, or do you guys eat them all. My wife and kids all love them and so does the rest of the family so I've never sold any, but have gave a lot away to friends and family

I have never sold any. Even in the few years where I found over 1000. I dehydrate some and give some away. But eat most of them. My family likes to also.

Had a good hunt this morning before work, now I'm fixing to have ribeyes and mushrooms

Can't wait til they pop here. Was out checking Beaver traps today and figured it will be another 2 weeks before I see any. That is if we don't get the foot of.snow they are saying we could in the next couple of days.

Man that looks good RM. I didn't go to day I am going to try and go tomarrow. It's been windy and hot last few days here, I am sure that dryed a bunch out. How do you think the blacks taste compared to greys? I like the greys a lot better then the yellows.
You every try alagro steak marinade?

I like the blacks and greys best for sure, seems like the blacks have the richest flavor. I've never tried that marinade before Matt, but I will

Looking good rm, no morels yet but found a few nice sheds this year.

Do you ever find them this early in PA gutthooked? I ended up with around 20 sheds for the year. I need to get back out in a few spots were I know there's some antlers but it's hard to not mushroom hunt when I get time to get out. Wish i had a spot where I could do both

Yes the grey and half free are usually around now, but not in quantities. Had a terrible year last year on morels.



I find most of the morels in creek bottoms and sheds on top of hills in clear cuts on the sunny sides.

85 this evening.

I didn't get out today, between work and the boys baseball game just didnt have time, but it's supposed to rain the next few days so I'll be out this weekend and should be good. You're killing it Matt, when do they start to die out out there in Oklahoma? I found my last ones first week of may last year

The last few day have been brutal on them hot and windy but to day it was a bit cooler, still windy but cool. It suppose to rain here this weekend and be cool so new ones may pop up. If new one don't come up the old one will be toast after the rain gets them. They don't do well when dry then rained on. I found some of the tiniest yellows that were starting to get dry not much bigger than a quarter, that was kinda odd. Every one has had a fantastic year and I am about 3 to 400 behind what I usally get. I am at 441 for the season and most people have found that many on one hunt. I don't under stand how most the people I know aren't finding the number like the guys in central part of the state, they are finding unreal numbers there. I hope you have a season like some of the other in my state RM, it would be a great memory for your kids.

Yea I'm taking the wife and all 3 of the kuds out fishing and shroomin Saturday so should be a great day. I've found around 100 in the past 3 days so that's pretty good for the black ones. We should start seeing yellows in the next few days, I've found a few small ones

We'll I took my son today and we scored big time, found 250+ in an hour and a half. Best I've ever done in such a small area

Any WV or PA guys finding any mushrooms yet?

Way to go RM! Nice looking mushrooms.

I seen on a morel site that Morgantown wv and Lancaster pa have had some small ones found.

Just heard of a guy about 10 minutes after I posted that finding a bunch today around Philippi.

I might go look in the morning after work depending on how tired I am.

Where im at in east Tenn we have elevation from 1,000ft to 6300ft , we've started finding some black ones in the higher elevations but have to go down to the low lands to find the yellows

Them will be tasty.

Yea Matt, just fried 75 and made two packs of deer cube steaks and some tators. Made a real meal for the family

Found 80 to day and a big white shroom.

We have been getting pounded with rain and thunders today, supposed to drop down in the 30s tomorrow night then back up in the 60s by Tuesday evening so should still be several popping this week. How much longer do you think you have Matt

We got a good amount of rain yesterday so I figure there will be a few more new ones come up. I would 2 more weeks at the longest. Most likely next weekend will be close to over. I been finding 10% dry and past ones now.

I found 35 greys today close to my house which is around 4,000ft elevation, so they are just starting to pop up in the mtns good

With 8 inches of snow last night I think it will be a while before I see any. I am thinking 2 weeks to start ..

Strike we've had 2 weeks of warm weather in the 60s-70s but it was 32 and snowing this morning. Supposed to be back in the 60s by Wed so don't think it hurt the mushrooms at all with the warm ground temps we've had. Hopefully you'll get some soon

29 this evening. Took my daughter for a quick hunt. Found some fresh ones so the rain made some pop up. I been hunting this same piece of ground for years now when I went back and looked in my notes I pick 150 to 250 there every year. I think I will pick it one more time at the end of the week then call that place good. I have 2 more places to pick so I am hoping to do well here at the end.

Them are some pretty morels RM. I took some of the pics I took last year and had magnets made for the ice box.
Looks like you are going to have a great year.

Matt I noticed the creek in the background, do you find most of yours on creek banks and river bottoms? Here in east Tenn we have so much different habitat, have some river bottoms and steep hardwood mountains and everything in between, seems I find them about in every situation but some spots just produce and others don't. I wish I understood these things better. Lol I just pit a lot of miles on my boots and eventually find them

I took that pic because it was in the creek gravel. I find a lot by the banks but a bunch out away from the creek.
I have one spot that is a line of very old elm by a old barn that i pick 50 to 70 a year. No creek there but 70 yard a way there is a 1/4 mile grown up drainage ditch that I pick up the banks of it. It sure seem that they do like slopes of some sort. Early I find them on the south facing slopes and as the season progresses Ithey work around the slop. Now I'm in the end I am picking on the north east facing slopes.
They are a very fascinating fungus.

Yea we don't have many elms in the mountains here but the 35 I found this evening were all under a huge popular tree that was about half dead. Also find a lot under Apple trees and ash trees and some Sycamore

Ash does well here if on the creek bank.

they are popping here in southern ohio

nice hauls guys.

CaptGus, thats encouraging - I didnt see any in the turkey woods on saturday, but expecting it to get better very soon

Real nice captgus. What trees do the best there?

Went for an hour this evening and found some big yellows in an old orchard and some around some Sycamore trees on a small creek

That's a great haul captgus. Saw where some guy found 100# on clinch mtn and is trying to sell them at $70/lb. Seems really high to me bit I've never sold any

Been finding some big yellows this week, im up to about 550 total, been having mushrooms every night and still loving it

Looking good RM. You are going to blow past me, I am at 567 and the season ending fast I will try to look one more time this weekend but don't have extremely high Hopes. What's been one of you best years number wise?

Wife has found lil over 6 lbs on the back 40 over the past few weeks. There are still a few out there and a few that are sundried,

Watched this video on cooking mushrooms, tried it and must say is the only way I cook them now.

Good video country gun, I guess I do mine about the same. When i put my cut up morels in the pan i just turn up to hight heat and let all the water get out of them. Then I drain and add butter and seasoning. I will definitely try the water with store bought mushrooms.

Matt I'd say I had my best year about 4 year ago, I didn't keep count but they were popping up everywhere that year, other than that this season has probably beeen my best. We should have another week or two of good picking. It was 75 today and rain tomorrow with a chance of snow Saturday then back in the 70s again by Monday. Maybe I can get to 1000 by the end of season. But with work and the kids in baseball it's hard to get time to go. I started taking the salt water that I soak my mushrooms in and any mushrooms that got to soft and pouring them in one spot on my property to see if I could get any to grow, been checking it everyday and today to my delight I saw several small ones popping up there. So I'll continue to do this in hopes that eventually I'll be able to get a mess out of my yard. Here's a pic of the babies

Nice RM! Do you have well water?

Yes. 515 ft deep well. Lol

rm I did that for years at my old house had them growing all over there guy that bought it don't pick ,and don't want me to

That sucks he don't want you to either trapper Dalgren. May just have to take a midnight stroll through there one night and pick a mess. Lol

That's right lol. I asked about the well because that was a discussion on a morel site about how city water or rural water which ever you call it, doesn't work well to get the morels growing. Some said when the switched to well water they got a hole lot better results. I need to get me a well!

good to know that dumping water has a possibility to work.
I have a spot I've been doing the same. I also take my mesh back through there and shake it a few times after I find some.

nothing yet, but its only be a couple years

i'm gonna take a hike sometime today and look around.my fathead pond is 2 miles away and i can almost drive to it but will throw my minnow traps in my packbasket and hike from the house.might find something but if not i will have finally gotten the minnow traps out.

Had a friend say they were up in Ohio, so maybe you'll find some PCR2, that's interesting Matt I used to throw the water and mushrooms off the back porch and noticed that I had mushrooms in my yard one spring so I figured last year I'd pour it in the woods and see what happens, and sure enough it worked. I can mail you a gallon of the well water Matt. Lol

The place where I built my house had a well on it but I just used city water. I plan on one day drilling a well. But I bet your well water is better then the well water here. I just imagine nice pure clean mountain water when i think of what you got lol.

It is really good cold water, my dad still uses the spring from the mountain behind the house and it's the best I've ever had

Found some really nice ones today during a pouring down rain storm

Dang nice! I didn't go to day I will try to go look some tomorrow. Is there much public land up that way RM?

Probably more public than private. We have 1,000s of acres of Cherokee national forest. Plus it's a small town and I know everyone so endless places to look

Went this morning and had an incredible hunt, found around 250 morels and some big ones. I'll post some pics

Found today

Good deal Brian is that the first of the year for you in Indiana?

I think

Haven't heard otherwise yet.

Lol

Found in front yard. About 20 or so just starting to pop

Good deal Brian is that the first of the year for you in Indiana?

Not sure why it posted my reply twice. Lol

I'll pm you address if need to get rid of some

Real nice haul RM. What county you in brain?

Yea Matt it's turning out to be my best season, I just got out and walked around my property where I never find any and found several around popular trees. They are popping everywhere

Rm nice haul, what did you bread your morels with? I did find a 3 point shed tonite looking for morels.

I dip them in egg-milk mix and roll in flour and salt and pepper and fry in peanut oil. Hard to beat in my opinion

Took the wife and boys hunting after our Easter dinner and egg hunt and we found 60 under an old dead tulip popular, the wife has better eyes than me and showed me up. Good times

Looks like I should hit the 1000 mark, I'm at 920 now and should have at least another week, me and my oldest son are going at daylight in the morning for about an hour then going yo let him go to work with me since he's out of school. He'll be 9 in May so he's getting big enough to drag brush

finally got a few here in VA
friday before the rain ran me off, got a handful of small ones

saturday, took the oldest out and we got about 2 dozen of the half free variety and a small gray

That's a dang nice day you had RM. Hunting mushrooms with the family is hard to beat. You are having a great year and looks like you are doing a lot better then most the others I seen posting out of Tennessee on the morel sites. Good job.

Not to change the subject but have any of you heard of selling mushroom spores to sew or plant for the next year's crop. Sounds sort of "fishey" to me. There's a add on Facebook that has the advertisement on it. I've hunted rooms for a long time but have never heard of this.

I've heard of people selling spores but it looks like they just throw a morel in a bag of wood chips and send that. I've been pouring out my water that I soak mine in down in a wooded area and also throw any that's to far gone there, and I'm getting a few to grow. But don't know if I buy into the spore business either

Kids are out of school today so my 8 yr old wanted to go to work with me, so we left at daylight and went shroomin for an hour first and we found 57 big yellows. I'm about to hit 1000. Been a great year. We are gonna bread and freeze some tonight and see how they turn out.

Found these this evening on the 5 acres we live on. Some bigger than my fist. 4 pounds total.

Some monsters from central IL!

Good deal guys, I enjoy seeing how everyone across the country is doing. I've had my best year by far, I'm well over 1,000 now and every spot that I generally only find a few has 10× the usual. I found 100s just the last few days, I think it's about over here. Maybe I can get some in the higher elevations on the north side for a couple more weeks but it's getting really warm here

The last 2 days find

How warm is it there now RM? I found a lot of dry 9bes yesterday while crappie fishing and a guy at work said he found over 100 fresh one Saturday. It's been a decently long season here. 62 3 day average 4" ground temp.

Found 105 this evening in 2 hours.

In Alaska they are only around the year after a forest fire. Do you have them down there year after year in the same area?

Yes, every year in Ohio and usually the same patches

Dang nice there Davisfur. You find them in the cedars?

It's in the 70s now everyday this week, but this past Saturday it snowed a little then changed over to rain and stayed in the 40s all weekend. We've had a 5 day average ground temp of 53 so still pretty good

Yeah Matt most came from under cedars that were choked by creeper vine and some cedars that were hurt from drought. It's been 15 years or better since we have found them on our property. I guess this year everything was right for them.
I spotted these this morning on my way to work at the end of our driveway. Looks like more picking to do this evening lol.

It was a great year here in oklahoma for most people. I had a better year last year. Guess I should have spent more time looking for new spots instead of checking old ones. My old spots produced but by the way everyone else did I missed some great spots some where. I always think about that spot that had a thousand morels and I never found it.

I found some fresh ones this evening so we may have another few days of good picking. Has anyone ever froze any?

I haven't had luck freezing them but was told recently that if you put them in water like some do with fish then freeze that they turn out pretty good. I just dehydrate mine and put them in what ever I am cooking. I put them in soup, stew, hamburger helper and rice just about anything I will throw some in. I don't fry them if there not fresh.

Years ago before I had kids and time was plentiful, some friends and I found more mushrooms than we could eat or give away. I decided to freeze them. I rolled them in egg, flour, then placed them on a sheet of waxed paper and put them in the freezer. After they were froze solid I just threw them all in gallon freezer bags, then when we was ready to eat mushrooms they just went straight into the deep fryer. We were eating mushrooms into that winter. I was impressed enough with this method that I learnt from my eldest sister, I would not hesitate to try it again. Only thing I would change is I would try to vacuum seal them next time around. Hope that helps.

I sure enjoy all your alls mushrooms pics

Thanks Micheal, that's how I usually cook them and I saw a YouTube video of a guy freezing them the way you were saying except he didn't use egg. I've had an incredible year and we are still finding fresh ones and I have my crisper full and plan on taking the family out hunting tomorrow. So I'm definitely gping to give it a try and I'll let everyone know how they turn out. Here's a few from today

Found about 5lbs tonite of morels.

Great job fellas. I never seem to find any around me. But, a lady I was at a conference with in Shepherdstown, West (by God) Virginia this week, walked into the woods and found about two dozen during our lunch break.

Good looking mushrooms gutthooked, maybe you'll find some this year Rob. Seems they were everywhere here this season

Found about 7.5 lbs today.

Dang good haul gutthooked, I took the wife and kids out this evening and we found about 50 Good ones and a bunch that were too far gone. I think it's about over here, been a great year

I did find a bunch that were too far gone ,but got a few that were very fresh and firm. I guess I'll have to move up in elevation.

It was a great evening with the family


And my 4yr old daughter found her first morel on her own

I`m starting to get the first ones here in north ID.

Lots of smiles there rm.

Looks like just about everyone is having a decent season.

i went once and only thing i found was that pine cones made me think i had found one a couple times for a second.may take a walk today but snowin pretty hard right now.

I thought you were in Pennsylvania pcr2 but Im beginning to think your in the north pole buddy

can see NY from the house.it can't decide if it wants to rain or snow but we don't need either.

Yea gutthooked this is the first year I really got the family involved, I've always just brought them in and they are them. Now they are asking to go with me everytime so it's made it a lot more fun to have the kids with me and the wife can spot them better than I can

I'd say you'll be finding some in May then. Do you know of anyone around that finds them pcr2?

nope,always told we don't have em,so never payed much attention.will be payin attention though while gobbler hunting the next couple weeks.have a few places that are perfect in my mind from what you guys describe.we'll see.

Do you have elm trees up there pcr2? I don't have many at my elevation (3500ft-6000ft) but I find most of mine under Sycamore,Apple, and ash and tulip populars. And if you can find a dying tree of those species it's usually 100% they'll be there

Anybody in Montana finding any yet?

Hey pcr2 I found this map and going by it you definitely have morels but it's says they don't normally pop til May 10th and go thru the end of may

thanx,i'll be lookin hard.never have saw elm that i knew was elm but a lot of big hard maple that i could be misjudging and are dead elm.i've harvested about every type of plant we have here for myself or to market-why i am intrigued by the morels.heck one year i made a couple good checks and sold over a ton of dried skunk cabbage root.

Pcr2 go look under sycamore trees.

For me,it should be about 3 weeks or maybe even later as we have had a late Winter,It's actually snowing right now.

I just found the first for the year here in Jefferson county, pa. Another week or so for you pcr.

First batch this morning!

Good deal flipper, I just fried 50 for dinner

Well how it going? Got to be someone finding some.

live ash tree's here are good this year

I got some spots that live ash do great but the beavers have chewed a little on them.

Found first two yesterday. Today, 10 more at the back of our property. Will pick in a day or two.
Am sure there's more to come.

Just finished up freezing 10 pounds of them here in NWMO. Have enough to eat a meal a week for the next year.

ol' dad

I found a few blacks on top of beech mtn, NC today at about 5500 ft elevation, but we are about done for the year

Found about 75 nice white morels today.

69 last night for me. A lot of bad ones already. I left around a third that many in the woods. To wet?

headed after the rain quits,would be happy with just a few.

How many do you think you got this season RM? Morels are done here for me so now I will be on the river trying to catch some flat heads. I got about half a gallon zip lock back of dehydrated one so maybe that will last me till fall. Next year I will give freezing them a try one more time.
Looks like i could pick Oklahoma them head to Missouri if I wanted to next year. Missouri season started right at the end of oklahomas. I think it would be fun to do a morel road trip.

Was bored yesterday evening so I took my boys out in the woods and looked for some mushrooms and to my surprise we found some fresh ones, we've had an incredible season

Snyder County, Pa.
Today at the back of our property...

Matt I quit counting at 1500 mushrooms but is say I ended up with 1800 or so. By far my best season, but I definitely spent more time looking this year. I couldn't believe I found those yesterday after the hot weather we've had for two weeks. If you make a long road trip next year Matt you are welcome to come to east Tenn and we'll try to pile them up

Those are nice hern

great post guy's ..I'm hoping our season starts in another week here. Last year wasn't all that great. You all have me optimistic...

Thanks RM if I make a trip I will definitely keep that in mind. Glad you had a great season.