Morel Season Coming up

Urban exploration in Springfield, Missouri
jammer_smith
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Morel Season Coming up

Post by jammer_smith »

So, last year was my first year really mushroom hunting, and I did awesome on every species except Morels. I still have loads of Oyster Mushrooms in my freezer, and I feasted all year long on Chantrelles, Chicken of the Woods, Hen of the Woods, Lion's Mane, and Puffballs.

So this year, I am determined to get some damned morels. So I am starting this thread early for tips and pointers from those with better luck than I. Lemme start with what I did last year:

Last year I mostly searched Ritter Spring Park and Little Sac Woods. I searched mostly hill tops and hill sides around the bases of large hardwoods, particularly recently dead ones. I found a grand total of 5 Morels in maybe as many hours and with quite a bit of ground covered. I searched in the first half of April.

So, hints, tips, locations? I don't expect anyone to point me at their exact spot but maybe something like "Busiek" or "national parkland in the Chadwick area" something kind vague but giving me a good idea of the kind of turf.
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RedRook
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RE: Morel Season Coming up

Post by RedRook »

I'm not an expert. I have only found a few morels myself. I have this knowledge second hand, so someone correct me if I'm wrong. I've heard three main tips:

1. Best time to look is when soil temperature breaks 47 degrees F. You can find soil temperature maps just like weather maps just by doing a google search.
http://www.glasgowmfa.com/index.cfm?show=1&mapID=20

2. Morels eat dying wood. Your best bet is to find rotting wood, and for some reason they particularly like Elm and Ash.

3. You need moisture. Some say this comes from creeks. I think people underestimate how much moisture gathers in draws and depressions.
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lolabelle
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

Post by lolabelle »

dont let last year be an indicator for you. it was not an ideal morel season, at least up in greene county.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

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Well that's good to know. It was my first year so I don't really have much comparison. If I remember right, it was really dry and the days were warm but the night stayed really cold so it was weird.

I think I also need to work on my Elm identification. When they don't have leaves on its hard for me to tell them apart from walnut or some kinds of oak.
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BROUSER
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

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Morel hunting is interesting. The best tip? Go back to where you found them last year. They will show up in the same spots year after year. The most successful morel hunters are the ones who already know where they are. I go back to the same spots every year. I have found them on hillsides, in forests, in yards, on gravel bars, under cedar trees, and everywhere else. The buried dead wood is key. The little grays you will find just about anywhere. The big reds are the ones that will be closer to creeks. The little grays seem to come out earlier (maybe because they aren't in the bottoms and the soil warms quicker on south facing slopes). I plan on expanding my searches this year and looking for new patches. Just means a lot of walking. Another key aspect is timing. Soil temperature + recent rain = morels.
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lolabelle
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

Post by lolabelle »

supposedly you'll also find them near mayflowers. though ive never found that to be especially true.

like brouser said, go where you've found them before. never pull them out at the root, always cut at the surface. shake them a bit when you cut them to release spores. we carry ours home in a perforated bag, like a cloth minnow bucket, or one of those bags you get oranges in. again, helps drop spores back to the soil.

id love to expand our local mushroom hunting, and thing its awesome you've found so many others. morels are the only native mushroom ive eaten. can you eat the puffballs? we were stomping some of those with our kid just last Sunday.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

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Yeah, I watched Mayflower beds like a hawk, no love.

I think maybe the Mayflower/Morel thing is a false association just cause they both start to pop around the same time of the year, so you'll often find them near one another while most other plants are still dormant, but with no real correlation other than similar starting time.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

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Yeah, the whole mayflower/morel thing has never really worked for me, either. I've found them in proximity, but I think it is because mayflowers are an understory plant and morels need dead wood underground. Yes, you can eat puffballs. Not much flavor or texture there. I sliced them about a quarter inch thick and sauteed in olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Puffballs have to be white all the way through when you cut them, otherwise don't eat them. And only the giant puffballs. If it's smaller than your fist, don't put it in your mouth.
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RE: Morel Season Coming up

Post by paul06660 »

As a morel hunter myself, I can honestly say throw away all the legends and advice most people will tell you. Morels seem to grow when and where they want to, and it is really hard to predict the exact time they start peaking. Also, the season depends on a large number of factors being just right, including temperature, humidity, soil moisture content, etc. As far as telling you where to look, forget it. Just go find some woods and start looking when reports start popping up. Also, check out Missouri Morel Hunting page of facebook to see where people are finding them. Avoid places people have already been.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

Post by jammer_smith »

Yeah, I spent a lot of hours last April tromping around in the woods and hardly found a thing. Super frustrating. Although other Mushroom seasons were very rewarding and I got several good hauls. Just not morels.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

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jammer_smith wrote:Yeah, I spent a lot of hours last April tromping around in the woods and hardly found a thing. Super frustrating. Although other Mushroom seasons were very rewarding and I got several good hauls. Just not morels.
It also improves your chances of getting a good haul if you bring several people with you. I say this because everyone looks differently at the ground, and I tend to scan too fast with my eyes. Also, look in forested areas with minimal underbrush and debris covering the ground. But as I previously said, you never know where you will find them. Back in 2008, I literally found a patch of 100+ between two apartment complexes three blocks south of the Springfield square. And just as Kit says, never pull them by the root, rather cut them off where they meet the ground. Carry them in a mesh bag, so that the spores also have a good chance of scattering.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

Post by BROUSER »

I'm looking forward to spring mushrooming, but I found a new favorite fall fungus: bearded tooth. Hen of the woods was good, but bearded tooth actually tasted better and with a better texture. I've been borrowing my parents' mushroom identification book, but I'm going to buy my own this year.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

Post by lolabelle »

That's awesome. I totally want to take this up this year.
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Re: Morel Season Coming up

Post by jammer_smith »

Bearded Tooth/Lion's Mane might be my favorite. I only found a few last year, maybe 5 total, but they tend to be fairly bulky. They are very fragrant and smell great. I fried them last year, but given how fragrant they are, they would probably be awesome in a broth or soup.

But as it was, they were pretty great in a stir fry.

I think the problem with finding them is that they don't really grow in clusters at all. You find one on the side of some tree, and there might not be another anywhere in the general area. It's just kinda something you stumble across while out looking for other stuff.
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RE: Morel Season Coming up

Post by paul06660 »

Found a hell of a Dryad's Saddle last year. They typically come in after morels are done. Look for young ones, cause the older ones tend to be tough to eat.
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