Morels??

[ness]

Well, I gotta say I get a kick out of all the wisdom out there about where to find morels. Like -- on the north, east, west, or south sides of slopes. In the bottoms, or not. Under elm, apple cottonwood, cedar, sycamore, ash, oak, locust, or hickory. Living, dying or dead is best. Burned areas, or areas that have never burned. Same with flooded or not. Temperatures between the 30s and the 80s. 

Truth is -- they are found where you look the most. It's more about getting out and doing it than it is getting things exactly right. I think people spend too much time looking for spots or looking at trees and too little time looking down at the ground. Go to the forest, walk around and look down.

...and, all this from a guy who will probably hit the farmer's market and just buy some morels this year  

It's just like the fly that works best is often the fly you fish most. I also think people spend too much time fumbling with their flies or wishing they had something else instead of just fishing. 

[Coosa]

52 minutes ago, ness said:

Well, I gotta say I get a kick out of all the wisdom out there about where to find morels. Like -- on the north, east, west, or south sides of slopes. In the bottoms, or not. Under elm, apple cottonwood, cedar, sycamore, ash, oak, locust, or hickory. Living, dying or dead is best. Burned areas, or areas that have never burned. Same with flooded or not. Temperatures between the 30s and the 80s. 

Truth is -- they are found where you look the most. It's more about getting out and doing it than it is getting things exactly right. I think people spend too much time looking for spots or looking at trees and too little time looking down at the ground. Go to the forest, walk around and look down.

...and, all this from a guy who will probably hit the farmer's market and just buy some morels this year  

It's just like the fly that works best is often the fly you fish most. I also think people spend too much time fumbling with their flies or wishing they had something else instead of fishing. 

While I do mostly agree with you, there is no denying that there has been a definite pattern in the bottoms this year. Well a lot of my friends run to certain types of trees or certain types of areas I'm more of a walk back and forth and comb an area over kind of guy. I have found a few singles spread out throughout the woods in the bottoms but almost every mushroom I have found this year has been at the base of big cottonwood trees that have the bark chewed off the very bottom from beavers other than that I found very few mushrooms. But huge batches at the base of those trees. But I still kept myself from just jumping from big tree to big tree and found very little in between

[DChance]

1 hour ago, ness said:

Well, I gotta say I get a kick out of all the wisdom out there about where to find morels. Like -- on the north, east, west, or south sides of slopes. In the bottoms, or not. Under elm, apple cottonwood, cedar, sycamore, ash, oak, locust, or hickory. Living, dying or dead is best. Burned areas, or areas that have never burned. Same with flooded or not. Temperatures between the 30s and the 80s. 

Truth is -- they are found where you look the most. It's more about getting out and doing it than it is getting things exactly right. I think people spend too much time looking for spots or looking at trees and too little time looking down at the ground. Go to the forest, walk around and look down.

...and, all this from a guy who will probably hit the farmer's market and just buy some morels this year  

It's just like the fly that works best is often the fly you fish most. I also think people spend too much time fumbling with their flies or wishing they had something else instead of just fishing. 

Anyone that hunts morels understands that there is no proven 100% guarantee, there are however conditions that are more high percentage. whats wrong with understanding the climates and environment to help increase you odds? You don't just find them "in the woods". I wish it was that easy, I would walk my back 40. But there isn't a morel to be found in my oak/hickory forest. That is where the chanterelles in the fall grow

But you are right....just like fishing, nothing beats time in the woods, looking at the ground.

[ness]

I'm gonna add beaver-chewed cottonwoods anywhere but in your back 40 to my list of places to look  

[tjm]

well, ness, I never found a morel in a parking lot either; may want to get that down too. But then I never really looked real hard at  all the parkin lots and maybe I should.

[Coosa]

9 hours ago, DChance said:

Anyone that hunts morels understands that there is no proven 100% guarantee, there are however conditions that are more high percentage. whats wrong with understanding the climates and environment to help increase you odds? You don't just find them "in the woods". I wish it was that easy, I would walk my back 40. But there isn't a morel to be found in my oak/hickory forest. That is where the chanterelles in the fall grow

But you are right....just like fishing, nothing beats time in the woods, looking at the ground.

I got 20 acres like that right behind my shot, can't find a morel for nothing but it is full of chanterelles later in the year. Last year was the first time I picked them. Don't really care for them much

[tjm]

A tree gives  a focal point and if one says the fungus can be up to 50' from the focal tree, it means many other trees might be within that 50' also.

I have often wondered if the whole  tree business is just that leaves don't pile up around trees and the root clump is elevated allowing us to better see the things than if they were under that pile of leaves over there 20' feet away. Trees most favored seem to elevate their roots more too.  I have seen pictures of mores in pine forest a long way from any of the popular host trees.   Burned over areas also give better visibility?.

Looking at the ground becomes ingrained after you step in enough cow piles and have enough snake scares and and morels I find are just because they grow near the ground.  I go out a few times a year in my old age with the excuse of mushrooming when it's really just an excuse to get out and walk in the woods. The three hours I spent walking the dry ridge tops yesterday were with the knowledge that I would be unlikely to find morels there.

[Gavin]

You will find them. Woods just gotta be right. Chants are good, easy to find in Oak/Hickory woods. Kinda random for morels, gotta find the X. Can vary from year to year. Some spots fire, others won't. Cottons have been good. Cut another pound today. Still Small.

[awhuber]

Found these buets in Northern Shannon County today. Tomorrow will be even better.

[Gavin]

Still small in Shannon. Like the small ones better on my plate though. Think next week looks great with the weather.