sgt.porter
Marksman
If you have any desire to hunt for morels, you have probably searched for and read a guide or two on the internet. Well I have a problem with most of those guides. For the most part, they all seem like they were written by the same person, they all contain the exact same bits of information. They all send you wandering through the woods, passing by and trampling down perfectly good mushrooms, in search of the fabled dying elm tree.
Now don't get me wrong, I've found morels under dying elm trees, but I've also found morels under living and dying trees of just about every species. I don't look for certain trees when i go morel hunting, I rely on signs throughout nature to tell me when the morels are close.
Before I begin telling you my methods, there are a few unwritten rules that you should know and follow. If you can't follow the basic rules, then you have no business hunting morels in the first place.
Rule #1 No Trespassing! None whatsoever period. I doubt that we would have many trespassers in a forum full of Indiana gun owners, but nevertheless, it's still a rule.
Rule #2 Be a responsible and respectable outdoorsman. Wether you own the land, or are using it with permission, you are a steward of the land. Don't litter, everything you take into the woods needs to come back out with you. Don't take vehicles to the woods, if you're too lazy to walk half a mile across a field to get to a woods, then you shouldn't be mushroom hunting anyways. Don't cause unnecessary damage, I don't know how many times I've come across hunters stomping through the woods chopping every small tree in their path with a machete. If you don't want nature in your face, then get out of the woods. Don't bring uninvited guests, just because a landowner gives you permission to be on his property, that doesn't mean you can bring your cousin Bubba and his 6 kids. Always respect the landowners wishes, if he's unreasonable, find another landowner who you can work with.
Currently, I have access to over 3,000 acres of privately owned woodland in Indiana. None of this land is owned by myself or my family. In many of these places, the owners have had such bad experiences letting others on their property, that we are the only outsiders allowed in. My family and I can freely forage, fish, camp and hunt in any of these places, simply because we have formed relationships with the landowners and proven ourselves to be trustworthy and responsible stewards of the land.
Rule #3 Take only what you need. Much of the wildlife in Indiana depends on morels as part of their diet. If it is slimy, chewed on, discolored, or would otherwise be thrown out at home, leave it in the woods where it can do some good.
Personally, I think selling of morels falls under rule #3. I don't like it, I don't agree with it, and I don't take part in it. But hey it's your morels and your morals.
Rule #4 Spread the spore. Don't collect your morels in paper or plastic bags. Use an onion bag, cheesecloth, wicker basket or anything that will hold the morels while allowing fresh spores to fall to the forest floor as you walk. In this way, you are giving back to the land, doing your part to ensure the spread and survival of these precious fruits.
Rule #5 Pinch it off. A mushroom is little different than a fruit sprouting from an underground tree. If you pull a morel from the ground, you are essentially destroying the branch it grew on. The fungus lives on long after the morels are gone, gathering energy much like a fruit tree preparing for next years fruiting. Whenever you harvest a morel or any other mushroom, pinch or cut the stem so you do not damage the underlying fungus.
That's about it for the basic rules that everyone should follow when hunting morels. I've never written a guide on the subject so please feel free to constructively criticize it.
Now, on with the show.
How do I hunt morels?
The first thing I watch is the weather.
The fungus that creates your morels goes into recession and shrinks all winter. It needs about 5 weeks of warm weather growth to fruit. Even one light mid spring frost can set you back a couple weeks.
Soil moisture is another weather related essential for morel growth. Don't go out taking soil samples, just keep in mind that morels need moist but well drained soil. If you got lots of snow in the winter, then you need very little spring rain to stimulate morel growth. If you got very little snow, then you need lots of spring rain, and if you get lots of both, the soil may be too wet and cause the morels to sprout later than normal.
If you really want to get die hard, you can start a weather log and keep track of tep and humidity up to the date each kind morel starts popping, or you can just closely watch the weather every spring and eventually you'll just know when the weather is right. For my area, the weather should be about right sometime between Thurs-Sat this week.
Once you get to your area look at the layout of the land. Keep note of high grounds, low grounds, natural ditches, creeks, swampy areas, old logging roads, fence rows and clearings. Over time you'll learn which areas of your particular woods produces the best morels.
For starters, in extra wet years, head for the high ground, in dry years, start with the low ground.
Search near water, on high banks of creeks, or close to temporary ponds created by ripped up trees, but don't search in the swamps.
Unless the ground cover is high, you probably won't have much luck in the clearings either.
Now start looking for wildlife in the area, many plants will give you clues to the whereabouts and timing of the morels.
Shaggy Manes (guide to come soon)
Shaggy manes are another of Indiana's wonderful wild mushrooms. Even if you choose not to eat them, learn to identify shaggy manes. The Shaggy mane is always a precursor to the morel season. If you find shaggy manes nearing the end of their life cycle, along the fence rows, wood lines, or old logging roads, there's a good chance that the woods is hiding the first black morels of the spring. If you find the shaggy manes are still in the early stages of their life cycle, learn to eat and enjoy them, because you're more than likely too early to find any morels.
False Morels(read my warning on false morels here)
These poisonous mushrooms are sometimes mistaken for morels (read the warning!). Although a pest, they may help you find the real thing. False morels grow throughout the morel season. They tend to sprout up in soil that is still too moist for morel growth. If you spot a false morel, try to identify the water source (swamp, ditch, low ground), and head in the opposite direction.
Many times I have come across patches of morels 50 feet or so towards drier ground from a false morel.
Wild Leeks (Read my guide on wild leeks here)
Even if you choose not to eat them, learn to identify wild leeks. Wild leeks and morels share a common bond in that they both enjoy alkaline soils. There is no guarantee that you will find morels near leeks or vice versa, but I have found many abundant patches of yellow morels growing throughout thick patches of wild leeks.
May Apples (Guide to come soon)
Even if you choose not to eat them, learn to identify may apples. If the may apples have not fully spread their canopy's, then you're probably too early for morels. If they have fully spread, look closely. The wide leaves provide protection from the sun and add humidity to the air beneath them, they may very well be hiding a secret. I most commonly find lots of pepper tops growing among the may apples. Please do not trample on the may apples while collecting mushrooms. The deer and squirrel depend on may apples as a staple late summer food.
A note on may apples:
Although ripe may apples provide a delicious meal for foragers and wildlife alike, the may apple plant is highly poisonous. The leaves, stem, roots, flowers, and unripened fruit all contain poison. This poison is in no way shape or form passed on to the mushrooms found growing among the may apples. Please research may apples thoroughly before consuming. This should not be a problem for the morel hunter, as the may apples do not ripen till much later in the season.
Dying Trees
This is where that fabled dying elm that all other guides talk about comes into play. Supposedly the only way to find morels is to find them growing around a dying elm. Whatever. All dying trees provide organic material for which the fungus can feed off of, mainly through the rotting of the roots. As a general rule, if the bark is falling off the tree, then it is in the proper stages for growth of morels. Don't expect to find morels around every dying tree, but it's a good idea to make a couple circles around them.
Old dead stumps from logging operations are another good place to search. I find many patches of little greys growing among the wild leeks surrounding oak stumps that have probably been there for 30 years or more.
Downed trees are another place to search. Although the tree itself will be useful for other mushrooms, the shade and moisture it provides may be useful to the morel hunter. Brush through the leaves that gather against a downed tree and you've got a good chance of finding a morel. The same goes for brush piles or anywhere you have a lot of dying wood.
Follow the Animals
Animals follow food sources, and morels are food for the animals. I personally will not walk directly on a deer trail, but if a deer trail goes directly through a morel patch, chances are it will lead to or close by another morel patch.
Every area is different when it comes to hunting morels, from the layout of the land, to the weather patterns that trigger growth of the particular species of morel you find. Don't expect one place to be just like another. I for instance, consistently find giant yellow morels in a woodland full of cottonwood and ash trees surrounding an old gravel pit. But I relentlessly search for giant morels in a woodland full of cottonwood and ash trees surrounding another old gravel pit and am disappointed every time.
I encourage you to read guides from other people as well as my own, create your own knowledge base of what works for you and what doesn't. Personal experience will be your best guide, as no one but you will know just what it took to find your morels.
Good luck and happy hunting
Now don't get me wrong, I've found morels under dying elm trees, but I've also found morels under living and dying trees of just about every species. I don't look for certain trees when i go morel hunting, I rely on signs throughout nature to tell me when the morels are close.
Before I begin telling you my methods, there are a few unwritten rules that you should know and follow. If you can't follow the basic rules, then you have no business hunting morels in the first place.
Rule #1 No Trespassing! None whatsoever period. I doubt that we would have many trespassers in a forum full of Indiana gun owners, but nevertheless, it's still a rule.
Rule #2 Be a responsible and respectable outdoorsman. Wether you own the land, or are using it with permission, you are a steward of the land. Don't litter, everything you take into the woods needs to come back out with you. Don't take vehicles to the woods, if you're too lazy to walk half a mile across a field to get to a woods, then you shouldn't be mushroom hunting anyways. Don't cause unnecessary damage, I don't know how many times I've come across hunters stomping through the woods chopping every small tree in their path with a machete. If you don't want nature in your face, then get out of the woods. Don't bring uninvited guests, just because a landowner gives you permission to be on his property, that doesn't mean you can bring your cousin Bubba and his 6 kids. Always respect the landowners wishes, if he's unreasonable, find another landowner who you can work with.
Currently, I have access to over 3,000 acres of privately owned woodland in Indiana. None of this land is owned by myself or my family. In many of these places, the owners have had such bad experiences letting others on their property, that we are the only outsiders allowed in. My family and I can freely forage, fish, camp and hunt in any of these places, simply because we have formed relationships with the landowners and proven ourselves to be trustworthy and responsible stewards of the land.
Rule #3 Take only what you need. Much of the wildlife in Indiana depends on morels as part of their diet. If it is slimy, chewed on, discolored, or would otherwise be thrown out at home, leave it in the woods where it can do some good.
Personally, I think selling of morels falls under rule #3. I don't like it, I don't agree with it, and I don't take part in it. But hey it's your morels and your morals.
Rule #4 Spread the spore. Don't collect your morels in paper or plastic bags. Use an onion bag, cheesecloth, wicker basket or anything that will hold the morels while allowing fresh spores to fall to the forest floor as you walk. In this way, you are giving back to the land, doing your part to ensure the spread and survival of these precious fruits.
Rule #5 Pinch it off. A mushroom is little different than a fruit sprouting from an underground tree. If you pull a morel from the ground, you are essentially destroying the branch it grew on. The fungus lives on long after the morels are gone, gathering energy much like a fruit tree preparing for next years fruiting. Whenever you harvest a morel or any other mushroom, pinch or cut the stem so you do not damage the underlying fungus.
That's about it for the basic rules that everyone should follow when hunting morels. I've never written a guide on the subject so please feel free to constructively criticize it.
Now, on with the show.
How do I hunt morels?
The first thing I watch is the weather.
The fungus that creates your morels goes into recession and shrinks all winter. It needs about 5 weeks of warm weather growth to fruit. Even one light mid spring frost can set you back a couple weeks.
Soil moisture is another weather related essential for morel growth. Don't go out taking soil samples, just keep in mind that morels need moist but well drained soil. If you got lots of snow in the winter, then you need very little spring rain to stimulate morel growth. If you got very little snow, then you need lots of spring rain, and if you get lots of both, the soil may be too wet and cause the morels to sprout later than normal.
If you really want to get die hard, you can start a weather log and keep track of tep and humidity up to the date each kind morel starts popping, or you can just closely watch the weather every spring and eventually you'll just know when the weather is right. For my area, the weather should be about right sometime between Thurs-Sat this week.
Once you get to your area look at the layout of the land. Keep note of high grounds, low grounds, natural ditches, creeks, swampy areas, old logging roads, fence rows and clearings. Over time you'll learn which areas of your particular woods produces the best morels.
For starters, in extra wet years, head for the high ground, in dry years, start with the low ground.
Search near water, on high banks of creeks, or close to temporary ponds created by ripped up trees, but don't search in the swamps.
Unless the ground cover is high, you probably won't have much luck in the clearings either.
Now start looking for wildlife in the area, many plants will give you clues to the whereabouts and timing of the morels.
Shaggy Manes (guide to come soon)
Shaggy manes are another of Indiana's wonderful wild mushrooms. Even if you choose not to eat them, learn to identify shaggy manes. The Shaggy mane is always a precursor to the morel season. If you find shaggy manes nearing the end of their life cycle, along the fence rows, wood lines, or old logging roads, there's a good chance that the woods is hiding the first black morels of the spring. If you find the shaggy manes are still in the early stages of their life cycle, learn to eat and enjoy them, because you're more than likely too early to find any morels.
False Morels(read my warning on false morels here)
These poisonous mushrooms are sometimes mistaken for morels (read the warning!). Although a pest, they may help you find the real thing. False morels grow throughout the morel season. They tend to sprout up in soil that is still too moist for morel growth. If you spot a false morel, try to identify the water source (swamp, ditch, low ground), and head in the opposite direction.
Many times I have come across patches of morels 50 feet or so towards drier ground from a false morel.
Wild Leeks (Read my guide on wild leeks here)
Even if you choose not to eat them, learn to identify wild leeks. Wild leeks and morels share a common bond in that they both enjoy alkaline soils. There is no guarantee that you will find morels near leeks or vice versa, but I have found many abundant patches of yellow morels growing throughout thick patches of wild leeks.
May Apples (Guide to come soon)
Even if you choose not to eat them, learn to identify may apples. If the may apples have not fully spread their canopy's, then you're probably too early for morels. If they have fully spread, look closely. The wide leaves provide protection from the sun and add humidity to the air beneath them, they may very well be hiding a secret. I most commonly find lots of pepper tops growing among the may apples. Please do not trample on the may apples while collecting mushrooms. The deer and squirrel depend on may apples as a staple late summer food.
A note on may apples:
Although ripe may apples provide a delicious meal for foragers and wildlife alike, the may apple plant is highly poisonous. The leaves, stem, roots, flowers, and unripened fruit all contain poison. This poison is in no way shape or form passed on to the mushrooms found growing among the may apples. Please research may apples thoroughly before consuming. This should not be a problem for the morel hunter, as the may apples do not ripen till much later in the season.
Dying Trees
This is where that fabled dying elm that all other guides talk about comes into play. Supposedly the only way to find morels is to find them growing around a dying elm. Whatever. All dying trees provide organic material for which the fungus can feed off of, mainly through the rotting of the roots. As a general rule, if the bark is falling off the tree, then it is in the proper stages for growth of morels. Don't expect to find morels around every dying tree, but it's a good idea to make a couple circles around them.
Old dead stumps from logging operations are another good place to search. I find many patches of little greys growing among the wild leeks surrounding oak stumps that have probably been there for 30 years or more.
Downed trees are another place to search. Although the tree itself will be useful for other mushrooms, the shade and moisture it provides may be useful to the morel hunter. Brush through the leaves that gather against a downed tree and you've got a good chance of finding a morel. The same goes for brush piles or anywhere you have a lot of dying wood.
Follow the Animals
Animals follow food sources, and morels are food for the animals. I personally will not walk directly on a deer trail, but if a deer trail goes directly through a morel patch, chances are it will lead to or close by another morel patch.
Every area is different when it comes to hunting morels, from the layout of the land, to the weather patterns that trigger growth of the particular species of morel you find. Don't expect one place to be just like another. I for instance, consistently find giant yellow morels in a woodland full of cottonwood and ash trees surrounding an old gravel pit. But I relentlessly search for giant morels in a woodland full of cottonwood and ash trees surrounding another old gravel pit and am disappointed every time.
I encourage you to read guides from other people as well as my own, create your own knowledge base of what works for you and what doesn't. Personal experience will be your best guide, as no one but you will know just what it took to find your morels.
Good luck and happy hunting
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