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Anyone finding any yet. If you have could you post what county. I'm gonna be looking in my Bucks County secret spots for the first time this weekend. Good luck for those who go out.
Todays haul...... Its gettin late.
Todays haul...... Its gettin late.
March 27th
Little bugger but it was out:)
March 27th
Little bugger but it was out:)
My son found his first the third week of march. He's brought home 4 onion bags full in the last 2 weeks, coming in with these today.
Hunted them hard today, found none. I did find dozens of Dryad's Saddles, brought home several pounds and cooked a few along with some wild onions I found and some deer roast and sweet potato. Happy belly.
checked my spot on Saturday and it still seams a little to early here in Bucks county. Gonna check NJ spots today
Picked 2 dozen in Washington County today. All in one spot, my good spots had none yet.
Good for you Bill. Keep us posted. I haven't found one yet but not quite ready to give up.
Came up blank. One more week i think for where im at.
If Craigslist is any indication, seems like they're up about pittsburgh now pretty strong. People below are selling them now, and folks above Pittsburgh are advertising them as 'will be available soon'. $25-75 a pound.
What forest micro clime do morels like the best?
I have about a half acre of those onions below the barn Jeff. In their prime. Have not seen anything that resembles mushrooms or morels.
Does anyone know if there are a decent amount in the NW corner (Crawford County)? I've never looked for them but it sounds like something enjoyable to do.
Ramps should be prime now too. Without looking I found a valley green with them:) Jared keeps bringin home whites at about a pound/hr:)
I find most of mine in subtle washes on hillsides. Nine times out of Ten there will be dead elms or apples at the top. They don't like swampy areas. All you have to do is find one and nomally you'll find a bunch, once you get down to their level.
I found a handful of morels today and over 3 dozen Dryad's Saddles. Another hunter beat me to the spot. I could see where someone had picked some morels... but they missed some. I have yet to see where anyone else has harvested a Dryad's Saddle.
Tomorrow I'm going to an area that's harder to get to. I'll need waders... at least. Maybe my boat. Actually, hunting mushrooms by boat might not be a bad idea since there seems to be some competition around here.
Impressive guys. Do any of these mushrooms have very close mimics that are poisonous that you have to watch out for? If I see something that I believe to be a morel, can one be fooled with a close mimic that is dangerous to consume? Same goes for the others as well. Also, is there a book out there that anyone recommends to learn more about edible mushrooms?
Justin is correct. The false morel's head isn't completely hollow. When cut in half lengthwise, a true morel will be completely hollow from the tip of the cap to the bottom of the stem.
Do your homework. Searches online can help a lot. They go to great lengths to describe and differentiate from harmful lookalikes, but in the end, it's all on you. It would be great to have someone local to you that could take you out a few times, but that isn't always possible, or necessary. With a couple of good books and the internet, and ALWAYS erring on the side of caution, you'll be fine.
Here is a link to a page that explains how to identify the morel and false morel.
http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/morel-mushroom.html#sthash.eUDzjaxw.dpbs
A buddy and I found over 50 morels today after work. They were past their prime though. We need rain for more new growth. We found them near poplar and beech trees.
Justin, I don't completely understand why they do what they do, or don't. This learning process is what intrigues me and pulls me out there. I spent hours looking at hundreds of poplars before I found them. These were BIG mature poplars. You could maybe get your arms halfway around many of them. I was looking at healthy trees, dying, and dead. The long hillside I was on was facing east - southeast. It was only when the hillside turned and faced DIRECTLY south that the morels appeared, and then only near the very biggest trees... and especially those with logs laying nearby/about their root systems... which provided a bit more moisture or shade or something for the morels? I don't know. Just speculating. Very tough going today on terrain that was often navigated from glacial rock to rock for hundreds of yards without touching soil. Some very cool scenery... some rocks as big as a house, with big trees growing on them, but morels need dirt, so I didn't waste too much time in those areas.
Good hunting to you.
Interesting, thanks for the info. With things like this I always wonder how the first people ever to encounter mushrooms figured this stuff out. I'm sure there was some trial and error way back when and word spread quick which ones were safe and which others weren't.
I think primitive man did it just like you and I should do it anytime we encounter a new food source. Taste, and if palatable, eat just a small bite, and wait and see if any reactions occur. This should be common practice with any properly identified wild edible we try for the first time.
Found 3 dozen today. Mostly by Dead Elm.
Anyone finding morels up in north central Pa yet? I'm trying to time my next trip to camp.
I would go soon if I where you Jeff.
Ok. Cool. My camp is two counties straight north of Center in Potter. My buddy just texted me, he's finding more right now here in Butler.
This is a bowsite. Not a mushroom smooch en butt site....
Archery... stumps... mushrooms... get it now?
Ya better just stick to deer farming then.
Just happened to be cutting my lawn tonight and found this one by a stump. I shot it with my recurve so I can post it on Bowsite:)
LOL tobyson..
Dink...............
This was my best morel hunt to date. Brought home 119 morels. I found three HUGE ones under a dead apple tree on the game lands.
Tried mushroom hunting once, but decided it was against my morels. :-D
I guess it's ok, Jeffery.
Bowsite?
Nice word play Josh.
How does mushroom hunting relate to archery/bowhunting?
I went out to the game lands after work today to a place I've never been to. It was cloudy, cool, with a threat of rain. Mushroom hunting is a good way for me to learn more of the woods around here. We moved here a couple of years ago, there's a lot of public land here, and I'm still putting the pieces together.
Exploring and learning to understand nature in places I've never been before has always been my favorite time spent outdoors. When I'm bow hunting critters, I'm also looking for mushrooms or possible sites to hunt them, or other edibles... and when I'm hunting mushrooms, I'm looking for signs of animals and future hunting or fishing spots. So time spent shrooming IS time spent bowhunting and vice versa. It's all related. Same, same. We're hunter/gatherers.
I found no morels today, but it was still a great day. About two miles in, I saw this little guy enjoying the cloudy moist weather that seemed to suit him.
A little farther up the valley I saw a nice size black bear where three valleys converged. I found a good place to hunt deer there too, several well used trails crossing within selfbow range, a line of several scrapes, acorns still laying around, but it would be tough getting one out of there. Archery bear in that valley sounds like a good idea too.
geez, Jeff, I didn't know those things got that big. I keep saying I'm gonna try it some time but then I end up taking the kayak out or just working around the house. Besides, my wife says she won't eat any wild mushrooms I bring home unless I go with someone I trust to id them. I told her it's too bad cuz the only guy I really trust id'ing mushrooms lives on the other side of the state.
Hi Spider.
Oooh. I wouldn't trust ME. lol
My wife generally doesn't eat the things I bring home unless they meet at least three conditions. 1.) It's no longer alive. 2.) I eat it more than once and still find it palatable. 3.) I don't get sick or die from it. I guess I'm her guinea pig.
She cooked and ate some Dryad's Saddles a few days ago and seemed to like them. I think the odor intrigued her. They sort of have a 'floral' scent when raw.
Definitely bear country from your house to mine Jeff. Not too many want to trust me until they see me eat mushrooms I have found. One of my wife's favorites was squirrels my brother got she did up on the grille. She has not eaten any of my mushrooms yet. I have some places to show you when I get a day Jeff.
yeah, my wife just doesn't seem to trust me... she thinks I got my eye on the insurance money, LOL!
Kathy still shoots that cherry and bamboo long bow you gave. Our granddaughter will be trying out soon.
Great to hear Art, that bow had a rough start but turned into a real sweetheart! Glad it's still putting them down range.
I found 117 morels today. Some are real dandies too. I found the nicest ones in a stand of white pines. Go figure.
I have some fresh wing feathers if anybody wants to stop by and pick them up.
I went out with my brother today. He was going to show me how to spot ginseng and it was my intent to show him how to find morels. Honestly, I didn't feel confident in either one, but it has been too many years since we've spent time in the woods together so I jumped at the chance... and we ended up finding both... actually within about 200 yards of each other, in our old childhood stomping grounds. The morels were in an old dying apple orchard, a place I had searched 2 or 3 weeks ago to no avail. We found a dozen or so and these morels were BIG, but only two of them were edible. That's mostly the story of my morel season so far... happy to find em, but too late to eat em. It was fun though coaching him toward the morels, like a kid on an Easter egg hunt ;^)
The ginseng varied in age, one, two, three, and four prong plants, all just a couple of inches high... but it's early. They just popped up.
I think I can now identify ginseng if I come across it, he can find morels if he wants.... and most importantly, we spent some quality time in the woods together. We moved slower through those woods than we used to, but we saw more, a good day.
Every Spring I say I am gonna go out looking for morels and never seem to find the time! : (
I was channel surfing last night and came across a cooking show. The Chef was from some high-class restaurant in Philly and was making something with morels. He said he gets most of his veggies and herbs "locally", but then went on to say the morels came from Oregon. ;-)
I went out today. I picked a 5 gallon bucket full of them. Best day ever for me. Most were around old dead elm trees. And an old apple orchard.
Didja shoot 'em with yer ar15 first or didja use yer string rifle? Or maybe you just cluncked them over the head with one of them boat paddles you make, LMAO!!!
Don't matter. And today I was looken for ginseng. Even had a bottle of rum with me. Was a good day..
Didn't go out today.
Just cooked off another batch of morels. My, my, those are the best mushrooms EVER.
Also have speed beef in the slow cooker with a bunch of Sheepshead, veggies and wild rice. It's about done and coming together as a nice creamy stew. Hungry now. B-Bye.
OK- I'll bite......................................what is "speed beef"?!
Road killed deer, Perry.. Ya get it, speed beef?
LOL! Ok. heard of "speed goat" before, but never speed beef! ;-)
