Mushroomers
General Topic
Tis the season for wild turkey, crappie fillets and Morel mushrooms, anybody find any Morels yet?
I've been finding a few...
QUITE a few, Catscratch! Curious, what areas in your neck of the woods do you target, when shroom hunting? Here in Iowa, most guys target recently dead and dying elms predominantly. It’s still just a bit early and awfully dry here, but they’re calling for some decent rains overnight. If we do get some rain, I’d imagine they should start popping up here in the next week or so.
T-roy, we have a system... I spend quite a bit of time looking at trees and up in general. Once I see a likely tree tree my wife and kids follow me to it and pick up the shrooms I step over and generally miss. Then they make fun of me for being a blind old guy that would have been bit if it was a snake. I did find close to 9lbs the last time out (without the family) and since I ran into a couple of newbies while out I took them to a spot or 2 and told them I'd only pick one of every 3 I saw so that they could find their fill too. Could have brought home a LOT more, but those guys were pretty happy so it was worth it.
I like trees that are in the act of dying. Most of my hotspots dry up after the tree dies. I think the tree has to be diseased. Our neighbors had a spraying accident that killed a bunch of our trees. We haven't found hardly any at our place since.
Dang Catscratch, you find all them this year? When did they start popping?
A few weeks out yet..maybe three. I usually wait until the lilacs are starting to bloom up here in Minny. Freshly dead elms. Southern exposure on old railroad lines.
Been finding mushrooms in southern Indiana for about three weeks now...with the numbers getting better every week. The best trees to find early shrooms on the farm tend to be white ash, poplar and cherry. Later in the season, we'll primarily hunt pines and cedars for the big white and yellow shrooms.
My two patches dried up. Trees have completely died now. I need to do some hiking
Catscratch, can I tag along? My wife says I have no trouble acting childish!
Nice Catscratch! The last couple years around here have been terrible for me. So dry! Like Troy says, dead elms are the ticket and I've noticed I'm seeing fewer and fewer dead elms every year. I'm happy if I find enough for a meal or two.
Very good of you to share spots with others. Good Karma!
None here yet. A few people I know found a few Saturday. Up until Sunday it’s been to cool and dry.
They should be blowing out this week. Highs in the 70’s here for the next 4 days. Rained last night. Conditions are right.
I haven't found any here in PA yet. But with all the rain we've been getting, it should be a banner year.
This was actually a great year for us. I usually work much harder at it and find much less. Get lucky every once in a while!
oddogrib, I'm always game for childish company! Life's too short to not have fun.
I'm very secretive about my spots and finds! These guys just happened to show up where I was hunting and after walking up and saying hi to them it was obvious they were somewhat new at it... so I figured what the hell. We had a good chat and fun was had by all. I hope they don't tell everyone they know about it, but they acted like they'd keep it secret.
My cousin is loading up on Morels in eastern Kansas right now, too. I wish we had them in Colorado. We do have Porcini mushrooms, which are delicious, but they are a late summer/early fall harvest.
GG, I've got a friend who makes a yearly trip to CO to take his girls camping and hunt for Porcini's. Sounds like fun (and beautiful scenery) but I've never been able to go.
My daughter found some at school. I was pretty proud:). I will hopefully be getting out Wednesday to find some if I have the time.
Catscratch, depending on how wet the year is, the first week of elk season can be prime time for Porcinis in the high country. It's one of my favorite pastimes when hunting is slow.
GG, what month and week is decent for looking? I can get to Colorado Springs in 9hrs (straight west of me). If it's the right time of year I could make a weekend of it. Any regulations associated with Porcini's?
Catscratch, I've found Porcini's as early as mid-August and as late as the end of September. It really depends on moisture during the summer. I have my best luck on north facing slopes near the bottom of drainages at elevations around 8-10K feet. They like moist shady spots under evergreen trees. There are other poisonous mushrooms that look a lot like Porcinis, so be sure to do your research..
The underside of a Porcini is the easiest way to identify them. It looks like a fine sponge. If it has fins on the underside, leave it alone.
Edit: I should mention, the Porcini above was a little past its prime. Still edible, but in its prime the underside is almost white. When they start turning yellowish on the underside, they are getting old.
I'm a newbie st morel hunting. Can someone post a pic of where there being found?
We've got a bunch of woods and 2 creek bottoms with blown down trees. I still haven't found any. (I'm either blind or the deer are getting them first).
Thanks
Thanks for the info GG! I'm very careful with shrooms! If in doubt... throw it out! I also find chanterelles, oysters, hens, and occasionally lobster. I've made it mission to find and eat every edible in KS. With that said I NEVER take chances on a questionable ID.
milnrich - Timing is important. If you are hunting the best spot in the county but a week early or a week late you won't find any. I like to look for trees that are just starting to have bark slip off, and trees that have been broken. Burns can be a great also. I'd suggest you create an account on this site and go to your state forum to ask questions. They'll probably help a ton! https://www.morels.com/forums/
Catscratch - THANK YOU!!!
Minnick, here's another link I like. The map is unusual pretty accurate at tell ya when to start looking. I start walking when sightings get within 50 miles south of me. https://www.thegreatmorel.com/morel-sightings/
Morels are fairly easy to identify and reason many hunt and pick them, but ya have to be careful picking other wild mushrooms as some are DEADLY or make a person deathly sick causing irreversible damage to organs so PLEASE be careful identifying... Years ago a couple buddies ended up in the hospital after misidentifying summer/fall mushrooms...
Porcini mushrooms are in the Boletus family in which there are dozens of different species, some edible, some not and some can be harmful so must be careful what you have... They are a mid-summer mushroom in my area... These sponge bottom Bolete mushrooms (sponge like pores instead of gills under the cap) can be edible but many taste bitter and are not palatable, and some are TOXIC... There are apps that help identify wild mushrooms simply by taking photos from different angles... Here are some I use: Shroomify, Inaturalist, and my favorite that Jeff turned me on to: ShroomID... Also google Lens may help...
Had a Navajo friend shared some wild mushrooms with me.... think I met Jesus that night
Morels and Porcinis both sell for over $50/pound at the grocery store. So a haul like Catscratch's above is worth a pretty penny.
Do you mushroom pickers usually leave a few behind for next year's crop? I started doing that a few years ago in my favorite spots. It seems to pay off.
Depend on the species, but most reproduce via Spores (microscopic cells, kinda like seeds), the spores disperse in the wind when they pop and those spores form Mycelium (like a root system) although debatable I try to cut Morels off at ground level without damaging the Mycelium and also try to use a net bag to allow any leftover attached spores to spread while walking...
Here is some good info:
https://gulbenkian.pt/jardim/en/garden/um-naturalista-no-jardim-gulbenkian-como-e-porque/how-do-mushrooms-reproduce/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIn%20most%20of%20the%20known,tubes%2C%20needles%20or%20pleats.%E2%80%9D&text=Reproduction%20usually%20takes%20place%20at,compatible%20ones%20and%20fuse%20together.
"Mushrooms are neither animals nor plants, they belong to the fungi kingdom. They are “the visible fruiting of the mycelium”, the filamentous structure of fungi, which is usually underground. This structure can be found “on the ground under foliage, inside old trees or in fallen logs”, describes Rui Simão.
In fact, “we could say that mushrooms are like apples attached to a huge apple tree, which in this case would be the mycelium,” notes this expert.
Just as apples produce seeds, mushrooms produce spores. “In most of the known mushrooms, spores are produced on the lower part of the cap – on the gills, tubes, needles or pleats.”
Often a single mushroom can produce thousands of spores, which are released into the air or fall to the ground."
Anyone else get sick after eating morels? I’ve hunted and eaten them for the past 30 years, but a few years ago I started getting sick (vomiting) after eating them. It took 3 different times to realize it was the mushrooms that were making me sick, so it wasn’t like I had a bad batch.
I've never heard of anybody getting sick on Morels, you sure they were not false morels? Have heard false morels will make you sick...
I’ve heard the same, I’m positive they were normal morels. I got sick on 3 different occasions, different batches. Fried and sautéed, sick every time.
Just don't eat them uncooked.
Yeah Cut2Kill, I was doing a little internet search too..
Personally, I've never got sick on morels, but always cooked them well in butter or oil and flour...
I knew all fungi contained toxins and cooking reduces the toxin levels and different species contain different levels but morels levels are minute and knew they must be WELL COOKED... Also knew that some people are more sensitive than others to mushrooms... Won't get into the psychoactive species...8^)
After my little internet search found the following:
"Consuming raw or partially cooked morels may lead to varying degrees of gastrointestinal illness"
And: "A word of caution: Morels contain small amounts of hydrazine, an inorganic compound that is highly poisonous. Cooking removes the toxin, so never eat them raw — you could damage your liver or worse."
And: "True morels are normally edible but if a large amount is eaten, or they are undercooked or eaten raw or eaten with alcoholic beverages, one may become ill. One can become sensitized to the mushroom over time; you might have eaten them without problems in the past, but now they make you ill."
Not sure how guys eat ANY mushrooms at all. I love veggies of all kinds, seafood, sushi, Nuts, organ meats etc…but I’ve never met a mushroom that didn’t taste like exactly what it is, fungus. Yuck.
Money… as in delicious
Money… as in delicious
I used to feel the same way until a friend showed me how to distinguish and pick porcini’s.
I used to bring home a batch of morels from spring turkey hunting in Nebraska. I know a “lot” of folks love morels to the extent there is almost a cult following from east to west as they start to pop. I prepared them every way possible and at the end of the day I thought… meh. Take em or leave em…
Not so with porcini’s. Well worth the effort plus great way to get some pre hunt mountain hiking in.
Last year, late spring We hiked to a couple remote lakes in the Flat Tops and there was tons of mushrooms all over the place. Huge like Super Mario status. Was crazy.
If you’re finding amanita’s the bolete’s will pop up in the same areas late July through August.
“amanita’s“
Dave, is that the red mushroom pictured? Are they edible?
King Bolete’s aka porcini’s
King Bolete’s aka porcini’s
Joe, yes as pictured in your post and mine. Amanita muscaria and no you don’t want to eat those! No bueno…
There is a variety of edible mushrooms in Colorado, from puff balls (very early stages) to hawks wings, even chanterelles if you can find them however porcini’s or king bolete’s can be easily identified and a batch sautéed with onions, red peppers some garlic paired with an elk loin steak is hard to beat!
"is that the red mushroom pictured? Are they edible?"
"Amanita muscaria and no you don’t want to eat those!"
Those Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) can be prepped to eat, BUT it'll take you on a trip for a while, you may even see Mario...8^)))
LUNG$HOT and Stoneman, those are excellent pix, thanks for sharing... Stoneman, now know how you got you're handle...8^)))
We have the yellow variety around here, Amanita Muscaria variety Guessowii (Yellow Fly Agaric)... This one popped in my yard about three years ago... I didn't know what it was at the time until I looked it up... Haven't seen one since...
Great pics guys. The annual Morel thread. Here in the Northeast around May 8 is usually prime time.
Wow Charlie, that's a nice one... Heck, that's a meal...
I've never found any morels in my woods. We do have chanterelles though...
You finding Chants now? We don't get them until summer.
Nice Chanterelles Boreal... I don't see them until July or August around here...
This was from last June or July.
How do you like to cook the Chants?
I don’t eat mushrooms anymore. I’m afraid they may have the prions from CWD
BGhunter00: I have a buddy that ate them for years and then one night started gettingviolently ill from them... morels. He did some reaearch and found drinking alcohol while eating them was the cause in his case.
BGhunter00: I have a buddy that ate them for years and then one night started gettingviolently ill from them... morels. He did some reaearch and found drinking alcohol while eating them was the cause in his case.
Apologies for the double post.
Man do we miss morels. We used to pick a lot of them when we lived in Missouri.
Since moving to Wyoming we have yet to find any.
Anybody find them in WY?
Yeah, have heard that before ya don't what to be buzzed up and eat them...
I suppose that’s possible, nothing better than a cold beer with some morels. I’ve found almost 12 lbs so far this year, but I’m too afraid to try them again…. even without beer!
Aside from alcohol, I think cooking them hard will keep from a belly ache... Well cooked both sides I think is the key from what I've read, but also people have different tolerances with mushrooms...
They (morels) haven't started here yet. Chicken mushrooms (sulfur shelf) used to be one of my favorites but it makes me sick now.
Sure glad I don't have a reaction to morels and beer! Hard to have one without the other!
"How do you like to cook the Chants?"
I put them in a dry pan on medium high heat and cook the water out of them. then, continue cooking until the water boils away. After that , add a little butter and some seasoned garlic powder and saute' until golden brown and the edges start getting a little crisp. They go great on venison cheeseburgers!
That's exactly how I usually cook them Boreal! Goes great on burgers and steaks. I also mix Chants in with rice dishes.
Amanita is poisonous, especially for children. While some folks still try it for its psycho active properties (hallucinogen), I gotta wonder why the hell anyone would even try it.
Basically, if something in nature tries to kill you it will or at least will seriously weaken you. Why would any serious bowhunter want that? Stick to morels...and fresh fish fillets or wild turkey, nummy.
"While some folks still try it for its psycho active properties (hallucinogen), I gotta wonder why the hell anyone would even try it"
Chief Quanah on psychoactives:
"Whiteman goes to their churchhouse to learn about Jesus, Indian goes to tepee and talks with Jesus"...8^)))
You asked...8^)
Found a few yesterday. Going back out today. Ramps are up too!
Here's a big Chanterelle I found last July. 10" across. Crazy.
Wow Jeff, hadn't realized Chanterelle got that big, thanks for sharing...
Sooo where’s the best place to look for these little delights? South face hills?fields?
Anyone know what these are? Found a few of them yesterday.
Looks like false morels to me. Did you happen to cut one open to see if they were hollow or not?
A couple of False Morels from this spring. I've heard people call them Beefsteaks and claim that they like to eat them. They are poisonous if not cooked correctly. Something about the heat removing the neurotoxins. I'm not interested in testing it.
No elk or morels in Wyoming. Have done ok in creek bottoms
That’s kinda what I was thinking too, Catscratch. Wasn’t sure, though. Not interested in playing guinea pig on them, either.
NO they are not morels, don't eat them, they look like false morels from where I'm standing... Download the ShroonID app and take pictures of top, bottom, and side views and the app will point you in the right direction...
Finally getting a spring with some good moisture! Hit the jackpot on some heavily hit public this morning. Picked 2.8 lbs. under one tree.
Those are pretty midwest...
First time I’ve had them in my yard in numbers. Usually just one or two here and there every few years. Got to hold off cutting the lawn in that area.
What do you all think is the best way to cook them? Just curious I have never had them...
I like them dusted in flour, dipped in egg wash, then rolled in crushed saltines. Deep fry in peanut oil. This works best for the larger mushrooms just cut in half. The smaller ones I just use like any other mushroom and sauté in butter to eat with a steak.
T-Roy I’ve been eating those big reds for 52 years. The only downside to them is they grow so tight you can’t hardly get the sand out of them. Excellent flavor and you can slice like a tomato. I’ve honestly found one years ago as big as a basketball. I fry them just like my regular morels.
Shane
Shake in flower with salt and pepper, then fry crispy. Or saute and put on a mostly raw steak.
Wife finally found a few, yesterday, but she said she ain’t sharing. Looks like it’s cottage cheese for me :-(
You guys are making me hungry!!
T-roy, the best work-around is to cook them for her. Then sneak your bites in while she isn't in the kitchen. Fresh out of the grease is hard to beat! Fresh asparagus is looking pretty good too!
She’d probably have them numbered, Cat, but I like the way you think! ;-)
just one so far…in the middle of my front yard.
:)
Ricky.. a little less time posting and you could dethatch that yard.
"Ricky.. a little less time posting and you could dethatch that yard"
give me a break man...the snow just left. :)
Nice meal in the badger state tonight. Backstrap with morels, wild asparagus, and morel risotto
Man I just ate earlier but that plate right there makes me want to eat again.
