** MOREL MUSHROOMS **

[Chumster]

Can they be found in Oklahoma? Thanks Terry, this is good stuff.

[bgbuck153]

Ive picked close to 400 on three outings! A little slow this year compared to others but I'm not complaining . I have a spot that I'm checking tomorrow that I've picked close to 1,000 in a 100 yard square area in a single year over the course of several consecutive years. So many that I was crawling around on my hands and knees . All were in cherry trees !

[bgbuck153]

Here's a good question ! How long does it take for a morel to grow to full length , over night , days or a week ? What I'm getting at is how long should I wait after picking them in one area should I go back and look again in the same area?

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I don't soak mine, but just long enough to loosen the dirt and slice them in halves. If they got bugs inside I may soak them overnight in salt water, but usually a good rinsing after they are sliced will dislodge any bugs and send them down the drain. Then I lay them out on paper towels to dry a little bit and store in quart sized ziploc bags until they get breaded and deep fried.

bgbuck153- I honestly believe they grow at night all in one quick spurt. I've left some on purpose and went back the next day to see if they had grown and nothing changed, they only got more dried out. I have also went back to the same spot 2 days later and found more that came up since I was there last. I have also went back and didn't find anymore the rest of the season. Go figure.

Everything has to be perfect for them to pop. Temperature, moisture content of the soil, humidity, ect.
That's why they are so sought after and many people have never even found one.

I've actually had em try and sneak off on me and practically had to run em down to keep em from gettin away!  

[Toecutter]

Originally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
 

Originally posted by ron w:
Charlie did you get the big ones in New York ??????

Yes Ron, Found them By New Paltz.  You would hate me but we sold the big ones to  a restaurant who had VIP guests. He stuffed them individually and served them to the customers.  we knew Sam, the proprietor of the restaurant and these mushrooms paid for our fishing trip the following day and we received a free meal off his menu.

Not to worry we had 5 more pounds we enjoyed ourselves. Sometimes when you get that many our only option would be dry them out or eat them up. at the time I didn't have a good drying method so we ate to our hearts content and made a few bucks also. [/b]

New PaltZ!!?!?!?!?!  I hope you didn't find my honey hole!!  I'm heading up there with Drew tomorrow, and we fully expect to find a boatload!  It's not pretty to once i get to crying  

[Joshua Long]

Originally posted by bgbuck153:
Ive picked close to 400 on three outings! A little slow this year compared to others but I'm not complaining . I have a spot that I'm checking tomorrow that I've picked close to 1,000 in a 100 yard square area in a single year over the course of several consecutive years. So many that I was crawling around on my hands and knees . All were in cherry trees !

Funny you mention the cherry trees thats where the ones I found in my yard were.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Originally posted by Joshua Long:
 

Originally posted by bgbuck153:
Ive picked close to 400 on three outings! A little slow this year compared to others but I'm not complaining . I have a spot that I'm checking tomorrow that I've picked close to 1,000 in a 100 yard square area in a single year over the course of several consecutive years. So many that I was crawling around on my hands and knees . All were in cherry trees !

Funny you mention the cherry trees thats where the ones I found in my yard were. [/b]

Are they dead trees or alive?

[bgbuck153]

The Cherry trees are Alive ! The bunch of 400 that I found so far were all growing in poplar trees with not many leaves on the ground .

Too much rain to go today to check my good spot and I just finished my stock for lunch today .

[Joshua Long]

Mine is alive as well.

[bgbuck153]

I went to my good spot today with bad results ! I only found 10 whites and grays . I'm hoping I'm early .

[hayslope]

The Hudson Valley in southern NY has been pretty good lately.  I've found a pound or two every time I've been out.  I even found about 3/4 of a pound at Whittingham!  Thanks to Mike, Robert and Tyler for tolerating my "distractions" on the courses!

I found about 100 the day before all the rain and then stopped by a local spot today and found these in about a 50' stretch:

 

This is a great year for morels, but, as with hunting, you have to put in the time and shoe leather.  I'm freezing and sealing most of what I've been picking.  As is usually the case, I've been out several times searching for morels without a bow and had turkeys within easy shot ranges........go figure!    

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Tony,

Those are making my mouth water!

[hayslope]

Charlie

I know you MUST be into the motherload by now!  That rain should have really put them into the final stretch.

Sad to say, but we've been finding way too many that have been up for quite some time and are just too far gone.  The other day in an isolated spot, we found fourteen "half-frees" that ranged from 8" tall and UP that were still standing, but looked like they had been through a dehydrator!

Maybe finding a load of morels will make not getting a porker a bit easier........then again...........hey, at least you great hunt.  Now get out there and find some 'shrooms.

[freeman]

picked these in about 4 hours this afternoon.  Scaled 6.75lbs. We're getting $12/lb for them...

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Freeman, You should get more from them. The people that are paying you 12 a pound are selling them to restaurants for 30 a pound.

At 12 a pound you are better off eating them.  

Tony, I have not found any Morels yet! I have spent time looking. I had someone check out my Hotspot as it is an hour and a half from here and he busted.

I know some are being found but not in numbers here yet.

I will say I have found what I call a false Morel in numbers so far this year. In past years I have only found one or two total.

[bfrbmj]

Never paid any attention to this thread or even thought of picking wild shrooms before.  But saw some funky looking shrooms at work this am and decided to look at this thread- sure enough they are morels.  Pick a half dozen or so and gave them to my wife for mother's day- she will have to research them for hours before she will say they are ok to eat- but they are textbook morels.  Looking forward to trying them and would have or have been driving by them for years and missing out on the treat if it had not been for this thread
Thanks- Brian

[wtpops]

Im going to be retiring next year and moving out of California. Do these things grow in north west Arkansas? I sure do love shrooms

[$bowhunter$]

you guys sell these things? ive went out and seen lots of these thing and picked a couple to try. how do you guys find people to buy these? seems like a good way to fund my bowhunting costs

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Originally posted by $bowhunter$:
you guys sell these things? ive went out and seen lots of these thing and picked a couple to try. how do you guys find people to buy these? seems like a good way to fund my bow hunting costs

I always called restaurants. The high end ones that change their menu weekly based on whats in season, are the places that buy them.  When you go in it is best to have the head chef present because, if the owner says no, the chef will buy them anyhow. They get excited about this stuff the way i get excited about a brand new deer spot!

I went to a new place today and put on about a mile.

16 false Morels and about 30 ticks. That's not including the ticks on the dogs, both deer and wood.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Finally Found a few here in NY!

First ones always the hardest

   

   

   

Not a bad day, although I found more wood ticks than Mushrooms!