First Spring Morels

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I looked through Pow Wow and didn't see a thread started for mushrooms so I thought I'd go ahead and get one going.

I found these little grey morels this weekend. Found 55 on Saturday 24th, then found 26 more today Sunday 25th. If memory serves correctly, the greys are about 1-2 weeks early this year. I guess since it's been so unusually warm and almost no winter to speak of. These are quite a bit smaller than the big blonde shrooms we find in April, but still just as tasty.
I hope this is just a precursor for what's to come cause I Love Eatin' Em!!    

 

55 little grey morels Saturday 24th

 

26 more on Sunday 25th

 

[wooddamon1]

I'm droolin' all over! Nice find!

[Mike Vines]

Nice find.

awsome!! I new i should have went this weekend.   ,

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Cant wait to find a few here.

Good pick  

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks fellas, gotta love spring time!
It was an absolute awesome weekend to be out in the woods.

[fnshtr]

semo... others, could you give some tips on where to look? I've never hunted or ate them but would love to give them a try!

Thanks!

[rjackson]

What fnshtr said x2.

RJ

look on south facing slopes early season,(the ground warms there first) then look in creek bottoms,then north facing slopes and ridges,
(moist and warm ground.) there are specific trees that some feel they grow around. but i havent found that to be true and hard.once you do find some, keep going back to that area every spring.

[rjackson]

Can you find them in Alabama? Never seen them here.

RJ

[684Kevin]

Found 56 Saturday in Fayette County Ohio but they did not have the size of the big ones in the pictures above.  Biggest one was 4" at best.  First time ever finding them in March, usually find them near April 15th around here.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

No shrooms here yet,, Lilacs are just thinking about budding, but the ticks are active.  Got 6 of them yesterday.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I find these early grey ones within about 10-20 yards of the river. It's kind of a flat that gets flooded when the river gets up and it gets full sun morning, day, and evening. There are lots of ash, elm, and big maple trees. I found most of these growing in the maple leaf litter, but that's not a definite because I find just about as many that are just out on open ground. I'm sure the trees have something to do with it, but not certain what role they play?
I've looked in other areas that are nearly identical and didn't find a single mushroom. Soil type, soil temp, and moisture probably plays a bigger part in where they grow and why than any other variable. Of course the spores have to be present for them to grow and maybe some areas just don't have 1 or several of those variables? Just get out and comb the bottoms and keep going back every few days because they literally grow full size overnight. One day there is nothing and the next day there are shrooms all over the place. Also you might ask around to see if there's an experienced shroomer in your area that wouldn't mind tagging along with you and help you find the best suitable areas on your property. Then split the rewards down the middle.
That's the best advice I can give.

Good Luck!

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by rjackson:
Can you find them in Alabama? Never seen them here.

RJ

If you have river bottoms, I bet you got morels. It should be prime time that far south right about now, I'd get out and look before it's too late. When it gets too hot or the grass gets too high they get tough to find.

One thing I failed to mention before and this is VERY IMPORTANT...........Never eat any fungus you find unless you are 100% postitive that it's a morel. Look at the first pic at the top of this thread and copy/print it off if you need to. If it doesn't look like the ones in the pic....Don't Eat It!!
Because it's just not worth the risk to eat something you cannot positively identify. Many states conservation departments offer books on identifying mushrooms and edible plants, it might be a good idea for the new guys who want to get into shrooming to get ahold of a plant/fungus ID book.
If you still can't ID what it is then send me a picture of it and I'll tell you if it's the genuine morel or not.

[fnshtr]

Thanks!! I hope to get out and about later this week here in WV.

[Robhood23]

I took my son to a state park this last weekend to learn how to harvest mable syrup and I asked the specialist when to start looknig for morels and she said to start looking when the oak leaves are as big as a mouse ear and when the lilacs start blooming!

[dougbutt]

went out all day saturday and for one beefear, i think. it looked like a very large morrel with a brownish orange top and it was not hollow. is that correct name for the mushroom im decribing? i didnt take a picture

i found one in my book that is called a beefsteak but looks nothing like a morel, these are the false morels.
 
 
 

there are a lot of mushrooms that are edible(some even better than morels), but it takes alot of time to know what your picking and eating,SO IF YOU DONT KNOW, DONT EAT!!

THERE REALLY IS NOTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A MOREL.IMO!

[WRV]

Nice Find!! I am ready to harvest some

[dougbutt]

it look like the big red false morrel thanks.