# Frederick Maryland Morels



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Last year was a great year! I found patches of Morels everywhere. They came late last year due to the cold hanging in here to late. Once the temperatures stayed here through the nights and rain came, they were huge late April. I found them until the middle of May as well which I found odd. I have had great success coming out with 40-75 mushrooms on average at our location here. To locate ours we look for rock walls, fallen trees and Poplar trees. The Morels seem to love them here. Found some as large as cans last year. Will post some pics soon, just don't know how to work this site yet just signed up. Anyone else from Maryland have huge success?


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Also, just a little more intel on our area. We have 4 types of Morels in our area that I find. We have black ones, grey ones, white ones, and what I like to call peckerheads. The black &amp; grey fat round ones always come in a little before the white ones, and later in the season we get white ones with tall stems that I call peckerheads. In the beginning we will find a lot of grey ones and sometimes we find a mix of grey and white ones. Poplar trees are a good sign of Morels in high elevation areas. Learn this tree to help you locate possible areas. I always look for rocky areas with thick undergrowth. I always find them in thick undergrowth, around and in patches of green grass and of course in open areas as well. I think with the heavy snow we got and the moisture in the ground this year, we will have a great season. So get up on the mountian and start looking in all those leaves and undergrowth around the 2nd-3rd week of April, if the temperature is right and you have a sharp eye, you will find em! Now, be careful who you tell if you find a spot, people are vultures for these things around here and then tend to pick your spot. Keep your eye out for parked cars along country roads, you'll see where they are going, especially state parks that allow it!


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## key2me12 (Mar 27, 2014)

Lucky you, every year I go looking but never find anything becuase the trees look the same to me. Maybe this year might be my lucky year.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Yeah it can be difficult, but don't give up! Hey, last night stayed 50 degrees here. So if it stays that way within the next 7-10 days, we should have some shrooms here in Maryland. I went walking yesterday but the trees haven't even bloomed yet and the may apples haven't sprouted yet. Every year is different. Keep your head up! LOL. Actually keep it down and looking for Morels!! Man I can't wait to get that frying pan out with some flour and butter! YUMMY. I will keep you posted on the shrooms here in Maryland.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

Hey Bob, Jason here. Last year was our first successful year finding some morels, and we would love to find some more this year. I'm just over the boarder in Washington County, literally 1/2mile away but would love to hear when you start seeing some out there to give me more of an idea of when to go and look. I was thinking this Saturday but am starting to think it may be to early. If you ever want to explore new areas and give tips I would explore with you out this way if you want to try to find new areas


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Sounds great. Yeah it is a little early here. The poplars haven't blossomed yet but I'm banking on the next 7-10 days. I will certainly let you know when I find them so you have an idea of when to go.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

Thanks, greatly appreciated and will do the same if I find some


----------



## hilbilyshroomr (Apr 10, 2014)

New to the area.. living close to Westminster.. have been picking Molly moochers for 20+ yrs in southern WV with great success.. looking for places,public or private, around here to hunt.. any help would be greatly appreciated..


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

The best advice I can give you since you have been hunting for 20+, you know what to look for already as far a signs for them. Go to you local state parks and take a hike. Dickerson, C &amp; O canal, Gambrill State Park, Utica State Park, Gapland State Park. Honestly it is hit or miss with every location. Google some parks by you. You can't just expect to walk in and find them in 10 minutes, I'm sure you know that with your experience. Everytime I go somewhere new I take friends and we walk for hours until successful. Honestly the spots I have are private property which aren't picked by other people, which might be why I am so sucessful. I hunt a couple parks but I tend to try and beat everyone else in there cuz if not they get picked before hand and you find a 5-10 instead of your normal 50. Hope it helps hillbilly shroomer.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Also, when driving in public mountian areas or parks, I look for blooming poplar tree tops to get potential hot spots. Park if possible take a hike.


----------



## hilbilyshroomr (Apr 10, 2014)

Appreciate the heads up on some parks.. been looking around for poplar stands but seeing mostly oak. Reckon I'll have to make some time to take a walk.. heading south in the am and gonna spend some time filling the sack with moochers and ramps.. maybe when I get back I'll get to do some hunting.. Good luck and thanks again


----------



## jsides (Apr 11, 2014)

Hi. I tried morels last year for the first time and have been dying to hunt for them. Would anyone be willing to show me the ropes. I am not sure I want to try it on my own.


----------



## hilbilyshroomr (Apr 10, 2014)

Finally made it to the woods.. no luck on shrooms but the snakes are out. Lol


----------



## fungiluv (Apr 11, 2014)

Anyone think the area where the wildfire was this past weekend will produce this year? KILLED them last year in a spot in wash. co. that had burned about 5 months before.


----------



## hilbilyshroomr (Apr 10, 2014)

Burns are good places to look..


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Well folks, I went out this weekend and no shrooms. The May apples are just popping about 1-4 inches in spots and the poplar is blooming. With rain forecasted tomorrow I'm thinking like i said before the next 7-10 days. This weekend coming should be producing. My maximum prodiction is 7-14, no later. Went to my honey hole where i usually find 75-100 easy and the another spot on the Maryland Virginia border. They should be up soon, if your looking now, you are wasting your time.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

We were out on Saturday and found about a 20 acre patch of Poplars on a hillside, roughly 70% atleast. Have never searched here before but looks promising. They were not blossoming yet then, so I hope that this new spot will produce something. Last year we stumbled upon some more than locating trees.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

Found 1 pinky toe sized black today but thats it on the Frederick/Washington boarder. Don't have much experience hunting yet but was wondering how often after the first signs typically do others start popping up? 1 day, 2 days or more. Just wondering how often we should check back, don't want to be smashing the other small ones that we cant see with our feet.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

<a href=""><img src="" alt="" /></a>


----------



## tlowe (Apr 18, 2014)

I would give it at least 3 days put148. We found our first 3 yesterday! They are just starting. We need rain and I think it's forecasted for Tuesday! I am so glad they are starting to pop!


----------



## hilbilyshroomr (Apr 10, 2014)

No moochers but found a nice patch of ramps


----------



## dbigbuck (Apr 21, 2014)

Found 99 yesterday 1"-3" blacks


----------



## hilbilyshroomr (Apr 10, 2014)

Be back in Maryland Wed.. hopefully I'll have time to hunt.. New to the area so still need to find some good hunting grounds


----------



## benbask (Apr 26, 2013)

I have been out the past two days in Central Md with no luck just tons of Wild Garlic, Are you in Western Md dbigbuck?


----------



## dbigbuck (Apr 21, 2014)

Wash. Co.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

I went out this weekend, no mushrooms here in frederick area, if they are up now they are only small, 1-3 inches, yall are wasting your time and picking to early, go this weekend. Forecast is rain, warm weather, they will be up if they are not already. This weekend I will be hitting by honey hole, If they are huge I will let yall know, but this weekend be out! Here the may apples were 1-4 inches. I went to Barryville Virginia to another spot and may apples were a foot tall and mushrooms were up but small. As stated before, this weekend they should be worth picking, if they are up they are small.


----------



## fungiluv (Apr 11, 2014)

I agree with pickembub. Came across a bunch over the weekend about the size of your thumb. Will be back at the end of the week to gather them up. GOOD LUCK everybody


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Okay folks! Good news! To prove my theory they are up and exactly what I thought, they are only 1-3 inches. My dad and I picked 19, most were small at 1/2 to 1 inch and the ones we took were 2 to 3 inches which if I weren't so anxious for a mushroom sandwich so bad we should I left them all behind. They were all black morels and the grey ones in my honey hole were just starting at 1/2 inch tall. I will post a couple picks from my fist find today, 4/22/2014 season baby yeah!


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

I'll keep yall posted on the size a development of these little ones I found and left behind. I'll check this weekend and see how much they grew over a 4 day period, hopefully they are huge! In the mean time, I'm gonna be hitting holes all week and from here on out! Good picking people. Hope you can view the pics cuz when I open them they are to small to see anything.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Well, the little grey ones were only a quarter inch taller. Found 65 total today, mostly black and a couple decent grey ones. Predicting Morels growth is impossible. 4 days later, no difference.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Just Figured out how to make the photos full size, so here's some from last year that you can see clearly


----------



## cjpatster (Apr 21, 2013)

Nice haul! So your still mostly finding blacks? When (in your opinion) does that grey and yellow season really get going? Do you ever find Bigfoot Yellows (they're called that in Michigan), the monsters that pop up late in the season? I'm a seasoned Indiana morel hunter but I've had pretty bad season in the Maryland for the past 2 years. I'm hoping to do better this year.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks thought so myself as we were all having a mushroom sandwich! Lol. The grey's in my honey whole have been up for a week and a half, some were two inches, some were and inch. I picked some and left others. I have found little white ones in my area to but they weren't worth picking. I'd say after this week of rain, next weekend will be prime. Last year I was picking Bigfoot Yellows 2nd week of may. Depending on the weather/temperature you can find them throughout May. Last year they died out quick cuz it was to damn hot and dry. Hoping this year stays 65 and rainy!


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## lex (Mar 25, 2013)

Curious about your comment about finding them in areas of undergrowth and grass.
I've always avoided those areas, having better results in more open (poplar) woods and around large rocks.
Any particular kind of undergrowth?
I'm in western Maryland.


----------



## morelsxs (Oct 25, 2012)

Any one in Garrett County finding anything? Heading over this weekend. Hoping it's producing like the rest of western MD.


----------



## akkeefe (May 1, 2014)

I finally found my first 3 morels yesterday after looking for more than 20 days in the Catoctin Mountains. Looking for a spot to look, that is! I figured going out in that rain I would at least be seeing a different shade of brown and would better notice them poking through the leaves. This is my first year hunting and although I was not expecting success since nobody will tell you exactly where to look, based on all the clues and pointers you all have given on forums like this I was hoping my persistence would pay off and it did! That was the easy part since spending all day in the woods is my kind of fun - yesterday warblers were dripping off the trees like the rain! A couple of things I was confused about the morels were what kinds of vegetation would be found in the same vicinity. I had been looking around patches of mayapples but it seems to me that although the stage of growth of mayapples is a sign that morels are out also- they are not necessarily together on the ground? Another confusing thing was the rockiness of the slope - it can't be too rocky but some rocks or rock walls are good? I figured out the right rockiness by looking at the soil i.e., there has to be soil close to the surface; the leaf layer can't be too deep, and it might not be a whole slope but a small pocket on a suitable slope with the right ingredients of trees, etc. All in all a great challenge and a fun mystery to solve and finding even 1 morel in my first season was a huge accomplishment!


----------



## dontforgettheknife (May 2, 2014)

Wow, what a great start to the season! I've been tearing them up in the Mt. Airy area. Picking 30-50 a day abd leaving the rest to grow. Also scored in Howard County yesterday, new honeyhole and 54 yellows/whites, have yet to find a black morel. Can you add an image that isn't online to a post here?


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Hit them huge, took 91 yesterday, some were dead and dried though.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Lex, your area could be totally different but here where I am at we find them in all terrain. My honey hole is under a bunch of poplar/elm and thick thorn trees making it difficult to walk through at times, but it does open up. \There are spots of grass here and there but mainly leaves like your normal open woods would be. Next time I'm out I try to remember to take some photos of the grounds.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Also, lex, to answer the second part of your question don't know the name of it but it is like a viney looking grass and your typical thorn bush I find morels in and around.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## cjpatster (Apr 21, 2013)

So I've got an ethics question for the board. I was out today hunting and and saw some very successful folks coming out of a section of woods I hadn't search with bags of mushrooms. I was done for the day so I left that area alone, but its public land. What are the ethics are searching area's that are used by other hunters?


----------



## localplumber (May 5, 2014)

You don't want to run up to where they are picking them. But new spots are ok to try


----------



## lex (Mar 25, 2013)

"Lex, your area could be totally different but here where I am at we find them in all terrain. My honey hole is under a bunch of poplar/elm and thick thorn trees making it difficult to walk through at times, but it does open up. \There are spots of grass here and there but mainly leaves like your normal open woods would be. Next time I’m out I try to remember to take some photos of the grounds."
Thanks for your reply - I'll try to widen my scope - could have been missing something.
Been a frustrating season - almost perfect weather-wise, I was away during the first part, and haven't been able to get out since I've got back.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Found 114 and guess what, in the thick brush where no one else would think to look. Surrounding trees of course poplar and some dead elm.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

This year totals so far 289. Hoping to find many more.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Ethics? Mainly all my spots are private, few public. The ones that are public are first come, first served, but you can't find them all! Unless you people are like some of the few who f****** rake up leaves for them!! LOL! Rookies.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Walked yesterday, found a new honey hole with all dead black ones. Only took 4 grey's out. Was so disappointed to see 40-50 mushrooms go to waste. On that note I will be back to that spot next year. So many spots not even found in the woods every year, get your damn hiking boots on and get to walking.


----------



## buckthornman (May 16, 2013)

Hey Bub thats buckthorn a.k.a. prickly [email protected]#$. If You Ain't in the thorn You Ain't getting any fungus!


----------



## akkeefe (May 1, 2014)

Is it better to leave the dried out and "dead" ones behind, or can you use them like the ones you dry yourself? Do the dead ones continue to release spores that may produce another patch?


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)




----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

This is the bush I have been killing them in. There is no thorns at all on this bush. The other above is of course your normal thorn bush. Also you can see how thick one of my spots get. its not all open!!!! Yes, I do leave dead ones behind to create more patches in the following year but its just a theory. I do carry my mushrooms out in a netted bag like the ones ice pops come in so pores fall while your walking, That theory I have proved because I have found them on the trails I walk out of randomly in spots. So my advice is to use a bag that allows them to fall.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

To be honest with all of you, if your in the open woods, thick woods, woods with rocks, in some ones backyard, it doesn't matter. If you have the right conditions, you have mushrooms! Most people just don't have the eye sight from what I see taking people with me, they walk by all of them! Now is the time to walk long distance around spots you have found them before and you will find huge dead black ones and if your lucky find a couple keepers. This way you know you have an unpicked location that you can return to next year. Soon, white ones will begin, this week or next, usually by the end of May we are picking them here. Now, as I have stated before, every spot, and every location is different and they are NOT very predictable! Every year for me is different, which is why I joined this site so I can reference my own posts for my record keeping. Good hunting to all of you.


----------



## lex (Mar 25, 2013)

"they are NOT very predictable!"
Last year I went with a friend to her aunt's house to look in some Poplar woods nearby. There was a nice fresh morel growing right in front of the lady's garage door. We found no others.
RE: your bush pics: don't see any mushrooms growing there - had you already picked them? Would love to see pics of 'shrooms actually growing in that habitat!


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

101 more, Bringing my yearly totals to 393! All in the thick brush.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Lex, you can be a hater all you want! What is your total at? You don't like the advice, look somewhere else. Every single one I have found is in the thick brush. You can question me all you want, I don't seem to have a problem finding them.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Two mushrooms under the buck thorn brush what do ya know. Can you even find them?


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

White ones are up!


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Only reason I post these surrounding area photos is we seem to have a disbeliever, if you have to crawl through the woods because of how thick the standing shrubberies are and bushes you won't find mushrooms there. Well that ain't the case and anyone who doesn't think so can keep on believing that.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Well white ones are up and hopefully they make it till next weekend cuz they aren't very big, left a lot behind, Today was a back breaker crawling through the shrubs to find what pecker heads I could find and grey ones. They were all fresh with the shade that brush provides and the ones in the open were dry and dead. I'm praying for rain!!!


----------



## localplumber (May 5, 2014)

PickEmBub. Could you please take a picture of a poplar tree bark and and elm tree bark while your out? I am still struggling to 100% identify these trees. A lot of the pictures I find on line are not that clear. I have only found 6 black cappies so far in the Hagerstown area. Going out tomorrow and hope to have some better luck! Thanks


----------



## lex (Mar 25, 2013)

Assuming I'm the disbeliever referred to, thanks for the photos. I really don't disbelieve, I'm just looking for some visual reference. I got out finally yesterday and found what is probably the last of the blacks in this area (was hoping for some greys or whites). Typical ridge-top terrain: grape vines, some greenery, low leaf cover. There was a question on this or some other forum about reconstituting those with dried caps. These were perfect for an experiment, so after chilling overnight in the refrigerator, I put these in icewater for cleaning, sliced them and put them on towels to drain. The caps seemed to reconstitute well. Of course, being that they were so far along, I applied the sniff and crumble test when I picked them - if it smells like a mushroom and doesn't fall apart in your fingers, it's ok, if it smells rotten and/or falls apart, it' not! OK - how do I attach a photo that doesn't have a URL - don't see a Browse...


----------



## jack (Oct 17, 2012)

For Photobucket, copy the code to the right of the HTML code, then paste it to the comment.


<a href="http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/mushroomjack1/media/IMGP0003_zps53c0b2bb.jpg.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">







</a>


----------



## lex (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks for the reply.
Normally there's a Browse button that lets you find the file on your hard drive.
Do you have to go through Photobucket?


----------



## jack (Oct 17, 2012)

lex, you don't have to go thru Photobucket, but I think it's the easiest . Photobucket is also free to use. Check out the FAQ on the Home page . there's a list of some of the other photo postings sites.


----------



## jack (Oct 17, 2012)

This is flickr and it just posts the link. I tried posting like the directions say, but all I get is a little blue question mark. I don't subscribe to Picasa, so I don't know about that one. With all being said, I suggest using Photobucket. https://flic.kr/p/aaNN7y


----------



## localplumber (May 5, 2014)

found 99 today greys and yellows.


----------



## phase444 (May 11, 2014)

Hello all, I'm new to the area from the mid-west and was wondering if anyone here could help me out. I live real close to the Frederick Watershed area and was curious if people typically found morels up there. I'm from flat farm country and wasn't sure how or if they would grow in that rocky, hilly environment and at the higher altitude. If they do, I'm guessing they probably come on a little later than down lower. Any help or advice would be much appreciated!! Thanks!


----------



## localplumber (May 5, 2014)

Found 144 yellows and greys for mothers day..  up to 243 so far! I think this will be the last week around Washington co MD.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

Yeah this season came in and went out of style real quick. Every year is different becuase obviously weather patterns are not consistent. Some years you find them early April, some late April. Sometimes they last till the end of May sometimes they are completely out by May. If you ever get the opportunity to go to an apple orchard, absolutlety do so. Went to one this year and there was a endless supply of white shrooms. One of my family friends actually had a couple white ones pop up in her mowed back yard under there apple tree. Sweet! Will post some more pics later on when I get around to it of different tree types I hunt for around in my area for you. I will try to do better then online does with the pics.


----------



## pickembub (Mar 12, 2014)

HEY HEY HEY! It is starting to look promising folks. Hope the weather keeps up they way it is and shrooms will be up in no time. What's yall's guess on the them this year? Let me hear it.


----------



## localplumber (May 5, 2014)

i think this weekend they will be popping. My father in law found 5 blacks last weekend. Boonsboro area.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

Found 2 small either greys or blacks yesterday, only about 3/4" tall. Too tiny to pick but didn't have any other luck hoping today at a different spot will show some more signs.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

This past Sunday on the 3rd we found about 50 yellows and blacks in about two hours, most were about 3-5". Just across the border in Washington County. Productive day and will try again at another spot this weekend.


----------



## put148 (Apr 9, 2014)

Yellows and Greys I meant, no blacks


----------

