# western north carolina morels



## heyu (Apr 18, 2013)

Morels can almost taste them....


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## shroom (Mar 23, 2017)

Are they up yet??


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## heyu (Apr 18, 2013)

Not around me I'm going looking Monday will post then


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## shroom (Mar 23, 2017)

Are you close to Macon County?


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## juanitohortoni (Mar 19, 2015)

I think with rain this weekend and warm temperatures next week, they should start popping up. I am going to check one of my early spots near Hot Springs this afternoon.


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## wnc_forager (Feb 27, 2017)

Definitely let us know if you find anything!


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## heyu (Apr 18, 2013)

I'm in Penrose nc just went out to my early spot ground still cool need a couple warm days.Thinking about hitting south carolina.


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## wnc_forager (Feb 27, 2017)

Did you get part of the rain overnight? I still haven't seen anything over here in Arden, either. There were definitely some early ones in SC, maybe it's still favorable there. Good luck


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## heyu (Apr 18, 2013)

Went this morning nothing. :?:


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## wnc_forager (Feb 27, 2017)

I went out to no luck, as well. That being said, a guy in a group I follow went out in Fletcher, and he found a tiny black morel. Others south and west of here are definitely starting to get good finds! Soon enough...


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

Checked my early spots in Swain county on Sunday with no results. I'm sure the rain will help, but the woods just did not look "green"enough. May apples were just starting to pop up. Dogwoods just starting to bloom and no red buds blooming. I think with good weather this week they will start to pop. I'm curious about this season this year since a few of my prime spots burned last fall. Folks always say the year after a burn is good. I scouted one particular tree that has always been good that is burned on one side and not the other. Will see what happens.


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## shroom (Mar 23, 2017)

Does anyone hunt around Franklin? We are from Indiana and have never hunted in NC. How high up in the mountains do they grow? Are you allowed to hunt in the national forests?


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## morelseeker (Oct 16, 2012)

Check out the OK board.


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## morelseeker (Oct 16, 2012)

I've always wanted to try the Ouachita National Forest


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## katamount (Feb 23, 2017)

I checked on Sunday, to no avail. I agree, the woods are just not green enough, but I did see the first bloodroot flowers in bloom, which is always a good sign. I think this coming Sunday or next, I'll check around Lake Lure, where all the trees burned.


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## juanitohortoni (Mar 19, 2015)

Same here. Checked an early spot over the weekend, but nothing. I did see first bloodroot too, and mayapple just barely coming up. If we get some more rain this week, they should start popping.


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

Checked my early spot this past Wednesday with no luck. Had rain Thursday night and went back to same spot yesterday, Friday 3/31 and found about 40. All where small and left them to grow. Weather looks good for next week with warm temps and more rain coming. Should be good for the next few weeks.


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

trowe said:


> Checked my early spot this past Wednesday with no luck. Had rain Thursday night and went back to same spot yesterday, Friday 3/31 and found about 40. All where small and left them to grow. Weather looks good for next week with warm temps and more rain coming. Should be good for the next few weeks.


Went out to my early spot Tuesday 4/4 and picked 83 nice yellows. Wanted to "protect" them from the cold we are having this weekend. They are now safe in my refrigerator. Hopefully a couple of cooler days won't slow down the season to much.


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## rick (Mar 16, 2014)

Trowe, I will be in the Asheville area this coming week. What is the elevation where you are finding the yellows?


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

rick said:


> Trowe, I will be in the Asheville area this coming week. What is the elevation where you are finding the yellows?


Rick, around 2500'. Good luck.


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## heyu420 (Apr 9, 2017)

Went out this morning did ok some blacks and yellows.2200ft


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## rick (Mar 16, 2014)

Took my 5 yr old grandson for a short walk today along a creek that runs behind his home. He found is 1st today. 11 small yellow/greys that just popped. 2200 ft elevation in Asheville. Left them to grow for a few days.


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## heyu420 (Apr 9, 2017)

rick said:


> Took my 5 yr old grandson for a short walk today along a creek that runs behind his home. He found is 1st today. 11 small yellow/greys that just popped. 2200 ft elevation in Asheville. Left them to grow for a few days.


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## heyu420 (Apr 9, 2017)

That's cool took my son out found one small blond left it to grow.ive been fining around young sycamore and hickory


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## rick (Mar 16, 2014)

Hit a couple of spots today near Asheville and the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Searched terrain features that produce for me in KY but no luck. Searched from 2100-2400 ft elevation. East/North facing hills consisting of poplar, oak and pine. Not a lot of hickory in the areas I checked. Picked a few of the ones I found Monday. They had at least tripled in size.


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

Went to my favorite spot 4/14 that had producing yellows. Found another 25 that had grown a lot since last weekend. Looks as if the yellows are about done for the year. Checked another spot at higher elevation and found a nice patch of blacks that had just come up. This spot had snow on the ground last weekend. This spot also produces a lot of the smaller deliciosa morels, saw a few tiny ones. Hopefully some rain this week will help get them popping.


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## heyu420 (Apr 9, 2017)

shroom said:


> Does anyone hunt around Franklin? We are from Indiana and have never hunted in NC. How high up in the mountains do they grow? Are you allowed to hunt in the national forests?


Yes if you pick it except flowers don't pick flowers.you don't need a permit but if you dig it you need a permit I find them near creeks sycamore hickory torn bushes ditch lines


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## high planes drifter (Mar 27, 2017)

Found half a dozen yellows on the trails around Warren Wilson College. Been out looking several times in this area and these are the first ones I've found, growing @2200ft. elevation on a north-facing slope above a creek near a large dead tree. With the rain this week, this weekend is just about peak time to go out hunting, conditions will be ideal.


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## griff28657 (Apr 19, 2017)

went this evening in avery county near grandfather mtn found a few nice ones and some smaller ones. should be great in the next week or so!


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## David K (Apr 20, 2017)

Took my son and found some yesterday....Catawba County, growing under Hickory, Sycamore and Beech.


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

Went back to my higher elevation spot to check for the smaller "tulip" morels. Found a couple and be the time I was done in a small 1 acre area, I came home with a total of 110. The are only a couple of inches tall, but the sure do taste great. I have been told that there scientific name is "deliciosa" and I agree.


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## Morelz (Apr 23, 2017)

Hey trowe, do the the smaller tulip morels come up first before the larger ones? Found some tulip morels around 4000 ft. Wondering if the bigger ones will come out on the hills where the tulips were.


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

Morelz said:


> Hey trowe, do the the smaller tulip morels come up first before the larger ones? Found some tulip morels around 4000 ft. Wondering if the bigger ones will come out on the hills where the tulips were.


My experience has been that the tulip morels are the last of the season. A week before I started finding the tulips, I picked a number of blacks in the same spot. I did also find 1 large old yellow in the same area. My guess is that it had been growing for about 2 weeks.


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## Morelz (Apr 23, 2017)

trowe said:


> My experience has been that the tulip morels are the last of the season. A week before I started finding the tulips, I picked a number of blacks in the same spot. I did also find 1 large old yellow in the same area. My guess is that it had been growing for about 2 weeks.


I found some larger grays and yellows at the bottom of the hill, but climbing a few hundred feet up, the tulips were just coming up. Odd, I thought the larger ones moved up in elevation as the season progressed. Hopefully with all this cool rain, we'll get a bumper crop.


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## trowe (May 9, 2013)

Another good weekend at higher elevation. Found over 150 tulip morels in the same spot as the previous weekend. Rain today and cooler temps might add another weekend.


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## juanitohortoni (Mar 19, 2015)

Found a bunch (> 200) late last week at around 3500ft. Hoping this rain and cool temperatures pop some more out!


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## katamount (Feb 23, 2017)

Found some near the Town Mountain Rd entrance to the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Lots of poplar trees there. Be wary of poison ivy.


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## katamount (Feb 23, 2017)

trowe said:


> Another good weekend at higher elevation. Found over 150 tulip morels in the same spot as the previous weekend. Rain today and cooler temps might add another weekend.


I'd love to go hunting with you, if you are planning another hunt this coming weekend!


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## rick (Mar 16, 2014)

Crazy to hear you all still picking that far south. I'm sure the elevation is the key. I noticed when I was in western Carolina @ 4/10 that the vegetation was markedly different from 2000-4000 ft. How high are you finding these now? My son is moving to the Arden area this month and I hope to visit and do some picking in the mountains next year. Season has been over for 2 weeks here in KY.


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## avianchris (Apr 21, 2018)

I checked out Nantahala Gorge last week, nothing, although I am new to this Morel Madness. My neighborhood at 3200 feet in Jackson did not produce either. Any suggestions out my way?


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