# Oklahoma Message Board 2015



## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Welcome to 2015 y'all. Around 11 more weeks left to go before they start poppin here in OK. Hope everyone has a great season this year and can't wait to see them pics start pouring in.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

:lol:


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## miked4482 (Apr 16, 2013)

I will be heading to Texas for work the first week of April hoping its a good time to hunt Oklahoma and I'm thinking about leaving a couple days early to hunt in Oklahoma would like to know if you could recommend any parks that would be good to check out. thanks


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Howdie Okie Shroom Hunter et al.:
Despite the total accum precip being slightly below average in Central OK over the last 3 months, I've observed/noticed that the upper soil layers under foliage has been wet/moist since ~mid November. If this trend continues until early March, I predict a heck of a season for our neck of the woods (so to speak). Cheers, happy hunting to 'y'all' &amp; bring on the hard rains (To quote Dylan).


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Hmm according to the California message board they found Morels in southern CA in December, and the 2015 Morel progression map on morelhunters.c shows there have also been finds in California in January. Maybe it will be an early year for us. Just hoping.. I have no idea what the weather will decide to do in early March, but I bet we will start seeing more reports of CA or Hawaii or some of the warmer states soon.


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## jack (Oct 17, 2012)

What they're finding in Cal. are called Landscape Morels and will fruit any time of the year. ( Morchella rufobrunnea )


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Oh cool. I knew they were landscaping Morels, but I didn't know they grew year round. I thought they started in December or January and lasted through the regular morel season. I thought I read that somewhere before, but maybe not. Thanks for the info.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

And I wish I could find a landscaping Morel right now :wink:


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## wilsonfm (Feb 1, 2015)

I live in Norman and was introduced to Morels when a co-worker brought in some he had prepared. I was immediately hooked. That was the last time I had the pleasure of trying them. This was 4 years ago. There were promises of taking me along when he would go looking each year but it appears that hunting locales are best kept secret.  I have access to 10 fairly wooded acres that border lake thunder bird but I am not clear when or where to look for morels. Any pointers regarding my initial quest would be greatly appreciated!


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## pedro (Oct 17, 2012)

Oklahoma morles


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNSYFlkvu0Y

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oklahoma-Morel-Report/277204182350817

http://www.oklahomawildcrafting.com/#!mushrooms/cea7

http://www.ehow.com/facts_7942927_pick-morel-mushrooms-oklahoma.html
Mushroom expert dot com is the best web site for information about mushrooms. Go to his site. He has a search engine. Type in morels and start reading. Type in trees and start reading. That site can keep you busy for a long time.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Didn't know that about the landscaping morels jack I was like Nate and thought they just grew during the regular season guess ill have to read up about them more.

Drove around Ada today and noticed the Bradford pears are starting to bud but that might be do to micro climate. With the temps like they are it makes me feel like I should be out looking even though I know its way to early.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Morel found Feb. 6 in Camarillo, CA. according to morelmushroomhuntingdotnet 

I cant wait. Probably only about a month away from things getting serious.


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## jle (Feb 11, 2015)

its getting close. I can almost taste em. How do I change my profile pic?


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## jack (Oct 17, 2012)

jle Go back to FAQ on the Home Page, it tells you there. 4 th. paragraph.


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## flatbottomfrank (Mar 27, 2013)

ground temps are warmer than usual this year, if we get some moisture I'm guessing we might get an early start, and possibly have one of those long seasons if it doesn't get too warm.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Yep, soil temps have been unusually warm lately:

http://www.mesonet.org/index.php/weather/soil_temperature/okcn/7d

However, an arctic airmass is forecast to sag all the way down to the Gulf coast early next week, bringing icy precip, perhaps some snow and, most importantly, lows in the lower teens - Good news, though, is that models are hinting for 2 subsequent rounds of precip. The more precip we get, the better; to maintain that soil moist under those leaves!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Well the warm spring, morel picking feeling is gone this morning. Atleast its some moisture though ill take all we can get.


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## santa shroom (Jan 23, 2013)

Agree, MOISTURE is what we need


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Models and NOAA climatic outlooks:

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

support colder-than-average temps and a wetter-than-average scenario for the next 14 days. Given this, I wouldn't be surprised if, once again, the morel 'shroom' season in central OK would start kicking on the 2nd third of March-Have been browsing through my morel photos &amp; videos the last 2 weeks (total of ~4000 morel finds in 2 seasons --&gt; $0 made and many happy bellies  ) and cannot wait to hit the woods ! One of my easy, productive spots (close to work) has been bulldozed to build a gas station...Boo.
Good luck to y'all and wishing you a fruitful foraging season !


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

Checking in and subscribing to the thread! Can't wait for this cold weather to head back north so we can warm up and the shrooms will start poppin!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Glad we're getting some moisture, gotta around 4 1/2 inches so far and still lightly coming down. Don't look like the morels will be coming early this year, but till then this snow makes for some easy rabbit hunting


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Decided to take a look through some past morel seasons today and man the past 3 years haven't been to good with last year being the most at a surprisingly low 869. I'm very grateful for what iv found knowing some people didnt find any was still shocked though. and on that note I Hope everyone has a record breaking poundage this year!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Very quiet message board this year ...The forecasts are hinting at a decent warm up for the next 14 days with highs in the mid to upper 60's and lows in the mid 40's (with a possible rain event next Wed/Thu):

http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/model/displayMod.php?var=gfs_sfc_temp&amp;loop=loopall&amp;hours=

So looks like the Morel season might be ~2.5-3 weeks away (providing no surprise late season cold snap from the Arctic) ! - Can't wait -


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## lurkinlizard (May 3, 2013)

Thanks Iwon! I always find your posts knowledgeable and definitely informative. Hoping for a good season! Going to dedicate some time to the hunt this year, for sure. Thanks again for all you showed me last year! I am paying it forward.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Hey Lurkin' - most welcome and wishing you a successful shroomin' season (and no tick bites !). For short term, 15-h forecasts, the best available free product over the US is this one:

http://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/HRRRsubh/Welcome.cgi

Basically useful to check whether rain will occur (or not) and/or where storm initiation (SI) will take place when frontal systems arrive the same or following day (in the last years SI was overall biased east of us!). Cheers-


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Gotta agree with you Iwon, very quite this year, And thanks for the heads up on the warmer weather, I cant wait


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i started getting on here waaay too early last year and it just makes the wait to go hunting that much harder. just stepped outside and spring is in the air! anyone think that places that were a complete bust last year might be prone to produce higher yields this season, given sufficient moisture?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Hey morchellica! Glad to see you. I think that we will have a better season all around this year. Last year wasn't bad for me, but this feels like the kind of winter were the ground has just stayed moist/muddy/damp all through the fall/winter. I think it will be really good for those spots that don't hold water and require more moisture for sure, and the low spots may still be fine too if we don't get hammered by too much more moisture. I feel the same way as you. I always start glancing in, but try not to start posting too much til closer to time. Talking about it gets me even more excited. This time of year usually has me foaming at the mouth, but it seems like we are still in the dead of winter. I think it will be three weeks at the earliest if conditions warm up perfectly. Could be longer. The latest I have found my first Morel though in Oklahoma was the last day of March, and I think the couple of years that has happened I was too busy to be out much so I wasn't covering much ground. I'm sure they were out even those years in parts of the state a bit earlier.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

I think its gonna be around 3 more weeks too. Past few years iv noticed when Georgia finds their first its around 2 more weeks for here and I haven't heard of them finding anything yet. Just hope we don't have anymore artic air come on down.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Plus the next 3 days..Fri. March 13, Sat. March 14 and Sun. March 15
Hi 66 Lo 44 Hi 69 Lo 40 Hi 58 Lo 36
30%/Rain 40%/Rian 30%/Rain


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

For longer term (and more accurate) forecasts, I'd suggest looking at:

http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/model/index.php?model=gfs

or:

http://mag.ncep.noaa.gov/model-guidance-model-parameter.php?group=Model%20Guidance&amp;model=gfs&amp;area=namer&amp;cycle=20150306%2012%20UTC&amp;param=precip_p06&amp;fourpan=no&amp;imageSize=M&amp;ps=area

Longer term outlooks at:

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

-Based on these data and as mentioned in my 1st message on March 3rd, 2.5-3 weeks seems a reasonable bet. The outlook for moisture, however, is currently slim on the long term (10-14 days). We would need a good Spring-like storm system bringing some Gulf moisture (and rain it out) over the state during the week of Springbreak . If this occurs, the week of the 23rd will likely be game on (again, provided no surprise cold arctic air intrusion behind the system - which could only delay the season). Last year in fact we succumbed to one of these surprise cold air blast with lows well in the teens. The end results were: frost bitten first batch of morels and death of almost all the pecan blooms yielding a meager pecan harvest in central OK.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

I agree I always use noaa myself, but I thought that was a nice cheery picture that the board viewers wouldn't have to link to.


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## denny the mycophile (Mar 4, 2014)

Greetings fellow shroomers....looking forward to a great season!!

Iwonagain;...I picked the first Shiitake off of the oak logs I inoculated last spring...and the ones I inoculated with pearl oysters look like they'll be ready to fruit in a couple more months....I'm going to soak all of my Shiitake logs for 24 hours, hit em a couple times with a sledge hammer, and stack em in the house this next week!!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Hey Denny - Neat ! The last 2 years I have been disposing of morel slurries (stew of water + old/past morel specimens found in the woods) at the base of our old American Elm in the backyard. Some say that it may take at least 5 years to get any results from it. Have you tried this method yourself (with other fungus species) ? Cheers-


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## denny the mycophile (Mar 4, 2014)

G'morning Iwonagain....Your "slurry" inoculation method is not a technique that I am familiar with.....All of the fungi I've worked with over 45 years require near "lab" conditions to be semi successful......not having access to a lab, with all of my experiments, I expect a 30-40% failure rate due to contamination issues.....but, there is so little info about successful morel cultivation so who knows......I've been piling up ashes from my brush fires this winter with hopes of sourcing some morchella spawn this fall so I can start a morel patch!


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

Hey nate! it's nice to be back but this message board makes me anxious! and yeah, i think the saving grace of this season will be the good moisture we got in the fall that stuck with us; definitely wasn't the case last winter. all my best spots are higher up and sandy so that's why last year was such a bust for me. most of my southern and central oklahoma spots did all right last year but i only picked enough for a few meals up north. come on rain!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Drove around today and noticed some of the daffodils are blooming. Know its still way to early and Probably Need to stay away from the board myself, being on here and this warm weather has got me raring to go though.


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## santa shroom (Jan 23, 2013)

It is getting closer


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

I agree with those of you who are predicting a bumper crop this spring. Monday I'm going to go look at some of my best spots to see just how wet those places are. I'm also going to go scout some new spots. Good Luck to everyone and please be careful while you travel!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Hi Denny: OK - that confirms my estimate of about 50-60/% chance of success. it certainly does not hurt making a slurry with a handful of old/past morels found in the woods and dump it at the base of our elm (Cheap and easy) - Some folks add in sugar to help the spores spread/thrive in the media and salt to prevent bacterial contamination - but I do not feel comfortable watering our tree with a salty mix (as it will dehydrate the soil) - if the mycelium colonizes the root system of this tree it will also be beneficial - thus a win win ! Last year I found several pounds of morels that did not make the trip back home (became slushy and opened at the top) ---&gt; several gallons of slurry ! .....woke up to a nice surprise: MOISTURE !


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## francisshroomer (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm pumped. Here's to hoping for the best year ever.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

What are the selling for this year?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

I saw on another site where Georgia found some today. Six of them. LOL I guess that means we should be getting some early ones here in about two weeks.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Long-term forecast hints at a wetter and cooler-than-avg scenario for the next 14 days - With this long lasting moisture already in the vegetated/leafy soil (since November) I remain confident that this year will surpass the last 2 ones by large - bring it on Mother Nature !


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

If we don't get the dreaded cold spell or the 80 degree days ad 25 mph winds.Two years ago I could fill a 48 qt myself in less than two hrs right off the road. So that is saying a lot.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Since Georgia found some Ill start my looking around the 24th. I hope the wetter and cooler-than-avg scenario holds on into April for quite a while, But we are in Oklahoma so it probably wont :lol: I have a good feeling about this year


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Soooo what are the worth this year???


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Still to early to give a exact estimate cause supply and demand but I'd guess around $20 lb. But i dont Usually sell any so it would Probably be best to not take my answer to heart and wait for one from someone who actually sells/ buys.


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## oklanebrkatt (Apr 30, 2014)

I found about two hundred in Norman last year over by south Jenkins road I know it was around April 20th so that's still a while away


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i hope they aren't going for much this year b/c that means we're finding a lot!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

oklanebrkatt: A large area in south Jenkins has been bulldozed down except for Oliver Wildlife reserve (which is only accessible for OU Faculty). Did not find any morels in that park. I work literally minutes away form this place. I went down in south Jenkins (past H-9) 2 years ago in an opened public area and got 'kicked out' by angry turkey hunters who said I was scaring the birds away. Never went back down there ! If you are working at OU let me know and we could perhaps team up one day to explore new spots along the Canadian river. Last year I found ~50 pounds of (~2000) morels - the vast majority on private lands (no hunters there!). Cheers-


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## darryl (Mar 9, 2014)

Hello Okies! I will be in Oklahoma City for work from April 1st until April 21st. It is completely different terrain than I am used to hunting in Missouri.
Seems like I will be there for your prime picking season. Am hoping to get out and find some shrooms LEGALLY without trespassing.
Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks!


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## jojomushroom (Mar 11, 2015)

Hey Wilson,

I need a hunting buddy w/ some land so I'll definitely go with you when the time comes around. I've been mushroom hunting since I was a little kid, so I have an eye for them.


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## luke_creekwalker (Feb 12, 2013)

Standing at the door with my stick n sack ready to go.......


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Hey Luke, welcome back, thought maybe you gave up morel hunting since I didnt see ya on here last year


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

Hi everybody! I hope you are all fat and happy after a long winter! Ready to get your boots on your grounds and shed some pounds?

I know I am itching for a road trip!!

Good luck ShroomMates!
Mitch


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## catnapper (Mar 12, 2015)

I'm ready and also in Norman. Private land.


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## oklanebrkatt (Apr 30, 2014)

We where drilling a well over there it was on private land that was the first time I had ever found the Oklahoma I live in south east Nebraska and along the Missouri river is where I usually hunt. The ones I found in Norman while drilling the well was by accident actually the pad was built on a 50s dump and I collect old bottles so was looking through the woods cause there were glass shards every where then bam in the grass I found a morel then I just stopped and took like a 360 few I had just walk past about 50 of them and there was tons more all around me in plain view I can't remember Exactly were it was for sure maybe around bratcher miner and chautaqua


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

oklanebrkatt: OK - Yep, the area we investigated was at the corner of Chautauqua and Bratcher Miner. There is an open space there with mainly Cottonwoods and a metal gate (with occasional piles of trash). I am certain there may be many morels in that area but I'll never go back down there; even accompanied. Last year I discovered a new spot (on private property in the middle of nowhere) with a work colleague and ended up finding 250+ morels in just under 2 h + ~100 specimens that were past and had to be left behind. We also only scoured about 1/3 of the area. This year we will be there at prime time in the morning &amp; ready to fill sacks !  - Can't wait.
PS: Happy to hear back from you Luke CW &amp; Missouri Shroom Mate -


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## gametamer1 (Apr 7, 2013)

I’m returning to the SW Missouri / NE Oklahoma area after 24 years in the service. Anyone in my area that is looking for someone to hunt morels with? I use to hunt them growing up in NE Oklahoma, and I can’t wait to get out there!


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i lived in norman this winter and all those woods along highway 9 looked absolutely killer for hunting and i was eyeing oliver preserve before i knew what it was. luckily for all of us, there is no shortage of good places to hunt


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Morchellica: I know a few places south of H-9 where locals told me they found morels but, sadly the entire area is not very inviting and a bit scary to be honest. Oliver Preserve is not a public area and is owned by the Dept of Biology of the University of Oklahoma. I personally know the head of the faculty. There were very clear about the fact that only OU faculty (and biology graduates) are allowed on the premises (badge required) - I went there a few times 2 years ago but did not find anything. Nice place to go to after work for a walk though-The wooded area just east of Oliver Preserve is owned by a pharmaceutical company (as I've heard) and no one is allowed in (as you might guess).


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i know all that land is off limits; in my experience, morel hunting isn't nearly as fun if you are having to sneak around to do it, haha. that's why i was saying good thing there are no shortage of other good places to hunt. but i'm surprised you didn't find anything in oliver preserve.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Folks working at the animal shelter nearby told me they found some in the area a while back - It is likely that because these woods are dark, that it might be a late season spot - who knows. I was also surprised to find nothing in George M. Sutton Wilderness Park in Norman 2 years ago - this despite the fact that the area is covered by (now dying) red cedars. The park has been (and is) victim of bark beetle infestation --&gt; lots of cedar trees in stress, which you would think would be prime for morels but nope. Overall, I have been very unlucky in public land within a ~20 mile radius (in contrast to private ones).


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i wonder if the association we see with morels and cedars is more to do with the ability of cedar trees to catch spores? i find lots of morels in cedar groves that also usually have a mix of hardwoods like elm, cottonwood, and sycamore in them. i wonder if that's the trees the morels are actually associating with but the cedars just provide the perfect habitat alongside other morel supporting trees? i would think an elm with big spore catching cedars around it would produce more than just an elm by itself. and my experience with public land is very good but i don't use any public lands around the norman area, seems to be highly sought after mushroom hunting. in the end you really can't beat private property.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

In one of my posts from last year, I indeed mentioned that the 'magic mix' seems to be Cottonwoods+Eastern Red Cedars (which are junipers in fact - cedar is misleading). The chance of finding morels when these 2 trees are present is in my experience (so far) larger than when American Elms alone (dead or alive) are present. Akin to blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) Field Elms surprisingly produce squat, zero. There is only one public area I go to, which produce decent quantities - but almost every single time I go there I run into some shroomers - One of them is quite a nice guy (who lives nearby and goes there every single day). The others I've ran across did not seem to appreciate my presence lol.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i vaguely remember reading that post, and i'm sure it probably helped shape my opinion on the subject. so what's the actual species of a field elm? when i've searched the subject it just leads me to a european species. are we talking about winged elms when we say field elms in america? i love seeing all the different tree associations when i'm out hunting, definitely a lot of combos. my best spots are cedar associated with cottonwood and sycamore (and within those groves there's a particular spot where the cedars are mixed with sand plum and the morels are extremely thick). my other best spot is an old dying grove of elms with ash mixed in. river birch mixed with cottonwood, american and slippery elm have also treated me well.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Iv only got 1 Public land that I check, and the first year I went there was with 2 other guys and we came out of there with a few bucket fulls just from 1 spot. but the past 2 or 3 years I haven't found a single one there. I thought maybe some other shroomers were picking them but never even found any bases where they were or even old ones. I still check it a few times ever year cause just because a spot hasn't or has stopped producing dosnt mean it wont the next year  

Iv agree with you on the trees Iwon, I have found very few in pure cedar stands, but have with cedars mixed with elm, cottonwood, catalpa, bois d'arc, ect. but near never in only cedar. Iv got on spot that has nearly nothing but elm and haven't found a single one there, but then a few hundred yds from that area is covered thick with cedar, elm, cottonwood and a few others and it was my highest producing spot last year.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

and i wonder if some of the elms i find in bottoms aren't possibly chinese elm. smooth/tight cracked bark that peels off. usually covered with green moss on the north side of the tree, definitely looks like an elm and seems to support morels.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

This is the Field Elm (Ulmus Minor), which is considered an invasive species:
https://arbolesmadrid.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/olmo1.png
This tree grows quite fast and is prone to many diseases - they usually suffer most damage during ice storms.
You are in fact very correct about those sand plums ! The spot in the middle of nowhere I went to with a colleague of mine is indeed covered with those small trees; we were forced to literally crawl to pick the morels. I've also heard that these plums are quite delicious. I've had some luck with ashes but it is a hit and miss. I have a spot that produces some fluorescent-ish yellow morels: Very easy to see from afar  - When dehydrated these morels become bright orange.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

I just looked at the latest model runs: Looks like several rounds of rain and cooler temps by later next week are becoming more certain ---&gt; we can start seriously looking for the elusive delicacy by the end of the week of the 23rd  - right after I return from another expedition in the rainforest of Central America!

Okie: I have had a similar experience: A friend of mine who used to be part of the Search and Rescue team in another state showed me a picture of three grocery (Wal Mart size) bags full that he picked with his son in under ~30 min under one single large cedar tree about 4 years ago: This was in a spot in the country side where a house burned down and was later abandoned. This unusually large cedar tree was completely burned (but the trees around it where fine). He decided to go back there with me the year after (3 years ago) but we found squat. My theory is that the roots and, thus, mycelium died and sprouted all it could in the 1-2 years it had after the tree burned down.


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## grapplebits (Mar 12, 2015)

Hi all!!! I've gone only 1 time in my life and it was amazing. I'm a nurse and have another nurse friend (we don't know the ropes lol) and we are wanting to go so bad!! From reading, I gather Canadian River is a good spot? We would love to join a person or persons if it is possible. I remember the taste of a fried morel with ketchup!! Nomnomnomnom   happy hunting!


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## luke_creekwalker (Feb 12, 2013)

Hey okie good to see you as well......didnt log on last yr dont know why but heck no I havnt givin up on shroomin for sure......I hope your season is a good one.....btw I found about 15lb a big pretty oysters a month ago ill try n put a pic on if I can figure out how to


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Morels are considered a delicacy - especially where I am from in Europe. Hearing that you do not only fry them but eat them with ketchup makes me sigh…. Not only frying destroys most of the Vitamin D and antioxidants (selenium) but also completely annihilates the fine taste of the mushroom. The best ways to traditionally prepare these are in a whole (or double) whipped cream/butter/white wine reduction sauce served on butter-sauteed asparagus/boiled pasta and/or on a rib eye/filet mignon, a cream soup with fresh vegetables or slightly golden-sauteed with butter, garlic and salt and served on freshly baked white bread (e.g., baguette). Some also like to serve it in an omelet (although chanterelles are best for this dish I think). Serving those on a pizza or frying them is a 'culinary sacrilege'-


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Fried, Stuffed, sautéed, in a soup, Any way is fine to me


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

iwonagain, i can see you're disgusted with the way Okies like to eat morels, lol. definitely more taste comes through when sauteed but in my experience anything fried is pretty dang good, especially delicacies! hahaha. i've had them a lot of different ways but fried with mash potatoes and gravy is still my favorite. 

grapplebits, yes, both the north and south canadian are good rivers to hunt along if you can find access. i hunt leased land on the south canadian.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

LOL - you can't argue with tastes and colors I'll give you that ! 3 friends of mine who used to also eat morels fried ceased to do so once I introduced them to the very easy-to-make morel-cream reduction sauce (morels, whole whipped cream, salt, pepper, white wine and butter). You should try it too  - For a party of two you'd only need about 25 morels. The sauce works best with dehydrated morels as the drying process somehow enhances their taste (akin to boletes). The key is to let the mix simmer at low heat for about 25 minutes to let the morel delicate flavor diffuse into the sauce (that you can serve on mere boiled pasta)...I am hungry now.


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

I've been eating them for 20+ years and fried is the only way I've ever had them! Battered in a 50/50 cornmeal/flour mix! I'm going to have to try the saute though...


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

Iwonagain, you had me at whole whipped cream!!! This meal I will be eating soon. Thanks!

Mitch


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks y'all for being willing to give it a try  ! This is how the meals with the morel reduction sauce looks like: e.g., butter-sauteed asparagus, egg pasta, oven baked potatoes and bone-in organic grass fed steak:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo%201_zpsu8hletwc.jpg
You can have a simpler version of this meal too :
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo_zpsahbvlien.jpg
Yum - especially when paired with a good Prairie or Choc beer


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Looks good Iwon, Since I grow my own taters and asparagus and still got some nice deer steaks in the freezer all i'll have to get is some white wine and egg noodles, so im definitely gonna to give it try.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

good looking moisture coming into eastern oklahoma from the southeast! always strange to see weather tracking to the northwest.


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

This doesn't look good. 

http://www.weather.com/forecast/national/news/colder-weather-pattern-change-spring-equinox-2015


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Being a meteorologist myself, I would not recommend primarily/chiefly relying on the Weather Channel (TWC) (or other TV sources) for in depth weather analysis - In fact the upcoming patterns is more than ideal for the Central Plains based on NOAA predictions (which is where TWC took the graphics from):

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

wetter than average and cooler than average pattern (by a few degrees). This will allow the moisture to remain and condition the soil under vegetation/leaf. This is confirmed by recent model runs:

(choose GFS and NAMER)
http://mag.ncep.noaa.gov/model-guidance-model-area.php?group=Model%20Guidance&amp;model=gfs&amp;area=namer&amp;ps=

or:

http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/model/?model=gfs

All and all ideal mushroom weather !


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

thanks iwonagain! pretty awesome to have a meteorologist who's also a passionate morel hunter on the message boards!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

No worries mate ! Glad to share some useful info with fellow pickers  - Perhaps the most relevant graph for us is this one:

http://www.mesonet.org/index.php/weather/soil_temperature

All we need is for the green lines to remain above ~52F or so for an extended period of time (~ 10 days or so). Remember that mushrooms do not have chlorophyll and, hence, sunlight does not matter towards their growth (they do not pop overnight as some people seem to believe). Only temp and moisture control their growth rate.
Looks like on the week end of the 22nd there is a hint for a cold snap (highs perhaps in the 50s or 40s) - but does not appear to be one of these brutal arctic intrusions (like the one we had last year with lows in the 10s !). Of course, that far ahead in time the model solution can change  ! Stay tuned -


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Iwonagain I also use that graph/website to help me gauge the season. I also use noaa.gov for their reliable precipitation maps, weather predictions, radars, and I even use it to look at the water levels of some of the Rivers during noodling season. I have been able to see some patterns and it has helped me know when it is safe to get back in the River after high water as well as notice that their is a window after a good surge of water where the fish seem to be nested up more. Are you talking about the vegetative 5cm soil temp line or the veg. 10 cm soil temp? Also what do you consider an extended period of time??


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Nate: I'd say about 10 days or so. Of course if the weather warms up into the upper 70s for a week then this will hasten things quite a bit - as you know all too well. By the way, I saw that you were using this graph site the other day casually: On your forum (Morel Addict) the post from March 11, 2015 at 6:10 pm shows the Mesonet tab with the 4-inch soil map .
I thought that 5 cm and 10cm soil temps would be the variables to look at for morels as I do not expect the mycelium sprouting the mushroom from deeper layers (?) - I could be wrong as few people really know the intricate workings of morel mycelium. I've seen videos from one man who prepared in his backyard an elevated morel bed (with purchased spawn) to only notice his morels growing several 10s of feet away from the bed and in the lawn ! It is actually quite funny.


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## stoned morel man (Mar 13, 2015)

Hello all! Can't wait for this season!!! We have owned a property in Oklahoma for 7 years and only found out about morels last year. Got about 20-30 lbs last year and tried to save most of them by freezing them and then vacuum packing but man did that fail. They where all soggy...... Is there anyway to preserve them? Or is the only good spot for them in my belly?


Also I was able to find one horde of oyster mushrooms (20lbs 1 tree!) I was assured from a friend who's been shrooming his whole life that they where legit and I'm not dead..... Sooo just curious are there any look alikes for those guys in Oklahoma?


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

SMM: The only 'look alike' to morels is the False Morel - also called Beefsteak or more scientifically Gyromitra esculenta (left true morel, middle and right false morels):

http://p2.storage.canalblog.com/20/85/625722/56440868.jpg

False morels are technically not deadly and are even legal for sale in Finland - but if you are allergic to the toxin (jet fuel derivative) then I wouldn't like to be in your shoes !


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

The best way of preserving morels is to dehydrate them, thell last a good year that way and probably longer.

The soil temps are looking everyday, also noticed the Bradford pear trees are coming along good. Redbuds are still a ways off though.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Lol Iwon you are quite the detective. I saw that I had caught some of my tabs including a fb tab I had open after I had taken the screen shot, but before I posted it. I considered recapturing the image without those things. Then I thought no there isn't anything too private on there and if someone is curious and observant enough to see that stuff then they can view it. 
Anyways the funny thing is after I got my Associates in Pre-Engineering I declared my major as Cartography. I have always been fascinated by numbers, charts, graphs, and data. My H.S. sweetheart(now wife) was at the time planning on becoming a Meteorologist. Eventually I switched to Education and became a Math Teacher and basketball coach.(another one of my passions1. Basketball 2. Noodling 3. Morels). She wanted to go to school with me at ECU our JR year of college, and she had gained an interest in Cartography. So she switched her major to Cartography and got her degree in that. Since then she has worked for the Chickasaw Nation for 6 years. We both like playing with the maps and graphs so when one of us have free time at work we message each other and do some nerdy data surfing. And any time we need to she whips me up a detailed map of a place with any info we see relevant on it. I'm glad we have a meteorologist using the board as well!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Being a Math Teacher offers many rewards and definitely shows that you are a patient person. I also have a MS degree in Theoretical Mathematics from Europe but spend most of my days coding programs in FORTRAN: All the numerical models used for weather predictions are coded entirely in FORTRAN because when compiled it is very close to machine language and runs incredible fast (especially for number crunching calculations; which is what modeling in meteorology is - solving partial differential equations using finite differencing recipes). My passions are: (i) traveling, (ii) basketball, ping pong, tennis and Yoga, (iii) cooking, (iv) morels and, of course, (v) storms (lightning in particular)!. My girlfriend is a language teacher at OU and also from Europe. If you and your family come by Norman, I'll be very happy to give you a tour of the National Weather Center - just give me a 1-2 day notice  - loving this moisture !!


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

Stoned Morel Man,

Use this link and find which ones look like yours. Then click the image and go to the site it came from and read about your variety. Google Images - Oyster Mushrooms ( Pleurotus ostreatus) Or go here and follow the checklist 
Mushroom Expert .com


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

Looks like all the signs are pointing to a bumper crop in a few weeks.


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## deepforkmorelchef (Mar 10, 2015)

Hey folks was wondering if anyone had a pound or two of morels from last season they would part with? I'm the chef de cuisine @Deep Fork. And would gladly purchase them or trade for an amazing pork belly morel meal! I've been hunting now for about 7 years and can't wait any longer! "morel fever" + I have the pork belly now! Lol


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

iwonagain, one of my passions is ping pong, lol. ever get any games going in norman? i live in norman but am only there about two days out of the week anymore.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Morchellica: Not as I used to because all my sports mate left the state after they graduated - so goes life in a college town- I am about to board for Central America, which will explain my relative silence in the coming days - Cant wait to go shrooming when I return. Cheers to y'all


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Got over 1.25 in. and still lightly coming down, a good rain for the east half of the state.


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## kingsapprentice (Nov 5, 2012)

http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/Oklahoma/2013 usually it is updated with previous years info by this time.


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

Deepforkmorelchef....email me at [email protected] I have plenty dried


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

I'm interested in dehydrating morels. Just curious, about how long does it take to dry them?


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

shroombandit63, it depends on how you dry them. if you use a conventional dehydrator with heat it definitely speeds up the process but i think it's much better to just dry them with fans at room temperature which takes a day or two depending on the amount you are drying.


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

KingsApprentice, nice link! Thanks!

Shroombandit63, I like to string them up with weed-eater string through the stems and hang them out in the sun. Also takes 2 days depending on the temp and # hours of direct sunlight.

Mitch


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

I received a dehydrator for Christmas, so I'll likely use that to dry some. I've had good luck vacuum sealing them and freezing them. I've got one bag left from last year that I'm planning to cook.


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## morelchef (Mar 7, 2013)

Kingsapprentice where you been, never hear from you any more.


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## stoned morel man (Mar 13, 2015)

Looked for 5 hours today, nada yet 30 mins south of Ada. Found a shed and got some mileage in the woods. Ill consider it a success. Only my second year, but last year my first find was on the 23rd and it would appear for my area that's gonna happen again. Glad to see all this rain and more on the way!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

While fishing, I looked at a spot a little yesterday west of Ada, didn't find anything but wood ear. Wasn't expecting to find any morels just quite yet, but just had to look anyway.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Ticks are already out to, so watch for those little buggers


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## stoned morel man (Mar 13, 2015)

Ticks are out for suuuureeeee what do yall use besides permethrin? Didn't have any so I just used off and covered myself yet still managed to get 1 or 2....... Off doesn't cut it


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

start taking a shot of apple cider vinegar every day and ticks won't like how you taste


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## johzsum (Mar 24, 2014)

How is everyone doing this year? Looks like we got some more rain a coming. Should be getting close if the night time temps get a little higher.


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## ndwoods (Mar 7, 2013)

Hello my peeps.......ndwoods back on the scene! Hope everyone had a good year and looking forward to all the posts!!!


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## jkelley56 (Apr 23, 2014)

I'm in the very northeast corner of Oklahoma and last year I started finding morels the second week of March. Went out yesterday and didn't find anything. Year after year the same spots produce for me so if their not in my honey holes then their not popping yet. With the moisture coming this week and the temperatures rising next week steadily, another two weeks and they'll be popping. At least I hope, I'm jonesin'!


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Some early ornamental trees bloomed here the last couple days. So probably two more weeks for the upper part of OK. The old reliable Redbud is still gray with no signs of color yet.


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

sapworm, are you in the OKC part of the state?

Mitch


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

Guess I should have actually absorbed what I read above...


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

All of the Bradford pears down here are already in full bloom with some already having half dollar size leaves, plum trees are blooming, but no color on the redbuds that iv seen down here either


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

These are Bradford's here too. Also seeing the little trees that look a little like Redbud but they are a lighter shade of color. They both have just bloomed the last couple of days.

Yes MSM I am way up top North of OKC. Closer to Wichita.


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## gametamer1 (Apr 7, 2013)

jelly and sapworm... I am in NE OK / SW MO. Im looking for someone to go hunt shrooms with. Are you in my area?


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

No but I know a lot of people over there. We about three hrs from Baxter Springs.


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Looked at some of my favorite spots yesterday knowing its still about two weeks out, give or take a day.


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## stoned morel man (Mar 13, 2015)

Armadillos are sooo thick this year..... I'm gonna run out of ammo.


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

So....some guy posted a photo today on the Oklahoma Morel Report Facebook page. It was 2 very small greys that he claimed he found in Tulsa County this morning. I've certainly found them this early (or earlier) in other years, but given the weather conditions I think we're AT LEAST 7 to 10 days away if not more. However, I have seen on this board over the years when people make a really early find and it happens to be the perfect micro climate that made a few pop earlier than the majority of the rest. I wish he had put a newspaper down next to them to validate. Anyway, just wanted to pass it along. He may just be trolling people.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

just saw those pics so i ran here to see if there were any other reports. i think the guy is probably telling the truth, very well a south facing slope that gets lots of sun. yep, 7-10 days to pure bliss.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Well if there starting up in that part of the state then down south here there should be some. Guess im gonna have to go check one of my spots tomorrow.


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Okie Shroom Hunter - I think it was you that had an early spot that you found some much earlier than others a couple of years ago, but I could be confusing you with someone else. If it's you I'm thinking of, you may want to check that same early spot soon.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

The earliest iv found any was March 12, 2013. So that could be what your thinking of. With that finding up in Tulsa im definitely gonna go check that spot tomorrow. Nate, VC any of yall been out looking yet ?


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

Nate is on a family vacation out on the east coast. Have i been looking? have a iound any?.... :?: :wink: :lol:


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Well y'all are usually some of the first to start finding some


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## luke_creekwalker (Feb 12, 2013)

I looked this afternoon........and in spots where I find the first no bigger than a kernel of corn every year......but I got a big ole zip.......so still got a lil time to wait......and I as well believe in the little micro climate thing.....there are probably some out there somewhere.......


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## lilpnkbnny (Mar 20, 2013)

I've looked some down here in the south. Nothing yet. I found a place last year that seemed to produce early. I'm checking there this weekend. Can't wait. I have morel fever.


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## kingsapprentice (Nov 5, 2012)

morelchef same number you know where and how to find me bud im always here somewhere on one of the forums


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## catnapper (Mar 12, 2015)

None in my honey hole yet.


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## flatbottomfrank (Mar 27, 2013)

Haven't looked yet, but I'm probably going to start poking around some of my spots this weekend. Doubting anything will be up for another week here in NEOK. The wild onions are tiny, and usually they are pretty big by the time I'm finding anything.


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## ndwoods (Mar 7, 2013)

Guy claimed yesterday on fb to gave found some starters in Tulsa county with pics


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Im thinking the ones in Tulsa are probably do to micro climate, but I see someone did fond some in Tennessee at around the same latitude.


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## mycophile (Mar 18, 2015)

hello all. I'm new to posting at this site, but have been watching the comments for a couple of weeks now. Everyone seems to have a wealth of knowledge, whereas I have never even seen the real thing. Hunted this past weekend. No results except an old oyster. Recently moved from Florida, but already in love with the elusive morel. So much hype, so much suspense. So many tastebuds anxious for hidden fungi


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

hey mycophile. i didn't really know anything about morels until i joined this website and it has helped me a ton. what area of the state are you in?


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

I am betting on trolling. Just look at the red bud trees and save the gas.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

the guy posted another pic on fb with them a little bigger, says they came up on a creek that flows into keystone lake. i have a spot on keystone thats a micro climate that produces mushrooms about a week earlier than my other spots so it's plausible, however unlikely it seems. too bad he just can't get todays newspaper into the shot.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

my bad, it was a different guy. so there's unsubstantiated reports for creek and tulsa counties now. just had a peak at the spot behind my house in tulsa county and it's still way too early up here.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Well went and checked one of my early spots and found squat. Did see some redbuds with some buds starting on them and some Forsythia blooming but walking through the woods it still just feels to early, wont be long though. Might give another spot a try tomorrow.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

It feels early because it is early and if the sun don't shine don't worry cause it's cloudy out.


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

so I have been hunting for about 10 years now with very little luck. I live in Shawnee. Will Morels grow in a field of cedars that have no creek running threw them with weather like we have had. Saturday is supposed to be 70 degrees, do you think hiking around Thunderbird is a good place to look? Is it illegal to gather them from a park like in Sulphur?


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## seasonal forager (Mar 3, 2013)

There is no way they are already up in tulsa but not central OK... we are still a week or 2 oit up here in the NE. Here in Bartlesville the grass is just starting to look shroomy, dead nettle and henbit in bloom. Ill start looking in a week, with this rain and warm temps its looking good for the last week of the month.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Hey everyone, I would say its unlikely you would find any in a field of Cedars without a creek. Especially if there aren't any other trees, but you never know. I just got back from vacation. I haven't looked at all in Oklahoma yet this year. I did poke around at 2 state parks in Georgia. Spring is a little more progressed their, but unfortunately I still didn't have any luck. I will take a look either tomorrow or Saturday at my early spots. I will let you guys know if I find any, but I am guessing it is still a touch to early. Hopefully around the 25th we will start seeing some solid reports. [code title=""]


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## johzsum (Mar 24, 2014)

Nothing around the Ada area yet, I will be out this weekend checking but not expecting anything yet.


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## flyer (Apr 8, 2013)

Looked today in some of my early spots here in creek county south of Sapulpa,OK nothing yet !!


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## francisshroomer (Jan 21, 2013)

Nothing in Francis either.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Checked a small area today and nothing but some wood ear and old puffballs. Probably give tomorrow another look then wait for around 4 days.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

I see they are starting to find them in North Texas though, so its getting closer


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

Going to look at some known early spots tomorrow 30 mins south of Ada. Red buds are just starting here


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## mycophile (Mar 18, 2015)

To pretty much echo everyone else, nothing found in Tulsa, looked in Muskogee area and also nada.


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## momorelplz (Mar 21, 2015)

Southern Oklahoma.... just S of I40.... nothing yet but I can almost smell em


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Got a real good friend that lives in FT Worth. He found a few yesterday. They look to be around 2 1/2 inch tall and between a quarter and a fifty cent piece in size. The very southern part of OK may have some already, but the Northern half no way.


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

I looked last night at some spots that I've found them in the past. One place was standing in water, lol and the others had nothing. I think when the temps get right there should be a bumper crop around the Shawnee area.


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

The Mesonet soil temp maps are starting to show green.!!


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

OK boys they are HERE!!!!! Popped last night. Found 3 rogue grays 30 mins due south of Ada. Can I post pics from an iPhone on here?


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

See if this works


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/jamesandersonchappie/media/Mobile%20Uploads/4E5A49FB-7DCE-45A5-928C-67B48A103B5E_zpsvfzittj8.jpg.html?sort=3&amp;o=0


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## robjmathes (Mar 21, 2015)

Found several false morels in a park today.


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## robjmathes (Mar 21, 2015)

Meant to add that they were near Tulsa


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)




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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

I found my first Morels of season today. Brought home bought 35 for a snack and left 5 to 10 for everyone I took because most of them were the size of peas. Also found more false Morels than I have ever found.. at least 75 falseys. Never foundmmire than 10 in one hunt before today. I think this means the Morels are going to. Be abundant as well!! I searched for 2 hours before finding a false Morel and 5 hours before I finally found my first pea sized Morel. A buddy of mine sent me a pic of a few babies he found yesterday too


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)




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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)




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## morelmaniac96 (Apr 21, 2013)

Nate, where about in Oklahoma are you?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Central-Seminole area


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Near Tulsa? Tulsa TX maybe. Calling Bullshit again on this one.Near Ada I will buy. but not Tulsa Sorry been looking too long.


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## robjmathes (Mar 21, 2015)

Which Tulsa find you calling bs on sapworm? I posted that I found a patch of false.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

I believe it too because those falseys are thick this year! I have a video were I found 45 falseys in same area.


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## robjmathes (Mar 21, 2015)

I've only ever seen 2 last year and 2 the year before. I just stumbled on a patch in a park that I was walking the dog and resisting the urge to shroom hunt till next week. After seeing the falseys, I wasted several hours looking in my early spots.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Good job y'all. Had something's that took longer than I though so I didn't get to look today, going on a small family trip so probably won't be able to get out and look till Tuesday, hopefully if thell be bigger and easier to spot by then


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## caddobrad (Mar 15, 2015)

I started last week and haven't found anything. This week will be better with the warmer temps coming in and we've got good rain here in Caddo County.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

I thought I read where someone claimed they found some morels in Tulsa. That is what I was doubting.


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

It won't be long before they find them in Tulsa. Next weekend all of Oklahoma should be popping.


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

Ok, I'm about to give it a try. I live in Shawnee so if Nate can find them in Seminole there should be some around here. On average how long do you guys look a day before deciding its fruitless?


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## lilpnkbnny (Mar 20, 2013)

Looked in my early spot today. I usually see 50-60 where I park the 4 wheeler. Didn't see any. Walked around about 10 minutes and didn't see any signs of them. Johnston/Murray county aren't popping yet as far as I can see. If the warm weather that's predicted comes in the next few days, I'll start going daily. It's been pretty cold the last few days, so I wasn't expecting to find much. Redbuds still haven't bloomed around here.


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

You know I have been fascinated by all outdoor wild fungus since attending the Telluride Mushroom Festival back in 2003. Its a great event with some very intelligent folks teaching all things mushroom. I have told you guys I have never been successful hunting morels which leads me to believe it must be the favorite delicacy of Bigfoot. Just a thought.


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## johzsum (Mar 24, 2014)

Nothing in the Ada area in my best spots. It feels like we got a week to go yet. The ground is saturated and the woods are alive with all kinds of live. Birds, squirrels, and deer seem to be more active and playful this year. We may be setting up for a productive spring.


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## morel belle (Jan 5, 2014)

No sign in Oklahoma co. But I did see a snake sunning today


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## darryl (Mar 9, 2014)

I am heading to OKC area in a week and a half for work. I will be there 3 weeks so I should be in the prime mushroom season. Have never hunted that type of terrain but hoping I can find a mess or two. Then head home to the middle of Missouri's prime picking season.

Yum!


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

I look for as long as I think there is an area in the woods that could still be hiding them. If it's a very small patch I may look 20 minutes to an hour. If I have a large chunk of woods like I did Saturday. I may look for about 4-5 hours. That is if it's a day where I can spair that much time. Also I would have never spent too much time looking if I don't think the time is really close. The woods just felt right this weekend.


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

OK, would it be a fair statement to say morels are found more commonly by running water as opposed to standing water?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Umm I find them by both but Probly do find them more by running water.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

I have found sack fulls in six foot johnson grass and plum thickets with no sign of water. I posted pics here two years ago of them in the tall dead johnson grass. This stuff really catchs snow and hold moisture. Warms up with lots of humidity and they really do good. Look on the deer trails in open sun. This won't be like looking in the woods but it will fill big coolers in a hurry.


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

going to ask a lot of questions this year. I'm determined to find my honey hole and I think we have perfect weather conditions as far as moisture that if I follow you guys advice, and search a little each day I'll find that spot. Is this a true statement, Cotton Woods and Elm are more productive than Pecan and Cedar. Also, if you find a patch will it usually grow several batches in the same season?


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## denny the mycophile (Mar 4, 2014)

Saw several blooming red buds on 91 east of Colbert today....put my new snake boots on (killed 3 copperheads and a 5 1/2' timber rattler last year) and walked for a couple hours on my 7 acre patch of woods near Calera this mornin but no sightings thus far.....but I believe they'll be poppin by next weekend...just got permission to look on a 30 acre property west of Durant this afternoon that looks real shroomy as well! Happy hunting yall!


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

are the banks of the big rivers like North Canadian or Deep Fork State land or do property owners have the rights right up to the water?


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

It almost sounds like if you have 80 aces or so with a couple 3 ponds on it there are probably morels somewhere in there.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Greetings fellow pickers ! Back from Central America and ready to go inspecting the woods - probably by mid week. I see that most of the state got at least 1/4 of an inch this week (on top of all the moisture from the prior weeks). Nate: Congrats on your finds ! I could not help myself to go ahead and check the latest GFS runs from NCEP: Looks like on Wednesday night there will be a cold front sweeping down the state which likely will produce a squall line with heavy rains. The key, as usual, will be the timing of the arrival of this front. Hopefully earlier than predicted so that Central OK can rejoice from an heightened chance for additional rains. My Red Buds in the garden are starting to bloom: I'll go check my earliest mini spot in town before work tomorrow and see what transpires. Good luck to y'all !


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

Found 2 pounds 30 mins south of Ada, have a buddy 30 mins east of Ada that found 4 rouges over 100+ acres of good ground. Probably just micro climate he thinks. By next weekend they should be out for sure.


Edit: I also killed 4 cotton mouths and ran into a family of baby hogs! Don't forget your gun like I did.


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Some if my favorite spots currently have standing water. This may get interesting if we get more rain mid week!


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## caddobrad (Mar 15, 2015)

Looked north of Lawton today and there was nothing. Owners said they've seen them before, but we have had a lot of rain recently. I bet they'll pop up later this week. We're going to look around Anadarko tomorrow.

On another note... read an article that said morels this year would be around the millions of dollars mark and that people are hitting up the past forest fire areas for a big haul of morels. Good Luck everyone!


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

Hi guys! In the Norman area and have been searching since the BEGINNING of march! No luck yet but I feel it's getting close. How is everyone? Normanites, are you telling your spots in Norman? Looking for additional hunting areas.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

The beginning is way too early. If you live in Norman I would look next week end .


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

I have been seeing a ton of the red ones. I know those are not good to get. We are so excited. We look twice a week for them. Do the real morels grow where the false ones grow to...


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

Sapworm7979 are you in norman


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

My friend that found the ones in FT Worth a couple days ago sent me a picture. It is a picture of the red buds and they are almost full bloomed. So the time tested indicator still hold true. No red buds blooming equals no morels up yet. I never figured out why folks want to look all day a week or two before they are up in hopes of finding a few the size of a black berry.


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## denny the mycophile (Mar 4, 2014)

No morels yet but this morning I harvested the first flush of Shiitake from a log I inoculated last year! 

http://s815.photobucket.com/user/DallasDenny/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150322_180855.jpg.html?sort=3&amp;o=0


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

100 or so miles from Norman. What do your red buds look like?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Lol because some of us just enjoy being out looking. Now that I found a few and know how big they are. I don't have to go looking again. I've only been out twice this year. I will wait until at least Wednesday, or possibly Saturday before I look again depending on my schedule because I want them to get bigger. The Red Bud is probably the indicator that influences me the most as well. There are several though. The soil temperature readings on some websites are very helpful. You can't soIely depend on the Red Buds though. Red Buds need sunlight and Mushrooms do not. They both need warmth though so they do more often than not mirror each other. Some years such as this though we have mild temps without a ton of sunlight. I'm not a scientist, but I believe that all of these things correlate.IE different trees blooming certain sizes, certain flowers out, certain animals coming out of hibernation. They all just signify spring rolling around. Warm years it happens a bit early and other years it happens a bit late. This year surprised me that it seems to be hitting about average. I guess we warmed up quick because though about March 7 we had been in a long cold winter. The first day official day of Spring was Friday March 20th. That is the day I saw my first Red Bud blooming in central OK. I noticed about 6 that day. When I say blooming I mean enough to notice driving in the car going 50-75 mi per hour. I saw many more Saturday when I went looking on my drive to the woods. Also every Red Bud I passed in the woods at least had Baby Red Buds on it. About half of them had opened up and started being noticeable from a distance. The Elm Leaves/ Trees are noticeable now. The Bradford Pears are either a brilliant white or already turning green. Also I believe the finds in Tulsa. There are always anomalies in Nature. There have been reports in Southern Missouri, Central OK, Southern OK, and even Arkansas. These reports started only a day after the Tulsa finds. Many times we see micro climates or places that just stayed a few degrees warmer even if its 75 miles north of a place. 

madam_morel- The real Morels don't always grow where the False ones do, but more often than not if you have the red ones you will have the real ones soon. I have found False Morels the following year growing in the same spot where I picked clusters of real morels the year before. I mean like if I would have placed a can with two open ends around a couple of the clusters I found last year. I would have had false Morel's growing up inside them. This could be just coincidence because they need similar conditions to be present. In general if you are finding any other kind of fungus in your area it is a good sign, but especially if you are finding the Falsies. I found 75 plus False ones Saturday which is the most I have ever found in one season much less one hunt. I have talked to some other shroom hunters that have had more years in the woods than me. They said that in the past this has meant a very good Morel harvest. That is what I was thinking already! Can't Wait!


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

I agree. I thought the same about seeing other fungi growing along with the false ones. We have been seeing the false ones for the whole month.nothing beats being out in the wild, peace and quiet and shrooms. Nothing better


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

I do not believe any have been found in Tulsa. I don't believe anyone will find one today in Tulsa. Maybe micro climate near Gainsville TX might produce some.


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## morelmaniac (Mar 19, 2013)

Stone Morels...your online report sounded just like your text to me yesterday! Dan shot me a pic of what you guys found today-great start to the season. The Ray Charles variety will be here soon...right Nate?? Good luck all!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Madam_morel: I live in the Norman area. My two shroomin' partners moved to CO last year and have honey holes where I would never go back to alone (wild hogs, occasional grumpy turkey hunters, feral dogs and some spots with trailer parks in the area). I have met one very friendly guy last year who is a real outdoorsy figure (he carries a machete, a gun and wears a Crocodile Dundee hat) to whom I 'gave away' those spots' . I personally felt much safer in the streets of Guatemala City than in some of those woods !. I've already found some replacement at the University to forage with me this year, however. I know that some folks have found some along/near the Canadian River: Look for low lying (preferably non 'tall-grassy') areas with a mix of red cedars and Cottonwoods - this is the magic formula for me (more than American elms alone). NB: They can grow in some usual places: Several years ago (between 2003-2007), I remember finding casually one lone morel on College Avenue in Norman ! If you have a hunting permit then game trails often offer 'low traffic' good spots to look into as well (I think this is where sapworm finds most of her bounty). Along the road in the ditch/low lying areas works quite well too - especially late in the season as the larger bright-colored specimens (i.e., the 'Ray Charles') can then easily be spotted from afar (keeping the chief attention to the traffic naturally !). Wooded areas covered primarily with oaks usually are a 'no go' (except for truffles - which do not grow here I believe). Hope this helps.
PS: Denny: Very neat !!


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Yep MorelManiac, Ray Charles kind will be here soon... closed minded people miss out on lots of opportunities.


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

Found my little blackberry sized morel today. Yay!!!!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Found 8 today in my earliest spot  (which produced ~ 12 morels last year) - I left them all (except one) to grow and covered them under piles of leaves. This was the largest one that I took home (lottery ticket shows the date) - I am so pumped !!! :
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo%202_zpscz1lyeu0.jpg
others that I left behind to grow were of this size (quarter) - Someone actually saw me picking but did not know what they were and did not care much about mushrooms either :
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo%204_zps4s9y5y0g.jpg


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

With good eyes you can see 3 in this pic:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo%205_zpsgeuzwujl.jpg


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

I checked another of my favorite spots this afternoon and came up empty handed. I'm thinking by this time next week we will begin to find them here in Pottawatomie County area.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Great to see yall finding them, definitely gonna get out and search good tomorrow. Did some looking around Sulphur on the way home and didn't find a thing.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Hello everyone. Been using this forum the past few years to help me determine if I'm finding them when I should be - and where. No luck yet this year. To echo several posts I've seen recently, I've found many many falseys. More than I ever have in the past. My spots are in southern Pontotoc and Johnston counties. Seen several of you that seem to be in the same area, or at least hunt this area as well and looks like there have been a few finds. Congrats to those of you who have found them up to this point. As always, it ain't easy, but it is early and can't wait until my bumper crop comes in.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Think I will just stick to checking out gobbling turkeys and catching some more crappie like we had for supper. At least until the red buds and the dandelions get going good. The reason you run into grumpy turkey hunters is because it opens in April that is when the best morel hunting will be. Always has and always will be.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Wow, so many people who hunt in Pontotoc Co. :lol: Just wonder which of you has been leaving boot prints in some of my spots the last few years


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Sapworm: Obviously, I am well aware of that - the point is that this does not excuse the grumpiness and bad attitude, especially in areas not specifically designed as game trails but public land (e.g., the one I referred to near the Canadian river).


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Lol okie. Coulda be me, not gonna lie, if it looks shroomy I'm there.


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

That is the text I sent you, found another lb in that same area, but like Nate said they are all 2 small the only reason why I picked them is so the hogs didn't get them first. I think it might be a keeper spot


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i walked about three miles of river bottom in johnston county this morning to only find 2 false morels. then in southern pontotoc co. i found my first morel of the season! give it another week and the hunting will be great.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Lol, just remember morelbooster, I carry when im out in them woods  

What do yall think about around the 4th of April for central and Southern Ok vs Around the 18th?


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## humungusfungus (Mar 24, 2015)

Looks like morels any day now. Cant wait! There is fungus among us!


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

winagain if you read the hunting regs for public lands in OK it say's only legal harvested fish and wildlife may be taken. It states that It shall be unlawful to cut dig damage or remove any crops trees shrubs timber including dead standing trees water gravel sand earth rocks minerals or other natural resources This can be found on page 42 of the OK hunting regs and is under the title Theft or Vandalism of State Property. This might be why they get grumpy. The turkey hunters are in the right. I guess they would be a crop or a natural resource either way looks like public land is illegal. On KS public land they have a list of regs posted and they list that fungi may be legally taken.


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Sapworm - last April me and a buddy of mine recieved a ticket from a game warden for picking morels in a federal wildlife refuge. He told us he had dual jurisdiction as both a federal and state of Oklahoma game warden. Anyway, he told us we could go just down the road to the nearest public Oklahoma hunting land and legally pick morels. So, going off of what he said, I look at public hunting land in Oklahoma as legal for picking morels. Just stay away from federal refuges lol.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Well reading the paragraph on page 42 it is talking about State owned property. So I would bet that a State Game Warden or Park Ranger could write you up. On page 43 it describes the US Corp land and it mirrors the State Regs. Pick up a copy and it is pretty plain.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

I always thought, as long as it wasn't a preserve or refuge it was fine to hunt Morels. Then I have seen the regs and was always wondering if it was meant to include morels or not. That's one reason why I only have 1 Public land I hunt and it allows morel picking.


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## francisshroomer (Jan 21, 2013)

For newbies. I would look for the dogwoods to bloom. This is usually when I find my new spots because shroom season if in full swing. Redbuds tell the very beginning. Which without honey holes can be very hard to find. Middle of next week I am guessing and you will be able to hunt for new spots. I did a quick walk by South Canadian river and didn't see any yesterday.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went by another (later spot) today a few blocks away from my house but nothing yet. The early spot where I found the 8 motels yesterday had mature specimens about a week before all my other average spots. Given the upcoming forecast (cooling), early to mid next week might be the real start of things ! 
Sapworm: Rules or not, bad attitude is not an excuse (and never is). A minimum of courtesy and education never hurts - period. I know that in OK, it is technically not allowed to forage mushrooms within State Parks (and even less so on federal parks/monuments)- which are public land. Not only they will confiscate your bounty but fine you to top it off - This is why I rather find most of my morels either on private land or on the side of the road (when the Ray Charles are up). My experience is that ticks tend to abound in tall grassy areas next to rivers. It seems that DEET does not deter those little buggers from crawling on you. I heard that apple cider vinegar might work - but never tried this 'grandma' recipe. I'd be very interested in hearing what technique(s) work(s) best for y'all to repel those pests.
Last, has anyone come across wild hogs here in Central OK in the recent years (as I've heard that this invasive/nuisance of a species is migrating north)?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

The hogs have been here pretty thick for the last 15 years or so in central ok. There are even more in southern OK. I have always been told that most of them are just hogs that have escaped from the many Tyson plants throughout the state. They have since been breeding non stop in the wild. One time in high school I remember seeing an overturned Tyson truck with a few dead pigs scattered by the trailer and a few wandering around the shoulder. I'm sure some had already bolted. Anyways I have seen them while noodling and mushroom hunting. I have seen anywhere from 1 solo to a heard of 50. I have seen big ones small ones, black, pink, brown, and some with a variety of those colors. Some with tusk and some without. I know many hog hunters that use dogs to bay the pigs and sometimes on a good night may track down and capture 10 of them alive to sell.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Also I have picked mushrooms in State Parks in OK, in wildlife refuges, and CORP of engineers land. I have seen state game rangers at all of them. Maybe even one park ranger. They have even looked in my sack and said that's more than I've ever seen anyone else come out with. I don't know for sure, but I think it is kind of a gray area that is open to the individual officer's interpretation. It goes the same with many noodling laws. I have had Lake Rangers where noodling is completely legal tell me there is no noodling in this lake. I told one of them yes there is because I called the city and they said that there was no city ordinance against noodling. He smiled and said well you got me, you can't blame me for trying though. I think most of them could care less about you foraging for mushrooms unless they like eating Morels themselves.


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Nate - it's funny you say that because when my buddy and me were busted last year in an NWR we wondered what the warden did with all of those morels he took from us! I've never had any trouble on public hunting lands, state refuges, state parks or corps land. But apparently federal refuges are off limits unless you get permission from the refuge manager. Not all federal refuges are off limits either. The NWR in St Charles, MO will let you pick a certain amount of morels in their refuge as long as you pick up a free permit. I wish the NWR's here in OK would do that.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Ditto what tornado said. Local federal game warden said I'm good to go on public hunting and fishing lands, but not allowed on lands marked as federal wildlife refuge. Not 100% on state lands, but as far as federal lands go this is what I've always stuck to and haven't had any trouble for what it's worth.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Drove out after work to some easy-side-of-the-road spots on the way back home but did not see any (looking quickly not in detail). I'd say we are still ~one week away (i.e., April 1st - consistent with OSH suggestion). Can't wait !!


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Win again I agree bad attitudes are no good. Respecting the If there is a car parked here I will go somewhere else,instead of the heck this is public I don't care if someone is in there trying to kill a turkey attitude. I have seen both sides and also both groups morel hunters and turkey hunters. Some from each group are stand up do the right thing good ole boys. Then there are the ones who park right where you are parked and step on the shrooms you are picking or try out there new box yelper on the bird you have coming to you.

As far as the regs go if you read them you are in violation if on State lands. Refer to page 42. It doesn't say public it says State owned and that is most of the public hunting areas.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Saw a guy with about 40 mid to large sized morels in a red mesh potato sack. Dang if I didn't find one. He stepped out of truck with them in tow and dove off into the woods, so he came in with them and didn't find them there but they around. Somewhere...........


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

This is what makes me smile. It's a good week before the popping starts in northern Oklahoma and I still have some from last year. I eat lots of morels. What some regard as a delicacy I regard as a staple. My family gets a majority of our food from wild, hand raised, and foraged life forms. I love spring and give thanks to that unseen energy I call my God. It's gonna be a great season. Wishing you all pounds and pounds of golden goodness.


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

And hopefully this is a picture of dried mushrooms. //i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/Mmosship/Mobile Uploads/image_zpshystxha4.jpg[/IMG]//i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/Mmosship/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpshystxha4.jpg[/URL][/img][/url]


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

Ok apparently posting a stupid picture is more complicated than its worth.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Well I didn't find a thing today, so gonna try again Tomorrow.


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

//i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/Mmosship/Mobile Uploads/image_zpshystxha4.jpg[/IMG]//i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/Mmosship/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpshystxha4.jpg[/URL][/img][/url]


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

mmosshipp's Pic -


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)




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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

It worked!!!!!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Just copy the direct link, and then once your on here click on the "image" picture (2 to the left of the face) and past the link in there


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

We dry ours too and don't waste time om black berry size. Crappie are going good morels will too when April rolls around.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Be weather wise tomorrow.Things are looking like they could get bad. No mushroom or fish is worth putting your life in danger. Keep an eye on the sky.


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## santa shroom (Jan 23, 2013)

Found 8 greys in Sand Springs yesterday. Don't know how to post pics but they were about the size of a Blackberry. Yellers will follow in about 5 days


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

This is a Pic of Santa Shroom's shrooms he sent me in a text yesterday. Good eye Bill!! All the way up near T-town too!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Looks like the model solution I referred to on Sunday verified: There will be a strong cold front sweeping down the state together with a dryline bulging from the west. Dryline storms will be more isolated in nature (and generally will be more severe). The cold front will mainly trigger a linear convective line - Owing to rather cold temps aloft, today will favor hailers with tornado potential remaining on the marginal side (e.g.,: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html). Storms are predicted to hit our neck of the woods (so to speak  ) after dark. Stay safe-


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## bananaslug (Jan 1, 2013)

Good to know, Santa Shroom! I'm right by SS but haven't found anything yet. Haven't spent much time looking though... I wait till Nate is sacking them up by the truck load before I go looking much lol. I've been seeing more and more redbuds in bloom the last couple of days, too. Next week is gonna be on and poppin!


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Iwonagain - NE OK is currently socked in with low clouds. How much is that going to limit instability? I was going to go out in search of morels today, but I may wait until tomorrow.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

That's how it was down here earlier, but the sun is out and shining now. Guess the storms wont be down this way till late, so guess ill still go out and look.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Morel_tornado (neat nickname!): Storm initiation is forecast to occur N-NE of OK early this evening: Because the (surface-based) forcing will be rather strong (cold front with peak gusts above 45 mph) coupled with cold temps aloft (short wave trough), you won't need much instability in the boundary layer (BL) to have storms becoming severe. Sure, cirrus decks always tend to reduce moist static instability and, also, reduce the erosion rate of the capping inversion above the BL - which is typical for this time of year. All and all, most of the NE parts of the state (especially near &amp; south of the latitude where Tulsa is) should receive decent rains. Central OK will be a hit and miss (as I believe we will get most of our rain from the dryline - not the front) - We'll see how the situation evolves and what the obs data says-For hourly forecasts, use:
http://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/HRRRsubh/Welcome.cgi
and select the "SC" domain. Interesting to see that the 13Z run has a supercell (originating from the dryline) going right over Norman at about 5 pm - lol.


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Thanks for the write-up Iwonagain! Spring is my favorite time of the year.....morels and storms! I storm chase locally as a hobby. I was on the Calumet-El Reno-Piedmont tornado in 2011, Cherokee tornado in 2012, and Edmond-Carney tornado in 2013. I know just enough about storm structure to keep me out of trouble, but forecasting isn't my forte. I leave that up to you professionals!


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Shroom and fish if you got them! Only wreck I've ever been in on a high way, was in a fire truck watching a tornadic storm. Was sitting still with lights on blocking the highway until the storm crossed and got rear ended buy a guy with 15 antennas and not enough sense to watch the road.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

I have chased several tornadoes in OK/KS/TX/NE/SD between 2001 and 2004 - Then, after a few rough encounters (one of which almost took away our lives), I learned my lesson &amp; now watch these from afar . 
Changing gears: I am sure some of you must have ran into some unwanted encounters with stray or aggressive large dogs out there: What method worked best for you to repel them ? I carry a pepper spray and a can of OFF (for ticks). I've read that sonic repellents are not always guaranteed to work well for molosses. Anyways, any feedbacks/advices would be appreciated.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i used to chase storms in college and the dangerous traffic it created made it not worth it to me to be out there; and i realized i was part of that problem, lol. better to stay out of the way and let the pros do their jobs. 
i picked around twenty yesterday in johnston county with a lot more starting to poke up through the leaves. can't believe they are already coming up in sand springs. that's where i am currently, will have to go have a look-see.


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Iwonagain, I use pepper spray for the dogs. Just be sure that before you deploy the stuff, your not down wind of it, or you will get some too. As for the storm chasers, I've been in two situations where the news media and storm chasers created situations that could have caused someone to get injured or worse. I'm not talking about the NOAA folks or National Weather Service/trained storm spotters either. If your out and about, please be weather aware.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Shroombandit: OK - Naturally I'll make sure to check the wind direction beforehand - I am a meteorologist after all . As far as chasing goes, I wholeheartedly agree. I do not chase storms anymore (since early 2004) for many reasons. Some of my colleagues here at work - who are often responsible for running 1/2-1 million dollar funded field programs to do research and gather observational data have indeed expressed their concerns about the exponential increase in "yahoo chasers" or inexperienced adrenaline junkies as I call them. The jargon refers to this problem as "chasers convergence". These folks end up cluttering the road and cause more problems just by being at the wrong place at the wrong time and by driving often erratically to get as close as possible to the action. One of the golden rules is to never chase storms nearby a metropolitan area because rush hour/traffic + severe weather (let alone + yahoo chasers) just do not mix well.


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Iwonagain, I hope you weren't offended by my instructions. Having suffered the effects of pepper spray, I can assure you everyone gets to enjoy the effects when deployed, lol. I like the term yahoo chasers as my terminology of said individuals would likely get me booted from the forum. Those individuals and select few of the video news media nearly caused several of us to be caught in front of a tornado that was jumping I 40 west of Shawnee in early 2012.


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Yeah, I've seen some crazy stuff storm chasing. I don't get out nearly as much because of it. I've seen people STOPPING and STANDING in the middle of a highway just to take pictures, people driving while looking at their computers, people passing in no pass zones going 90 mph in poor road conditions and chasers not yielding to emergency vehicles just to name a few. Back when I started doing it (before internet and storm chaser tv shows) you would only see a handful of people out chasing.


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Question for the masses......... when looking at soil temp maps, like on the mesonet, do you look at 2" or 4" under vegetation maps....or others?


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Bob - The last several years I've always gone by the 4 inch soil temperature on the Mesonet.


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## oldguy (Mar 25, 2015)

does anyone in OKC area have acreage I can hunt on?

I'm 72 and don't get around well anymore. I do promise to respect your property..


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Man if I did I would let you go.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

no need to storm chase today with storms rolling through my front yard!


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Mike Morgan scares me...............................................................................


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Does Mike Morgan have his glitter tie on? If he does, watch out!!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Well once again I didn't find a thing. Guess ill sit back and just watch the storms now.


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

Who had dinner tonight !?! So glad to be finally eating some.


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## lurkinlizard (May 3, 2013)

Hi Iwon,

OC ("pepper spray") works on dogs only if you get it directly in the eyes and nose, with their fur you have to be a pretty good shot. A taser works quite well generally, if you aren't willing to carry a pistol. Sonic repellers don't even work on mice and rats. 

Hoping today's storm sets off some morel popping! I still haven't found even a li'l blackberry sized one.

Luck to all!


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## lilpnkbnny (Mar 20, 2013)

I'm so frustrated. I thought they would be out by now. I look like Freddie Kruegar got a hold of me from the darn briars and not one mushroom yet. They better come out soon!!! Johnston and Murray counties aren't going yet. Maybe this rain will help. Smh.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

lilpnkbnny, i hunted some very good looking new spots in murray county and found squat but the spot i checked in northern johnston county yesterday had just started producing so you're spots can't be too far off.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Gotta love this rain ! We saw a tornadic cone going right north of our neighborhood yesterday (the one that touched down in Moore). Quite intense. This moisture should get things rolling for a bumper crop next week. Lurkin' thanks for the advice !


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

Although we love the sport of finding and eating the mushrooms ourselves, are there any local buyers? We are thinking of possibly selling them.. only throwing the idea around.


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## bananaslug (Jan 1, 2013)

Madam Morel, shoot me an email at [email protected] 
I'm near Tulsa. I'll buy if the price is right!


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## francisshroomer (Jan 21, 2013)

They are just starting to push through the leaves. Found 6 near river north of ada and brother found 30 in a burned area south of ada.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Hope everyone weathered the storms. We got zero rain here but glad we missed the hail.


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## jkelley56 (Apr 23, 2014)

Madam_Morel, I sell them every year, I have a buyer who begins buying in Texas usually the first week of April, he then drives north as the temperatures rise. Last year at the beginning of the season I got $30/lb from him, towards the end of the season I got $40/lb. He buys every one that I want to pick. But the price can change from year to year. I remember just a few years ago I averaged about $16/lb. Last year I sold him 105 lbs total. I could have sold him more but I put an add on craigslist and the Missouri people started calling me like crazy so I sold around 50 lbs to different people at different prices, usually averaged $30 lb off of craigslist. I'm in Northeastern Oklahoma in the Miami area and most years I leave morels in the woods because there is so many I don't have time to pick them all. I have a helper this year though so hopefully we get a lot more but I'm letting him sell what he picks and keep all the money because he's mowing my yard for free lol. I've been the past few days scouting and I haven't seen one morel yet, it's still too cold at night. Monday and Tuesday look like good days to go though.


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## denny the mycophile (Mar 4, 2014)

Been walkin every day in the Colbert/Calera area but no sightings yet. We got some good rain early this mornin and I got permission to hunt another 114 acres of private land with a live Creek that looks very promising!!


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

jkelley56, leaving morels in the woods is a real good problem to have! haven't had the luck of that happening to me yet, fingers crossed.


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

Jkelly56, can you email [email protected] [email protected]
I'd like to learn more from you about selling.


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## okiefungsneak (Mar 8, 2015)

I found a half dozen in Meeker this a.m. Reliable spot with lots of sun, just starting


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## deepforkmorelchef (Mar 10, 2015)

If anyone is gonna be in the okc , Edmond , Guthrie area Saturday I'd love to go hunt with someone! I'd split just about anyway and even wear a blindfold! Lol yeah I got the fever!


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## deepforkmorelchef (Mar 10, 2015)

Oh got 4 this morning in north Edmond! It's early still


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## deepforkmorelchef (Mar 10, 2015)

Madem_morel send me a email or # where are you located


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## morel_man (Mar 26, 2015)

Hi guys, I just joined the Board and am excited for the upcoming hunt. I live in Southeast Kansas but the Kansas site hasn't came out of hibernation yet, so if its ok I will bug you guys for a while.
I have a question regarding hunting in Other countries. I have been reading about this massive harvest they are expecting in the Northwest territories this year. I am seriously thinking about going up and getting in on that. Have any of you ever hunted Morels in another country ?


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

morel_man go read the posts on this page: http://matsiman.com/buyerpickermessagesU_OLD.htm


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

I did some hunting around Tahlequah yesterday. Found some great spots but no shrooms. I have to say it looks like Oklahoma is at least a week ahead of the spring warm up in Arkansas.


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## morel_man (Mar 26, 2015)

Arkanshrooms.... thanks for the website...appreciated.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

morel_man, i've hunted morels in alaska which would be similar to hunting burns in NW territories. you probably need a permit from the NW territories to commercially collect but that's probably it. i've heard people claim that hunting burns is easier than the way we hunt here at home and that it's "cheating" but that's a complete misconception. walking up the sides of mountains and through remote spruce scrub makes the hunt a thousand times harder. then there's the mosquitoes. then there's the fact that there aren't really any logging roads like in southern canada so you have to find a way in to the wilderness. makes me wish i was a helicopter pilot.


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## morel_man (Mar 26, 2015)

Morchellica....yes I have been researching this for a while now. I have been in contact with a man from British Columbia whom has hunted NWT before. He has been coaching me along and making sure I am aware of the pros and cons. According to him....if you don't mind putting some miles on the legs it pays good....but there is very little easy about it.

I am 53 and in reasonably good shape....for me I feel like it would probably be a once in a lifetime adventure.


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## robjmathes (Mar 21, 2015)

I have not been very good at keeping accurate records of my finds. I started keeping better track last year. While I was trying to remember were I found yellows vs greys, it occured to my flawed memory, that I don't think I have ever found them in the same area. Does this match everyone else's experience. I definately have more yellow spots than grey, but I have larger numbers of greys together at times. Just curious on everyone's thoughts.


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

robjmathes,

Actually, if conditions are right, if you have the opportunity to let the greys grow they will turn into yellows. They are just young yellows but sometimes they never get to turn yellow.

Mitch


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

there are theories that most morchella are actually the same exact species, just different phenotypes of the same species.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

MSM is correct: The genius Morchella Esculentoides, which commonly grows in river bottoms near ashes/dying elms are gray-ish when young and turn yellow when mature. The small greys generally are found under cedars and have a darker tone in their 'holes' when mature. These usually are found later in the season owing to the denser shade (cooler conditions) under cedar trees. Funnily enough it appears that these too belong to the Esculentoides genius. The black morels usually found in the NW are Morchella Angusticeps or Elatas. A species that is very common in Europe but apparently not so common in the US is the Morchella Rotunda: As its name implies, these (when mature) are characterized by a large prominent spherical yellow head. They often are found in meadows and are easy to spot from afar (and are delicious too !).


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## johzsum (Mar 24, 2014)

So if you had to sum up the current condition of the morel season today, what would you say? I'm leaning to still a bit early for big finds. (Maybe 3 to 5 days out). Any opinions??


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

We predicted a while back that the earliest ones in central OK could be found around March 25th - which happened to verify nicely. Based on this, I'd say that mid-to-late next week will be prime for picking the first round of mature, fresh specimens (at least in the OKC area). Late next week hints at a wet scenario too (bearing in mind that forecasts that far ahead can change dramatically) - Right now 10-cm soil temps are hovering between 52 and 60F on top of a now wet soil --&gt; prime conditions for morel growth - Can't wait !


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

We had 32* this morning and it never got out of the 50's..........we're usually April 1st at the earliest.....not keeping from looking though


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

April always fills your sack. A lot of gas and time are wasted in March every year.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

iwonagain, i'm certain i've picked a few morchella rotunda in a very open birch forest. they looked like a morel crossed with a tennis ball.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Finally found my first of the year !!!! now ill give it a break till next week


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

As for it wasting gas, all of the spots iv been checking are with in 2 miles from the house,


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

Another 3.8lbs south of Ada bigger blondes starting in early spots grays starting in other


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

//i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q640...2-46E7-8AC7-04619B151B59_zps0jknar91.jpg[/IMG]//i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q640/jamesandersonchappie/Mobile%20Uploads/5B8FA633-BE02-46E7-8AC7-04619B151B59_zps0jknar91.jpg[/URL][/img][/url]


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

How far south of ada are you talking about? Cause I know people who hunt every edge of pontotoc county and none have found any that big. That one I found yesterday was about 6 miles outside of ada and there just starting there. 

Next time you find some like that could you take pic with something like a newspaper? Not try to doubt you or say your leing but I'd like to know for sure 100% cause that means I need to be going out. Already getting people telling me how early I am :lol


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## morelorel (Apr 12, 2014)

Hey Oklahomies...a little bird told me some Texas hippies will be invading your state this weekend looking to eat all yer shrooms. "DEY TOOK OUR SHERMS!" Hey a little competition in the woods never hurt anybody am I right guys? :lol:


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Ahh Okie I'm sure they are legit. 30 mi south of Ada probably wouldn't be in Pontotoc Co. They are a little ahead of us in Southern OK. I know a guy who found a pretty good little mess of Morels in Southern Oklahoma near Texomah. It would be neat though to see a shot of the terrain they are being found in or a pic of one in the wild.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

30 minutes south of Ada is northern Johnston County (assuming you are on 99 and not on some other road going south from town) which is my back yard. I have not found any and have looked every day for the past week in this area, and further south in Johnston county as well. My spots absolutely are not producing yet. With that said, I did see a guy with a sack of 40 or more mature ones near one of my hunting areas. Not sure where they come from exactly, but I'm sure it was in the general area. I was pretty shocked because they were nice mature morels and not the tiny ones I was expecting this early. Seems strange that with all my proven spots that there isn't one single one, and others are finding them right under my nose, but they are a tricky thing and I've seen it happen this way before. Stone morel just has a killer spot it sounds for it being so early. Also, have heard rumors of big finds in last years burn areas that don't typically produce, and/or it's just making them easier to spot.


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## mmmszz (Mar 24, 2013)

I have been out scouting around my favorite spots on my property and haven't seen anything yet. I love this time of year - always hoping that they will be a little earlier than expected. Although I do not go anywhere that takes a car, I would say it is never a waste of gas. The entertainment is worth the gas money. AND, you get a great workout for the price! So much better than a gym!  

As far as greys turning into yellows, I have left my little greys alone to see if they would get bigger, but they never changed - just stayed small greys.


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## rdb (Mar 27, 2015)

Same here mmmszz...I've left greys alone and they never change but overnight there will be big yellow ones show up right next to them and I've found shrooms many years and have tried the growing theory many times with no result of them growing or changing colors


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

That's one of the things I was wondering in Johnson county or further south I could see someone finding some bigger ones. But when I hear " south of ada " I think still in Pontotoc county. I know a guy who hunts just a mile or 2 north of Johnson county line and I haven't heard of him finding any yet. So I was curious if he is indeed finding Mature ones already is it gonna be a spotty year or is it just on a south facing slope or something. 

Anyway I went ahead and checked another spot today and no morels in it but did see about 15 other types of shrooms. Did talk to a guy who found one about 2-3 inches tall. 

And as for the growing theory I could see how they could go from greys to goldens, but all the greys I have left have stayed grey and didn't get much if any bigger and just decomposed away.


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## shroomzilla (Mar 27, 2013)

Found 6 today around Sapulpa. All right together. Small grays.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Not a spotty year it 's just early for big hauls. Southern state line should be about ready. Crappie are biting good. Got my minnows already bought so I don't have to wait for the bait shop to open in the morning. My wife caught one close to two and a half pounds. Takes a lot of minnows to grow a crappie that big.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Bloody stomach bug kept me home for the last 3 days - We are, however, still ~5-7 days too early here in central OK to start picking mature specimens decently. Given the abundance of ticks in most of my spots, I aim at maximizing my outings and, thus, will only head there then. I'll be heading down south in an early spot near the OK/TX state line and hope to find my first modest haul of the year (40-50 morels) - Last year we found ~50 nice yellows (esculentas) in just ~1h there - Fingers crossed.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Feels right about 3 till 4 in the afternoon. Needs to fell like that all day for about five straight. I think you are pretty close. Maybe later next week might be getting good.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Only crappie I seem to catch are a pound or less. Caught a 3.12 and 4.06 out of it 3 or 4 years ago with a throw net while catching some minnows, but as for using minnows theres so many small ones in there they get the minnow as soon as it hits the water. One day though I hope to catch em again.


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## sstallcup (Mar 28, 2015)

I am interested in learning about hunting mushrooms in Oklahoma. Since I am very new at this are there any experienced mushroom hunters that would be willing to give me some guidance? I live in Stonewall, Ok, about 20miles south of Ada, OK. Thank you.


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## denny the mycophile (Mar 4, 2014)

Iwonagain: Hope you have better luck on the border than I am so far....looking on the Texas board this morning, a hunter down in the hill country is the only one reporting nice sized hauls. Hoping all these showers in the forecast materialize for good harvests next weekend!


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## oldguy (Mar 25, 2015)

Found about 10 small ones in the old park at NW 50th and I-235 in OKC, some were totally covered by leaves


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

I'm getting antsy, seems like they should be popping up now!

Are morels like a lot of other mushrooms in which rain triggers fruiting?


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went first to my early spot and picked the babies I left to grow on Monday - Then scouted very quickly 3 of my other spots (under 45 min including with the driving) and only found many little babies (1-inch at most): with the upcoming steady forecast of highs in the low 50's and highs in the mid 70's, I'll give it 7 days before all these babies turn into mature specimens (3-4 inchers). The ones below were about 1-1.2 inchers when found on Monday --&gt; took 5 days for these to grow to decent sizes with the fresh rains. Also during this 5-day interval 4 more babies grew around these. Looks like next Tuesday night and the following Sunday and Monday have some chances of rain - Fingers crossed !
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7288_zps8zofisjs.jpg


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## tickseed (Mar 27, 2015)

Nice job Iwonagain - did you find these at that OK/TX border location?
Just wonderin how you deal with ticks. 

I've heard that OK is like tick capital USA
I'm from MI myself but am driving thru Okey around Apr5.

Anyone have advice on where to go thats close to the I44 between
Joplin and OK City? Doesnt seem to be much public land
so I thought about hiting some roadsides close to the Route 66 
corridor.


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## shroomerdude (Mar 28, 2015)

This will lighten up your mood. Just found 55 small to average sized morels in the Newcastle area, 10 miles southwest of OKC. Was a little apprehensive about going since I’ve been twice and there was nothing. I’m hoping for more rain and better temperatures.
Best of luck to you all.


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## heyyarnoldokc (Mar 28, 2015)

just joined the board after a friend told me about it... 

looking like a fair season in my hunting spots... found 34 yesterday in my spot in Payne Co. near Cushing Ok .... today i found 48 in a spot NE of my hometown of Choctaw Ok...

good luck to everyone ........ P.S. i found most in Payne Co near cottonwoods... elms didn't seem to have the usual luck :mrgreen:  :wink:


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Tickseed: Central OK. Today, surprisingly no ticks at all. I always try to wear a white or bright pair of long pants and white sneakers when in the woods and spray the pants and sleeves with OFF. I also took the habit to self check my legs and arms every 15-20 min or so for ticks as they are easy to spot on white clothes. These 7 morels above also were found under cottonwoods. Elms and ashes are just starting to produce whilst red cedars are still 'dormant'.


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## oumorel (Mar 28, 2015)

No luck today in Cleveland County. Did find some ticks, though!


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## shroomslayer (Mar 20, 2013)

Went out today looking for them only found five I'm guessing next weekend is when I'll get the majority of this years find.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Hit 3 of my Johnston county areas hard today. Nada. Just a few more of the rust red colored false ones. Hoping the false ones are a good sign. My areas must just not have the ingredients together yet. Hoping these warmer nights upcoming will help the growing conditions. Lows in the upper 30's which we've had a few of lately probably aren't helping. Happy hunting everyone.


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## sicksix (Mar 9, 2014)

deepforkmorelchef,

I would love to learn how to hunt morels myself! I am at NW 150th and Penn! I was thinking about going out this Sunday to see what I could find, if anything at all. Anyone have ideas around this area of locations to look for them?


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## lilpnkbnny (Mar 20, 2013)

Those finding them in Johnson county are the exception and not norm. I know a lot of hunters in the area and most are finding very little. The woods feel dry and very little vegetation up yet. I have three very productive spots I hunt and no sign yet. Nights have been very chilly. I'm thinking we still have a week or two before they get going.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

anyone had any luck in the cedar groves around pontotoc county? heading down there tmrw


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

A few folks have been posting finds all over OK on the Oklahoma morel report on facebook but I assume that most of these are anecdotal and some for sure might be pics from past years. My stomach bug prevented me from going scouting today in S OK as planned. Frustrating ... Looks like model (and not morel lol) solutions have now significantly reduced the chances of rain for the coming week with the bulk of it shifted to the southeast of us. Bummer. What appears more certain, though, is a cool down by the end of next week. Lets hope that the models change their minds !


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## morel belle (Jan 5, 2014)

Friday found one grey. Saturday found one grey. Sunday found 3. Also on Sunday I saw 4 red false ones . This was in Oklahoma co. and Logan co.
My dad lives in Choctaw co. and found 14 greys.


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## oumorel (Mar 28, 2015)

Here in the Norman area, just tried hunting for about 3 hours yesterday south of Highway 9 and around Lake Thunderbird and no luck. 

First time hunter, would love to go with some more experienced pickers and willing to drive anywhere around or within the OKC metro area. 

You don't have to give up your spots, I know that is a sensitive spot for most hunters, but it would be great to help you prospect new spots to learn the ropes on both picking a location and then finding the shrooms. More eyes means more success.


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## madam_morel (Mar 23, 2015)

I wish I knew how to upload my pic. Just got done hunting!! Found little more than half of a target bag!


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Totally agree lilpnkbnny. Hopefully it'll turn around for us in Johnston in a few days. Good luck.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

OUMorel: I live in Norman and can already tell you that the public areas around the Lake are generally a waste of time for many reasons: (i) mainly covered by oaks - which are generally a no go for morels, (ii) In the case where a few morels do grow, the heavy traffic there from amateurs will further reduce your chances of any decent finds and (iii) lots and lots of ticks. During my first year scouting, I've found 1-2 isolated spots with a handful of morels along the road on the east side of the lake (along the tornado track from the 2003 or 2004 tornado). The best bets are private lands in the countryside with creeks and/or areas along the Canadian river. When I started hunting in OK, I waited for the peak of the season for the Ray Charles - which can be easily spotted from the road. Look for any dip/low lands / ditches and look there in about 7-10 days whilst driving around in the countryside e.g., south of H-9. Now it is still too early for the easy big flushes (unless you are lucky enough to know some of the (much fewer) early spots in the state- which seem to be mainly characterized by Cottonwood groves). A good tool to spot these areas is Google Satellite: Look for denser/greener tree canopies along the roads which indicates enhanced presence of water. With some experience (and ground truth) you will then be even able to identify the trees. Cheers and hope this helps.


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## oumorel (Mar 28, 2015)

What is a Ray Charles?


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

OU, they are the ones I keep the chainsaw in the trunk for.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Mature specimens that only a blind person could not notice


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## oumorel (Mar 28, 2015)

Ahaha, ok I get it. Thanks for the info.  

So many people in the Oklahoma Morel Report group posting shots, I'm guessing they already had a few spots known beforehand in order to get those hauls. Or are further east where there's a bit more habitat for them.


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## ssforager (Mar 30, 2015)

New to the board that has helped me the past two years. Hunted 4 times so far this year in Tulsa County. Found first 6 today under cottonwood as others have stated. Greys and not too big. Hunted a bunch around this find and nothing else. Tulsa County.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

morchellica I haven't found any under any cedars yet but I haven't gone out and checked the past few days. I know the 1 I found it was out in the sun so MIGHT still be a little early to be finding them under the cedars.


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Haven't really started looking yet up here. Cottonwoods and elms are hit or miss here usually. Sandy ground covered with oaks and cedars are productive for us provided enough moisture.


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## horseapple (Mar 15, 2013)

I finally got out Saturday and found 19 grays, ran over maybe 5 while mowing my parents lawn in stratford. Took some lunch to a friend here in ada and by accident I saw what looked like shrooms on the east side of his lawn, under two old elms I picked 155 yellows, you can view the pictures and video on my Facebook page under Joe Don Jones it's probably the most I've ever found in such a small area.


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## flyer (Apr 8, 2013)

Still none here in Creek County. Been looking everyday but nothing


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## cowboycarnival (Mar 17, 2015)

Found 3 false morel today about the size of softballs but no morels. Going out again tomorrow.


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

I've found 20 lbs so far 10/30mins south of Ada but this year is weird, big blondes coming up before grays.... Then grays popping..... Very very isolated areas but when I've found them it isn't the 2s 3s and 4s its 20-250 per batch. The best way to morel hunt is walk all day long, I'm averaging 3 miles a pound. Not numbers indicating they are really up yet.... Let's see what this rain does. If it's a lot it could get craZy. It seems like it wants to :roll: 

Also more numbers and larger false morels. I've seen some the size of your
Head..... Wish they where nontoxic one would be like 5 meals


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

I found 25 on Saturday trying new spots. I went to one of my below average spots Sunday which I didn't even hunt last year because I don't have that much faith in it. It is a little further south than most of my other spots. I got there about an hour before dark. I found 130 of them totaling 4 lbs. It got too dark on me. I continued finding them with the flashlight on my phone til about 9:30. I guess I will have to run back to that spot in a day or two. My buddy who was with me picked around 100 too


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)




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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)




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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

P.S. nearly all of them were under big healthy Elms. There were some in leaf litter mixed with Elm saplings and some in small green grass under Big Elms and a few under Big Ash. I tried hunting cottonwoods hard on Saturday and didn't find any. The 25 I found Sat. were also under Elm.


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

Nate,

Nice finds, looks like it is ramping up!

Good luck ShroomMate!
Mitch


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

Hi all,

Well we had some luck this weekend as well in the Texas Hill country and southern Oklahoma. Not quite what we were hoping for in a 1,400 mile trip but better than a sharp stick in the eye! (which I got as well...) Cedars were showing smalls in Texas and Oklahoma was ash and elm. 
&lt;a href=&quot;"&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;" alt="" /&gt;</a> 

Good luck ShroomMates!

Mitch


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

oops, picture doubled up


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Wow: Nate &amp; MSM: Congrats on your finds ! My stomach woes are about over and am ready to hit the woods all week long to monitor the progress of my spots ! . I knew that your apparent silence was synonym of good news  - Lets hope I can meet my average total of 2000-2500 morels this season (average between the 2013 and 2014 season) ! This years I have many folks who've asked me to let them have some (since I give them away for free) - better get to work  . Cheers and happy hunting to y'all !


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## morelmaniac (Mar 19, 2013)

Nate
Have you hunted any around Ada yet? I haven't found but a few rogues in this area.
Kevin


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Now that I *finally* feel better I could not resist a 15-min 'hunt' on my way to work this morning: Found 28 1-1.5 inchers and 5 'fresh' specimens (which included those 3 in the photos) - 4-5 days and we are talking !

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/d39c044c-4718-4fb6-bbfe-68caba738bfb_zpsfd4f9jza.jpg


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Nice haul Mitch and Nate. We need rain down this way bad... sure hope this year is better than last year in Ks. Im headed down to central OK tomorrow hoping to find my first of the season. Good luck to everyone this year be safe..


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Ricomorelo: We are still about 5-day-1 week early here in Central OK. You will have better luck farther down south near the border.


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Thanks for the heads up Iwonagain. I figured i would start around OKC and head south from there, until i find some of those lil burgers.... Going crazy sitting around here waiting for them to hit Ks. If i dont find any at least i can scout some good spots to noodle this summer. Good luck this season


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Ricomorelo: No probs. Two friends of mine who have been hunting morels for at least the last 12-15 years told me that finds are now relatively scarce: i.e., There are spots with mature ones - but isolated nonetheless. If you are willing to brave the ticks for a less-than-optimal reward then go for it and best of luck to you too fellow picker!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Well there starting in western Pontotoc Co. Found 24 between 2 of us most on a south/southeast facing slope. Funny how most were in the spot where I haven't found many since 3 - 4 years ago. Left 1 that was about 1/2 inch tall. Also checked on the 1 I left 4 Days ago and it hasn't grown very much so left it again, all it did was turn brown. Surprised no others have popped up around it. Ill go try another spot tomorrow.

 

Biggest was about 4 1/2 in tall


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Nate, when you said big healthy elms, were they live elms? Or dead elm. I rarely have any luck on live ones. Nice early ones by the way. And Mitch those look great.


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## shroomcuttin (Mar 30, 2015)

If they are that size they started awhile ago. All of you need to get out there and get me PUMPED up here in Iowa!!!!!


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## goshawk75 (Oct 29, 2012)

kb
What does a healthy dead elm look like?


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Thanks for the heads up on the elm / ash tip Nate. I've been striking out on all of my bottom land / cottonwood areas. Tried some areas of elm today but no luck. I know there is something to the elm-morel relationship, too many people have made the connection. All my elm finds in the past have been by dead or nearly dead ones though. Know it's early still, but have never gone through March 30 with zero finds. It's really got me scratching my head.


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## buckhunter (Apr 22, 2013)

Shroomcuttin. Where at in Iowa?


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Well I spent from noon until nearly dark looking in spots that have historically produced for me. I found nothing. I'm beginning to wonder if the moisture isn't partly to blame, as in my opinion, the temps are about right. Maybe by the weekend, Pottawatomie County will start lol.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

This coming week end should be good. Red buds look nice and elms have a green cast. I am pretty sure a few could be found here but they would be small. A few more warm days a couple warmer nights and a little rain would really help. I think the dead tall grass should be good as it saves moisture and shades the ground just enough to simulate woodland conditions. It has always been good for us. Probably shouldn't tell as I have yet to see other hunters looking in this type of cover. I have had crappie four out of the last six nights and froze some today. They will go good with some new morels.


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## cowboycarnival (Mar 17, 2015)

Found some today finally after looking hard but to small to pick left to grow but I gotta head back to Nashville tomorrow... Least I spotted some .


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## rodneyp64 (Mar 16, 2013)

Hey Goshawk 75 KB is a morel hunter from way back and he knows when you are hunting morels the only good elm is dead one


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## rodneyp64 (Mar 16, 2013)

I would challenge you Okies to a mushroom hunt and a noodling contest but I would have to wear a blindfold and handcuffs to make it fair. Just kidding but my daddy taught me well and I have been lucky enough to hunt from Texas to Minnesota, Alaska ,Canada, for the last 35 years and tonight I lost the man who made it all possible. Rest in Peace Leroy Paden my father.


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

Rodney, I am so very sorry to hear of the passing of your father! LeRoy Paden has always been and always will be a legend in my mind when it comes to Morels. I'm sure he is a legend in yours for many more reasons! My heart hurts for you this morning!

Shroom on ShroomMates!

Mitch


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## shroomcuttin (Mar 30, 2015)

Buckhunter I'm in sw Iowa near Omaha Nebraska..


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## buckhunter (Apr 22, 2013)

Shroomcuttin. Thanks. I was curious because my dad is from centerville/unionville area and he usually goes back every year to hunt shrooms. Good luck this year


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Rodney, My heart goes out to you and your family. Leroy is just morel hunting in a better place now. I was one of the lucky ones who got to hunt with him. Anyone who is any good at hunting morels in Kan/Mo. knows your dad was the Champ, although he always said his son was better than he was.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

goshawk75, I guess I am just an older picker who gets confused easily. I do know looking around live elm is most likely a waste of time. Never seen any different in Oklahoma. My money is on RP in either contest.


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## morelmaniac (Mar 19, 2013)

Rodney,

Sorry about the loss of your dad...sounds like you've got a lifetime of great memories which will always be a blessing.


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

I'm glad you are feeling better IWonagain!

Hello Rico! I hope you are well! Good luck this year!!

KB, I think I was a little too early for the angle we were discussing. But I will try again this weekend!


Mitch


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Rodney sorry to hear that.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

My sincere condolences for your dad, Rodney.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Now that I think of it KB. Most of the big healthy trees they were obviously making a circle around were the big ash. There were Elm saplings within close proximity to the base of tree along with a little Elm leaf litter and some elm limbs from bigger ones nearby. It was getting dark. I started finding them in my normal area on a slope near some Cedar, Elm, and Ash. usually they are so sporadic on that slope I haven't even thought about which tree was helping them fruit. I started finding them in some grass out in the bottom. Just down from the slope. It was pretty open with just a few saplings and a few big Ash and Elm. It was nearly dark before I got into them. I will take a better look in a day or two when I go back. I have found some near live Elms for sure though. Sometimes just when it has a big downed limb or some bark on the ground. You have me curious now because I was going faster than normal and didn't observe it as well as I should have. I know for sure though that the 25 I found the day before were 4-5 here or there in a low lying area full of Elm. They would only be growing around the elms that were on a little ridge in the low area, and even then. Only around 1 Elm every so often.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Nate, It does get hard to tell sometimes what the source is. Okie is really hard with all the cedar mixed with elm and ash. I have found some on live elm. Usually though the elm was passing, it just did not show yet. And sometimes they grow in places and nobody knows why. Sounds like you are having some fun though. Mitch, It will be interesting to see if that pans out. Sounds though like a little more rain that way would be nice.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

And Morel Maniac. I haven't tried many of my spots in Ada yet. I will start taking them more serious from this weekend forward. I did stop and check one spot on my way through the other day and didn't see any.


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## rodneyp64 (Mar 16, 2013)

Thank you fellow morel maniacs. Have to get back in the timber. I left some small ones north of 33 hwy last Wed. Hope they grew. I'm going to cook morels for everybody at the funeral dinner so I had better get busy. Good luck to all.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Rodney: Allow me to suggest to you this simple recipe, which conserves the taste of the morel and is easy to make for a group (in contrast to frying them which pretty much annihilates everything - including their vitamins and minerals):

http://arizona-mushrooms.org/2014/05/20/swiss-recipe-vegetable-cream-soup-morels/

In addition to cabbage and carrots, I'd strongly advocate adding potatoes and asparagus to the mix.


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## shroomcuttin (Mar 30, 2015)

Thanks Buckshot and good luck to you my friend.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went for a 1h30 hunt after work and the result was rather below my expectations:

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7292_zpsy8t1qbgy.jpg

Went to a few easy spots and except for 1 all the other were dry with no sign of morels at all. The woods felt also generally dry - even under the leaves. Most babies I left behind did not grow much except for these in the photos. Looks like the rains last Wed only triggered a few isolated spots here and there. Conclusions: we definitely need more moisture. Storms are currently firing in W OK and, hopefully, those will merge and move to Central OK overnight ! Only then we will be in business-


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

29 keepers today, left 1 or so that were to small. Gotta agree with you iwon did seem dry, and all but 2 were on the west side of a creek and most down near the water id say probably no more than 10 feet.
 

Heres an image that shows how close to the water.


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## deepforkmorelchef (Mar 10, 2015)

So I found a huge cluster of what we think to be oyster mushrooms has anyone else found these in Oklahoma? And is anyone going hunting tomorrow that would wanna take me along! Single dad with 3 kids and my cars brokedown! Hard to get to the woods!


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## cowboycarnival (Mar 17, 2015)

I would morel chef but I had to head back to tn today . Good luck hunting everybody . Sorry to hear about the loss of your father Rodney . We were in Oklahoma celebrating the life of my grandfather and putting him to rest so I understand that .new to this forum but it's good to meet everyone. Hope Oklahoma sees some rain the small ones I found looked to be drying out in spots ?!


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## lilpnkbnny (Mar 20, 2013)

FINALLY!!!things aren't exactly popping, but I found 55 at one dead tree. I can live with that :-D


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

We missed out on the rain!!!


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## horseapple (Mar 15, 2013)

Found 30 grays yesterday east of ada. We got .08 inches of rain, that should help.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Got alittle over 3/4 of an inch, so good rain, think ill give today a break and check again tomorrow. Seen Bowlegs got a whopping 5.85 inches 8-O , a lot of morel spots probably under water up there.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Yep - a large supercell pretty much sat over the site for several hours. Not good - My predictions for the mergers of the W OK storms verified  - Most of my spots received decent rains. There will be a noticeable cool down on the week end, which will allow the moisture to remain in the soil longer. Days like yesterday in the mid 80's are no good as morels cease to grow if the soil is too warm - The 'fruiting' can also stop prematurely if the soil remains too warm for a long period. Last year I start finding my bigger hauls near April 8th - so looks like this year will be a similar, rather late start of things despite a much milder and wetter winter..mmmh. So far I gathered ~ 40 morels and am waiting on 31 to grow. Can't wait for Sunday-


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Yep I'm near bowlegs and wewoka and we got nearly 7 inches news 9 said. Mesonet only shows 5.85 though. Sure is wet out. No flooding at my house but I sure hope it helps them along I'm not seeing anything. But I have only looked in my back yard, which is highly wooded. Thats where I found about 10 pounds I would guess last year. It also has a creek and many cottonwoods and dying elms. Along with every tree you can imagine. A few pecans tree are nearly, if I was guessing, 8 feet in diameter maybe more. I think they're old growth but I have no idea. But they are sure the biggest I've ever seen. I'll take a pic one day maybe you guys could tell me things I don't know.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

finally found quite a few small morels coming up in the cedar/cottonwood mixes in pontotoc co. with the moisture should be looking good for weekend hunts. still haven't found much around elm or ash but will know more at the end of today!


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## sjones (Apr 1, 2015)

Where do you decide to look? Near creeks, certain trees etc?


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Iwonagain, recently you mentioned using google earth to look for places to hunt, based on moisture and other factors. Could you post the steps on how to utilize this method, as I'm trying to watch some of my current spots and would like to use this tool in order to better manage my already too few days off to prioritize which spots to look at first. Thanks for your help!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Shroombandit63: It is not Google Earth but Google Map with satellite view (lower left corner icon to click). Then just zoom in (lower right corner) and find your promising spots based on tree canopy and the regular (non satellite) maps of creeks/rivers. Note that the street view (little yellow man) can be used to ID the trees on the side of the road. Enjoy-


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

PS: in Google Maps there is also a new option on the lower left corner: If there are enough roads in the area you are viewing on the map: you can actually play pac-man  -


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Thanks Iwonagain, I think I have figured out how to utilize this tool. I'm thinking by the weekend I will need to go early and stay late as all the places I've looked at picked out of in the past were really dry. This moisture should get things going with a bang!


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## rodneyp64 (Mar 16, 2013)

Deepforkmorelchef call 785-741-0909 I might be able to help. Thanks Cowboy bet you put a smile on grandpa


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## johzsum (Mar 24, 2014)

Found my first morel a few minutes South of Ada today. It was about the size of quarter around and maybe two inches tall, stem and all. A lot of different types of mushrooms have popped up in the last 48 hours, seen some white and brown regular shaped shrooms, false morels, and some weird cup shape dark brown type. Expect to see many more around this area this weekend.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

just got back from hunting some of the best looking morel land i've ever seen down in johnston county, only there wasn't many morels. lots and lots of old and dying elms and only found about four morels under them. then hit some cedars close by and found three or four lbs in about thirty minutes. also hit and elm/ash spot and only found about ten. still seems like things still haven't really got going down here.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Today's bounty exploring a new spot - about 50 morels - few of these were quite large. Consistent with what many folks reported this year is indeed strange - they are found usually in large groups in very specific places (either under cedar groves mixed in with other carrier trees or moister north facing slopes) - clearly some of these were triggered by the new rains:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/Screen%20shot%202015-04-01%20at%207.49.30%20PM_zpsny4gbmaj.png


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## mmmszz (Mar 24, 2013)

I have been walking out to my favorite spots on my own land every day this week (Pink) and FINALLY today I found 2 small grays. The yellows are usually a week or so behind the grays around here. We had a ton of rain last night, so I expect they will really start popping by this weekend! The eternal optimist.


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

4.8 Lbs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/001_zpsj5omro4s.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/014_zpsvrsa8yuo.jpg


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## cowboycarnival (Mar 17, 2015)

Yeah buddy ! Back in tn going out to look in the morning hope I get lucky . Checking out a few new spots. We will have to get out Yall next time I'm in .


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

where do you live? I can go I can come pick you up on Friday probably if you live near Oklahoma City


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

I've always made sure to use mesh bags so the spores can escape as I'm still walking through the woods... I've always understood this to be normal procedure for morel hunting... am I wrong?


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went for a quick hunt this morning and the result is 50 more morels - including 10 large yellows. I could not believe it when I saw these gorgeous yellow caps in the woods ! All around one live elm.
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/c528dedf-8822-4d08-82e5-7e5cd56d8804_zpsnclfb2vr.jpg
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo%203_zpspan0womh.jpg


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Finally found a small batch. 24 yellows, all along a small creek spread out over about a 40 yard stretch. It was in mixed woods with some ash, sycamore, elm, and oak. Found in the Fittstown area south of Ada. Looks like they could be coming on strong here any day now.....


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

Found just a few close to home before work today.


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Still nothing in my neck of seminole county.

Sorry to go of topic, but here's that pecan tree I was talking about yesterday, though no one seemed interested. And no one has actually even responded to anything I've ever said, I find it interesting, and maybe you guys have seen bigger! 

It's actually 11ft 4in in diameter, I was way off with 8 ft lol.



Here's my marlin 60 next to it.



It's dropped limbs bigger then some trees....



And just to show you guys I'm not just here to talk about lame pecan trees, here's a pic that I promised last year and never posted it. Here's a few of my backyard morels. I found a double morel but I can't find the damn pic.



They need to hurry up! I'm dying!


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

that is a very large pecan tree indeed. i'm surprised by the size of trees i've come across morel hunting in oklahoma. pretty sure i've come across one of the largest hackberry and sycamores on public land.


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## ssforager (Mar 30, 2015)

Hey Purple, 
I know the feeling of no one comments, replies to your posts. Only my second post but this is a tight group that does not welcome newcomers much, etc. I posted my county so people would know where in OK I found my morels but only some do that. It does help to know if you should expect to see stuff in the woods in certain counties, yet, etc. 
Anyway cool pecan tree. If you find an elm tree that big you might be on some morels. 
I have only found 4 more since my first six but I am watching some grow from just out of the ground yesterday to probably picking them for supper tomorrow. Thanks to all on this board for their knowledge the past two years. I have figured these things out after a blank first year in the drought years a couple of years ago. At first I thought it was a myth or impossible to find type of mushroom. Now I dry them out to last the year, etc after I eat my fill.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

purple, no native pecans up here in N. Mo. but that is a monster. I get into big old growth forest. Very few areas left anymore more that have not been cut. Used to be lots of elm like that up until the 70's.


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

12 lbs for today!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/001_zpsbkddmc9r.jpg


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Wow VC nice haul man. You always seem to bring in some good loads. I might have to scroll back thru the old post to see if i can remember what county you hunt this time of the year??? I searched all over Garfield and Logan county yesterday and not a single one. I don't think i was far enough South yet... Everything i saw was really dry, looking like Ks. I pray we get rain soon, or there wont be much of a season again in central Ks. Good luck to everyone this year. Hope all of us find huge sack fulls.. Be safe..


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

This afternoon;'s bounty: 150 morels (+ another ~ 50 not shown in this pic as they were given away to a friend before we arrived home) - total for the day 250 morels  - (more than 10lbs total for sure):
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7304_zpsad6ro9xf.jpg


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Best cluster of the day:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/Screen%20shot%202015-04-02%20at%209.42.28%20PM_zps0nl1didv.png


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

25 morels between 3 of us and many miles walked :lol: Looks like its gonna be another one of those years for me, did leave some little ones behind.


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## ksmorelhunter (Apr 24, 2013)

Very nice pics iwonagain! What part of the state are you having luck in as those are beautiful morels.


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## ssforager (Mar 30, 2015)

lwon: Very nice cluster shot. That is why we walk the acres - to find that kind of aah haa moment. I will try to take and post some pics of my harvest tomorrow morning. Might have to use a flash as I plan to be early.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks guys  - I found those in Central OK (near OKC). Believe it or not there were many stumps when we arrived so someone has been scouting the area before we did (but obviously did not look well enough  or either came before the rains on Tue). Tomorrow I'll take a break and perhaps look around some easy spots along the road. The most beautiful morel I found today was actually this morning (and was as large as my hand):
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/Screen%20shot%202015-04-02%20at%2010.40.39%20PM_zpsb9o8ukto.png


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

sleep ksmorelhunter and chase the rains where when you wake up, Spoken has Yoda.


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## cowboycarnival (Mar 17, 2015)

Rodney hope you and the family is doing better. We had a rough go with grandpa but made it back to Nashville yesterday . I just got word my friend found about 40 blondes in Pawnee ok. Yesterday. I'll be back down April 27th hope season will still be in ?! Morelchef let me know how the hunt goes and if ya need a ride next time I'm in we can roll to a few spots.


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Iowanagain will you share where you hunt okc area? I'd like to go but can't get anyone to go with me and ready don't think it's safe for woman to go out alone


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

8balljana: It is a private property where at least another person hunts in every single year. I've scouted some of my other spots and most are totally dry with no signs of morels. This year has been very strange so far: Lots of areas that produced abundant crops the last 2 years have few isolated specimens while spots that did not produce much the last 2 years have clusters. I am partly blaming these 80+ degree days we had. I am hoping that we are still early in the season and that the rains next week will materialize. On Sunday, I will go hunt on 2 other private properties (that usually produce) with a friend and will see. After that, all my best spots will have been exhausted; Thus there is no spots left for me to share but new ones to explore. I hear you about the safety problem foraging here in OK (wild hogs, feral or aggressive dogs, hunters etc) and usually go accompanied in these private spots - Last year I start finding them on April 7-8th and the year before even later than that (April 12th) so who knows what this year will bring.


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## oldguy (Mar 25, 2015)

found about 40 yellows this morning, same place I found 15 greys last weekend, in OKC proper


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

old guy has most likely answered your question Iwonagian as the greys from last week become yellows. By the way what kind of tree produced those nice yellows? I see oak leaves on the ground,I think. But Oak rarely is good.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

The cluster was indeed under a cedar patch along a trail. There were some black jack oaks on the other side of the trail (where indeed no morels were found) - Thus, I assume the wind must have tucked those leaves under the cedars.


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## giraffe123 (Mar 30, 2015)

The current posts &amp; pictures are a very good sign! Happy hunting everyone


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Iwonagain: thanks I think I'll see if my sister wants to go we used to go hunt out in western oklahoma off the Canadian river past El Reno


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

Got out for about an hour this morning and checked my known good spot. 1st year I picked there I found 75+ shrooms, then the next year I only found 17, then last year I found 20ish, and today I only found 13... Wish we would have another year like the first year I picked in that spot!

 

 

 




 


I always find a good handful right near the base of this tree. What kind of tree is it?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Looks like an American Elm to me.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Looks Elm to me too. And that might be the answer to your dwindling morel production. Dead Elm tend to follow a pattern of declining production. Rarely do they produce much after the 3rd year. If the bark is peeling on that tree you are going to need to find a new best spot if that tree is the reason for your morels. Remember the bark and branch pattern.


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

Thanks guys, Good advice, kb. No peeling bark, I think it's still alive! Need to go check again, I didn't even bother to look up to see if it was budding, just snapped a shot of the trunk.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Yep: Ulmus Americana and alive (but maybe sick?). KB is correct because as the roots progressively die off so does the mycelium: As the tree dies, the mycelium produces as many 'fruits' ('seeds' being the spores) as possible to maximize its chance of colonizing another host before its current host completely dies off.


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks to those who made nice comments about the tree pic. I'm sure if we posted more ssforager we'd get more respect. Gotta give it to get it ya know!

I finally found two very small grays in seminole county. 

Iwonagain very nice!


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

http://kansasethanol.net/index.cfm?show=1&amp;mapID=20 

huge storm front came thru and we only got a sprinkle...Suprised how fast the ground temps jumped up...


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

I just found some verpa conica so things are starting to look good here!

They smell good, very similar to morels.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

I had a spot once I could not figure out why morels. It had a big live elm, it produced for three years, then the leaves died and it quite producing. Never had that happen since, always the other way around. Wonder what next year will bring to your tree? Purple I took a long walk through some trees you would have liked today. I live in nw MO. so the mayapples are just rising on south slopes. Saw some monster black maple and white oak. tagged a few dead elm to check over the days ahead. Iowanagan, nice scientific explanation. I have wondered though why they fruit on trees not dying, something we are not seeing under the ground? Certain river species up here exhibit that trait.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Today‘s bounty: 160 morels and in a new spot ! (almost all my other ones being dry). Many small grays-90% of those were found under one medium sized patch of red cedars. 
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/CIMG9094_zpsop5elx5o.jpg


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Man kb I really don't know what a may apple is. I'm very into the plants that grow in forests and the lawn, but I haven't heard of that one. But I will admit I'm a bit of a newb. I'd love to learn! I was going to ask if you or anyone else knew any good sites that are into wild foods and such that have a forum dedicated to our area like this one. 

Around here we mostly have blackjack oak. I don't think I could really tell the difference though. I know I see two different types. I live in whats called the cross woods.

iwonagain, I'm getting more and more envious of you sir... What are you doing with that yarrow?

Very cool morelman!

Also, How many of you are alergic to poison ivy? I seem to be in the 15% that isn't, I've never had it... and I know I touch it all the time.


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## ksmorelhunter (Apr 24, 2013)

Nice haul iwonagain! Is there rock mixed in the cedar patches or is it just bare dirt? Keep up the good work!


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Hi all - first post here - been reading a bit. I used to hunt with my Dad in IL many years ago.. when I was young. Now getting back into it and trying to teach my young son how. 

We found our first yellows in MWC yesterday in a wooded area in a park - he spotted the first one - his first one ever - and said "Is that one Dad??" and indeed it was. :-D It was growing right and I mean RIGHT up against the base of a live Elm. We then found a few more in a briar patch under a nearby Oak by a creek - I spotted them and called him over and had him spot them for practice. One was very nice sized - it was growing out of the side of a South facing drop-off to the creek. I had to hold onto his arm while he leaned way down to get it.

We only found a half dozen in about a half hour looking after I picked him up from school -- but he was excited about it and he LOVED eating them last night. They were absolutely delicious. I think he was beginning to believe I was crazy about the whole mushroom deal because that was the third time we've looked for some in the past week.. but the other two times were before the rains we had on Tuesday night.

I have a question about the Red Cedars here in Oklahoma.. (in IL we always looked around Elm and Ash trees and logs) .. are the morels found around/amongst the younger shrublike (say 6ft or under) cedars or is it more of a mature stand of trees? And are they under the branches of the shrublike ones on in between the patches of cedars?? I've looked around and under the branches of some but haven't found any there yet... Just trying to understand the local techniques as they're evidently a bit different in this part of the country.

Thanks for any info!


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## ssforager (Mar 30, 2015)

filtair,
I am so excited for your son. I learned at the age of 47 and now I am 50. Been In Tulsa for 26 years. He has a lifetime of hunting- cool.


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## ssforager (Mar 30, 2015)

Purple, I am allergic to poison Ivy. Already got it. I dress in long pants and shirts so when I get home I wash my hands and face very thoroughly. Still get it under my sleeves, etc a bit. Then scratch at night and spread it. As long as it stays out of my eyes no big deal then off to the doc for a shot, I picked it up from my cats about 2 weeks ago also. I had not been around any and not in woods and found it under my arm from holding them I guess. Harvested 12 morels from my spot yesterday morning - Tulsa County. Others I talk to are only getting a very few yet. Still early. Left a couple of real small ones. Looks like they don't grow much after 48 hours. Others might disagree with me. Would love to know if I left them any longer do they get much bigger or does the growing part fall way off after 48.


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Brrrrrrrr........26* this morning.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Dry as a popcorn fart. We need a rain.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

ksmorel, Have you two filled the truck yet? I have not called in fear my jinx from last year is still on. some of those little cedar morels give me hope. Extreme SE.Kan. caught rain the other night so you guys might hit that one spot on your way back north today and see if any little ones have started that I can go get later this week.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

forager, next time you see Missouri Shroommate post think of this. He wears total nylon head to toe plus gloves due to ivy allergies. Even in 80 plus heat. Don't know how he can do it.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

filtair, hope your son continues. Mine did not after he hit HS. Keep your hunts fun, I got to worried about finding morels and forgot to just let him mess around if he wanted or just leave after a while. Kind of like fishing, if they are not biting the kids get bored. Peak season is the best time, even old ones are fun to find for kids.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

PurpleSpore: I dehydrate most of them and stockpile for the entire year - If I have too many I give them away to friends and family (and colleagues if they are interested).
KSmorelhunter: Thanks ! they usually grow out of red dirt (from under a layer of dry needles). The key so far is to look at spots that are protected from the sun - especially the afternoon one - aka. places that are still moist. All my other spots which get some dose of afternoon sun are dry with no morels. Strange year !


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Thanks for the kind wishes folks. I unfortunately quit hunting when I got in HS too.. started chasing and being chased by girls. And didn't think mushroom hunting was "cool". Sure wish I had stuck with it .. missed many years along the way. 

We're going out again this afternoon .. for a while longer this time...hopefully I'll come back with a good report for y'all. And I'll keep in mind the advice to keep it fun for my son. 

Thanks again! And good luck to y'all today too!


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## benthegrate (Mar 28, 2014)

Drove up from Dallas to check my OKC area spot yesterday. The ash trees there reliably produce 3-4 pounds every year. I only found a total of 13 yellows, all were on the smaller side with short stems that barely rose them above the leaf litter. They were firm and fresh, seemed like no more than a day or two old, dripped water when I picked them, but looked half dried out at the same time. Bizarre. 

 

As many folks have been saying, it's a weird year. Trees that normally produce 10 big morels had none. Small, young ash trees had 3 or 4. The ground was VERY damp, fully shaded, conditions were perfect. (However, last year the ground was bone dry and the trees produced like crazy.) 

 

While deep in the woods, I stumbled across a heron rookery! I counted at least 10 nests, but the birds were obviously disturbed by my slogging far below on the forest floor, so I high tailed it out of there as quickly as possible to let them be. I've never seen anything like it, though, those giant birds swooping around from nest to nest. 

On my way back to the car, I encountered a giant downed oak that was absolutely overloaded with giant lentinus lepideus!! 

 

This relative of the shiitake grows bigger than any mushroom I've seen in this area, has a really pungent, fragrant odor, and is delicious! I seem to find it more often than any other wild mushroom...it's not supposed to be that common, I guess my nose just leads me to them. I harvested more than 15 pounds and didn't even take half of what was there. This is gonna make a great soup for my restaurant.

 

With a few hours to burn before sunset, I checked out a spot on the South Canadian River that is privately owned but allows public access with a small fee. Tons of cottonwoods, both living and downed. Lots of disturbed ground. Almost immediately out of my car, I was stepping on big gyromitras...first time I've ever found them, actually.

 

They were everywhere! Deep shade about 100 feet from the river. I searched carefully for a couple of hours, but no morels. 

Leads me to ask this question...could we still be early in the season for central OK? I know the regulars are hauling them in by the pounds, but my OKC spot produced so poorly despite being VERY damp, and the gyromitras usually precede the morels by a week or so. Wondering if I should head back up there in a week or so to see if my spot produces the way it normally does, and hunt along the Canadian again when the ground is warmer...


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

very weird year. my spots on the south canadian that i picked 25 lbs at last year had only about a lb. all my other regular spots have produced very little to years past or nothing at all. i think i need new hunting ground.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Today's bounty: another 150 fresh morels (+ 25 not shown in this pic that were given away) - most of the large ones were found in a burn area around dead elms:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/CIMG9099_zps1cogryj4.jpg
Best cluster of the day:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/Screen%20shot%202015-04-04%20at%207.56.49%20PM_zpsnrxukvzj.png


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Iwonagain - we are green with envy here. Very nice haul there. We went again today and only found three smallish yellows in MWC in the area of the same tree that we found a half dozen on Friday afternoon. 

We hunted thru some areas that looked like there shoulda been plenty ... but nuttin at all. We were only out a couple of hours -- I didn't want to stay out tooo long because my young son was getting discouraged and tired. If we were finding some I'm sure he would have wanted to stay longer .. but coming up dry was discouraging. But after I showed him the pics of your haul today he's ready to go again tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Got 101 keepers today, from tiny Greg's to good size yellow. Having some difficulties so ill upload the pics tomorrow.


Nate/Luke y'all been finding any? Haven't seen y'all post much.


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

Went and searched two of my best spots today... last year spot 1 produced 80+ morels and last year spot 2 produced 30+... neither spot had a single mushroom today. I know we aren't late because there weren't any old dried up ones, just nothing at all... very weird year.


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Iwonagain, oh, thats a palm tree on your towel or something lol. I thought you had some yarrow on the bottom haha. really though what is that?

picked my two greys today.... Don't think they'll get any bigger.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

37 yellows yesterday, mostly sporadically spread down a creek bank in Johnston county. Nothing I'd consider a cluster, or close to one though. Looking for that magic elm with the motherlode still. Looked for a couple hours today in another spot in Johnston county, no luck, then wife spotted 6 from truck in an area of limestone gravel with the exception for some leaf litter (which was elm) in Pontotoc county. Her first find, now she thinks it's easy. Strange spot to find them, but they were all nice fresh yellows. Need to get a flickr account or something started I guess so I can post a few pics. 

Nice finds guys. I feel I'm in prime morel country down here in Pontotoc and Johnston counties, but you guys around the city are proving me wrong. Very impressive.


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## lilpnkbnny (Mar 20, 2013)

Found enough to make the household happy, give some to my boss, and dropped some off for my sister in law to get to try a batch for the first time. I finally feel like it's mushroom season. :lol:


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## lilpnkbnny (Mar 20, 2013)

And I still have 40 in the fridge to eat tomorrow *happy dance*


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

19 lbs sold yesterday.....10 lbs picked today!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/001_zpsecc2a8bc.jpg


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Iwonagain 
those are some beauties... are you still hunting around Ponotoc Co?


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

someone say clusters? 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/11139511_630470217087922_799536496_n_zpsogq2pojn.jpg


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

That is a sight to behold.


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## cowboycarnival (Mar 17, 2015)

VC are you hunting in southern oklahoma ?


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Vc and or iwonagain, I would be willing to buy some from you since I don't want hunt by myself


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

8balljana: Unfortunately I do not sell my morels - I still have ways to go before I can satisfy some friends/colleagues and family members with their own shares. VC would be more than happy to sell them to you though-Today I'll be heading to my last productive spot but I am not optimistic - the last 2 days have been really a game of luck as most of my usual spots did not produce much: On each day I end up stumbling on a new spot on the way that ended up producing many (yesterday was a small burn area with 6 recently killed elms and the day before a medium sized cedar patch on the side of the road.) Go figure !


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## rockchalk89 (Jan 6, 2015)

I have only found 2 small yellows up here near Tulsa. Anyone finding them in NW OK? Guessing even if you are, they are not plentiful...sigh.


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## tickseed (Mar 27, 2015)

Does anybody know if crosstimber habitat produces morels?

The crosstimbers are the native scrubby forest found mostly in OK.
Because of the scrubbiness, they held little timber value allowing 
some of it to miraculously survive today as a unique type of old-growth forest.

I wanna do a little hiking in some of this habitat and it would be great to also find some shrooms too.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

The cross Timbers are where all but 1 of my shrooming spots are, and all the shrooms iv found in the past years have been in the cross tembers


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## santa shroom (Jan 23, 2013)

Found a mess of yellers yesterday, here in Sand Springs. Found about 10 BIG Reds all close together, thats a first for me to find them that close. With this rain I am expecting big hauls today and tomorrow. Happy Easter and good hunting.


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## shroombandit63 (Mar 8, 2015)

The cross timbers area produces morels, as that is where I find the majority of mine. I agree that elms, cedar, and cottonwoods are great places to find them. I also find just about as many in the green briars, sumac and poison ivy. That type of habitat is difficult to hunt, but often pays great dividends when you find them.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Finally quit misting so decided to go out. Found 102 or 106 keepers (forgot exactly how many) came out to 3lbs. Just starting to find the greys in the deep woods. Been finding quit a few doubles to.

most of em were in clusters like this and most within about 50 feet of each other.
 
 
One found yesterday, It couldn't push through the leaves so it just flattened out



Now for my rant, To who ever has been trespassing, STAY OFF!!!!! If your to darn lazy to go ask for permission then stay off. I found your tracks and The bases where you have been picking, luckily you didn't find all of them. But know that I know that you have been in there ill be stopping and checking more often if not daily. 

Edit - Today and Yesterdays have been found in Pontotoc county


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## oldguy (Mar 25, 2015)

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;site=imghp&amp;tbm=isch&amp;source=hp&amp;biw=1600&amp;bih=751&amp;q=yapple&amp;oq=yapple&amp;gs_l=img.3..0l5j0i24l2j0i10i24j0i24l2.4323.6325.0.6732.6.6.0.0.0.0.67.378.6.6.0.msedr...0...1ac.1.64.img..0.6.374.8iQMYZ8lTTE#hl=en&amp;tbm=isch&amp;q=mayapple&amp;imgdii=_&amp;imgrc=0d3obskJD0P--M%253A%3Bt1I0y7p-IdwZOM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.isledegrande.com%252Fgi-ncnature%252Fmayapplepatch-9.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.isledegrande.com%252Fnaturepage04-v3.htm%3B648%3B486


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Today was my best hunting ever: We gathered ~400 morels in ~ 4 hours (totaling above 20 lbs). Some as as large a softballs. We found two magic spots: one had over 100 morels and the other near 80. What a day !!!   
All the morels:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7321_zpspbuh3vzs.jpg
My part of the bounty (~ 250 morels):
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7328_zpshe8yjkyr.jpg
The largest specimens:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7333_zpsa2atrzp0.jpg


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Nice job iwon, been a few years since iv found that many at once. What kind of habitat were they in? So far I'd say about 90% iv found have been on the edges and where they can get a lot of direct sunlight.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

OSH: One magic spot was around a large dying elm surrounded by a patch of plum thickets and the other was around a red cedar on top of a mini creek - All those large conic grey morels were in between a large cedar and some briars growing literally in the grass. When I climbed that mini creek/ditch and looked over the grassy area I simply could not believe what I saw! I should have taken a video but did not bring my camera as I was not very optimistic (as stated yesterday)...nice job too by the way


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## ssforager (Mar 30, 2015)

Santa Shroom - we should meet. Found 72 today not counting what I left out there. ss in my login stands for Sand Springs. 

Lwon - big ones!!


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## t-rock83 (Apr 6, 2015)

So can any one guide me in the right direction? I'M new to the this and really enjoy the out doors! It's my second season looking and found nothing, i have been looking in the woods north of lake Overholser, there is an abundance of elm and cedar trees! The soil is moist and kinda sandy red in places! Has anyone found any out here or is this even a good location? Can anyone point me in the right direction or maybe some where to look! It's getting quit depressing and aggravating. I won't eat one till I find my own....


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

T-Rock83: Stinchcomb wildlife refuge looks like a promising area (assuming it is public access there)-I'd focus my attention on areas with old growth of cottonwoods and cedars mixed together - especially if one of the cottonwoods is old and/or dying. Always look around downed cottonwoods when mixed within a cedar patch; especially near the base of the tree. Elms produce when they are dying or if they recently died (dead tree with the bark still on) - Also look for elms that have been recently stressed (i.e., loss of large limbs). It is not uncommon to find clusters of yellows around the base of such trees. Good luck !


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Searched for a couple hours this evening in Blaine Co. and found nada............no fungi of any kind. Pretty dry, but way more moisture that here at home farther north.


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## t-rock83 (Apr 6, 2015)

Thanks IWonGain. Good tips and much appreciated. the search will continue


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## santa shroom (Jan 23, 2013)

ssforager, I am west of SS by the Keystone Dam. I can't get around and really hunt like I would like. Back problems. Still get out daily just have to pick my spots. Would love to meet up and try a new place or two.


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## 2232br (Apr 6, 2015)

anyone in NE oklahoma having any luck yet? Im in norther part of adair county Watts area, so far only 2 baby greys found just barely peeking thru the leaves


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

2232br, I'm in NW Wagoner County and have only found 13 yellows so far. My two best spots have yet to produce anything.


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## 2232br (Apr 6, 2015)

Thanks for the update lifelong_morelman, I think I'll give it another day or two before I head out to my honeyhole again, I'll post my update...I think they are just starting as far north as we are.


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

2232br, my picking partner and I are thinking the same thing, since we didn't find ANY old dried up shrooms, or even any stems from others picking.


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## 2232br (Apr 6, 2015)

lifelong...do you know what kinda effect this cold spell will have on them?


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## sstallcup (Mar 28, 2015)

Please unsubscribe me


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## ndwoods (Mar 7, 2013)

I picked a good mess Friday after work near Pretty water. I left dozens to grow so im anxious to get back at it!!


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

2232br, I'm not real sure, honestly. I don't think it'll be good though. On the positive side though, we got some good rain here yesterday and overnight and it's supposed to be around 80 for the next 3 days, so I bet to later this week will be awesome!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Here is a 'mug shot' of the 6 large yellows I found last week - before I went ahead and dehydrated them. 
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/Screen%20shot%202015-04-06%20at%209.29.54%20AM_zpst46mtyri.png


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Would someone be willing to take me hunting?


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

My biggest one yet, not from this year, from 10ish years ago. Anyone else find them this big?


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## 2232br (Apr 6, 2015)

I found one 2 years ago that just about as big as that one, not quite as tall but a little more gerth, I cant figure out how to post the pic


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/rico0004/media/20130427_161415_zps3e17466b.jpg.html?sort=3&amp;o=1


found this 1lb monster 3 years ago. Last year found a .80 lb in the same exact spot. This year is looking rough for Ks area.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

The dream of a morel hunter just happened to me this morning whilst grocery shopping ! There was a dead elm sitting right in front of a high traffic public parking lot...when I looked under the tree (of course I could not help it) I could not believe what I saw: 70 + beautiful large morels totaling ~7 lbs !!:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/Screen%20shot%202015-04-06%20at%2012.26.02%20PM_zpso92qpnai.png
View of the bag:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo%205_zpsx2gbaccb.jpg


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Zoom on one cluster:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo%202_zpsyeshiiid.jpg


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

iwonagain, my jealously makes me like you less and less with every post you make... hahaha! You're a LUCKY MAN!!!


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Holy expletive Iwonagain!!! Nice!


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## 2232br (Apr 6, 2015)

Dadgum them are some pretty morels


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Those two shotguns going off about eight this morning was Debbie and I putting the smack of a couple of Grant County long spurred gobblers.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)




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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

A nice yellow found today in Pontotoc County. Trying to post a photo for the first time, hopefully this works.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Well, that failed. Trying one more time. Following the FAQ instructions so not sure whats going on if this doesn't work -


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Good, it worked. Sorry for several posts in a row, but know how to post photos now so shouldn't have to do that again.

Found 40 today, all nice yellows that look to be between one and three days old. I think this area is probably in it's prime. Not a monster haul by any means, but nice production from this area considering past years.

Pontotoc County.


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

My 2 day total....24 lbs

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/001_zpsfladaoum.jpg


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## santa shroom (Jan 23, 2013)

Started hunting at 4:30 finished at 7:15 found 83 nice ones. Also found 2 lbs of TICKS!!!!!!!


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## mmosshipp (Apr 1, 2013)

Found 11 in Nowata county.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

jealous of you guys getting nice hauls! all of my spots have produced terribly this year. if i don't find good ground i may have trouble breaking ten lbs. this season!!!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Only 43 today, all nice yellows weighed around 2lbs probably would have found more but another scumbag was down in my spot :-? To bad he made it back to his vehicle before I got down there would have liked to seen how many he got away with. Once again if you don't have permission please STAY OFF!!!!! Besides Trespassing and ripping the shrooms out of the ground it is a good way to get your self shot around here. Especially since its turkey season.

I got a pic of the first little gray I left its now a decent size yellow. So ill post that tomorrow.

And GJ to you and your wife sapworm on the turkeys. I seen a lot of em yesterday but not a one today lol


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## morel tornado (Mar 21, 2013)

Finally got out for the first time this year and found 52. It was strange because the first 20 or so that I picked were very fresh and small. I also left about a dozen to grow. Later in the evening I found about 30 under one tree and they were quite large and just beginning to dry out.


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## jupiter48 (Apr 7, 2015)

Any information on buyers and prices in the OKC area?


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Well - Jupiter - I'm so frustrated from coming up empty to very little -- that I'm willing to buy.. got any for sale?? Anyone?


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Jupiter 48 I'd be willing to.buy some from you


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## jupiter48 (Apr 7, 2015)

I have some for sale but am not sure of a fair price or how to private message someone here. I am new to this forum.


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Evidently this forum ain't got no private massage function .. so you can email me at filtalr "at" yahoooooooooooo dot come. 

hope you are smarter than the spambots so you can figure out my real address. :wink:


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Email is [email protected]


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## deepforkmorelchef (Mar 10, 2015)

Looking to buy 20 to 40lbs @ 15lb 405-531-6938 name's byron


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Well we found 41 pounds this weekend. I will try to post a pic if I ever get time. Looks like the Ray Charles have come out consistently since Sunday.;-0


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Great job Nate.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)




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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

very nice Nate!!


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Nice haul Nate. I aas wondering if you have made it back to that big tree you found down last year? There were morels everywhere around it in your pictures. I was curious oh how it produced this year under these conditions?


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Ya Rico I did. I found one shroom beside him so far. He died two years ago so probably wont get too many from him this year and then I will probably never get from him after year 3...But if he wouldn't have died he would have never given me that one awesome find!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Nice haul Nate ! We gathered about 550 morels during the week-end (+ 80-90 yesterday with 70-75 under one tree). We found a few morels the size of softballs too. Ray Charles are out but I'd say that this year has been well below average (at least for me). I am sure many here will echo this sentiment. I've also decided not to pick the morels I used to harvest from near the side of the road nor near residential areas as I've read several articles showing that morels in particular tend to absorb and concentrate heavy metals (such as cadmium and lead). The same goes for finds near golf courses as they spray hundreds of gallons of pesticides (e.g., Round up) and fertilizer to keep that grass green...Also morels found in old orchards must be avoided at all costs for the same reason (the soil is contaminated by years of pesticide application). All this just makes our job harder ... bummer !


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

How i spent the morning....Just shy of 6 Lbs

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/001_zpstkdgcusz.jpg


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went for a quick hunt after work: 90-100 morels (and about 200 ticks ! The little devils are now all out):
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7358_zpsz0fsneyt.jpg
Neat mini cluster:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_3370_zpsqk4cknzb.jpg


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## shroomdawg (Apr 10, 2013)

Looks like you won again :lol:


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Can anybody tell me what kind the three on the left are? They look kinda weird.

]


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

The 3 on the left are just very mature morels...almost to the point of crumbling....I am a big fan of Sawyer Permethrin spray....treat your clothes...i always have an under layer on between my treated clothes no matter how hot it is!....not a tick one this season!


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Thanks vc - they seem pliable enough.. and smell fine and like morels should. I've just never seen them shaped like that.


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## jimmy dann (Jan 9, 2015)

Hello Oklahoma, central Pennsylvania shroomer here. GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so much fun seeing the great hauls some of you are bringing in, and I can't wait till its time for us here in the NW to do some harvesting. I had 2 questions for you good people if I may. Is it typical for you all to gather the amounts that you have been this year? (Though I know that it also has to do with dedication, knowledge, and some luck.) And also I have a friend out that way, (center of the western, rectangle-shaped part of OK), who has never hunted or eaten morels (and likes mushrooms and nature). Mainly I was wondering if anybody was still finding them out that way? And, if possible, any quick tips for the area for a person new to morel hunting. Thank you all so much for doing so great at finding those incredible shrooms....And posting the pics. Big thanks to anyone that will help me out with these questions, have a great year and I hope you all find many more.


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## 2232br (Apr 6, 2015)

lifelong_morelman....I found 18 yesterday, all still greys averaging 2-3 inches tall, still kinda tuff to see amongst the sycamore leaves


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## missourishroommate (Oct 17, 2012)

vc, congrats on another nice start! 

I spend at least 24 hrs in the woods every week for 10 weeks each year. Not including summer and fall shrooms. I too use Sawyer and wear two layers of socks, pants, and shirt along with gloves and a hat with side flaps. I also re-treat on my boots with Permanone as I head into the woods each time. It does get hot but I get no chiggers, ticks, or mosquitoes. I am also very allergic to poison ivy so it helps with that as well. I have had a couple extreme overheating experiences that woke me up to the threat of heat stroke so I have to pay close attention to letting my core cool down at every possibility when temps are over 75. kb and KSShroomHunter helped me get out of the woods on that episode up in Iowa, thanks again guys!

Good luck ShroomMates!
Mitch


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## lifelong_morelman (Apr 11, 2014)

2232br, I went for a quick hunt around my Grandmas pond yesterday, where I found 15 or so yellows last year, only found 1 quarter sized yellow this time...


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## tickseed (Mar 27, 2015)

permethrin seems to be the better way to go it seems compared to deet when it comes to ticks. I got my permethrin at the tractor supply store - concentrate bottle for horses and such. Way cheaper than gettin it at an outdoor shop. I dunno, Ive heard that even permethrin may not always get em though. I better make the spray really strong.


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Finally popping in seminole county!

Doesn't seem like a bumper crop this year


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

//i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer/101_5980_zpsglu5ziuv.jpg[/IMG]//i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer/101_5980_zpsglu5ziuv.jpg[/URL][/img][/url] <a href=""><img src="" alt="" /></a>


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

I'd need to try out this Permethrin Spray as DEET is plainly ineffective against ticks. Thanks for the tip VC. Had to release a squirrel in the woods this morning and found 55 shrooms in just under 20 minutes as I needed to head back to work (had to leave a bunch that were past or grew within 50 feet from the road). They are everywhere folks; go get'em before this heat gets the best of them. I'd say that by next Wed or so the season here in Central OK will likely be nearly over.
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/Screen%20shot%202015-04-08%20at%201.10.31%20PM_zpszbajyu0k.png


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Uh......not everywhere  We've got to have rain. Hopefully some this evening. Had only a little over an inch since Christmas......little over .1 in the last 30 days. I'm shrooming through you all, keep it up!


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer/101_5980_zpsglu5ziuv.jpg Having a time trying to post pics.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Yeah got this one posted anyway. Debbie and I shot these two last night. Now have limits in two county's. If we go again we will have to go to another county.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Here are the birds from opening morning. I hope.


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Great birds sapworm! I'm chasing them with with a sxs blackpowder 12g this year........... it almost happened Monday afternoon!  Seeing lots of birds on several properties.......just need some rain for shrooms up here!!


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

We must be near each other. We have missed every rain this year. Good luck on the birds they are gobbling real good and been seeing them alone in the afternoons.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Yesterdays finds (around 70, 2.75 lbs)
 

The first morel I found this year, compared to last Friday.
 
 

So they do indeed grow


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went for a 30 -35 min hunt after work and found ~ 100 morels (many of them gorgeous Ray Charles) in a wash under a cedar patch:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7364_zpsybrko9mn.jpg


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

9 lbs for the day!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/001_zps79vsimfs.jpg


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

Want a big stem? stupid big...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/11128846_632434623558148_1056606370_n_zps7qctukpl.jpg


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Clusters are just really nice.



Is it just me or do they seem small this year? I think it's to warm...


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Nice find purple. Not sure, but looks like those could grow more yet. Been looking for a cluster like that all year. Found a few hundred shrooms, but they've pretty much all been rogues, no more than a couple in one spot. That, and all of my recent finds have been on the dried up side. Think my areas are about 5 days past prime (Pontotoc and Johnston counties). 

Off subject, does anyone know what takes the tops off the morels? Every year toward the end of the season, I start finding them with tops cut off - usually looks like a clean cut, not chewed. Always wondered what caused that.


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## wizardscycle (Mar 29, 2014)

sorry booster that would be me, u see I only like the tip of the morel so I leave the rest for the next guy


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Mighty good of you to leave us some wizard. Missed a few though.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Purple_spore: These are small because they were found under a red cedar. Red cedar morels usually grow in mini clusters like that and remain small. I've found many like these this year and the previous year and those look prime for picking. Occasionally some can get larger if the cedar patch is located downstream from a wash with lots of wood debris-Finds in oak stands like the above are isolated in nature with generally small mushrooms. To find the large ones look for a mix of cottonwood and red cedars. Morels can grow pretty large near dead or dying cottonwoods in those sort of environments. The other plus is that dead cottonwood leaves are grey with their morels ranging from dark brown to orange/yellow, making them easy to see from afar - in contrast to oak stands where the orange color of their dead leaves makes it difficult to spot the morels - even larger specimens.


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## benthegrate (Mar 28, 2014)

Buzzed back up to OKC to check the spots I hit last Friday, and my suspicions were correct...my spots just hadn't gotten going yet. Only came back with 2 pounds, but far better than last week. The spot I scouted along the South Canadian which had tons of gyromitras last week yielded a great cluster of small, fresh yellows under red cedar:

 
<em>
(These are actually my favorite morels to eat. The big yellows are exciting to find, but their texture suffers once they get that big. I'm a chef, and my diners far prefer the small, tight, firm young morels to the big, coarse giants.)</em>

And every single dead, standing cottonwood I searched along the Canadian had at least one big yellow beneath it. The giant, old standing dead cottonwoods yielded up to 6 each.

Closer to the city, my trusty ashes were going fairly well and gave me some big, heavy yellows, as did some cedar/juniper:

 

I also spotted a couple of nice big agaricus campestris by the side of the road along the way. This was my last chance to hunt Oklahoma before the season ends...hoping I can get free to get up into the high Ozarks in NW AR before they are gone in early May.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Benthegrate: If you find any mushrooms in close proximity to the road (particularly in ditches and medium-to-high traffic roads) I'd discard those because most, especially morels, absorb heavy doses of heavy metals from the polluted soil there. Yesterday I had to leave about 2 dozen morels that I found within 50 ft from the road. Avoid golf courses, power line and pipeline clearings as well because these areas are sprayed copious amounts of herbicides (retardants or Round Up).


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

The same goes for shrooms found in residential areas as most lawns are sprayed with fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides (mine isn't for sure).


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Found about 150 edible morels after work (photo) &amp; about 80 more that were past (with 3 the size of softballs...ouch... especially knowing that I walked by the area 4 days ago...time when these would have been just prime for picking!) :
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7368_zpstbwrw1al.jpg


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

236 today (4.75lbs) and only got to check a small portion of the property, so gonna go back and try tomorrow. Found quite a few little grays that were under 1/2 inch tall and just starting to come up ( deep in the woods under the cedars) Most greys iv found so far this year.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Heres a pic of one of the small ones, not the best pic but it will do


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## gametamer1 (Apr 7, 2013)

Found 11 morels today in Delaware County (NE OK). After 24 years in the military, it feels great to get out there and find them again.


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## ksmorelhunter (Apr 24, 2013)

Okie Shroom Hunter, those are some fine looking morels! What part of the state are you having luck in if you don't mind sharing. Best of luck for continued success!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Pontotoc County


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## oldguy (Mar 25, 2015)

what size cedars are you finding them by, could someone post a pic of a productive cedar. I moved here from Wisconsin in 1982 and have hunted by elms, am not familiar with cedar habitat, any help?


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## ksmushroomlady (Apr 10, 2015)

Loving the pics and updates of everyone's finds! I buy morels and pay cash, call/text/email for current price (better than most!) 7853646460


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

OK S. H. : Nice find ! Yesterday I found about the same amount, but 'only' 150 out of the 230 morels were deemed edible (the rest were either left behind of dumped in a slurry for my Elm in the backyard). I also found most of the fresh ones under cedar patches. Since you found many more babies, I am wondering if you found those on east facing slopes - where the afternoon sun would not cook them (and, thus, keep the soil cooler). Yesterday almost all the morels I found on west facing slopes were past - 3 of them being the size of softballs (that hurt !). Will go perhaps a last time tonight as I've gathered way more morels that my fridge or my drier can handle lol (1700-1750 morels for the season so far) - I've already given away ~400 of these. Cheers,


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

The babies were on the east side of a creek with a very very slight slope to the west. Gonna head and try the west side.

And only 630 keepers so far this season :lol: so at this point Im just hopping to beat last years finds ( 865 or something like that) Still have 2 spots I haven't even got to check yet so hoppin thell have quite a few up.


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Finally found my first of 2015 here in ks. Two nice blondes about 4" tall. Looked liked they had been up 4-5 days. Was really sad to see my best honey hole was bulldozed for new land development. As if this season wasn't all ready bad enough with the lack of rain. Going to have to find some new locations...


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Although the season hasn't been that bad in Central OK, I had two of my best spots completely cleared out by a gas company - not only the area has been fenced off (and privatized) but the wooded land downstream is not safe for picking anymore because they sprayed gallons of herbicides and retardants along the clearing, which likely contaminated the soil downstream from the rains' run off. A 30 yr animation from NASA zoomed over many large cities in the world shows that in many cities across the US (e.g., Dallas), thousands of acres of woodlands are being cleared on a yearly basis for cookie-cutter housing development (which also translates in more cars on the road) - or as I called them the 'cardboard mushroom houses'. Truly frightening.


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

Ok, I have to face facts, I couldn't find a morel mushroom if someone was pointing to it for me. A close friend at work gave me around 8 or 9 this week and I put them in the fridge until this weekend when I can cook them for my son and me. I would not doubt if they are forever lost in my refrigerator now. Here is my plea. I live in Shawnee and am seeing you guys having great finds. Is there anyone somewhat close to this area that would be willing to sell me a couple pounds reasonably so my kid and I can have 1 good meal of them this year. I can't afford 50 bucks or so for this delicacy but I can pay you some and meet you where ever is convenient for you. I work at Tinker and will be there until 1:30 tomorrow. If anyone can help please let me know, my name is Greg. [email protected]


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Notskeard - here's a link to craiglist sellers - one is in Tecumseh and a couple in Midwest City ...

http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/search/sss?sort=date&amp;query=morel


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## notskeard (Apr 21, 2013)

thanks filtar, made one contact, will wait a hour or so and try another. Wouldn't be surprised if I can't even find a seller.


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

Sent ya an email Notskered.


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## oldguy (Mar 25, 2015)

no one wants to post a pic of a cedar that produces, just asking for a little help


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Went back to the same property and found 137 more keepers, had to leave some that were to old but also had to leave quite a few more baby greys even smaller than the yesterday's ( under more cedars) About 75 greys in a cedar patch with a dead cottonwood stump on the side, only took around 50 the rest were way to small.
 

Oldguy ill upload a pic/video of what it looked liked where Iv been finding them tomorrow when I can do it from the computer if it would help you.


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Odd - I always heard greys came before yellows. And Oldguy - don't have a pic - but found some small to medium greys yesterday in between four mid-sized (10 to 12ft) cedars on a Western facing slope .. right smack in between them in the "needle-mush". Nothing outside them ... but as always "your mileage may vary".


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Yep started off finding yellows and now the grays :lol: also not sure if anyone else has but most of the yellows have been solos with the grays being in multiple clusters within a small area


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Morel still eluding us up here in the usual spots...........not finding any new places either.

Chasing turkey has been more productive  Got it done this afternoon Sapwood!


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

#never stop shrooming# - Found 150 keepers this afternoon after work (and about 80 more that were past and left behind) exploring a new spot ! Looks like I can append another honey hole to my list 
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7370_zpsapagg8aa.jpg


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Iwonagain . yep you win again. What county are you finding your bounty in? Just wondering if it is getting close to past prime here in mid OK county.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Filtalr: All in the Central OK area: McClain, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Grady, Canadian and Oklahoma counties. After close inspection of the 150 in the pic, about 30 more had to be 'slurried' as thy contained little worms and large colonies of springtails inside. I'd say that the season here is about to end in a few days (as I doubt the new rains will trigger a decent new batch). Most of the good finds were under cedars in rather dark areas in washes: When one can see evidence of water run off in the leaves and cedars nearby (and some wood debris), it is generally a good sign.


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## sapworm7979 (Mar 8, 2013)

Nice bird OkBob! Pretty slick fowling piece you got laying in your lap. Good job.


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

Only 6 lbs half a day yesterday and half a day today....Most were very very fresh still

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/001_zpsexmnyoda.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/VCoo71/003_zpscr8ww5u9.jpg


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Only 3 today with only 1 being edible :lol: others were to old.

Heres some pics of the cedar patches (few mixed with elm and others)
 
 
 

Definitely not the best pics but oh well


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Last few shrooms of the season from a quick 1h30 hunt - found about 60-80 that were past including ~25 large ones all rotten around one dead tree...ouch - OK SH the area I found these is very similar to mine  but darker and with briars and thousands of spider webs - close to 2000 morels for the season ! not bad  :
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7377_zps3kglvrwp.jpg


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

It was darker had to turn up the exposer or you wouldn't be able to tell anything. And with exception to the last pic it just the general area. Where the grays have been Iv had to literally get on my hands and knees. And crawl to be able to get to them.


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## purple_spore (Apr 15, 2014)

Found some massive half dried up ones today. This has been a weird season. I've seen many at the base of living trees. A got about a third as last year from my known patches.

OSH: are you sure those aren't black morels in the center?

Those are huge vc!!


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Purple spore - There grays, iv been using an outdated camera so that's why the pics have t been very good. Iv only found blacks 1 year in 1 spot and they've never came back. Also most iv talked to have agreed it has been a strange year and I myself have been finding quit a few literally coming up right at the base of some living trees.

Nate- have you been out anymore? Luke how bout you? And Mitch did you make it down this year ?


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i wonder if the dwindling morel season will be revitalized with this moisture and cooler temps we are expecting this week? may be too late further south but i think NE oklahoma may still have good hunting for a week or two.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

I think that Central OK is pretty much toast - except for maybe a few spots in very dark and moist areas mainly facing east. I've gathered near 2000 morels this season and am pretty satisfied with my bounty despite a rather slow and hectic start - With the moist and mild winter we had, I remain somewhat puzzled by the fact that this season was not a bumper crop. I blame the many mid 80's and humid days we had right after the first Spring rains - + no real 'soaker' of rain events (i.e., 1.25 inch+) over a wide area. Perhaps only hard rains and cooler temps right when morels are expected to come out is what really matter? Last year, this is exactly what happened: The winter was dry and cold but we had one major rain event (a cold front) with rainfall amounts near 0.5 inch in early April - after that morels grew everywhere...NE OK for sure has at least a good week to go (particularly with the expected rains).


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

iwonagain, i'm starting to think the same thing. i used to think fall and winter precip were also very important but if that's true a lot of places should have been loaded this year and just weren't. it's a huge bummer when all your best spots in three counties fail to produce two springs in a row


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## oldguy (Mar 25, 2015)

thanks for the cedar tips and pics


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

finally found somebody to take me with him since I was his good luck charm we found a hundred thirteen trying to post pictures


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Ok so how do I post the pic I have uploaded to photo bucket


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## jack (Oct 17, 2012)

8balljana, Join Photobucket, then from Photobucket copy the HTML Code and paste it to your comment. Photobucket works the best. 

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







</a>


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

Here's a picture of the 113 we found today


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)




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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

8balljana: That is very good for a start ! I see at least 20 to 25 in this pic that should be discarded: Usually when the foot becomes as wide as the 'hat' and the holes shallow, the mushroom is past - they should have a smell resembling wet cardboard. Also: Small greys when decaying tend to have those brown spots/blemishes appearing all over: When you'll cut the morel you'll likely see worm trails and/or colonies of springtails inside (maybe extra proteins ?  ). Nonetheless there are plenty good ones ready for a veggie soup and/or butter sauteed with salt and pepper paired with home made white/rye bread (this was part of my breakfast today):
Morchellica: Yes indeed ! Luckily, I had plenty of back up spots to look into and even found 3 extra honey holes to append to my list  -It is always interesting to see which spots/trees/slope exposure etc produce first/last-Morel foraging truly is a detective game ! 
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7379_zpspno7p25i.jpg


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## goshawk75 (Oct 29, 2012)

Just curious iwo, was that pic taken before or after you ate that?


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

13 keepers today with many that were to old to pick, had a group of around 12 large ones that were to old with the biggest having a circumference of 11 1/2 in, at the base. Yep winding down here in central/southern ok but will still find some fresh ones down deep in the woods


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

are these edible?


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

and are these edible?


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

8balljana, they may be edible but why the hell would you eat those when you got all those morels??!!!


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

Does anyone think this rain that hit Ada area hard has any chance to pop more? my instincts tell me no but I've only been hunting 2 years now.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

stonemorels, i think it's a possibility, especially in deep thick woods. a few years ago perfect morel conditions persisted and people were picking them well into may.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Since some baby grays were still coming up deep in the woods you still may have some coming up down there.


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Hi All
I ran into an old timer in OK last weekend. He told me he can keep morels fresh for over a month. By submerging the morels in water and keeping them in the fridge? Has anyone ever tried this methood.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Perhaps some new ones might appear in dense cedar patches - east and/or north facing slopes. I wished these rains would have manifested themselves 10 days ago !


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## mknowlton (Apr 1, 2015)

Ricomorelo, Yes I have tried that, No it is not a good idea.
Leaving your morels soaking will leave you with mush within 6 hours.
Freezing them is a much better idea.

Something we do with shiitakes to keep them fresh for a long time is to put them in a container of CO2 (or Nitrogen) gas at around 35 degrees farenheight. Has anyone tried this with morels? I would be very interested in the results.

What methods are there for storing morels?


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Ricomorelo: doing so (or any soaking for a long period of time - i.e., &gt; 5 min) will ruin their delicate nutty flavor. The best way to conserve them is dehydration - this process also removes the undesirable dwellers (insects) and the toxins naturally occurring in the fresh morels. Dehydrating them also concentrates their flavor, which truly comes to light when they are revived in milk or cream. Morels can be kept fresh a max of 2 weeks in a cool dry place. Also rules #1: never eat morel raw and never fry them.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Hey Okie, Yeah I've been out. Staying too busy to post much. Usually working or going to soccer of baseball practice with one of the three boys. So every free minute I get I spend in the woods. I've even flash lighted a few this year. I have been having about an average season. I thought this past weekend was going to be the best weekend of the season. It might have been for some people. I tried 3 of my best spots and someone had beat me to all of them. I knew I should hit them earlier, but couldn't find time. I still managed to find about 3 pounds on Friday, 4 pounds on Saturday and about 15 on sunday. I didn't have a full day to hunt any of those days. I think that farther east in the state is still going strong. My spots closer to OKC area seemed like almost everything was old. It also seemed like the soil was more dry on average. So I think central Oklahoma will still have plenty to pick for the next week or two not that there is widespread moisture and cooler temps. Good luck everyone.


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## nate (Nov 27, 2012)

Also I was wondering. Has anyone ever seen a black panther in Oklahoma? I am almost positive I saw one while mushroom hunting near a little rocky creek. I heard something and turned just in time to see a black streak for just a bout a second before it entered into a large hallow log. I mean a huge log, bigger than when I make a circle with my arms and touch my fingers together. I stared at the log for a second and it poked its head out at me few times. Not all the way out of the log but just enough so I could partially make it out. Looked like a cat to me, but jet black and larger. I jumped on the log and beat it with a stick, but to my relief I couldn't scare it out. I then looked at some of dirt on the path I suspected it would have had to been using if it was going to the log and seen a track similar to a raccoon's front paw but bigger. It was dry so I couldn't get as good of a look at the track as I wanted. Later by accident about an eighth of a mile away. I saw some kind of feces that I have never noticed in the woods before. It was jet black itself about the diameter of my middle finger. One longer piece about 7 inches with a shorter piece about 3 inches laying neatly beside each other. I have looked online and both the feces and the print look like they could be from one. Most people believe they are a jaguar once indigenous to the southern plains and the south including Florida. Their range now is basically mexico down through S. America but they were frequent in Arizona and other southern states before the last few were killed by hunters in the 70's or so. Some people think with the growing deer populations they are migrating back, some people think they have been here all along, some say they are just over grown domestic cats, and some think they are just exotic pets that have escaped. No matter the reason if a few of the animals made it here we have more than enough wildlife and forest to suit their needs. The reason some of the Jaguars and leopards over seas appear black is just a rare thing that happens supposedly. There have been no proven cases of cougars displaying this trait. Interesting stuff. I am going to set up a game cam today were I saw the thing go in the log. Online it says they seek large hollow logs and caves to have their young in the spring. if this is the case I should have a shot of snapping an image of it coming or going. We will see.


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## jfriedemann1 (May 1, 2013)

When I was a teenager in Stillwater my mother and I saw one (or at least a black cat the size of a large dog). To this day we swear we saw a black panther even though many, including my beloved wife, have made fun of us for claiming so. I personally think it may have been a jaguar. I've read that they've caught some on camera in Texas using motion detection cameras. The assumption is that they're migrating from Mexico. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume they've extended their range northward.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

hahaha, nate, you are one brave man, lol. from my understanding, the furthest north documented jaguar was at the ok/tx border and i'm pretty sure that was in the the 1800s. cougars don't have a melanistic phase so it can only be a jaguar or a jaguarundi. i kind of think it's more likely the latter but you never know. us okies that are in the woods a lot understand that oklahoma has some pretty dense forests. i've only seen one bobcat on foot and they are everywhere. now think of a cat that's rare. plus i know of a ranch in the arbuckles that has game cam photos of melanistic jaguarundis and in s.w. woodhouses a naturalist in oklahoma (1849-1850) he observed more jaguarundis in oklahoma than bobcats. my two cents.


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## morelbooster (Mar 24, 2015)

Absolutely there are - http://m.newson6.com/story.aspx?story=15941076&amp;catId=112042

The wildlife department confirms a couple of sightings/encounters a year. Every few years there will be a mountain lion sighting flap around Tish. Personally, my wife and I saw one crossing highway at blue river bridge just north of Connerville. No way it was a bobcat, had a tail at least a few feet long, and way sleeker.
http://m.newson6.com/story.aspx?story=15941076&amp;catId=112042


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## 8balljana (Apr 2, 2015)

morchellica Oh the morels will get eaten just found them and wanted to know if the were edible


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## countrygun (Apr 10, 2015)

cougars in these parts (texas oklahoma, arkansas) do not look like your rocky mountain western cougar. They tend to be smaller and darker (can appear black in the shade of forest in dim light). 100 years ago the people around here called them panters and that is how they spelled it, but just a mountain lion. As long as you notice them before they pounce on you, they are really know threat.


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## 4got3ns0ul (Apr 13, 2015)

Anyone from the washington county/ bartlesvile area?


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## ricomorelo (Apr 25, 2013)

Well i think i should have posted before i tried submerging them from Saturday.Actually there all still nice and very firm. Now however i pulled them out of the fridge, and there are 100's of little white larva floating on top of the water? What the heck are they? Do all morels have them? Are they safe to eat, because IDK if there is anyway to possibly get rid of all of them? Now I'm not even sure i want to eat morels ever again? Darn they taste so good....


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

yeah ricomorelo, you probably don't want to eat or hunt morels ever again. i'd be happy to take your hunting spots off your hands.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Hey ricomorelo Its just alittle extra protein  Just think you've been eating all this time and nothing bad has ever happened 

As for the black panthers iv heard of people seeing them here in oklahoma and I think the History channel had something on them a few years ago but iv never personally seen one but it wouldn't surprise me one bit. I know we do have regular mountan lions, we got one that comes around western Pontotoc county every year usually From Fall - Spring. Its an eerie sound when your out at night and hear one scream. It will makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Here was something giving some reports about the Black Panthers - http://texascryptidhunter.blogspot.com/2011/04/black-panther-reported-in-pocasset.html


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

ricomorelo - those are morel embryos ... how do you think shrooms reproduce?? You must have had several females in that batch.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Ironically enough, those little larvae/worms might even be healthier that the morels themselves  -Soil temps are now below 60-58F throughout the state (and probably lower under dense cedar patches) and will probably remain so until tomorrow afternoon - Wonder if this would be long enough for the mycelium to fruit a last small batch of fresh greys in Central OK?...mmmh. I doubt it but it never hurts to hope !


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Interesting article (based on 30 yrs of field research):
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320705004726#


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

10 more Lbs...8 of these picked this morning ...Very fresh still!


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## stone morels (Mar 31, 2014)

What county VC? I found 3 small just popped grays 15 mins east of Ada. In a small cedar thicket around an ash tree.... Maybe isolated spot... Hopefully first risers


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

south of the 40 east of the 35


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

wow vc, those are surprisingly fresh looking for south of 40. just walked a creek in creek county and around lake keystone and for every morel that was still fresh enough to pick there were probably fifteen rotten ones. maybe got a lb; if i would have been five days earlier i would be loaded right now!!! also found my first large clusters of morels the biggest contained twelve or so morels.


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## filtalr (Apr 4, 2015)

Thanks for the approximate area info vc -- means there's still a glimmer of hope here as I am just North of the 40 and East of the 35.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went for a quick look after work (~45 min tops) and found about 45 that were still fresh and about the same amount that were past. Wished I had more time to look around today. Did not see any evidence of a new batch yet. Will try leaving work earlier tomorrow to look in darker spots-Nice haul VC.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Great job vc.
Was busy today and will be tomorrow so gotta wait till Thursday before I can go.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Tonight's treat with my mini bounty today: Morel reduction cream/butter sauce served on spaghetti paired with butter sauteed green beans with red wine/salt and pepper - accompanied by a hoppy beer - life is good :
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7382_zps0loi7mue.jpg


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Went out today with very little expectations and bingo ! 140-150 morels - most quite fresh and found in one small general area  - one additional honey hole appended for the season ! Found about 50-60 more that were past (and left behind) - some quite large.
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7386_zpseiuimb7z.jpg
Most found under dense cedar patches:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_3436_zpsin7ibsec.jpg
largest one of the bounty:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7389_zpsgkrlzgfy.jpg


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Good job iwon
Really hope it don't rain tomorrow afternoon, gotta get out look.


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## 2232br (Apr 6, 2015)

life long _morel man....just wondering how your doing over to the west? I found 39 keepers yesterday, all but 2 were mature yellows, other 2 were nice greys....probly found another 7 or 8 that were to old and past


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i went up near the kansas line yesterday and picked around six lbs, all of which came from full sun and around two fallen trees. i'm happy with my finds but it seems like i could have picked a hundred pounds b/c the area i hunted was a good mile of tornado damage from what looked to be from last year. elms, ashes, sycamores, birch, and oaks completely demolished right down the creek i was hunting. i'm wondering if all my finds were just earlies for that spot b/c i didn't find a thing if there was even a hint of a tree canopy.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Morchellica: Based on my finds yesterday and VC's the day before- which were in the same area (E of I-35 and S of I-40), there still are plenty of spots in town producing fresh morels (with some occasional giants): Just look in thick cedar patches that are located on sloppy terrain. There you'll find nice large fresh greys. The nice thing about dense cedar patches is that when one tree is inoculated it is likely that most trees in the patch are (because the root networks intertwine): Thus you can easily fill a sack of fresh greys if you find such a spot: Other good thing: no ticks there as they do not seem to like needle-only soils  + morels generally are easy to spot + lack of briars.


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

3 more lbs this morning....


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## jodydt (Apr 4, 2014)

If I find some that the edges of the ridges look a little dry is that too far gone?


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

iwonagain, most of my cedar spots are in pawnee county, which until only recently, has received good rains. checked one spot and nothing yet but i think with the possibility of rain over the next couple days plus the warm up, i may have some good hunts ahead of me in the next week or two. there are lots of deer in the area i'm hunting now so i usually pick off about five or six ticks every time i go out. set my all time record a couple weeks ago: 15 ticks on me at one time; luckily i grabbed most of them off before they could get a drink. also, gonna go back to the storm damaged creek near kansas on monday or tuesday and will report what i find!


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## vc (Jan 20, 2013)

Joydt....if i can can give them a good squeeze and they are firm and dont crack/blow up there still good...
Morchellica....I would look in to
https://sawyer.com/products/permethrin-premium-insect-repellent/
Ticks are not to be taken lightly...


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

vc, i may give that a try, i definitely don't want to get anymore. i swear ticks used to not get on me but i'm realizing that i'm usually on my way to alaska by now and i'm not in ok when they get bad. there are no ticks or poison ivy in alaska, but it makes up for it in mosquitoes and devils club.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Morchellica: Let us know what you find up there - I am curious to see how the season unfolds in your neck of the woods. Luckily OK does not have many reports of Lyme disease cases (http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/). However, these little devils still can transmit many other unpleasant diseases. It is always good to ask your wife/family member to scan your entire body 3 to 4 times before and/or after the shower. This year, I only got bitten once (and not all the way through) in the scalp. Also learn how to ID ticks: OK has 3 main species: Dog ticks, Lone Star ticks and the dreaded Deer ticks - The nymph of the Deer tick is the most dangerous as it can transmit Lyme and is very hard to spot. I was told that if you own a pasture, chicken will get rid of ticks on your land rather efficiently as, apparently, they love to feast on those.


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## jodydt (Apr 4, 2014)

If they are real fragilr like that will hurt you to eat? Or will it just not have as good as a taste? I finally found some after alot of searching with no luck and have been craving them for a few years. So, some not quite up to par wont bother me any.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

jodydt: I usually leave them if they starting exhibiting that 'wet cardboard' smell and/or if mold is present. Some morels dry out naturally without apparent signs of decay and can remain fresh inside - but I usually peel off the outer dry/brown-ish layer with a pair of scissors (which can be quite a bit of work but worth it). If they break apart when you pick them and appear brownish and slightly transparent then then usually have that foul 'cardboard' odor. Eating a decaying mushroom is very much similar than consuming a rotting fruit. it won't kill you for sure but the taste won't be there


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Last few 65 fresh shrooms of the season - Found about twice this amount that were past/rotten including some neat clusters...ouch:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7392_zpswyx65cpt.jpg


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Finally got the time to go out and ended up getting 137 (4.25 lbs) Don't know how many ended up leaving cause they were to old. Funny thing was all the little grays I left last week just stayed the same size and turned black and old. Surprised they didn't grow.



Area where around 50 were found


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## shroomdawg (Apr 10, 2013)

Nice haul Okie, Iwonagain you got a recipe for that spaghetti/mushroom dish? That looked mighty fine.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

ShroomDawg: Here goes the recipe for the morel reduction sauce:

A) Reduction sauce (best when morels are dehydrated but also works with fresh morels): 

1) Cut each of them in ~2-3 pieces. If fresh, soak them in salty water for ~ 2-min sec to kill all the little insects (e.g, springtails) - For 2 people I’d use about 25 medium size morels (~3 inch with the foot). Dehydrated morels should be first soaked ('revived') into whole milk for ~10 min.

2) Fill in a small pan with heavy whip cream sauce and 25 g of butter (for 2 ppl maybe 350-400 ml) and place the morel pieces (+milk these were soaked in if originally dehydrated) into the sauce (for fresh morels make sure to remove as much water as possible from the morel pieces). 

3) Add (grinded) ground pepper and sea salt.

4) Let the mix simmer for ~30-40 min at low heat (2-3 out of 10), stir occasionally every 1-2 min or so and add some more cream if necessary.

5) Optional: add one small spoon of white wine (anything will do but sweet wine).

Serve on butter-sauteed asparagus or green beans, oven roasted potatoes, pasta and/or a juicy steak.


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

iwonagain, tried that tonight but with more wine. it was pretty dang good! definitely gonna do it again but if i'm being honest, fried morels are better! i'm going out to the old family farm in pawnee county to hunt tmrw. my grandma sold it after my grampa died but turns out it's a hell of a mushroom hunting spot and i can still get in. seems late in the season but conditions couldn't be better and i have high hopes.


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## okbob (Mar 27, 2013)

Looked for several hours today in far southern KS. It rained Friday morning there, and this morning from 3am until noon. Found shaggy manes everywhere just breaking through the surface. Zero morels.

Someone tell what this is............it was oozing our of every dead tree and from a the ground around dead trees.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Morchellica: Thanks for trying out the recipe - it is important in the above to use whole whip cream and whole butter (not half half etc). If you have a handful of fresh morels left; cut them in half or quarters and try to sautee them in butter for about 10-15 min. Then add salt and pepper and serve with slightly toasted home made white/rye sourdough bread. If you don't have home made bread then white toasts will do.


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## okie shroom hunter (Dec 29, 2012)

Went out for a try today but only got to look for around 20mins before a storm blew in so didn't find a thing.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Found about 30-35 keepers today and about 120-150 rotten ones whilst trying out a new spot-I'll be back there next year for certain !


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

the cedar groves i was going to hunt today no longer exist but i did hunt a lot of creek bottom that was way to grown up to tell if there were morels. i did find a few places where the weeds were still short and found lots of rotten morels and one lone keeper under a cedar tree. i've hunted quite a few cedars in the pawnee county area this last week and didn't really find any morels and i'm for certain i didn't miss them. i'm just wondering if a lot of late morel spots have yet to produce b/c of soil temps being low for such an extended amount of time?


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

This long term cool down + moist soils is getting me wondering about the potential for a late third-fourth batch (with *very* little expectations, however): I have 2 broad theories about morel fruiting: (i) It is a combination of soil temperature and is timed with the awakening of the host tree (sap flows upward) or (ii) only the soil temperature matters. I'd opt for (i) because if (ii) would hold then I do not see any reason why we would not get a second flush in the Fall. Thou shall see !


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## benthegrate (Mar 28, 2014)

<blockquote>Someone tell what this is…………it was oozing our of every dead tree and from a the ground around dead trees.</blockquote> 

Okbob, the second pic is "Wood Ear" fungus...it grows prolifically this time of year when there's a lot of rain and some hot days. It's prized by the Chinese for its texture in soups. (They typically dry it and rehydrate it, which accentuates the crunchy texture.) It doesn't have much flavor, but the texture is excellent. It's also used medicinally as an anti-inflammatory, and research shows it may have anti-cancer properties. I've never seen it growing on the ground...it fruits exclusively on wood, but it could be growing on buried wood. Whatever is in your first pic is pretty old and degraded, but definitely possible that it's Wood Ear.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Benthegrate: Found these a few days ago on a rotting cottonwood log in a cedar forest - Looks like the shitake cousin you found the other day (?) - I left those behind as I only collect morels:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/photo_zpsex0aqbps.jpg


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Last 12 musketeers of the season lol - Found in the Norman area:
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o712/morel101/IMG_7458_zpsm9xfx7pg.jpg


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## benthegrate (Mar 28, 2014)

<blockquote>Looks like the shitake cousin you found the other day (?)</blockquote> 

Yes, those are lepidus lepideus, the "Train Wrecker." They look like giant oysters until you look under them and they have fat stems. As they get older, their gills get a little serrated, and they have a pungent odor, which is how you identify them. They are incredibly delicious! They got their name because way back before railroad ties were creosoted, these would fruit prolifically on the ties in spring and derail entire trains.


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## iwonagain (Mar 14, 2013)

Interesting historical perspective on those mushrooms - Thanks for the info and hope you had a good morel foraging season-I certainly did  ~2400 morels (not counting naturally the 300-400 rotten/past ones I found in the last week or so).


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## morchellica (Feb 18, 2014)

i still may pop my head in a cedar grove or two over the next week in NE OK b/c i don't think it's out of the world of possibility that i may find something. it still feels like this part of the state could have some morels hiding somewhere dark. pretty terrible year, picked shy of 15 lbs, but it was enough to give plenty away and have some good meals.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Iwonagain, I think it is a combination of something. Moisture and soil temp. and the timing of the two. Plus also a little air temp\humidiy factor. I don't know about the tree sap since I hunt mostly dead elm. All I know is that when the time comes and one of those is not right your screwed. We have a saying for that up here in Mo. What's there is there.


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## duke (Mar 1, 2013)

Heading through OK this morning and PM anybody have any Morels for sell between I-40 corridor or north of there? Call 309-883-3057. Thanks!


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