# Merkels 2021



## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

Last night I dreamt I was picking Merkels by a mountain stream. I'm going to take that as a good omen for 2021. Hope it will be as good as the last 2 years. 

Who's ready to hunt?


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## wade (Mar 27, 2017)

barndog said:


> Last night I dreamt I was picking Merkels by a mountain stream. I'm going to take that as a good omen for 2021. Hope it will be as good as the last 2 years.
> 
> Who's ready to hunt?
> View attachment 36914
> View attachment 36914


Good Times..Just Ahead 
We sure do LOVE THE HUNT 🍄🍄🍄🍄🤠


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## wade (Mar 27, 2017)

Hellooooo. VIRGINIA 🤠
Wade here...
Man I've got my woodstove burning 🔥
in the Basement...
Stocked Full of some.. split white ash
Man it's Burn'n HOT 🔥
I'm up here cook'n me some pancakes and I'm Have'n to open the door to cool it off in here some..let'n some fresh air in..








I here on the Radio that we might get a snow today..
And it's made me think that I might like to have maybe 3 or 4 blizzards this winter..we are long long long overdue here in Monroe County Indiana for a big one..
Some folks say a big snow blanket that stays on all winter is one sure key to finding lots of Morels in the spring..
But then I thought 🤔 Hmmm it don't snow that much in Oklahoma or Georgia and they find a lot.
"The Mystery Will Always Be"
and Man..
We All Love this about it, don't We❤🍄👍🏻


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

Last year we had zero snow and a great Morel season. I'm looking forward to another good season. Hope you can make it down to hunt with us.


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

What’s the earliest anyone here has found morels to pick in Va?
For me it was last year, the last week of March


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

I find some blacks at the end of March. They are widely scattered.


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## Bri Morgan (Mar 16, 2019)

Getting excited. They're finding them in KY and TN. Need a bit of warmth and should start popping any week now!


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

Went today after work; found a few bloodroot flowering and some mica cap bundles. 

No morels though, went high and low 1000-1250' above sea level'ish range from creek to hill top. 

Still a good bit of dead leaves, not much green, and didn't see any mayapple yet but daffodils coming up good since last week and with this bout of rain and warm weather coming up I'm expecting to see you all starting to find them soon! 

Good luck all! 








Mica caps


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

I will probably go look Saturday. Looks promising


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

Looks good for this weekend


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## Percy-n-Moo (Mar 28, 2020)

Merkelpicker said:


> Looks good for this weekend


I'm getting excited, I think Ima check out my spot this evening 🤞


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

I am proabably going to check after work also today, you'd really think this weather might kick things off but I'm worried that NC and even SC forums are still not having any luck with people saying the ground cover changes are really behind this year..seems may be the case for us regarding lack of green in the woods at this point.

Fingers crossed though. Rain, warmth, some thunderstorms?? I mean, c'mon right?!


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## Percy-n-Moo (Mar 28, 2020)

Nothing in my spots yet at around 500ft, but oh so close! I can almost smell 'em LOL


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

It was 60 degrees last night and wet. Should find some blacks soon.


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

Went today again, still nothing. 
No mayapple and poplar are just showing signs of budding, may be til later next week with this cold spell coming in? 

Side note, thought I found some leeks but the bulbs seem to round instead of shallot like, and the stalk is coming out from inside an opening of the bulb, any idea what I found? Some sort of wild onion? Lily of valley I've heard doesn't have a bulb and the leaves are too broad for wild garlic?


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## Percy-n-Moo (Mar 28, 2020)

I braved the end of the rain today after work, no morels but did find these guys popping up all over, hope this cold weather doesn't screw things up


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

No morels yet


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## Percy-n-Moo (Mar 28, 2020)

my bro-n-law found this little guy in my parent's backyard this morning (right in the middle of Lynchburg)


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

I haven’t seen any yet. Anyone else find any in Va yet?


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

Checked Friday after work a bit, saw a couple patches of mayapple but that was it. Hoping next few days we will be off to the races.


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## mark (Apr 16, 2015)

Up in Northern VA my area appears to be about a week behind normal. Trees just sprouting now, when typical years Pears and Redbuds are already done blooming. So Id say we are closer to 2 weeks out here.


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

Everything was definitely later this year. Redbuds just blooming good here


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## Randee (May 1, 2018)

Nothing (yet) in southwest Virginia.


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## Hesseltine32 (Apr 8, 2020)

Was in fauquier co this morning and spend a few hours looking but nothings yet. Newer to this and mostly found them in Md. soil on this farm I hunt is a red clay look to it. Anybody know if they will effect them growing there. I found a small patch there two years ago on a oak ridge not the typical poplar sycamore mix where I typically find them. Thought I should find some today but might be a little early still haven’t found any in md yet.


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

That rain last night should make some come up.


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## Bri Morgan (Mar 16, 2019)

Went out today to three known spots in Northern VA and nothing after a couple days of rain. Conditions seem pretty close to last years emergence, maybe a few more days.


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

I found zero today and my neighbor found 1. We are at a high elevation so they should pop this week.


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## mark (Apr 16, 2015)

I looked for about an hour yesterday here and nothing. Conditions were perfect, but no morels yet. Im thinking still cooler ground temps I guess.... maybe around Friday this week they will show up... tulips just starting to bloom, thats my best timing gauge here in NOVA... so has to be soon...


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

I looked for an hour today in a good spot and nothing yet. Seems to be a late season. Mayapples just coming out


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

Found this decent size grey today @ ~1000' elevation in Bedford, a somehow smooshed yellow next to it, and at ~1100' 3-4 small ones about 1" coming through some leaves.
We had mayapple starting last week our elevation and a lot more patches this week after the weekend rain, I think it's getting to be time!









(also had reports from coworkers of some of their family finding good patches of them now also around Bedford area)


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## Percy-n-Moo (Mar 28, 2020)

I found these 7 within 50yds of the ones I found last year, the trees I found the 47 around last season has since been knocked down by a track loader 😡😡 oh well, what can you do!


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## shroomsearcher (Apr 7, 2018)

I'd say that what you can do is hunt around whatever is left of those root systems of the trees that were taken down by the track loader! You could be in store for a couple of years of mother lodes! 

I don't know how long you have been morel hunting, but I think you should have learned this by now. Morels don't really pop in earnest unless they feel threatened. Nothing threatens them like having the tree that they have a mycorrhizal relationship with get knocked down! 

There's no way to know how long it will take the root systems of those trees to rot, but as long as they do, they could prompt morels to flush.


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## Steve"O" (Apr 13, 2020)

Buckingham county, found 3 this morning. Won't be long before they really pop!


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

Not much for me yet I have located eight so far too small to pick


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## Bri Morgan (Mar 16, 2019)

Nothing when I checked yesterday 2 early spots that were heavy at this time last year in Northern VA. Weird year, bloodroot just coming up but Oaks already leafing out. We've had a lot of moisture last week and cool days/nights this week. I saw a few people post pics from this area on morel sightings map though so hears hoping a few days from now.


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

My better spot had some decent sized ones just starting to pop above the leaves, after this next rain coming up in a few days and temps rising back up I'm expecting it to be pretty much regular season time for the area here. We're a few just popping out of the dirt, still the slightest bit early it seems.

Edit: just saw where it supposed to get down to 35* a few nights next week so who knoooows..


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

Finally located about 10 in one spot yesterday but left them for a day or 2
Going to check another spot today


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

Finally on the board


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

I found 2 tiny ones in Giles. Just keeps staying cold here.


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## briggs (May 5, 2016)

Checked some places along the blue ridge parkway that were good to me last year and finally found some! Looks like these had been out for awhile.


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## fiestaman (Mar 27, 2017)

On the board. Time for daily walks.


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

My spot for greys starting to pop pretty good now in Bedford. 









I need a buddy to help show me some big yellow type spots in Bedford /Lynchburg, I'm looking at you Percy-n-Moo! Haha, I live in Forest and my birthday is next weekend, make my morel wishes come true pleaaase

First ones that aren't just poking above leaves for me. 









The rest were a classic game of where's Waldo.


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## mark (Apr 16, 2015)

Nothing yet for me. Checked 4 of my prime spots on Sunday and not a one. This small stream usually aways produces them on the banks, nothing I could find and the undergrowth is taking off so in a week, they’ll be difficult to see.


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## Bri Morgan (Mar 16, 2019)

I had found a few Sunday and Monday but it hasn't rained in a week now and nothing new is popping up at all. I seriously hope it rains soon. Today's front didn't drop anything.


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

I don't know if I have ever seen it this late a season. Its snowing at my house right now.


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

I found another mess yesterday most were ones I had left on Sunday.


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

This cold weather put a damper on anyone's progress, or still popping up some / worth going to check this weekend?


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

Nobody out my way has found many. I found 2 last Saturday. Last couple nights was 30 or lower and blowing snow. Hope the rain and warm forecast for this week helps. Worst season in my memory.


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

barndog said:


> Nobody out my way has found many. I found 2 last Saturday. Last couple nights was 30 or lower and blowing snow. Hope the rain and warm forecast for this week helps. Worst season in my memory.


Yeah barndog 
its been slow here as well. They were late and not very numerous. They are fickle


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## Bri Morgan (Mar 16, 2019)

I walked a 1 mile section of what is normally a prolific area. Found 6. Last year this time I was finding 50 plus per walk every other day. My 3 other spots haven't produced at all yet. We had almost an inch of rain Saturday but temps are supposed to skyrocket this week to upper 80s .. Not sure if this season will be a bust or just late


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## Merkelpicker (Apr 28, 2018)

I went this morning and found 10 or so. Not much to brag about. Most are big ones though.
Found some ginseng too so that’s a bonus


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

Found 4 small ones Sunday. This warm weather should pop some now.


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

Finally had some rain and warm days. Found a few. Giles county.


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## barndog (Apr 26, 2016)

Time for some Merkel pizza!


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

Nice lookin pies! I made a couple but seems to be all ill be getting this year maybe, went past few days and my spots aren't producing anymore. Likely didn't even find a 1/4 of what I pulled out those woods last year, and it's so green in Bedford my elevation now.


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## Bri Morgan (Mar 16, 2019)

I haven't been out in about 5 days since nothing was popping in my spots and it was pretty dry but we got a fair amount of rain over the last couple days so I am going to check today. My worry was the HEAT will have stopped things. This week its cooling down into the 40s at night and 60s daytime though. Any chance these spots that didn't pop at all do a late appearance in your alls opinion. This is my 3rd season so not a lot of history to work with. I think I have only found about 40-50 thumb sized ones this year total vs 11 lbs last year


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## Turtle (Mar 10, 2020)

I'm in the same boat as you Rick, went out 3 days last week after the temps rose and came back with nothing, and got very few compared to lady year overall. I'd be curious if you find any new ones as I was thinking of doing the same but kind of gave up as the forum went stagnant.


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