# Sticky  2022 Season Hunt Like Your Dying



## kb

Its March. Time to start watching the rain and other forums to the south. In my 6th decade that title really means something.


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## april_blake

kb said:


> Its March. Time to start watching the rain and other forums to the south. In my 6th decade that title really means something.


I'm waiting eagerly in West Virginia!


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## wade

kb said:


> Its March. Time to start watching the rain and other forums to the south. In my 6th decade that title really means something.


Thank You Brother @kb
For getting us on Our way into the Wood Together on here in Our 2022 Season.
I know Many of Us are right in that 6th decade with You...or close to it..
I'm 59 this April 14th 2022... we have Always found Morels on my Birthday..
So Hunt Like Your Dying.... yep it has crossed my mind, Beginning just a few years back.
I took thoughts of this.
How many more Spring Morel seasons might I see.. before I Die... maybe 2 or more years.. maybe 5 more years, that would mean I only get to Hunt My Favorite Morel spots 2 more times or 5 more or 10 or 17 or 23 more seasons..
We don't Know.
Hunt Like Your Dying... 
🤠👍🏻 yep I'm Feeling it Like that.


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## april_blake

kb said:


> Its March. Time to start watching the rain and other forums to the south. In my 6th decade that title really means something.


I noticed I'm in the wrong states forum but that's ok 😂 we all love morels. I have several good spots I'll be keeping an eye on


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## april_blake

april_blake said:


> I noticed I'm in the wrong states forum but that's ok 😂 we all love morels. I have several good spots I'll be keeping an eye on


I usually find them around here in mid March about the 15th or so and all of April


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## r0ck3m333

Feel sorry for the shroomers down south where all that cold is going to claim their first pop. Things are really starting to shape up for us here in Missouri. I say we hunt the morels like THEY are dying😁


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## april_blake

r0ck3m333 said:


> Feel sorry for the shroomers down south where all that cold is going to claim their first pop. Things are really starting to shape up for us here in Missouri. I say we hunt the morels like THEY are dying😁


😂 What a coincidence! Words to that effect just left my mouth not even 10 minutes ago. I had high hopes on Friday and today they are crushed.


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## r0ck3m333

We all need to keep an eye out for that first black morel pop. Mfers are tricky to time correctly. This includes any species of half-free morel showing their faces as well.


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## r0ck3m333

If the weather holds true we are looking for a Whopper early season late March


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> If the weather holds true we are looking for a Whopper early season late March


That would be Nice🤠


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## shroomsearcher

wade said:


> Thank You Brother @kb
> For getting us on Our way into the Wood Together on here in Our 2022 Season.
> I know Many of Us are right in that 6th decade with You...or close to it..
> I'm 59 this April 14th 2022... we have Always found Morels on my Birthday..
> So Hunt Like Your Dying.... yep it has crossed my mind, Beginning just a few years back.
> I took thoughts of this.
> How many more Spring Morel seasons might I see.. before I Die... maybe 2 or more years.. maybe 5 more years, that would mean I only get to Hunt My Favorite Morel spots 2 more times or 5 more or 10 or 17 or 23 more seasons..
> We don't Know.
> Hunt Like Your Dying...
> 🤠👍🏻 yep I'm Feeling it Like that.


Quotes like this remind me of the "Don Juan" books written by Carlos Castaneda. One of the things that Don Juan, a Yaqui (Mexican native American) mystic would tell him, was that he (Castaneda) lived like he had all the time in the world! When he did not! My Mom kind of lived Don Juan's way. I was still living at home when I had the chance to accompany a buddy on a drive out to Denver, CO. He had moved there, and came home for the holidays to buy a car from his Mom, and tote more of his stuff out there, and didn't want to make that drive alone again! So, I asked.

My Mom told me that whenever you get the chance to go somewhere, see, or experience, something unique, you should do it! You never know when you might get that chance again!


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## r0ck3m333

Kind of off topic but who here has been told to stop hunting morels for the day and go home just to find another couple hundred Morels on the way back to the car


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## Canofveggies

r0ck3m333 said:


> Kind of off topic but who here has been told to stop hunting morels for the day and go home just to find another couple hundred Morels on the way back to the car


5 years ago I was out shroomin and put in a heck of a shift, hiked about 6 miles and only had 1/2 a dozen morels in my bag. I ran into a few others who were having the same kind of luck; "oh its still too early for a big haul" they said. Well when I hit the trail to head back to the parking lot I got that feeling and decided to walk off the trail, not 5 feet off the main trail there was a forest of BIG greys, not hundreds but I definitely picked 60+ morels all while right next to trail the other guys walked in on too. 

On another note; Jan 1 2022 I had my first morel picking dream of the year. What a way to start off the new year!! I believe that is a very good sign.


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## r0ck3m333

When all the normals and regular start begging me to go back home usually when the sun is either set already or about to it just adds more fuel to my fire and it's kind of creepy but the big piles are usually right near the f**** car where you started LOL. You would be very surprised at how many mushrooms people miss within the first hundred yards. Quick let's dive in and go to the honey hole that I know that's way back here and miss all the easy Morels!


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## kb

Never hurts to walk off the beaten path in anything in life, and give a little more effort. Don't know if I can do the dawn to dusk like I used to, at least not consecutive days, but like any addict when the morels are there its not hard to keep going. Still got a few good years in me I hope, but tomorrow is not a given so I'l ljust give it the best I can and let the cards fall where they may. Hope everyone hits a motherload or 5 this year. I think I have been on this board close to 20 years now and am looking forward to hearing how everyone's year is going. It does look like most of Mo. except the far NW corner, which is me, is doing well on precip. These last 2 snows have helped. Areas west of me in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma could sure use a drink or 2 however. "Nobody wins afraid of losing, the hard roads are the ones worth choosing" Chris Stapleton. He kind of sums up the morel hunt. If you don't go, you will never know. And giving up after a couple of hours is never going to get you much. Happy picking dudes and enjoy the hunt along the way.


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## r0ck3m333

"If you ain't first, you're last." - Ricky Bobby


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## shroomsearcher

r0ck3m333 said:


> Kind of off topic but who here has been told to stop hunting morels for the day and go home just to find another couple hundred Morels on the way back to the car


NOBODY tells me to stop hunting morels. Hope springs eternal! Actually, the only things that tells me to stop hunting are my knees, which are pretty well shot! I am going to explore the possibility that CBD might help remedy that situation!


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## r0ck3m333

Alright folks me and my boy going to scout for other delicious edible shrooms today in KC. Maybe some oysters or lions mane if the gods will it😀 today last year we found our first batch of morels of the season and it screwed the rest of the whole season up let's hope that doesn't happen again lol


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## Inthewild

r0ck3m333 said:


> Alright folks me and my boy going to scout for other delicious edible shrooms today in KC. Maybe some oysters or lions mane if the gods will it😀 today last year we found our first batch of morels of the season and it screwed the rest of the whole season up let's hope that doesn't happen again lol


rOck, I don't member bad seasons, all the others are just gooder ones! Go get'em. Enjoy


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## kb

shroomsearcher said:


> NOBODY tells me to stop hunting morels. Hope springs eternal! Actually, the only things that tells me to stop hunting are my knees, which are pretty well shot! I am going to explore the possibility that CBD might help remedy that situation!


I hear you on the knees, and will spot you the hips. Last year stopped to fill up on a long drive home after walking all day. I had been driving a coupe of hours. I literally had to use the car to walk myself around to get to the pump my hips were so tight and sore. Granted it was after multiple days and a lot of driving. But I had to look pretty pathetic to anyone watching me hobble around. Thank God I had picked something to show for it. I know some folks who swear by the CDB. Never seemed to make a difference to me but it's worth a shot. Once knees get to bone on bone only the saw can help. Someday they will have a way to regenerate the cartilage. Any beginners out there looking to learn tree identifications now is a great time in N. Mo. The soft maple and elm are about the only trees showing anything growing for the next week or so. The live elms are putting on dark reddish brown seeds now. Use that to study the bark and limb structure so you can pick elm out of the forest from a distance or driving by. If they have all the bark and no seeds you got a real winner most likely.


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## r0ck3m333

Or you can use my Technique we use in Kansas City find the homeless camps and stuff that looks like it can hurt you


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## shroomsearcher

kb said:


> I hear you on the knees, and will spot you the hips. Last year stopped to fill up on a long drive home after walking all day. I had been driving a coupe of hours. I literally had to use the car to walk myself around to get to the pump my hips were so tight and sore. Granted it was after multiple days and a lot of driving. But I had to look pretty pathetic to anyone watching me hobble around. Thank God I had picked something to show for it. I know some folks who swear by the CDB. Never seemed to make a difference to me but it's worth a shot. Once knees get to bone on bone only the saw can help. Someday they will have a way to regenerate the cartilage. Any beginners out there looking to learn tree identifications now is a great time in N. Mo. The soft maple and elm are about the only trees showing anything growing for the next week or so. The live elms are putting on dark reddish brown seeds now. Use that to study the bark and limb structure so you can pick elm out of the forest from a distance or driving by. If they have all the bark and no seeds you got a real winner most likely.


Of course, sometimes things can get better! Forgot to mention that I got my cataracts done in February, and have my last post-op visit this Thursday. Distance vision is corrected from extremely near sighted to 20/20! So, I'll be able to spot those little buggers like crazy! I will have to be careful though. Some of the places I get into are pretty "eye pokey"!


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## r0ck3m333

First confirmed find in Missouri McDonald County it's on boys it was a young Morel but not a fresh baby looked to me like it had some days of growth on it and was beginning to turn yellow. This season's going to throw a few people off I can already tell.


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## Heaven Lentine

wade said:


> Thank You Brother @kb
> For getting us on Our way into the Wood Together on here in Our 2022 Season.
> I know Many of Us are right in that 6th decade with You...or close to it..
> I'm 59 this April 14th 2022... we have Always found Morels on my Birthday..
> So Hunt Like Your Dying.... yep it has crossed my mind, Beginning just a few years back.
> I took thoughts of this.
> How many more Spring Morel seasons might I see.. before I Die... maybe 2 or more years.. maybe 5 more years, that would mean I only get to Hunt My Favorite Morel spots 2 more times or 5 more or 10 or 17 or 23 more seasons..
> We don't Know.
> Hunt Like Your Dying...
> 🤠👍🏻 yep I'm Feeling it Like that.


^This is beautifully put. Right on ya, man. And Happy Hunting this year, as well as many more to come. 🍄🍄💜🍄🍄


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## Heaven Lentine

r0ck3m333 said:


> First confirmed find in Missouri McDonald County it's on boys it was a young Morel but not a fresh baby looked to me like it had some days of growth on it and was beginning to turn yellow. This season's going to throw a few people off I can already tell.


This season is going to be different all over the country, I believe. Weather/seasons have been so fu**ed this year. 🤦‍♀️


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## Carter Fulp

kb said:


> Its March. Time to start watching the rain and other forums to the south. In my 6th decade that title really means something.


In my 7th , means I'm frustrated a lot , but have had some unbelievable times . My son was about 6 I knew a grown over, broken down orchard . I saw them from 100ft away , I kept bump steering him until we were on top of them . I have never seen a clump of big yellars . 18 of them touching at the base .tops all bigger than your fist,stems 3inches. The next year a subdivision stood there.


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## shroomsearcher

This sounds like a lot of the rabbit hunting spots that we had as kids! We didn't know crap about shrooms back then, but we knew bunnies and where they lived. And my buddy had a beagle. We'd go out there a year later and find a trailer park!


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## r0ck3m333

Sometimes my stretch of woods has wild ATM machines...and bikes/scooters this time of year😁


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## shroomsearcher

I would advise you to hunt along those trails! According to expert mycologist Paul Stamets, mushrooms are trail followers. I have seen this myself. On a 2 track through my fish and game club, I found morels within inches of the tire tracks! I also know a hardwood ridge where I find chanterelles with most of them right along the hiking trail that bisects the ridge. Easiest gathering I've ever done! Of course, I ventured off that trail to see what else was available along that ridge and have found specific spots, where chanterelles regularly flush! And where they do NOT!

I have no idea why, and it has occurred to me that you don't need to know either! All you need to know is where they show up on a regular basis. That other stuff is the purview of mycologists!


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## r0ck3m333

I checked a few spots yesterday the woods don't quite look ready yet, no spring flowers but the Red Buds had their casings falling off but not bloomed yet. We also found a few red cup funguses which is a good sign. 2 weeks boys and girls. This upcoming two to three inches of rain for the KC area should help out quite a lot.


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## morelchef

kb said:


> Its March. Time to start watching the rain and other forums to the south. In my 6th decade that title really means something.


KB you are fully retired now aren't you?


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## morelchef

r0ck3m333 said:


> When all the normals and regular start begging me to go back home usually when the sun is either set already or about to it just adds more fuel to my fire and it's kind of creepy but the big piles are usually right near the f**** car where you started LOL. You would be very surprised at how many mushrooms people miss within the first hundred yards. Quick let's dive in and go to the honey hole that I know that's way back here and miss all the easy Morels!


My wife watched me head into the timber a few years back, she piddle around to parking lot a bit then started looking in the grass, she radioed me to let me know she had 15 pounds in her bag. I asked her where she went she said I ambstill in the parking lot.


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## r0ck3m333

That s*** happened to me too. But mine wouldn't tell me where she found them😆


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## r0ck3m333

Don't ever forget to look in the grassy areas they hide them well


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## shroomsearcher

True that! Found a bunch of nice, big yellows one year spang out in the open in the middle of a field. Now again, I was following what remained of a 2 track that I could still make out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw "that" color! I turned, spotted it, and walked toward it. Nice bigfoot morel! It was late in the season, and I was checking a new spot for me. Found about a dozen and a half of great big ones, that were incredibly fresh!


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## kb

morelchef said:


> KB you are fully retired now aren't you?


Fully retired chef. I still work a little to pay health insurance. Don't mind work, its how I was raised. I just have options now. Have patience folks. This rain and cool off is putting things on track for a pretty much normal year. As long as it stays wet and cool to warm it will all pay off. No 90's and no late freezes once things get rolling. There are always a few early ones in the right spots. In real good years they are the ones to far gone by the time the boxes are filling up. What we want are 2 to 3 weeks of new fruiting to spread out the season. I will most likely see my first ones up here the 1st week of April which is not unheard of.


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## kb

Saw some Devil's Urns in the timber today. Just walking timber to keep the legs in morel shape. Got rivers and lakes to hunt, and many hills yet to climb.


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## r0ck3m333

Who here has ever found morels by smelling them? If so check your boots cuz you stepped on some🤣


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## r0ck3m333

Took a peek in the woods yesterday the very beginnings of the May apples are out but I still think it'll be 2 weeks plus. This cooling period is actually what we needed the soil temperatures were just beginning to get kind of out of control.


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## kb

Morels like disturbed soil. Animal paths and 4 wheeler tracks fall under that. So do bulldozers and tanks.


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## r0ck3m333

Can confirm a bulldozer got me well over a thousand morels a few years ago in one spot.
Also pay attention to any parks that the city mows they will chop them up and spread morels in the tree lines nearby😃


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## shroomsearcher

I've lost a lot of shrooms to those #$%^&* mowers! Not morels, but pinkies, horse mushrooms, shaggy manes, and an enornous, gorgeous oyster that was growing out of the buried root of the ground down stump fo a tree that had been removed next to a parking lot! It looked like it was growing out of the ground, so that made me question my ID. I went back the next day with a metal rod to probe for wood under the ground. By the time I got there, the mower had done its worst! I check that spot every year, and that oyster has never flushed since! I should have trusted my eyes, harvest it, and come back the next day with the probe just to make sure!


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## r0ck3m333

The mower giveth and taketh👿😇


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## r0ck3m333

Fresh young oysters are as good as morels. So are dryads saddles. Anything larger probably will taste bad (been out for a while) or be infested with larvae. You gotta get em young.


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## wade

Howdy Everyone
Wade here..🤠✌
Here are pictures form April 2018 just beyond and ..near "Cold Spring" as @Stelthshroomer and @celticcurl find and Harvest a Big Perfect Oyster.. in just the right spot & time to find it super fresh & moist, without a bug on it.. It might have easily been covered in bugs 🐛 and Drying out , after just another day or few 
This made a large pile on a big platter in my fridge at home..it was like having a big pile of cold cuts lunch meat, and that's how I ate it all making sandwiches 🥪 with it... Delicious and So Very Very Nutritious


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## r0ck3m333

Mmm sweet fishy goodness.

I love when you go out for the morels but come home with oysters and saddles😀


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## morelchef

kb said:


> Morels like disturbed soil. Animal paths and 4 wheeler tracks fall under that. So do bulldozers and tanks.


Hit the motherload in some dozer tracks a few years back, they had cleared a elm patch, drawback, that area is apartment buildings now.


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## r0ck3m333

When I first found my bulldoze spot I was like I wonder if this trick works. Yeah it works but the following years are way less. It was so many morels in one spot it didn't even look right. You can literally take your knife and cut like 20 around you at a time.


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## r0ck3m333

Wtf is this back and forth weather!?! Next Tom Cruise will have morels.


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## kb

morelchef said:


> Hit the motherload in some dozer tracks a few years back, they had cleared a elm patch, drawback, that area is apartment buildings now.


Forgot, artillery shells also.


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## kb

I actually like this weather. It looks like more rain coming. It will warm eventually. As long as it stays wet we are good. North of 36 is going to be the 2nd week of April through 1st week of May as usual it looks like. Unless it gets real hot and shortens things, or some cold snap at the wrong time F's the entire season up. I dread cold snaps more than anything, they really can kill a season. Two or three days down in the teens once they start is my worst nightmare. Outside of a field of stems because I got there late. I don't like early seasons just because of the cold chances. Just drive south far enough to feed my addiction and wait for them up here.


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## kb

morelchef said:


> Hit the motherload in some dozer tracks a few years back, they had cleared a elm patch, drawback, that area is apartment buildings now.


Dang apartment buildings, roads, and such. Scoped out a spot just like that today. We will see if it produces anything. I think it will be apartments by next year.


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## wade

kb said:


> I actually like this weather. It looks like more rain coming. It will warm eventually. As long as it stays wet we are good. North of 36 is going to be the 2nd week of April through 1st week of May as usual it looks like. Unless it gets real hot and shortens things, or some cold snap at the wrong time F's the entire season up. I dread cold snaps more than anything, they really can kill a season. Two or three days down in the teens once they start is my worst nightmare. Outside of a field of stems because I got there late. I don't like early seasons just because of the cold chances. Just drive south far enough to feed my addiction and wait for them up here.


Man it is Right on us all now.. Our time here in Bloomington Indiana has always been last two weeks of April thur first two weeks of May..
So bout a week after You @kb 
And Everything is still seeming and showing a few days Early so far


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## wade

Howdy Yall...
Wade here...
Come on up and join in Our Indiana Conversation with us








Picture from last year


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## r0ck3m333

KB is right on the money. Obviously knows his stuff about timing and season potential. My woods look almost ready. 1st week to 1st week.


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## kb

r0ck3m333 said:


> KB is right on the money. Obviously knows his stuff about timing and season potential. My woods look almost ready. 1st week to 1st week.


pretty easy being that is the general time of the season most years during my lifetime here around St. Joe. Earliest I have ever found them was March 23rd in 2012 and I imagine it was earlier that year I just was not looking, no idea on the latest. Maybe last week of April. I doubt later than that. Hope it rains again Wed like they say. My biggest fear now is a late hard freeze. Its wet enough that if it never rained again north slopes would still have something. Be nice to be wet enough to get a good south slope year. Takes a well timed rain. A 6 week local season would be fantastic for the folks that can't get a lot of time to drive south or north. 2 to 3 weeks is normal. 


wade said:


> Howdy Yall...
> Wade here...
> Come on up and join in Our Indiana Conversation with us
> View attachment 41325
> 
> Picture from last year


Good camo for sneaking up in those tricky buggars. They can hide but they can't run.


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## r0ck3m333

All right boys and girls let's see what we can find today. Hopefully nothing.


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## r0ck3m333

Nothing yet it looks like it's going to be the second or third week of April. And here comes this whopper storm!


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> Nothing yet it looks like it's going to be the second or third week of April. And here comes this whopper storm!


Thank You @rock3m333 for getting out there and Bringing this information out of the woods, to Us Here... it is just Amazing to me some how your KCMO Morels Will be Popping Same time as Central Indiana.. but Over around Louisville, Cincinnati and Southeastern Indiana all Right there in the tri-State area .. There the Morels will be up 4 days ahead of me every year


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## r0ck3m333

The progression line is a big curve. Here in a week or so it should even out and become a horizontal line like usual but the curve that is going on right now puts me and you at the same time hahaha😄


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> The progression line is a big curve. Here in a week or so it should even out and become a horizontal line like usual but the curve that is going on right now puts me and you at the same time hahaha😄


Sound n Good... So Now I'm thinking of get'n My map out,🇺🇸🦅.. and drawing a straight line between Bloomington Indiana to Kansas City Missouri... 🍄then get Headed out Hunting a 40 mile wide pattern on down along the Southern'ish side 🏕to Downtown Kansas City... Get a Nice Hotel room, 🤠✌a Big Steak and a Good night's sleep .. 🍄Then Hunt my way back up the Northeast side in a 40 mile wide Pattern🦅🏕 back up to Bloomington.. get a night's sleep and Clean up.. and head out again Hunting on up and into Michigan 🇺🇲🦅🏕


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## r0ck3m333

Let me know when you're close by I'll put ribs on the smoker.😁


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## r0ck3m333

I'm going to do a full run of all of my spots this weekend and maybe some today we will see. If anyone wants to pick up some new knowledge this year in the Kansas City area let me know and we could organize a group hunt in some cool spots😃

Also we never do Finders Keepers because then you won't go home with any.


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## kb

I know my areas up here in the NW corner are a long way from morels yet. I see peak season after the 23rd of April at current conditions. By that I mean mature morels on all slopes. All good with me. Of course that can change real quick if we have a heat wave come along. Hope not.


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## wade

kb said:


> I know my areas up here in the NW corner are a long way from morels yet. I see peak season after the 23rd of April at current conditions. By that I mean mature morels on all slopes. All good with me. Of course that can change real quick if we have a heat wave come along. Hope not.


Hey..Good Morning @kb 
Wade here.... that Sounds good and Very interesting.. as you describe your peak time around April 23rd.. 
So Very Interesting because I say it will be the same for Me here in a 50 miles radius of Bloomington Indiana, Monroe County. 
But do see many folks Reporting in Kentucky 
Making it look like , Again Same as you, that the Next Heat Wave Will bring An Earlier start to Us ..
And to All of the Ohio Valley


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## r0ck3m333

All right folks I didn't find anything yesterday but a bunch of empty handed mushroom hunters. Checking a bunch of spots today I should see the mayapples I found a week ago a lot bigger. We will see🙂


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## D_licious

r0ck3m333 said:


> Wtf is this back and forth weather!?! Next Tom Cruise will have morels.











Just when you think you've seen it all. Here's a true "Die Hard" Lol


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## dean

D_licious said:


> View attachment 41436
> 
> Just when you think you've seen it all. Here's a true "Die Hard" Lol


Ok Its On
Is this for real?
I just left Johnny Morris and Jimmy Houston House in Springfirld Mo , they have the fish but we all can bring the rooms


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## Canofveggies

We have got to be getting close in & around STL. I think I'm going to hit the first spot late this week; last year my first decent haul was on 04/10 so I'll be hoping for a some similar picking. I hiked around some creek beds around Innsbrook over the past weekend and didnt find a thing, everything still looked a bit too early out there. The signs are there around STL county though; dandelion flowers are starting to shoot up some long stems, the grass is in need of cutting, redbuds are all red budding. The weather is looking solid too; by the 16th/17th I think we should be swimming in shrooms, at least we should in the bottomland type places I tend to look. Still havent managed to figure out them hills yet...maybe this will be the year!

Happing picking everyone!


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## saharadweller

Canofveggies said:


> We have got to be getting close in & around STL. I think I'm going to hit the first spot late this week; last year my first decent haul was on 04/10 so I'll be hoping for a some similar picking. I hiked around some creek beds around Innsbrook over the past weekend and didnt find a thing, everything still looked a bit too early out there. The signs are there around STL county though; dandelion flowers are starting to shoot up some long stems, the grass is in need of cutting, redbuds are all red budding. The weather is looking solid too; by the 16th/17th I think we should be swimming in shrooms, at least we should in the bottomland type places I tend to look. Still havent managed to figure out them hills yet...maybe this will be the year!
> 
> Happing picking everyone!


We are in St. Louis county. Heading south for the next couple of days to hunt. This weekend should provide some 'shrooms for us here in this area. Will keep you posted.


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## wade

saharadweller said:


> We are in St. Louis county. Heading south for the next couple of days to hunt. This weekend should provide some 'shrooms for us here in this area. Will keep you posted.


Very interesting Thank You @saharadweller


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## r0ck3m333

Here are some pictures from my latest hunt in Kansas City


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> View attachment 41485
> 
> View attachment 41483
> 
> View attachment 41486
> 
> View attachment 41484
> 
> Here are some pictures from my latest hunt in Kansas City


Excellent Pictures of the Signs...there has got to be a few up in the right early spot... find them now or find um getting old in 6 days from Now..
Keep looking Man


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## r0ck3m333

I haven't switched gears off of the black morels yet I have a few spots in Independence that are way lower in elevation that could have some promising looking stuff.


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## kb

Some may apples just coming on southern exposures. Not unfurling like r0cks yet. No real hot weather ahead so any tinies under leaf litter will just keep growing.. . Not about to crawl around on my hands and knees looking for anything that small. Amazing how long they will keep slowly growing in the right conditions.


----------



## D_licious

saharadweller said:


> We are in St. Louis county. Heading south for the next couple of days to hunt. This weekend should provide some 'shrooms for us here in this area. Will keep you posted.


Went in Bon Terre today, no luck yet. I did find a few dried up devils urns (which I love). It was a beautiful day and walked/crawled until sunset. Good luck on your hunt!


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## D_licious

saharadweller said:


> We are in St. Louis county. Heading south for the next couple of days to hunt. This weekend should provide some 'shrooms for us here in this area. Will keep you posted.


Went in Bon Terre today, no luck yet. I did find a few dried up devils urns (which I love). It was a beautiful day and walked/crawled until sunset. Good luck on your hunt!
View attachment 41495


----------



## r0ck3m333

The awkward part of teaching people to mushroom hunt...... now that we found them we get on our hands and knees and crawl around like animals😆


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## r0ck3m333

We haven't seen very many secondary mushrooms in the woods either no polypore's very little Scarlet Cups not many. They still look a little bit off but way greener than it was a week ago. The soil has not dried out completely but very few spring flowers that are in the Deep Woods are actually bloomed yet. They're growing right now we just can't see em. This weekend will be our first set of rainy warm nights. I have a buddy of mine who's probably been hunting his whole life who basically can call what day the morels are going to be at. He said since January it was going to be the end of April and I slightly doubted him a little but he's always right for like 8 years now for my areas. I usually use his prediction day and then just assume that a good week before I can find half free morels and maybe some black morels. Close


----------



## r0ck3m333

Just saw someone found five morels really close to us here in Kansas City it was only the size of a quarter though.


----------



## morelchef

r0ck3m333 said:


> We haven't seen very many secondary mushrooms in the woods either no polypore's very little Scarlet Cups not many. They still look a little bit off but way greener than it was a week ago. The soil has not dried out completely but very few spring flowers that are in the Deep Woods are actually bloomed yet. They're growing right now we just can't see em. This weekend will be our first set of rainy warm nights. I have a buddy of mine who's probably been hunting his whole life who basically can call what day the morels are going to be at. He said since January it was going to be the end of April and I slightly doubted him a little but he's always right for like 8 years now for my areas. I usually use his prediction day and then just assume that a good week before I can find half free morels and maybe some black morels. Close


Black morels are hard to come by in KC area


----------



## r0ck3m333

I only found one last year and it was late season it was pretty big but this year I've been hitting that spot a lot and I've noticed there's a lots of hunters that are going straight where I found that Black one there has to be more. They won't beat me. Someone just happened to miss a few in that spot and now I know about it. Game over 😄


----------



## r0ck3m333

Time to get out in the woods again let's see what we find.


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## r0ck3m333

Looks like a typical season for us here in Kansas City high winds Red Flag Warning and a late last-minute freeze while the babies are popping..good times


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## r0ck3m333




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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> View attachment 41512
> View attachment 41513


Very important and Telling information
Thank You @rOck3m333


----------



## kb

morelchef said:


> Black morels are hard to come by in KC area


Never found a black morel anywhere I hunt in north Missouri. But then I was never looking for them, so that is the more likely reason than they don't exist. They grow in different environments than regular morels from what I understand. I rarely spend time looking in those spots. I have found 4 in my entire life, all by complete accident in Central Kansas under a cottonwood that had dropped its limbs in an ice storm. They were mixed with the regular ones I was picking.


----------



## Lointer Man

kb said:


> Never found a black morel anywhere I hunt in north Missouri. But then I was never looking for them, so that is the more likely reason than they don't exist. They grow in different environments than regular morels from what I understand. I rarely spend time looking in those spots. I have found 4 in my entire life, all by complete accident in Central Kansas under a cottonwood that had dropped its limbs in an ice storm. They were mixed with the regular ones I was picking.


I never found a black north of Joplin


----------



## r0ck3m333

All I know is the single one black morel that I picked last year was obviously in a patch and got left behind on accident. South Southwest facing slope literally every tree a morel could grow around. I did notice it was growing away from the yellows kind of on its own. Pretty much the last week of April.


----------



## morelchef

Lointer Man said:


> I never found a black north of Joplin


I have north of Joplin but only by about 30 miles, other than that never in KC area. I have been hunting KC since 1999 and have looked for blacks every year since I really like them (Michigan is known for them which is where my family is from) I found excatly 1 in KC area and they have never appeared in that spit since. Also to find one in late April makes zero sense because if you are going to find blacks it will be early not late. The one the commenter found was probably a old specimen of yellow.


r0ck3m333 said:


> All I know is the single one black morel that I picked last year was obviously in a patch and got left behind on accident. South Southwest facing slope literally every tree a morel could grow around. I did notice it was growing away from the yellows kind of on its own. Pretty much the last week of April.


Perhaps you are mistaken, I have been hunting KC for a lot of years and know a lot of hunters and none of us find black morel here. The southern part of Missouri and Northern Arkansas produce a lot but not here.


----------



## r0ck3m333

I can promise you that what I found was indeed a black morel and it was full grown but not damaged in any way in an odd season. When I spotted it in the distance it looked like a large half free morel but when I got up close to it I could tell that it was a typical morel shape. It also tasted very different than the rest of the yellows I had in my basket at the time much richer.


----------



## morelchef

kb said:


> Never found a black morel anywhere I hunt in north Missouri. But then I was never looking for them, so that is the more likely reason than they don't exist. They grow in different environments than regular morels from what I understand. I rarely spend time looking in those spots. I have found 4 in my entire life, all by complete accident in Central Kansas under a cottonwood that had dropped its limbs in an ice storm. They were mixed with the regular ones I was picking.


KB that is my experience as well except I have spent some time looking for blacks early on, Ash trees produce blacks very well in the southern part of Missouri but not here in NW. 
I did venture out to a sunny river spot yesterday where I generally find quite a few early bloomers and I saw zero signs of morel. Nettles are 3 to 4 inches, may apples just opening no reds, good picking in our area should be the week after Easter. Hope we are talking sooner though!
Are you going south?


----------



## morelchef

r0ck3m333 said:


> I can promise you that what I found was indeed a black morel and it was full grown but not damaged in any way in an odd season. When I spotted it in the distance it looked like a large half free morel but when I got up close to it I could tell that it was a typical morel shape. It also tasted very different than the rest of the yellows I had in my basket at the time much richer.


Not saying it isn't possible, what you describe certainly sounds like a black. Like I stated I have found 1 here and that was probably 2004 or 5. Southern Missouri is good for blacks, focus on ash trees for good finds


----------



## shroomsearcher

r0ck3m333 said:


> Looks like a typical season for us here in Kansas City high winds Red Flag Warning and a late last-minute freeze while the babies are popping..good times


Hopefully they will be under the leaf litter and protected.


----------



## r0ck3m333

I'm still going to keep hunting until I find the first one. Not going to let this weather trick me😎


----------



## Harvgold

Spent 3 hours scouting for traces of morels today in St Louis county. Not a single one found yet. Probably need two more weeks at least.


----------



## kb

morelchef said:


> KB that is my experience as well except I have spent some time looking for blacks early on, Ash trees produce blacks very well in the southern part of Missouri but not here in NW.
> I did venture out to a sunny river spot yesterday where I generally find quite a few early bloomers and I saw zero signs of morel. Nettles are 3 to 4 inches, may apples just opening no reds, good picking in our area should be the week after Easter. Hope we are talking sooner though!
> Are you going south?


Chef I am not sure what I am going to do. I am not driving 700 plus miles round trip in one day if I am not real sure I am going to do decent. I rely on people that know a lot more than me about hunting Oklahoma and so far I am not hearing any abundance of morels. I have seen a few good pictures of some piles, but in both cases locals who know what they are doing. One from a boat on a river looked great, but you would need a boat. So..... I am waiting. Much easier to get to S. Kansas and about the same habitat in places. I hate not picking but I guess being a son of parents that grew up in the Great Depression and WW 2 I am real frugal in my spending habits. Now if I could buy gas for $1.27 like I did in April 2020 down south it might be different. We need that rain next week to be widespread and deep. It is also getting real hot down that way Sat - Tues.. Maybe 90 unfortunately. Shoot, the stupid Magnolia trees have not even flowered up here, and they are always early and get frozen. I see no problems right now in most of Mo., Iowa is shaping up. Areas west of Mo are going to need more water.
Its going to get hotter west of us. But a few areas that direction got dumped on a week ago. I would say the price of morels has got to go up due to a confluence of factors. Higher demand. A lower supply due to the death of so many Ash trees. They are about all gone in any timber near me. And the freaking fuel cost due to stupidity. This not being Twitter I will leave it at that. That being said, as is the case with most commodities the cure to high prices is more high prices. Eventually buyer habits change and a surplus emerges and prices adjust. Also it depends on where a person lives as to what an acceptable price is. I think it is insane to pay for morels at all but some more affluent people in KC don't even blink at $70 a pound. In St. Joe people love morels but you could rarely charge anywhere close to that. The average around here ran about $35 last year. Far cry from my childhood. The elms were all dying. Morels were thicker than the ticks. I sold them to the local market for $1.25. Hope everyone looking has a great year. Just don't eat them till you barf, like my dad did once. It's good karma to give a few away also in my experience. So if you have some older folks on a fixed income on your block you might make their spring.


----------



## emarler

Just want to say I enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing your childhood memories, and for the reminder to share what we have with others.


----------



## r0ck3m333

Everyone thinks you can eat them all until you cut them in half.😆 I always give most of my hauls away lol it's why I pick em! Best to feed the wise ones first then the next generation gets a bite or two to get em hooked.


----------



## Canofveggies

Couple of little guys from last nights walk; made sure to pile some leaves on top before I left. Hopefully they are big enough to pick by next Friday.


----------



## r0ck3m333

I've tried that and I've even tried putting 2 liter bottles over them like little green houses the deer will still find them and eat them before you pick them😆


----------



## r0ck3m333

The Kansas City boys are hitting Independence today come and find me if you can😎 remember folks go where the water goes where the animals go and where the sun goes. We're hunting trees not mushrooms. When you find a few STOP and figure it out. Stay safe out there guys.


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## r0ck3m333

half free morels popping Hallelujah


----------



## morelchef

shroomsearcher said:


> Hopefully they will be under the leaf litter and protected.


NW MO is solid, there have been a few reports around us but IMO it is early and a great thing we are getting this cold snap now instead of 10 days from now when we are in full swing. You are correct about anything already up beini


kb said:


> Chef I am not sure what I am going to do. I am not driving 700 plus miles round trip in one day if I am not real sure I am going to do decent. I rely on people that know a lot more than me about hunting Oklahoma and so far I am not hearing any abundance of morels. I have seen a few good pictures of some piles, but in both cases locals who know what they are doing. One from a boat on a river looked great, but you would need a boat. So..... I am waiting. Much easier to get to S. Kansas and about the same habitat in places. I hate not picking but I guess being a son of parents that grew up in the Great Depression and WW 2 I am real frugal in my spending habits. Now if I could buy gas for $1.27 like I did in April 2020 down south it might be different. We need that rain next week to be widespread and deep. It is also getting real hot down that way Sat - Tues.. Maybe 90 unfortunately. Shoot, the stupid Magnolia trees have not even flowered up here, and they are always early and get frozen. I see no problems right now in most of Mo., Iowa is shaping up. Areas west of Mo are going to need more water.
> Its going to get hotter west of us. But a few areas that direction got dumped on a week ago. I would say the price of morels has got to go up due to a confluence of factors. Higher demand. A lower supply due to the death of so many Ash trees. They are about all gone in any timber near me. And the freaking fuel cost due to stupidity. This not being Twitter I will leave it at that. That being said, as is the case with most commodities the cure to high prices is more high prices. Eventually buyer habits change and a surplus emerges and prices adjust. Also it depends on where a person lives as to what an acceptable price is. I think it is insane to pay for morels at all but some more affluent people in KC don't even blink at $70 a pound. In St. Joe people love morels but you could rarely charge anywhere close to that. The average around here ran about $35 last year. Far cry from my childhood. The elms were all dying. Morels were thicker than the ticks. I sold them to the local market for $1.25. Hope everyone looking has a great year. Just don't eat them till you barf, like my dad did once. It's good karma to give a few away also in my experience. So if you have some older folks on a fixed income on your block you might make their spring.


KB, we nixed a plan to go south today because of the sporadic reports. You broke down economics 101 pretty good there! With fuel cost what they are I see morels going for $80 or more if we get enough, could not agree more about buying them myself and giving away is a good practice, I enjoy taking newbies out to. The ash trees are not doing well ere either. These past few years of early pops have ys thinking this year is late when in fact it is right on time based off of 10 + years ago. Maybe we'll finally get a chance to hunt from KS MO, IA, NE, without having to wonder if north would be better than south , have kind of a normal progression instead of a regional pop.
g protected by leaves. Happy hunting KC and let's get ready to rummmmmmmmvbbbbbbeeeeellllllllll


Harvgold said:


> Spent 3 hours scouting for traces of morels today in St Louis county. Not a single one found yet. Probably need two more weeks at least.


I have several good reports from that area as well as south all the way down to the Arkansas border. Keep looking, try along the big river if you haven't, that sandy soil fires up fast.


r0ck3m333 said:


> I'm still going to keep hunting until I find the first one. Not going to let this weather trick me😎


Go get em man!! I'm waiting another week or so for KC area, south is where I'll be fir the next week to 10 days.


Canofveggies said:


> View attachment 41560
> 
> Couple of little guys from last nights walk; made sure to pile some leaves on top before I left. Hopefully they are big enough to pick by next Friday.


What part of Missouri are you in please?


----------



## r0ck3m333

First yellow boy of the season


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> View attachment 41570
> 
> First yellow boy of the season


Awesome nn Man it feels so Good to Look at that, and think about that, first Find of the Year


----------



## r0ck3m333

The real fun begins about a week from now


----------



## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> The real fun begins about a week from now


Yep same for here.


----------



## r0ck3m333

Got about a pound of half frees going to put them on some burgers.


----------



## qercus

He's out there somewhere...


"The ol plum tree should be bloomin which means the Dawg will be shroomin."

Commence to stompin baws


----------



## r0ck3m333

All right boys and girls those mushrooms ain't going to pick themselves.


----------



## morelchef

r0ck3m333 said:


> I can promise you that what I found was indeed a black morel and it was full grown but not damaged in any way in an odd season. When I spotted it in the distance it looked like a large half free morel but when I got up close to it I could tell that it was a typical morel shape. It also tasted very different than the rest of the yellows I had in my basket at the time much richer.


Blacks definitely have a richer flavor.


r0ck3m333 said:


> View attachment 41570
> 
> First yellow boy of the season


river bottoms?


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## r0ck3m333

Yes sir creek bottoms near the river but next we check a higher elevation with very rocky soil.


----------



## kb

Canofveggies said:


> View attachment 41560
> 
> Couple of little guys from last nights walk; made sure to pile some leaves on top before I left. Hopefully they are big enough to pick by next Friday.


Warm as it is I would say check back before then. Particularly these warm nights. Maybe Wednesday depending on how big you like them. If that's an elm you found those on who knows how many more will come up. Fun anticipation.


----------



## kb

r0ck3m333 said:


> The real fun begins about a week from now


particularly if it rains. Pretty please.


----------



## SlipperyElm

Found the first morels in NW MO yesterday! Completely new area and almost stepped on them after walking up to a beautiful slippery elm. They were no bigger than fingertip sized. Luckily we are getting warm temperatures and mild nights this week..because next week looks COLD again. These cold snaps in mid to late April are getting REAL old. We will likely face the same crap we did last year with the below freezing temperatures after the 15th. I guess if it stays moist we might be in better shape, that's a big if.


----------



## Canofveggies

What part of Missouri are you in please?
[/QUOTE]
Around St Louis; the picture was from what I consider my early spot.


----------



## Canofveggies

kb said:


> Warm as it is I would say check back before then. Particularly these warm nights. Maybe Wednesday depending on how big you like them. If that's an elm you found those on who knows how many more will come up. Fun anticipation.


I’m going to go back Wednesday or Thursday, who was I kidding that I could wait until Friday kowing there were shrooms popping up there!

lots of elm in this particular area; lots of morels too. But also lots of bikers and day hikers and dog walkers so I’ve gotta stay on it. I guess you know your getting older when you have a spot that you’ve watched go from your own little private arena to a full blown county park. I definitely miss the old days when I knew no one else would be sniffing around; having said that it’s really nice having a decent parking area and some trails to walk right up to the morels. My other spots around STL require a decent amount of walking so it’s really nice having this “easy spot” to hit first. I’d take the privacy over the trails though any day though.


----------



## Canofveggies

Well I just decided to take Wednesday off and spend the day picking, this weather forecast seems to change every day so its been difficult to decide what day to commit to but with the high temps yesterday and tomorrow, and with some rain mixed in there, I'm thinking I should have a good day. Plus its supposed to storm heavy on Wednesday and I kind of like picking in bad weather.


----------



## r0ck3m333

You mean you don't mind torturing yourself to beat everyone else😆 I'm taking Thursday and Friday off let's slay it😝


----------



## qercus

In Boone co MO, some are finding a few near the Missouri river, (sideways out of the sandy banks next to and under silver maple red maple and cottonwood) not me, yet. Usually, after morels come up at the MO river it's about 14 days before they pop in the Columbia city parks. It is 5 miles as the crow goes and about a 250 feet drop in elevation from town to the riverbottom.


----------



## r0ck3m333

I know a lot of people when they see those Sandy Bank morels they don't even take them because of the sand thats stuck inside them.


----------



## Canofveggies

How close to the bank of the MO River do y'all find them? Never really look in areas that spend much time under water because I always thought that too much time under water was bad for morels. I'm guessing that sandy soil is the key? When I'm picking by the MO or Meramec river I'm always a level or two above the flood line where its not usually under water too much. One time I found a root ball (love me some root ball flushes) on a big ole cottonwood that was covered in morels maybe 15 feet off the river, but that is the end of my bank hunting journeys.


----------



## shroomsearcher

Canofveggies said:


> How close to the bank of the MO River do y'all find them? Never really look in areas that spend much time under water because I always thought that too much time under water was bad for morels. I'm guessing that sandy soil is the key? When I'm picking by the MO or Meramec river I'm always a level or two above the flood line where its not usually under water too much. One time I found a root ball (love me some root ball flushes) on a big ole cottonwood that was covered in morels maybe 15 feet off the river, but that is the end of my bank hunting journeys.


I found your comment interesting because so many will take morels home, clean them, and them soak them in a bowl of saltwater overnight in the fridge! I've never understood that! I understand rinsing them to get any dirt off of them, but that's it. And if I get enough to dehydrate why would I want more water in them?


----------



## r0ck3m333

Water kind of leeches the flavor out of them and starts decomposing them rather quickly. Can of veggies is right about the water line you have to make sure that you're not hunting flooded ground even if it looks good. We look for the high spots among the flooded areas. The Bluffs around the river are actually much better but a lot of hunters/tweakers/homeless. Our rules are always look for people first then mushrooms. Wife has this rule about the mushroom basket no dirt goes in it no matter what if we pick any extremely dirty shrooms they go in their own basket. Sandy soil has really good potential for morel growth but also really rocky soil with larger pieces of limestone can be very good as well. Also areas that have lots of trash believe it or not will have the same effect where the soil warms much faster.


----------



## r0ck3m333

Here we go again today we're going to be hunting some new spots trying to find new areas. We're going to go lower slower in south facing stuff.


----------



## Shroom Picker

My first finds of the year, too bad they all small


----------



## shroomsearcher

Okay. So, mark the spot and go back in 3-4 days, or whenever you can. How fast they grow depends on temps and rainfall. Look at my avatar. The big one on the right was about half that size when I first found it. But it seemed "unique" to me. It just glowed "golden" in the grass, and when I put my fingertips on it, it was so cool and moist that I thought I should leave it. I went back 4 days later and it had doubled in size. And it had sprouted a buddy, the one to its immediate left. BTW, this was late in the season when the "bigfoot" morels should be out, and that's why I left it.


----------



## Canofveggies

Picked 26 greys yesterday, and found a shed. Saw a lot of mushrooms too small to pick but luckily managed to pull at 2-3 decent sized ones out of each patch.


----------



## r0ck3m333

We hunted new spots yesterday and got a nice bag of greys and half free😁


----------



## morelchef

r0ck3m333 said:


> We hunted new spots yesterday and got a nice bag of greys and half free😁
> View attachment 41733


Nice cookware!


----------



## morelchef

Canofveggies said:


> Picked 26 greys yesterday, and found a shed. Saw a lot of mushrooms too small to pick but luckily managed to pull at 2-3 decent sized ones out of each patch.


I have been out shed hunting several times this year and still have not found a shed, I am in a area where I have found several just no sheds yet. I have a 12 point on camera I am hoping to find, he is a super buck!


----------



## qercus

Canofveggies said:


> How close to the bank of the MO River do y'all find them? Never really look in areas that spend much time under water because I always thought that too much time under water was bad for morels. I'm guessing that sandy soil is the key? When I'm picking by the MO or Meramec river I'm always a level or two above the flood line where its not usually under water too much. One time I found a root ball (love me some root ball flushes) on a big ole cottonwood that was covered in morels maybe 15 feet off the river, but that is the end of my bank hunting journeys.


The riverbank here is like a 30 ft tall sand cliff. I've never seen them at the bottom but near the top where the grass and trees grow. They really are too sandy to eat. A few steps in to the forest and the morels aren't gritty


----------



## shroomsearcher

morelchef said:


> Nice cookware!


Hard to beat good cast iron!


----------



## r0ck3m333

Found another 20 yellows and a nice baby dryads saddle today at the Blue River. I'll post pics tomorrow when I fry em all up.


----------



## r0ck3m333

shroomsearcher said:


> Hard to beat good cast iron!


My cast-iron is probably close to 100 years old and has been on hundreds and hundreds of campouts in almost every state in the United States and some of Canada and Mexico.


----------



## D_licious

r0ck3m333 said:


> My cast-iron is probably close to 100 years old and has been on hundreds and hundreds of campouts in almost every state in the United States and some of Canada and Mexico.


Now, that's some well seasoned cast iron. I still have my great grannies 10" 
...its my favorite skillet.


----------



## r0ck3m333

Saw three different hunters yesterday tell my brother how they think its too dry and too early to find morels yet. I was hidden out of sight with a bag of yellows nearby😎 Should we tell them to look harder? Nah they will learn the old fashioned way through trial and errors. I should have asked if any of them have internet or phones to look for information😆


----------



## Canofveggies

r0ck3m333 said:


> Saw three different hunters yesterday tell my brother how they think its too dry and too early to find morels yet. I was hidden out of sight with a bag of yellows nearby😎 Should we tell them to look harder? Nah they will learn the old fashioned way through trial and errors. I should have asked if any of them have internet or phones to look for information😆


Same thing happened to me today! Will post some pics when I get home but we just found over 100 yellows today in west STL county; I’ve gotta say I was surprised to find so many older looking morels, especially since the spot I was at mid week was mostly pinky tip sized greys.


----------



## Canofveggies

118 total between two of us, I ended up w/ 63. Mostly small yellows and a few decent sized greys. All found under cottonwoods along a creek. West STL county.


----------



## r0ck3m333

We keep finding them when we go south but I keep checking my North spots every other day and not time yet. I've only found morels in two of the new spots that we have checked this year and none of my old spots have popped at all. Epic finds though😁


----------



## shroomsearcher

r0ck3m333 said:


> My cast-iron is probably close to 100 years old and has been on hundreds and hundreds of campouts in almost every state in the United States and some of Canada and Mexico.


Quite a few years ago, we were camped out in an area state park, and we had trailered horses down there to ride the bridle trails. We partied pretty hard Saturday night, but I felt pretty good Sunday morning. I was a lot younger then! People wanted breakfast, so I revived the campfire and checked provisions. We had a pound of bacon, 2 bell peppers, 1 big onion, and exactly 13 eggs! Made me wonder who leaves one egg in a carton?! 

Anyway, while the fire made coals, I started chopping the peppers and onions. I fried up the entire pound of bacon for the grease, and also because I knew that crowd would eat it all. Then I put the peppers in first, and then the onions. Finally, I cracked all 13 eggs in a bowl, whisked it up with a fork and poured that into what was the most enormous cast iron fry pan I had ever seen in my life! It had an extra long handle so you could pick it up with 2 hands. Good thing. It might have broken my wrist if I had tried one handed! 

And breakfast was excellent!


----------



## Shroom Picker

Been morel hunting for years, never seen them growing out of a big vine or root like this.
Have yall?


----------



## r0ck3m333

Those are growing off of moss and dirt that's in the cracks of that highly decomposed piece of wood. I have even seen them grow what looks like out of the side of a rock and also the same as this picture above out of what looks like just a piece of root or wood. Always looks pretty crazy when you first see it. I have also saw an entire flush of chicken of the woods grow off of a stick that was only 6 inch long sitting on the top of the ground


----------



## D_licious

r0ck3m333 said:


> We keep finding them when we go south but I keep checking my North spots every other day and not time yet. I've only found morels in two of the new spots that we have checked this year and none of my old spots have popped at all. Epic finds though😁


We drove south down to Troy, Mo. Walked the cuivre river area and nada. We woke up to sleet and rain this morning 🙄. This crap weather is putting a hurt to our shrooming season here.


----------



## Brdhntr

Shroom Picker said:


> Been morel hunting for years, never seen them growing out of a big vine or root like this.
> Have yall?
> View attachment 41852





Shroom Picker said:


> Been morel hunting for years, never seen them growing out of a big vine or root like this.
> Have yall?
> View attachment 41852











Found one a couple years back, just like that.


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## D_licious

Brdhntr said:


> View attachment 41868
> 
> Found one a couple years back, just like that.


Wow, that's a first for me. Unique find! Thanks for posting the pics.


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## r0ck3m333

This weather


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## r0ck3m333

Found some more yellows in the cold rain. Most are still young. Need more rain need more time.


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## jetcar

Really cool - I've never seen them attached to wood or a root. My weirdest find was about 150ish under one tree, each one with a very similar shape and size to the others. They were the only ones I found that year. The next year I went back and looked and that previously healthy-looking tree was dead with most of the bark fallen off and it didn't produce any mushrooms.


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## D_licious

r0ck3m333 said:


> Found some more yellows in the cold rain. Most are still young. Need more rain need more time.
> View attachment 41884


Nice haul!


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## SlightlySpaded

Sycamores are hitting. I stuck to them this weekend and did pretty good. 2.2 lbs. on Friday and another pound or so over the weekend.


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## r0ck3m333

Only place I've had Sycamore luck so far is in Kansas a little bit further south than Kansas City. My normal spots are basically all Elm activity at the moment but soon we will be there.


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## SlightlySpaded

I’m mostly hitting in areas with running creeks and little islands on the creeks with a sycamore on them. If I’m up off the water I have to hit the sycamores on the little hills that are warmer. I’m hunting in St. Charles and Jeff Co.


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## r0ck3m333

That's the right stuff but I found a little bit more success around the Elms so far Sycamore is not so much this year. It is still just the beginning


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## SlightlySpaded

I have hard time picking out the elms for some reason. I need help with those lol. I’m clearly misunderstanding the look of elms. Idk why I can’t seem to identify them like I can ash and sycamore. I need someone to take me to an elm I guess. If anyone knows a good way to get the eye for elms I’m all ears.


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## r0ck3m333

What I do is I look for the dead leaves on the ground from the previous season then I find the trees the leaves came from but it's a secret don't tell anybody


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## morelchef

SlightlySpaded said:


> I have hard time picking out the elms for some reason. I need help with those lol. I’m clearly misunderstanding the look of elms. Idk why I can’t seem to identify them like I can ash and sycamore. I need someone to take me to an elm I guess. If anyone knows a good way to get the eye for elms I’m all ears.


The key to tree hunting is to be able to see them from a distance so you can determine which way to go.
The Elms are going to be the shape of a vase, and also resemble upside down witches broom are two good ways to identify from a distance. There are several different species of elm that leaves all basically look the same, some bigger but all basically the same shape. The bark will be somewhat different on the different species. You're going to be looking for that completely dead Elm with most of the bark still on it preferably some cracks towards the top


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## r0ck3m333

I actually got good at finding morels before I got good at finding trees and then later found out that all my morels were around elms mostly😁 my first season that I hunted them they were very large I hit the right time to begin learning.


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## saharadweller

Hello fellow Missouri Pseudo Mycologists!! I live in St. Louis and have many cool Morel items for sale.
I love taking photos of morels and make my favorites into puzzles, mugs, notebooks and other items. 
They are listed in the forums under "items for sale" toward the end of the list of forums.

They make great mother's day gifts or any occasion gifts. Let me know if you have any questions.


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## r0ck3m333

Good stuff


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## ckorte

This was a new one for me. Grew up through the shell.


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## r0ck3m333

That's nuts😆


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## wade

ckorte said:


> View attachment 41934
> 
> View attachment 41935
> 
> View attachment 41936
> This was a new one for me. Grew up through the shell.
> View attachment 41934
> View attachment 41935
> View attachment 41936


Hey its like the old Reeses cup, You got chocolate in my peanut butter,
You got Morel in my Walnut two great taste that taste great together @ckorte ..
for Your Awesome and Fun Find, We Award to You
One of Our 2022 Season ..
🍄✌🍄✌🍄✌Morel Peace Prize🍄✌🍄✌🍄✌


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## Canofveggies

Few more from last night; didn’t see any new ones that had popped up since I had last been to this spot on the 13th. Only managed to pick about 25% of what I typically pick at this spot. Oh well; hopefully that means the next spots I hit will be all the more fruitful.


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## wade

Canofveggies said:


> Few more from last night; didn’t see any new ones that had popped up since I had last been to this spot on the 13th. Only managed to pick about 25% of what I typically pick at this spot. Oh well; hopefully that means the next spots I hit will be all the more fruitful.
> View attachment 41941


Those are Nice


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## r0ck3m333

Last night I checked one of our best North facing areas and there was so many babies that we just had to get the hell out of there.


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## jetcar

I do the same... if there are babies it's time to go home. It's a real shame to step on them because they're too little to see properly.


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## r0ck3m333

I've also noticed that lots of areas that I usually get small amounts seem to be doing quite well very clustery


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## r0ck3m333

30 more yellows getting bigger


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## shroom god

Mizzou shrooms lookin' mighty stressed. Tough weather past few weeks, but liking better. Thanks for sharing the news and keeping hope alive!


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## dean

shroom god said:


> Mizzou shrooms lookin' mighty stressed. Tough weather past few weeks, but liking better. Thanks for sharing the news and keeping hope alive!


Four inches of rain in four weeks, temps all over the place. Walked this creek yesterday and the view is beautiful. Springfield Mo


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## nico

Seems like everything I have found (not much) is old like maybe leftover from the last warm spell. I don't know maybe the warm temps this week will help. Hope so my asparagus just started so maybe that's a sign gonna check some river birch trees today


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## wade

nico said:


> Seems like everything I have found (not much) is old like maybe leftover from the last warm spell. I don't know maybe the warm temps this week will help. Hope so my asparagus just started so maybe that's a sign gonna check some river birch trees today


🤠Yep,, I'd agree that is what you've found,
It is how I began to Realize that some will always come up after those first warm spells, I would always find them later same as you've described, 🍄🍄🍄🍄
And I'd be thinking "WHAT" the heck I knew I should have got out for a look right after those few early warm days , Cause here I stand Now looking at um🍄🍄 a little too late
"Love The Hunt"


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## r0ck3m333

I didn't let that trick me this year. We had to learn the hard way last few years.


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## nico

I been at it all month long just not finding much. No luck today but a nice walk. Gonna keep trying


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## r0ck3m333

Going to hit two or three new spots today let's see if I get lucky. Or is it skill?😎


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## jetcar

"let's see if I get lucky. Or is it skill?"

It's definitely skill if you're finding them, but it's bad luck if you're not


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## r0ck3m333

Lucky if I don't step on them


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## r0ck3m333

Don't forget to spot those dead chickens and hens from the past season to mark on your map for later on in the year folks😁


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## nico

r0ck3m333 said:


> Lucky if I don't step on them





r0ck3m333 said:


> Going to hit two or three new spots today let's see if I get lucky. Or is it skill?😎





r0ck3m333 said:


> Going to hit two or three new spots today let's see if I get lucky. Or is it skill?😎
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/QUO


 I found a few today some were very old I think they are black morels


jetcar said:


> "let's see if I get lucky. Or is it skill?"
> 
> It's definitely skill if you're finding them, but it's bad luck if you're not





r0ck3m333 said:


> Going to hit two or three new spots today let's see if I get lucky. Or is it skill?😎





r0ck3m333 said:


> Lucky if I don't step on them


I did find a few fresh ones today but also these oldies I think they might be old black morels? Very pointy on top


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## shroomsearcher

nico said:


> I been at it all month long just not finding much. No luck today but a nice walk. Gonna keep trying
> View attachment 42001


Wow! That look exactly like a place where I get ramps! Never found a mushroom down there other than the logful of chickens I found.


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## nico

It's a area with all the right tree's , giant sycamores, elm , cotton wood, maple ,ash but I been there several times but no morels I wonder why.


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## r0ck3m333

New spots new morels😁


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## Shroom Picker

Found a nice mess today


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## r0ck3m333

Let's hit it hard tomorrow boys  rain hunt!🤣


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## r0ck3m333

Doctors hate it, it's the three best things about the five things you were supposed to know about morel hunting. Anyone else tired of these ads?😁


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## r0ck3m333

Just over 8 lb so far very clustery


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## r0ck3m333




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## r0ck3m333




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## jetcar

Found about 2# today. Odd year as some of the usual spots are completely bare of mushrooms but other spots where I've never seen any had nice patches of them. Some pretty old ones in the bunch which I did not expect to see.


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## kb

jetcar said:


> Found about 2# today. Odd year as some of the usual spots are completely bare of mushrooms but other spots where I've never seen any had nice patches of them. Some pretty old ones in the bunch which I did not expect to see.


where you located jet


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## Shroom Picker

Found a few pounds today


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## r0ck3m333

Nice man😁


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## jetcar

kb said:


> where you located jet


Just outside of Kansas City. Might go look a little more.


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## r0ck3m333

Start hitting those North Faces soon


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## r0ck3m333

A white Mammoth Morel growing alongside a normal yellow


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## r0ck3m333




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## Dinontom

What area of Missouri are you hunting? St Louis area seems to be about done - at least our spots are. Just trying to figure out if it's time to put the basket up for the season and get back to work! 😕😬😁


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## r0ck3m333

We are in Kansas City Missouri but we go all over the area north and south of the river I'm about to slay it again this weekend they're going to be big and beautiful


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## morelgod

Me and magnet and a buddy found a few today


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## shroomsearcher

Nice!


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