# What Type Of Habitat To Hunt Black Morels In NE OH



## cooley

Pretty much know where to hunt and look for Grays and yellows under elms and ash here in NE Ohio but would like to know thoughts and opinions on where to look for blacks this season I am in Trumbull Co. Flat land my buddy from the southern Ohio says he gets them under ash and poplar and around spice bushes. I also want to look around cottonwoods and sycamores this year for yellows I have never looked around them before and I have some big tooth aspen behind my home anyone ever find morels around them?


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## buckeyebowman

This is something I'm interested in as well. This will be my third year hunting and I have never found a black. I'm in Mahoning County, but hunt mostly just over the line in PA at a sportsmen's club I belong to. We have about a million dead elms on the property, and I've found morels under exactly ONE! It's produced about a dozen yellows each of the last 2 years. I find most of my morels under apple trees, which we also have a ton of. I'm going to have to learn to identify ash trees I suppose

As far as blacks go, I don't know. I've read a bunch of morel books and haven't read about any way to pinpoint them. In Michael Kuo's book "Morels", he talks about a fruitless hunt that ended with him finding 2 prime blacks near a red oak, with not an elm, ash, apple, or tulip tree anywhere in sight! They'll pop where they will, and all we can do is go look for them.

BTW, there's a morels seminar at Fin, Feather, Fur in Boardman on the 28th. John Maybrier is doing it and i'm going to go see if I can pick his brains a little about blacks, in particular.


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## cooley

Buckeybowman that's morel hunting I guess, ash trees have opposite branching and diamond type pattern of bark. I found morels around them but not a ton of them. The most I ever found under a dead elm was 45. I found 57 last year under tulip tree all small morchella deliciosa. I have some new morel woods I have looked at that I can not wait to look, every tree associated with morels is in this patch, dead elms, ash, old apple trees, big dying cotton woods, tulip poplars and big tooth aspen but as you mention the right trees do not always produce! If you keep looking for the right trees you will eventually find them sometimes putting on a lot of miles. 
Keep me posted on your seminar, I'm curious on what he says. I want to start early looking for the blacks this year I seen a picture on here somewhere where a lady had blacks she found in Trumbull Co. So I know the have to grow in the northern counties here in Ohio. I just never got early enough to look for them.


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## ant

Ive had my best luck with blacks around Tulip Popler,and Cherrys.But they are my nemesis.They are hard to spot.But if you find a patch they will generally come back in that area year after year.


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## cooley

Ant I have found commons around black cherry, some articles I have read said you find blacks around the same trees their later arriving kin pop up at! From what your saying tulip poplar and cherry are good and when you say poplar some identify big tooth aspen with them any truth to that? I have never foun any under aspen.


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## buckeyebowman

Last season, on the "Wild Edibles" page of Ohio Game Fishing, a couple of guys from the Cuyahoga Falls/Kent area wrote about finding blacks. I figured why not here? So, I started early and will again this year. Plus, I have some new spots to check.One thing I noticed last year under the one elm tree where I found yellows was this. I must have checked that tree 8 to 10 times. The first few times there was nothing, then a big flush of LBMs which died back, then nothing, and then yellows! After the yellows nothing, and then more LBMs! They seem to come in waves.


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## cooley

So buckeyebowman I have also seen those little brown mushrooms around those elms. Your right there here in the northern counties we just have to find them. Lol! Ant and most say they will come up generally in the same spots year after year. Check out this video of theses black beauties http://youtu.be/HZHDduz93bw these guys were in Minnesota!


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## buckeyebowman

The stuff dreams are made of! That's not fishing, that's catching! There was one interesting comment made in the latter part of the vid where they found that whole gang in one spot. The one guy called them their "path" morels, and they seemed to find the majority of them right on the edge. I wasted a lot of time my first year beating my way through impenetrable thickets to get to a big, old, long dead elm, only to find nothing. The one elm where I have found morels (the LBM's, Yellows, LBM's tree) is right on the corner of a thicket with open grassy areas on three sides. Same with the apple trees where I found them. I'm beginning to think that might be important.

BTW, I loved the duct tape on the one guy's pants! I guess that's one way to keep thorns out and ticks off!


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## cooley

The best elm that produce for me was on a fields edge where the field was sloped down on a grade to the edge where the elm was. I believe the water when it drained from the rain put good moisture there,they where the beer can sized morels huge, I can still remember when i seen the bark slipping off as I approach and look down and seen all of them my heart skipped a beat or two. 
I do not think warm weather will be hitting until the 3rd week in April they say ground temps need to be around 50 degrees for them to start popping but if the blacks come earlier then you would think the ground temp would be cooler than 50 degrees. What is your thought on that! My buddy said in years past in April when there was a warm spell they would start to find them and the next day there would be light snow and those blacks would stick out like a sore thumb!


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## ant

Snow might make my war on the black morel easier.Damn I can be in a patch and my one buddy who can spot them well will ask me if Im done and Ill say yep and hell come in and pick another dozen.Pees me off.But youve gota get the eye forem!


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## cooley

I wonder what the most common black morel that is found in buckeye land morchella angusticeps or morchella septentrionalis.


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## buckeyebowman

cooley, I think I have to agree with you. Blacks pop, what?, 2-3 weeks before the yellows do, so it would make sense that the ground temps would be cooler providing the weather doesn't get too goofy! Consider the vid link you posted. If I remember right, those guys were hunting northern Minnesota in early June! It can get damn cold up there, and Summer comes late. What greenery was out wasn't all that extensive,

As far as what species the blacks are here, only God and the scientists know. A few years ago Michael Kuo (www.mushroomexpert.com) initiated something called the MDCP, the Morel Data Collection Project. He asked for specimens to be sent to him from all over North America, which he turned over to a mushroom DNA lab. At that time some people said there were three species, blacks, half-frees, and yellows, period! Other folk had a few more. What Mike and his DNA buddies came up with was 14 species of Morchella! That's interesting, but as long as I can identify them, and they're all delicious, I really don't care. Especially blacks. All I want to do is find one! 

ant, your story made me laugh! It reminded me of when I started deer hunting. I went out with someone who knew what they were doing. They tried to point out deer to me, but I couldn't see them! I had to "learn" how to see deer in the woods, and I believe the same is true for morels. My first year hunting was nearly total frustration. I spent a lot of hours out there and found nothing. Then, toward the end of the season, I found that one elm, and I found my first morels! They weren't usable. They were old, over the hill. Dried up and crispy. However, it showed me that I could "look" at a morel and "see" it for what it was. Looking and seeing are two different skills, and that makes all the difference in the world to a newb like I was then!.


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## cooley

lol buckeyebowman! They are delicious! Well I'm thinking 2-3 weeks yet before the blacks start popping. It doesn't look like the weather will be warming anytime soon. I will keep checking with my buddies down in southern Ohio and on here! I need to go check a few new spots I have access too and see what kind of trees and habitat are there, I'm getting the cabin fever since hunting went out and the morel itch!!


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## srashley

I live in Northwest Ohio. I'm not sure if the same conditions are in the Northeast or not. But around here blacks are scarce. I have looked around here for 15 years and only have one consistent black morel spot. But I find 300-400 every year there. In this area, White ash is the best, but good luck finding any alive! My spot is around Black Cherry, Tulip Tree, and sassafrass. Make sure the soil is dark and rich - a dark, sandy loam is prime. In other parts of the state and in other states they are prevalent. But I have looked all over from northeastern Indiana to Toledo at the same latitude and haven't ever found a black around an aspen here. I also have NEVER found a black around an elm tree. The couple times a dead elm was around a black morel, it was in an area of ash, black cherry, or Tulip trees.

Hope you find em!


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## cooley

Srashley you are in Toledo where it is flat for the most part like we are here in NE Ohio. There is something to the black cherry because I here it a lot, we have been fortunate that we do have ash that have been totally destroyed by the emerald bugs but in my area we have too many trees being timbered out! Property owners have the right to make money for selling there timber but the Amish just do not leave anything standing! The dark soil you refer too is In the stand of big tooth aspen behind my home I am going to check it and see what happens. I hear a lot about the aspen being good for blacks in MI, I'm going to start to look under the tulips, ash, black cherry and go from there! I have a feeling I will be putting on a lot of miles to find them this year but I have some great habitat to look in... I need to lose a few lbs. anyway! Much success to you this year too and all the morel brethren!


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## buckeyebowman

Srashley, you mention dark, sandy loam. I watch a YouTube vid of a guy hunting blacks in Michigan. He demonstrated how you can identify that type of soil. If you squeeze it in your hand it will form a ball, but if you then work it with your fingers it will crumble apart readily. I haven't run into any of that stuff yet, but will keep my eye out for it. After all, there are plenty of sand and gravel mines in NE OH, so I figure it has to be somewhere!

Went to a morel seminar today, and the speaker said he prefers poplar woods for blacks above all else. So, I'll be on the lookout for those as well.


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## cotty

ive found in southeast ohio atleast blacks grow around, mainly poplar, and black cherry trees, i myself prefer the black cherry trees, but thats just me, most of your big patches will be mixed black cherry and tulip poplar trees, some ash, blacks grow im mostly the same areas as yellows, but at the same time the complete opposite if that makes sense, but here in se ohio, the blacks, half frees, and yellows grow all in the same area, never hunted north east ohio so couldnt tell you up there where they grow, but the two main trees i would look for is poplar and black cherry, and you will find that dark sandy loam soil, almost anywhere you find black cherry trees, and poplars.


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## cooley

I too have seen that video. I think the reason being is because the the leaves on the poplar tree family decompose very quickly which turn into that rich loamy soil. I know I have never ever found even an old black morel in where the yellows or commons where, now the say the blacks are early and before yellows and overlap each other but I have never been that lucky to find a spot where they do! This year I will be out early enough to look for the blacks first and once again another hunter(cotty) speaks of the black cherry and tulip tree!!


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## cotty

i have been watching videos all day everyday getting ready for the season ahead, i have seen many videos on black and also thru experience, they prefere the shady side of the sunny side of the hill, and i say i prefer black cherry trees the most for blacks, because they are more common than tulip poplars in my areas, may not be the same for you where you are, but its just a basic guide to go off i guess, happy hunting and watch out for ticks and falling logs.


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## cooley

We do not have hills here cotty but we do have black cherry, tulip and ash I will be looking at early this year.


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## cotty

if on flat land wooded banks, and bike trails, railroad beds all good areas for blacks, but stick to the black cherrys and tulip trees and you should be productive on blacks


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## cooley

Here is new area I'm going to look for blacks in. It has the right trees and rich loamy soil we have been talking about!


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## buckeyebowman

Oddly enough, the other day I stopped by the local liquor vendor for a 12 pack, and as I left the store I looked down and, boom, a poplar leaf! So, they're around, I just need to learn the bark.

Interesting idea, cotty. We have a lot of old railroad grades that have been converted into bike trails. Makes me think I ought to get the 2 wheeler out and tool around a bit this spring.


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## cotty

Yea old rail beds and bike paths are great early spots because they warm up faster, and funny story about one of my only black patches I call my own, it's on a bike path down here in se ohio, and I been picking it for three years now, other people try to beat me to it, but fail they walk thru, maybe find one or two, I go right behind them and pick a pound or two, the blacks ain't for everyone though, them little devils are tricky, I found my patch by accident, I was walking home, walking very fast, and just happened to glance down, and there they were, stopped me in my tracks first year I found it, picked the patch for two weeks straight finding a lb or two each time I went in every other day!!!


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## grizzly adams

I live in ashtabula co. and last year was the best year i have ever had for blacks my son and i found just over 300. almost all were near poplar .It took me years and countless miles of walking to find places that had morels,i have found the most in hilly terain with dark soil, around poplar trees.I hope this helps and good luck.


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## cooley

Grizzly you are north of me as a matter of fact you are in the last northeast county on the map just above me, lol! What is the earliest you found blacks? Being just the county above us there should not be that much of a difference when they start popping if any not more than a few days to week!


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## cooley

Do you find them blacks coming out of the stone or along the edges along railroad tracks? I have tracks that have not been used in years since our steel mills closed and I have been looking at but I read you have to be careful because of the chemicals they used to spray weeds and morels will absorb the toxins any truth to that! I know my uncle use to get them along tracks years ago.


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## cotty

Both I have found them growing in the rocks and on the soil, above the bed, and everywhere, they grow everywhere in the track beds


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## morelmaster_01

I eat railroad morels every year nuthing wrong with them just a wise tale to keep ya off there spots!


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## jdk32581

I live in NE Ohio as well.....Find most of my blacks around Poplar. Didn't find too many last year but gonna check the spot this year to see if they come back. When I found them last year they were way past prime and HUGE...


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## jdk32581

Here are some pics from my finds last year.


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## jdk32581

Half Frees-


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## jdk32581

Northeast Ohio monster yellow 2014


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## jdk32581

Blacks from a Poplar in NE Ohio


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## cooley

Nice blacks what time of the year did you find them jdk?


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## jdk32581

They were ok.. Kinda crumbly and old, big though. Early may on a ridge bench near poplars. However last year may have started late but I have very little frame of reference only been hunting a few years.


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## cooley

Just got off the phone with my buddy who lives about 8 miles south of Akron/Canton airport who has been hunting shrooms for over 40 yrs. if warmer weather it's next week with some warm rain the blacks should start coming! I'm going to do some walking this weekend! This sitting around ain't no good I need to start moving. I may look at those old railroad tracks first maybe those rocks will hold a little more warmth for them to pop up first!


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## buckeyebowman

The extended forecast says no doubt about it, we are going to get some rain! Don't know if the soil temps will be warm enough up here just yet. However, I am now the proud owner of a probe thermometer that reads from 25 to 180 degrees F. I figure I can take some readings around here at various sites and at least have an idea when we're getting close. I've read or heard that I should take readings at a depth of 2".

jdk, those blacks you found give me hope. Early may might be just a smidge too late for blacks, even around here. By that time I was running into half frees that were crumbly and shot. Right after that the yellows popped. Of course, I wasn't looking near poplars, I was looking in the same areas I find yellows, so I could be all wet here.


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## cooley

Well that's not a bad idea I was told and read where you can use a meat thermometer too it works just as well. Most would agree it is going to take warm temps close to 60 and not below 40 at night I think we have good moisture from the snow melt here. Just some nice showers here and there so it doesn't dry out too fast and I'm hoping for a banner year.


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## grizzly adams

Most years i start looking about the second week in april but it depends on the weather of course. Last year i found the first small blacks on the 17th of april. old railroad beds do produce alot of shrooms ,if your in trumble co you have some good hunting close by. I have found lots in that area.It looks like we are a couple weeks out we just need some warmer temps but its lookin like its guna be a great year.


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## cooley

Grizzly it looks like we will start getting warmer weather over the next 2 weeks, checked a new spot today it has the right trees and ground a ton of dead elms, apple trees, ash but I seen some cottonwoods two huge one were dead and I have heard you can get them around cottonwoods, there is a guy on you tube that finds them around cottonwood! Now they where not black morels he was getting around the cottonwood they were big yellows.


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## cooley

I just seen where Morels have been found in Waterloo IN. Which is pretty close to Michigan. I checked their weather and it has not been any warmer their than NE OH! May be getting close!


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## ant

Ever hear of April fools?They might be selling but Im not buying!


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## cooley

I hear you Ant!! No photo posted either!


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## jtazman

Not to be upsetting but the 2nd picture does,nt look any thing like a black morel They look like old dog peckers [half frees] not trying to be mean or start just i,ve picked a good bit of blacks which I think are the hardest to find and well that aint them


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## jtazman

Sorry 3rd pic.


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## cotty

Yes jtazman you are right the first pic is a few half frees, second pic is a big yellow, and third pic I hate to burst you bubble but they are blacks, they just a lotta dry, about to fall out for the year, and I agree blacks are the hardest to find, sometimes elusive to the eye, gotta know what you looking for for sure, they are easy to find when they first come up, but once the sun hits them and turns them black, have fun, blacks definitely ain't for everyone, gotta have good eyes to find them, on that note is say about two weeks for yall up north till blacks start coming up, good luck and happy tick free, and fun hunting, good luck all!!!!


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## thunter

I've seen similar video, like the one above, of rolling bottom type areas producing a lot of blacks, southern Indiana i believe.
Like srashley said, rich, dark, loamy soil is a must have. Another must have for me is old age timber, consisting of a mix of mostly Tulip Poplar and other hardwoods. For whatever reason, hillsides that are strictly Tulip trees do not produce as well for me. I've walked a bunch of em. 
I think blacks are some of the pickiest, as far as where they will grow, but more consistent than the rest as far being there year in year out, so if you find a patch, you are set for a long time. I hunt southern Ohio, deep ravine type areas. I used to just go on all day mega hikes, any more I just target specific hillsides, if I have the time to break new ground. I've accumulated a good amount of black patches over the years, some I've been hitting for ten yrs. or so.
With the terrain being so much different, I don't know where to tell you to find em in north east Ohio, but if you have enough ground to cover take some of those long hikes. If your lucky enough to located some, take everything into account, as far as why they are there and target like areas. It's not so much like a needle in a haystack when you can eliminate a lot of the woods. 
I try and wait til the half free's are starting before I check new area's. The blacks are up out of the leaves good by then and much easier to spot at a distance, otherwise you may walk right by a good patch and never know it.


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## cooley

Looks like a good week here for morel weather day temps in 60's and night time above 40 chance of rain every day! I want to start looking this weekend, I would like to see some good reports coming in from Ohio about black pickings!


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## cooley

Here is a good video of a guy in MI picking black morels ...... The habitat looks very similar to what I have posted pics of earlier on this post. Notice that most of the leaves on the ground he is picking them from have points or teeth on them those are the big tooth aspen leaves, it looked like there where yellow poplar and maple and black cherry mixed in too. http://youtu.be/c4__unxGxPc


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## thunter

Nice, does look like a lot of aspen in area. Funny that those woods there are mostly full of young saplings. Hate to see rootball &amp; all being pulled up. He should have had another good trip or two in those spots, a good bit of what he was picking were not mature yet.
Getting the itch to get out there!


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## cotty

i agree with you on that thunter i hunt the same or nearly the same areas you do in hocking county and surrounding areas, terrain is very different i gave them a base line for up north rolling flats, rail beds and bike trails, with ash tulip poplar and black cherry, i find most of mind in the deep ravines and steep hill sides, but i have a huge patch of blacks right on a bike path in a town, they come up first cause the asphalt heats the dirt faster than the big woods, but that is just my findings, and as a rule of thumb i always find my blacks where the half frees grow, 99% of the time


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## cooley

Cotty my friend told me the same thing if you find half frees look good because usually there will be blacks near by. I'm going to go for a walk tomorrow to check on thing so. That guy was yanking them right out instead of pinching I seen that! That is a no no! Much success guys! I hope it's a banner year for the whole state! O-H


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## grizzly adams

Went for a short walk today its looking like its on track with last year .didn't see any may apples or blood root yet ,lots of ramps though . Should be looking good by next weekend.


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## cooley

I hope your right Grizzly, I want to get those first blacks in the skillet!


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## thunter

Right cotty
Halfrees don't always come up good for me, even in good years for blacks, but they do go hand in hand. If its a good hillside for blacks, it can be good for the rest as well. 
Gonna get out early in week, hope to have a good report. 
:-D


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## jdk32581

Found a large grove of big tooth aspen trees the other day... Maybe I will give it a look


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## cotty

sounds good thunter i normally start looking when you find blacks, all ive found this year is a few scarlet cups and thats it, things should start hopping here soon, blacks by the beginning of the week, and yellows by the end of the week, that is my predictions for the season its going to be a quick but great season all around i think, woods are a little behind but other than that, its going to be great and everyone is going to have a banner season this year, happy hunting all, and hope you find the motherload this year


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## usmc0341

I'm located in Lake county ...Wondering if anyone has been finding any and what's the best place to look for them


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## ant

You asked the perfect noob question.Look at some info on this site.Wich by the way is great.And you can learn alot.Not to mention get out in the woods and hunt!Its like anything else learn by trial and error,Study youre trees and soil and youll be golden.


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## cooley

Went out for a few hours today and did not see nothing except daffodils and some wild flowers up, its getting green here so I'm thinking by next weekend. Going to check a new spot tomorrow I just go permission for it is 30 acres so I hope to find a few morel trees in there, i have a buddy checking down by piedmont lake tomorrow an early black spot. I can't be long now!


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## buckeyebowman

I-O, cooley! I looked at that vid you posted and the one thing that really hit home with me was how sparse the woods look! I'm not all that experienced, but when I started finding yellows last year the woods had greened up quite a bit, and the apple and dogwood were in full flower. 

And usmc, ant is exactly right. Prime spots for morel hunters are like a fisherman's "honey hole". They won't lead you by the hand, but, if you're able to figure it out for yourself more power to you! Learn your trees! I hunt a lot at my fish and game club. After my first (fruitless) year, I mentioned to a member that I knew to be a 'shroom hunter, that I hadn't found anything under elms. He asked me if I had looked under apple trees and I said no, since I didn't know about the apple tree/morel connection. He said, "Aw dude! you gotta look around the apple trees!" He didn't tell me which apple trees to look near, nor even any particular area of the club. But his advice helped since I found some the following year. All you can do is take the tips you find here, get out there, and start looking around. After all, knowledge that you develop yourself is the most precious!


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## cooley

Lol! Buckeyebowman I'm glad you got the I-O with a screen name like yours! The woods he was hunting in was sparse not a ton of green. Im predicting by the next weekend we should start getting some reports near us hopefully it us doing the reporting. I believe Grizzly Adams from Ashtabula said last year it was around the 4/17 when he started getting them And he just posted he was in the woods and it seem like the season is on track as last year! I just want to get some blacks I know I can get the yellows and by the way once the yellows come on my main focus will be the dying elms I want to pick them by the lbs. I do have a new spot that has a old apple orchard I will be checking this year too!


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## thunter

Cotty, I think your right about finding some eating size blacks early this week. This is the latest I've gone in last 5 yrs. or more w/o frying some up already. I do hope your wrong about the yellows by end of next week...don't want to see em for at least two weeks. We will probably see a shorter season if it stays this warm, just hope it wasn't so warm that the window has closed on the blacks fruiting just yet.
Good luck to ya.


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## grizzly adams

Went to a different spot to look around , mayapples are popped and the bloodroot is up and flowering wont be long in these parts should be by the weekend.one thing that don't sound good is I just saw a report from southern ohio of ten small greys .Hope its not over before it starts. happy hunting !


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## buckeyebowman

Heck yeah I got it, cooley! Huge fan of TOSU! Even though this will only be my third year hunting, it's kind of become a "thing" with me to finally find some blacks. Last year worked out pretty well. I found some yellows, developed some spots, and discovered some new spots while hunting deer and pheasant. Also found some over the hill half-frees, some verpas, and some gyromitra. Later on I also found shaggy manes and some dynamite meadow mushrooms! Now, among other things, I wanna find a black!

Grizz, saw on another board pics of two very young blacks from Brown Co. Ohio. That's way south! Also included was a pic of a very young mayapple spike. I figure I have at least a week to ten days here in Mahoning Co. A few of my daffodils finally bloomed, but there's no forsythia or dandelions yet. The redbuds have just started falling out of the maple trees. We seem to be a bit behind the curve up here. Checked pics from last year, and my first yellows were found on May 10. If this year is like last year, I can figure blacks toward the end of April. Right now though, it does seem a touch warmer then last year. We had a bad cold snap in mid April. Of course it still could happen. After all this is Ohio!


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## cooley

I have not seen any May apples popping yet, checked the 30 acres today not morel habit every tree a maple or oak, my buddy checked is black morel spot today and zero, nothing , zilch! It seems to be a weird season for sure even down southern ohio! They have to show up sometime!


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## cooley

I think some of the Meatchicken guys are full of BS I seen where there have been finding them there and they are further north than we are!


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## buckeyebowman

I used this lovely day to go play golf! I did take quite a few peeks in the woods in and around the course. I gotta tell ya, it looks like there is absolutely nothing going on around here yet! Not one single green thing to be seen anywhere! I'll get a chance later in the week to go take a closer look. Just to get a general idea on conditions because I think we're at least 10 days away depending on weather.


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## deathsayer

We are in clermont county and we found 5 blacks 0n the 8th and they were very small. just checked them again yesterday and they haven't grown very much. Seems like the cold spell slowed them down.With the rain we got tonight and the warm nights they will push through the leaf litter soon.


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## deathsayer

We are in clermont county and we found 5 blacks 0n the 8th and they were very small. just checked them again yesterday and they haven't grown very much. Seems like the cold spell slowed them down.With the rain we got tonight and the warm nights they will push through the leaf litter soon.


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## buckeyebowman

Got a chance to go to the hunting club today with my friend to run his German Shorthairs. So, it wasn't a shroom hunting trip, but I did keep my eyes open. I was mostly looking for types of trees and the general condition of the woods. In my last post I wrote about playing golf at a course that might be 20 miles North of my hunting club. What a difference! The woods around the course looked cold and dead! The woods at the club are coming alive, greening up nicely. It's amazing what a slight change in latitude can do! 

Anyway, I managed to spot some poplar, aspen, tulip tree and ash which I will check out in more detail in the coming days. We'll see what happens, if anything.


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## cooley

May apples are popping good now,two days ago I didn't see any it has to be close! Rain tomorrow and Fri. I'm heading out over the weekend!


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## cooley

I have seen posts and read now that tulip, ash , black cherry are the trees to look at, I also seen where it took some years before they were successful finding blacks. I just seen where a guy found them around black walnut and locust go figure huh! This I know for sure ....you can't find them on on the couch or chair!! I believe i have found some habitat to look in where the blacks grow, I just never got out early enough to find them or seen them where I picked grays, and yellow! I'm going to try to change that in the next few weeks!


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## buckeyebowman

Had a chance to look around at the hunting club today and check a little closer. No shrooms, and surprise! No mayapples either! Most of the greenery was nondescript small plants, mosses (might be good when black trumpet time rolls around), and a multi-leafed plant that kind of looked like ramps, but wasn't. No wild flowers in evidence, other than a small, dime sized yellow one that resembled a dandelion but wasn't.


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## abee1976

These blacks were found 4/28/15 in Summit County, in a mulch bed!!


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## jdk32581

Landscape morels nice! I had to hike 20 miles just to find one patch of blacks


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## buckeyebowman

Angie, wow! Usually hear about "landscape" morels being a California phenomenon. Nothing in the pic to show scale, but the one black looks to be "puffickly hayooge"! Nice going.


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## pistol31

I'm new to Stark County and went out today. Only found 3 small blacks but it was still fun getting in the woods. All were surrounded by elms. Moss on the ground with some sun. Not all shaded. They smell so good! With it was 300 instead of 3! I wish this wasn't such a hard forum to post pics on. I tried. 

""


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## abee1976

Yeah, Buckeye...that big black one was probably 4-5" tall! Had to pick him  Harvested the other that were around too, so that I could have a nice little appetizer of sauteed morels. It was a freak find, only one part of this mulch bed was a gold mine to several blacks. Oddest thing I have to see as of my 5 years hunting! Then went out yesterday, and found one clump of blacks, harvested 7 of them, and then nothing else. Quite a bummer I'd say. But can't wait to hunt the big blondes!!!


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## buckeyebowman

That's kind of where I'm at too, Angie. It's looking more and more like black season is going to be a bust around here, but as weird as this year has been I have no way of telling. But I figure it's go time, so just keep hunting and see what happens.


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## jimwas98

Found my first blacks yesterday just inside the woods maybe 3 feet from a mowed yard.There were only 4 of them in a 3 foot circle, more or less. They were 4" tall and kind of dry. Pretty much a SE slope near the top.


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## cooley

Finally found my first blacks last year wasn’t many but broke the ice! They were around black cherry and tulip poplars. I’ve looked that area over 4 yrs. and last year they were there.


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## morelseeeker

cooley said:


> Pretty much know where to hunt and look for Grays and yellows under elms and ash here in NE Ohio but would like to know thoughts and opinions on where to look for blacks this season I am in Trumbull Co. Flat land my buddy from the southern Ohio says he gets them under ash and poplar and around spice bushes. I also want to look around cottonwoods and sycamores this year for yellows I have never looked around them before and I have some big tooth aspen behind my home anyone ever find morels around them?


In Michigan I always look for big aspen trees when hunting black morels. Out west they grow near fir trees. I have found them here near pine trees but thinking it over those pine trees may have been fir. I have found them near the cut off between a beach, oak forest and an oak, ash forest but closer to ash. In MI they seem to be widespread not too much in OH. In IN south of Indianapolis they seem to be every where. I know spots to find them in OH but they are few and far between. Look on the top of hills and flat areas on the top of hillsides first.


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## cooley

I have a patch of big tooth aspen behind my house, the ground looks perfect for blacks but never found any in there of course the area where I found the blacks last year I’ve look in there for 4 yrs. and boom they were there. Popple trees are aspen at least I thought many MI hunters call them Popple trees I thought. A lot of moisture in my area but temps aren’t right. I believe starting Apr. 12 daytime temps will be near 60 and lows above 40 at night for a week or better, this should get them going. Hoping for a great year for all!


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## Kym

Poplar trees for sure! Found a couple babies here in SE Ohio a few days ago! No doubt we received plenty of rain but these temps are killing me!!


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## shroomsearcher

I don't know what to tell you. I've looked for years up here in NE Ohio, and haven't found a single one! Went to a seminar by John Maybrier from Michigan which might be the black morel HQ of the US! He said he likes a "popple" woods for blacks. Well, we don't have big areas of popple woods here. Just isolated groves of them here and there. 

I've checked every one of them I can get access to, and no shrooms!


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## cooley

I’ve looked for years for blacks before I’ve found those ones last year. I believe the stars have to align(at least for me) to find them. I’ve searched every poplar tree, black cherry tree, elm, ash, and apple tree I come across for morels, some areas I come across look prime to find morels and nothing. I do know this moisture and temps have to be right and here in Trumbull Co. the last few years it has been below average for the shrooms. I’m hoping this year will be a banner year.


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## Kym

Found these yesterday around Dayton area. Only a handful of nice ones. Need some warm weather! These are in a poplar tree area.


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## shroomsearcher

Nice to see some green in the woods, Kym. None of that going on up here yet! But it's been said before, there are 2 Ohio's. Ohio south of I-70 and Ohio north of I-70!


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## Kym

shroomsearcher said:


> Nice to see some green in the woods, Kym. None of that going on up here yet! But it's been said before, there are 2 Ohio's. Ohio south of I-70 and Ohio north of I-70!


That is SO true! Don’t know what it is about that 70 line!


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## shroomsearcher

I think it's Lake Erie. It doesn't affect NW Ohio as much as NE Ohio where I'm at. It keeps things cold up here in the Spring! And brings us snow. Saw the lake water temp posted today. Still only 39 degrees!


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## cooley

Nice Find Kym! Went for a walk yesterday and it’s early nothing is up. It’s suppose to get warmer and in the 70’s by weekend and then cold again. I guess the sponges will come when they come. Can we get a year when the temps and moisture all come together for the good of the morels!


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## shroomsearcher

cooley said:


> Nice Find Kym! Went for a walk yesterday and it’s early nothing is up. It’s suppose to get warmer and in the 70’s by weekend and then cold again. I guess the sponges will come when they come. Can we get a year when the temps and moisture all come together for the good of the morels!


Or for the good of us morel hunters! Last year was pretty good up here, the earliest I've ever found them, though I've only been hunting about 5 or 6 years.


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## the shroominator

Found 5 tiny blacks this morning in south east summit county. Only black spot I have and I found it last year. I can't figure out a tree association. They are on a flat spot at the base of a hillside facing south east near cottonwood. Definitely not popular or ash or cherry. Something I've noticed in many of the black morel pics from ohio is cottonwood leaves so maybe there's something to it?


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## sb

Kym said:


> That is SO true! Don’t know what it is about that I70 line!





shroomsearcher said:


> I think it's Lake Erie. It doesn't affect NW Ohio as much as NE Ohio where I'm at. It keeps things cold up here in the Spring! And brings us snow. Saw the lake water temp posted today. Still only 39 degrees!


If you look at the lie of I70 on a glaciated - unglaciated map of Ohio you'll see that glaciation difference corresponds to about 80% of the I70 delineated geographic area you are speaking of: and it could be other additional impacts, as you mention--lake effect/climatic.


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## shroomsearcher

the shroominator said:


> Found 5 tiny blacks this morning in south east summit county. Only black spot I have and I found it last year. I can't figure out a tree association. They are on a flat spot at the base of a hillside facing south east near cottonwood. Definitely not popular or ash or cherry. Something I've noticed in many of the black morel pics from ohio is cottonwood leaves so maybe there's something to it?


The 2 trees I found most of my yellows around last year was a Sycamore and an absolutely enormous Eastern Cottonwood! You never really hear those 2 species mentioned. There were some apple trees in the vicinity, and I found a few near them, but my bigger hauls were clustered around those 2 trees. 

In fact there was a yellow near the Cottonwood that would have been about 11" tall growing right at the edge of a dirt 2 track thru the woods. I had to have walked right past it 3 or 4 times! It had gotten old and was laid over. So I looked around and found 3 more nice ones about 5 feet away.


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## the shroominator

Quite interesting shroomsearcher and KSU. I've always found morels by cottonwood but assumed they were there due to the other trees around i.e. Cherry poplar ash. I'll definitely be keeping an extra eye on the cottonwoods now.


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## the shroominator

I learn something new each season and it's definitely 50% due to you folks on here. Thanks everyone for being generous with sharing your observations over the years!


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## shroomsearcher

Oh, absolutely! I love sharing info, and I also look to learn from other posts and first hand experience. 

If you look at a Cottonwood leaf it very much resembles a Poplar or Aspen leaf. I wonder if somewhere in the distant past these trees were related. They are all rather soft wooded trees. I wonder if there isn't some condition of the roots of these trees that make it advantageous for morels to establish a relationship with them. 

I doubt that research on that deep a level has been done. That's why it's up to us amateur naturalists to note what we observe, and report it. We are the foundation of science.


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## the shroominator

Interesting tid bit of info


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## shroomsearcher

That is interesting!


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