# Sticky  New to mushrooming Bristol, Virgineessee area



## PACKLEAD3R (11 mo ago)

Hello, 
My name is James. I'm hoping someone can help me broaden my idea of where I should be looking for morels other than private property. As an example I read one person mentioned rest areas. Also enlighten me to the rules on state and national parks.

I really appreciate you taking the time to read this post. 

Thanks again 
JamesG Border Town, Virgineessee


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## jashroomer (May 3, 2014)

Welcome to the board, I'm not in your area, but i would advice learning your local rules. In Indiana, rules are sometimes different for state parks, state nature preserves, and FWA's, (Fish and Wildlife Area) . Good luck.


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## PACKLEAD3R (11 mo ago)

jashroomer said:


> Welcome to the board, I'm not in your area, but i would advice learning your local rules. In Indiana, rules are sometimes different for state parks, state nature preserves, and FWA's, (Fish and Wildlife Area) . Good luck.


Thank you for the warm welcome! I plan to contact the local Ranger office in both states. Thanks for the sound advice!


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## PACKLEAD3R (11 mo ago)

jashroomer said:


> Welcome to the board, I'm not in your area, but i would advice learning your local rules. In Indiana, rules are sometimes different for state parks, state nature preserves, and FWA's, (Fish and Wildlife Area) . Good luck.


I found out you can forage on tn state and national forest for personal use up to 1 gal per day. Anything more need a permit. 

Cherokee Nation Forest 
4400 Unicoi Dr, Unicoi, TN 37692
423-735-1500

Hope that helps someone!


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## Cecil G (Mar 24, 2021)

I’ve found the areas around lakes to be good spots to go look. I won’t claim too much success, but most lakes tend to have all the access on one side- if you can get to the backside there is usually a good patch of woods. 
As for local laws and customs, they vary a lot. I have heard different stories from two rangers at the same park. My philosophy is don’t ask- don’t tell. I take 2 mesh bags with me when I go hunting, and I pick up trash in one. If anyone asks…that’s what I’m doing.


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## Kelljp (Apr 9, 2021)

I'm 30 minutes East of you. Still about 4 weeks, but this week's weather is a plus.
Any of the walking trails around holston river should get you close. Look near any stand of popular trees after the next full moon.


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## wade (Mar 27, 2017)

Howdy @PACKLEAD3R and Everyone
Wade here...
Robinbluebird and Myself Hunted just off the edge of an Interstate Exit near Bristol a few Years back..
We were driving along when I Recognized that the Redbud trees and Dogwood trees blooms where Beautifully full of fresh Blossoms 🌸
So we stoped and had a Look. There they were, we found about 20 Morels


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## r0ck3m333 (11 mo ago)

Do yourself a favor hop on YouTube learn your trees and your plants. Good Morel Hunters don't really hunt for mushrooms we hunt for everything else and then find the mushrooms. Another big tip is don't go alone you will miss them. Morels tend to grow where people go along trails and easy to walk areas. Once you find some of those easy ones often times they will lead you to bigger patches in the deeper woods. Last but not least figure out the dirt situation. The stuff that you will find them in is real black good loamy soil and it will have a scent. Find the trees find the dirt find the mushrooms.


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## shroomsearcher (Apr 7, 2018)

Cecil G said:


> I’ve found the areas around lakes to be good spots to go look. I won’t claim too much success, but most lakes tend to have all the access on one side- if you can get to the backside there is usually a good patch of woods.
> As for local laws and customs, they vary a lot. I have heard different stories from two rangers at the same park. My philosophy is don’t ask- don’t tell. I take 2 mesh bags with me when I go hunting, and I pick up trash in one. If anyone asks…that’s what I’m doing.


There's a county metropark near me where hunting and gathering is prohibited. I find ramps, chanterelles, and hen of the woods there all the time. Once in a while I'll find chicken of the woods and honey mushrooms. The place is FULL of gatherers! We can spot each other easily, and trade knowing looks as we pass each other by! One time, on a hardwood ridge which give up chanterelles every year, I spotted a big log full of chickens! First time pop for that log. I know this because I walk past it every time I walk in on the trail that runs along that ridge! That was 2 years ago. I hoped for another flush last year, but no go! Hoping for another this year. 



r0ck3m333 said:


> Do yourself a favor hop on YouTube learn your trees and your plants. Good Morel Hunters don't really hunt for mushrooms we hunt for everything else and then find the mushrooms. Another big tip is don't go alone you will miss them. Morels tend to grow where people go along trails and easy to walk areas. Once you find some of those easy ones often times they will lead you to bigger patches in the deeper woods. Last but not least figure out the dirt situation. The stuff that you will find them in is real black good loamy soil and it will have a scent. Find the trees find the dirt find the mushrooms.


This is such a good post! On You Tube, search "Learn Your Land". A great series of videos about tree ID, mushroom ID, just everything! Now, I hunt alone, because no one I know is interested in going, but I have found them and developed some spots. And yes, I've found morels mere inches from being crushed by ATV tires growing alongside a 2 track in the woods! Also, along power line rights of way. Last year, hunting at my fish & game club, I was hunting some spots I know in our dog training area. I noticed that they had cut a few new trails off the main trail that walk in on. Guess where I found a bunch of morels! If the mycelium is present, which it seems to be all over in there, soil disturbance can cause it to flush!


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## r0ck3m333 (11 mo ago)

I have always found that foot traffic either human or animal is one of the best places to look for basically all mushrooms that are edible. Especially old camps and farms😁


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## shroomsearcher (Apr 7, 2018)

This reminds me of a pic in the Michael Kuo's book "Morels". It showed him in the woods with a jackhammer, in a section of text where it is suggest that some soil disturbance can be beneficial to mushroom fruiting! It is somewhat akin to Paul Stamets saying that when you walk in the woods, and a mushroom mycelium is present in the ground, that it "knows" that you are there! It senses your presence. It realizes that you are breaking wood and crushing leaves, thus creating more food for it. And it will "surge" to find that food.

He admits that he is a bit "out there", and feels that mycelia are "sentient" neural networks that belong to the earth! This is not far from Native American beliefs, but is more and more supported by scientific research! The more I listen to him, the more that I believe this!


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## r0ck3m333 (11 mo ago)

I think more along the lines of the fruiting body of an organism is meant to not only attract attention but to reach out to find potential takers as well. Shrooms got their bases covered. In this case it is human activity that sparks the morels interest.


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## shroomsearcher (Apr 7, 2018)

r0ck3m333 said:


> I think more along the lines of the fruiting body of an organism is meant to not only attract attention but to reach out to find potential takers as well. Shrooms got their bases covered. In this case it is human activity that sparks the morels interest.


Exactly! Stamets says much the same. I probably can't find the proper clip to post here, but this is exactly why he decided to to make his supplements from mycelium! They found that the mycelium was much more robust, immunologically, than the fruiting bodies. And when he explained it, it seemed very straightforward. The mycelium has to survive in a hostile environment! Millions of predatory microbes extant in the soil looking to kill and eat it! The mushroom irself, which can arise after thousands, or millions, or billions of cell divisions of the mycelium, and is designed to invite "mycovores" to it, dos NOT!


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## RickyRacoon (10 mo ago)

PACKLEAD3R said:


> Hello,
> My name is James. I'm hoping someone can help me broaden my idea of where I should be looking for morels other than private property. As an example I read one person mentioned rest areas. Also enlighten me to the rules on state and national parks.
> 
> I really appreciate you taking the time to read this post.
> ...


It’s that time look for trillium, mayapple, bloodroot blooms . Should be a great year for us Tn folks . Good luck and happy hunting


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## Fancy (10 mo ago)

I absolutely cannot wait to get out and fish! Land fish to be specific! Happy fishing mates!


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## NEWSHROOMERS (9 mo ago)

PACKLEAD3R said:


> Hello, My name is James. I'm hoping someone can help me broaden my idea of where I should be looking for morels other than private property. As an example I read one person mentioned rest areas. Also enlighten me to the rules on state and national parks. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this post. Thanks again JamesG Border Town, Virgineessee


 I been looking under honeysuckle next to creek banks in the sandy soil. Crossville tn. Havent seen it anywhere else except A tulip poplar had one under it my ma keeps stomping cause she dont want to be a *******.


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## NEWSHROOMERS (9 mo ago)

Red


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