# How to Spot Dead Elms - Video



## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

For anyone wondering what a dead elm looks like, here is a link to my YouTube video posted after last season (2012), “How to Identify Dead Elms.” It focuses on dead elms, does not show the morels. The mushrooms found under these same trees may be seen on my companion videos, “Confessions of a Tree Hunter – Part One" and also Part Two. Part One netted 14 lbs, and Part Two ended with 9 lbs.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wi_MM8-Yj4[/video]


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## smguffer (Apr 14, 2013)

Great video, really appreciated. I might just turn into a tree hunter myself


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## garden (Mar 25, 2014)

Hey thanks for that Shroomcrafter. I am learning to spend as much time looking up as I am looking down. Thanks again.


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## creekfinds (Mar 29, 2014)

Thanks for the excellent video. Very helpful.


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## jim33 (Mar 9, 2013)

Great video sir! That's awesome that you put that together for people. Good luck to you this year! First time logging in this year! Good Luck everyone!


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

smguffer, and Garden, you're welcome. Give it a try and if you can find a woods with some dead elms, and check under every tree that even looks like a dead elm, sooner or later you will hit paydirt. Those companion videos that I mentioned show the mushrooms I found under those dead elms. I changed the names of those videos to: Morel Mushrooms - Go for the Gold - 14 Lbs. and Morel Mushrooms - "Good Job, God!" - 9 Lbs. Keep looking UP and Good Luck this spring!


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

@Jim33, ditto on my above remarks to you also. I enjoyed putting it together. I have been wonderfully blessed to find many pounds of morels every year, for many years now (I'm 73), almost always looking under dead elms. I thought this would be a way to give something back to the sport. Good luck to you also.


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## garden (Mar 25, 2014)

Shroomcrafter, I have seen your videos on youtube before. I wondered if you were the man who always said "Good job God" I love that. It's exactly how I feel. Every time I find my first one of the season it's like the clouds part and light comes down and I am in the presence of something awesome. Well, I think you understand. lol Thanks again Shroomcrafter.


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## im hungry (Feb 9, 2014)

thanks shroomcrafter ..thats alot of help.im going to have the little woman and the kid watch it..


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

@creekfinds, and @im hungry, you're welcome. I hope my vids help put some mushrooms on your plates.

@Garden, You are so welcome. Yes I totally do understand. Feel exactly the same way. You said it well, better than I could. "Happiness is...finding a mushroom and knowing Who to thank." And when you find lots of them you grow very thankful and appreciative. It's a wonderful high. I always felt that for me to find mushrooms, it had to be God!


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## garden (Mar 25, 2014)

Shroomcrafter,
If you ever do a guided hunt and teach about trees and find some morels that we could keep a few I would pay very good money to go and learn. Keep me in mind if you ever do. I would like to learn more from someone who believes like I do and loves the woods. Kindest regards Garden


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

Garden, Thank you for that kind reply and request. I sure will keep you in mind if I ever do anything like that in the future. You would be at the top of my list. Thanks again, and God Bless You!


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## darryl (Mar 9, 2014)

I appreciate the video. I always try to study my trees before the season and then I get into the woods and they just all start looking alike to me. My stepdad (deceased now) could look across a field in the distance and name off all kinds of trees he was seeing. I wish I could have learned that from him before he passed.

Thank you again for the informative video.


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

Darryl, You're welcome, and thanks again for your epic vids and comments. My uncle (deceased now) tried to teach me what a dead elm looked like. I didn't care, just followed him around and helped him pick. I finally caught on when hunting alone: found a nice patch, and, hey, maybe this is a dead elm! Memorize this bark and look for this tree. It began to work very well for me. But, hey, I've never seen anything like what you guys did in those two vids! When the shrooms are that thick, don't waste time looking up for dead elms. Lol. Just get busy pickin' and grinnin' :-D P.S. Great idea to spread the morels out on that big old log. What a picture. Shows just how epic your find truly was!


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## kbode1 (Apr 5, 2014)

This is an awesome video! Thank you for sharing!


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## langoti21 (Apr 5, 2014)

shroomcrafter, thanks for taking some time out to make this video and teach an amateur like me to spot elms. it sure helps!
Monty


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

kbode1 and newbie shroomer, You are more than welcome, and thanks for the kind comments. As you might guess, I really enjoyed this hunt and making this video. The editing was a little painstaking and time consuming, but I get excited even looking at dead elms. (The thrill of anticipation!) At first I wasn't finding many morels, so I decided to video more of the elms as an educational tool for those who aren't aware of them. Then I started getting into the shrooms. You can see them in my companion videos of these same hunts, "Go for the Gold - 14 Lbs." and also, "Good Job, God! - 9 Lbs."


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## moreljean (Apr 18, 2014)

This is an excellent video. It's so hard to tell what kind of tree you are looking at 1) there are no leaves, and 2) the bark is usually gone when an elm is dead. What I also noticed, and correct me if I am wrong, but it seems the elm does not have many branches until the top of the tree. Meaning the trunk seems pretty tall and straight and only branches out with a couple larger branches near the top. :-/


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## darryl (Mar 9, 2014)

I have watched your video several times, downloaded brochures, pamphlets, read articles looked at photos etc., all in the hopes of FINALLY being able to pick out my elm trees froma distance to selectively hunt the woods instead of bumbling around.

Alas....... I took a quick stroll through some timber this evening and all the trees still look alike!

I can find my share of shrooms some years but it's usually the result of a lot of legwork. 

Back to the drawing board.......


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## smooth23 (Mar 30, 2014)

Dont feel alone Daryl, I cant tell them apart either


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

Jean,

Thanks. You are exactly right, the elm does not usually branch out until 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up. And then the branches are not horizontal, but angular, making a Y shape, much llike a vase. Important to look for that shape. When I'm walking thru the woods, what I also look for in the distance, is small patches of exposed white bark up in the tree tops as well as the trunk. This is where the bark has peeled away. Not always easy to see, especially when other trees are leafing out. But keep your eyes peeled. I have found many dead elms, and lots of shrooms, using this technique.

I highly recommend you check out the Iowa message board, on the "Identifying Elm Trees" topic. Much excellent discussion there, also two of my vids. The last post of ShroomBoomblio, April 18, is a must read. Great information including correlating the bark loss with the age of the elm after it dies.


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## shroomcrafter (Oct 20, 2012)

Darryl,

It may be there aren't any elms in the woods you hunt. I do know from your vids you had at least two awesome hunts in 2013. The next time you find a nice patch of shrooms, if there's a tree right in the middle, get photos and vids of it and memorize it. It may very well be a dead elm. That's how I finally figured them out (w/o pics or vids). Good luck.


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