# Northern Indiana/Southern Michigan



## Heaven Lentine

Heya, fellow shroomers! 
I'm from St. Joseph County, IN and all of the forums for my area are pretty much dead. It'd be refreshing to see even a little activity from my area...just a lil bit? Lol. 
I prefer to hunt in Southern Indiana during the earlier part of the season and work my way to Northern MI. This past year, I swear I've packed twice the amount of research into my brain than any other year. All types of info from spore prints to chemical absorption. So, any information at all won't be shot down, even if I am already aware. 
I honestly just want to see people in my area share the same hobby and love nature as much as I do.


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## jaybo

Do you find black morels in St. Joseph county? In the Chicago area they're few and far between. If so, they shouldn't be long for starting, as they start earlier than yellow morels. In fact, SW Michigan black morels aren't usually that far behind southern Illinois as it's a similar hardiness zone as southern Illinois due to the lake. No rumors of southern Illinois starting yet, but should be any day now.


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## Morel man 96

Im in central IN I find yellows an pecker heads sometimes but never really dark morels either and I've heard of them coming up a little earlier before yellow morels too . I'm going to start hunting next week I think 🤔 as long as it stays over 45 at night time an all that rain coming is nice for us too 😊 good luck hunting every1!! Jw when is everyone starting ???


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## Heaven Lentine

jaybo said:


> Do you find black morels in St. Joseph county? In the Chicago area they're few and far between. If so, they shouldn't be long for starting, as they start earlier than yellow morels. In fact, SW Michigan black morels aren't usually that far behind southern Illinois as it's a similar hardiness zone as southern Illinois due to the lake. No rumors of southern Illinois starting yet, but should be any day now.


Oh yes, without a doubt I find blacks round here. Every season I find a decent amount of blacks as well as greys, right in my area actually. But I agree with both of yas when it comes to blacks popping before yellows. That's proved itself true to me for years now. I appreciate any info about Illinois, cause I have realized over the years that I tend to base shroomy time partly off of when Southern Illinois starts poppin'.


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## Heaven Lentine

Morel man 96 said:


> Im in central IN I find yellows an pecker heads sometimes but never really dark morels either and I've heard of them coming up a little earlier before yellow morels too . I'm going to start hunting next week I think 🤔 as long as it stays over 45 at night time an all that rain coming is nice for us too 😊 good luck hunting every1!! Jw when is everyone starting ???


Shoot, I'm headi


Morel man 96 said:


> Im in central IN I find yellows an pecker heads sometimes but never really dark morels either and I've heard of them coming up a little earlier before yellow morels too . I'm going to start hunting next week I think 🤔 as long as it stays over 45 at night time an all that rain coming is nice for us too 😊 good luck hunting every1!! Jw when is everyone starting ???





Morel man 96 said:


> Im in central IN I find yellows an pecker heads sometimes but never really dark morels either and I've heard of them coming up a little earlier before yellow morels too . I'm going to start hunting next week I think 🤔 as long as it stays over 45 at night time an all that rain coming is nice for us too 😊 good luck hunting every1!! Jw when is everyone starting ???


Shooot, I'm heading out tomorrow mid-morning, bout an hour after sunrise! I can't take it any more, the anticipation is killing me! 🤣 I mean if the hunt isn't at all successful, I can at least scope a few spots 'n see if anything has changed/if there's any new tracks or whatnot out there. 🤷‍♀️ 
We definitely could use some warm rain and much more sunshine! 🌞 
Happy Hunting 💜🍄🌞


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## Morel man 96

How about pecker heads???? Do they sprout early it's light rain here I'm gonna go look an seee


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## Heaven Lentine

Morel man 96 said:


> How about pecker heads???? Do they sprout early it's light rain here I'm gonna go look an seee


Yes! I've always called 'em "dog peckers" just cause that's the name I discovered 'em as. But they sprout like crazy around here, annually, from the very beginning of the season to beyond the end of it. They can get quite annoying, personally. 🤦‍♀️


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## r0ck3m333

The half-free morels are actually delicious by the way...


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## Morel man 96

Um I love the peckerheads!!!! I think they taste great lol but ya I went an hunted I only found a few diff one s but not morels or peckerheads


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## Morel man 96

View attachment 41274


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## Morel man 96

An seen some puffballs tht are small but they are edible soon theyg etc a lil bigger


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## Regionnaire

Heaven Lentine said:


> Heya, fellow shroomers!
> I'm from St. Joseph County, IN and all of the forums for my area are pretty much dead. It'd be refreshing to see even a little activity from my area...just a lil bit? Lol.
> I prefer to hunt in Southern Indiana during the earlier part of the season and work my way to Northern MI. This past year, I swear I've packed twice the amount of research into my brain than any other year. All types of info from spore prints to chemical absorption. So, any information at all won't be shot down, even if I am already aware.
> I honestly just want to see people in my area share the same hobby and love nature as much as I do.


Hey there. I'm from NWI, and hunt all over the place. I have plenty of personal spots, so I'm willing to team up on excursions to my larger hunting grounds, including by you Heaven Lentine.

I doubt I hit my southern spots this year due to knee issues, but I'll be out every day I'm able once they pop north of Indy.


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## Regionnaire

jaybo said:


> Do you find black morels in St. Joseph county? In the Chicago area they're few and far between. If so, they shouldn't be long for starting, as they start earlier than yellow morels. In fact, SW Michigan black morels aren't usually that far behind southern Illinois as it's a similar hardiness zone as southern Illinois due to the lake. No rumors of southern Illinois starting yet, but should be any day now.


We normally get peckers more than anything else due to lake effect, but last year was crazy for blacks. I found some damn near every time out, including late season. I have a bunch of pics of them in the 2021 thread.

If you remember, we had an early warm-up that woke up the foliage. When that happens, you tend to get more blacks. The nice weather also translated into a ton of early greys. Then, the cold came (sub-freezing temps) and stifled the peckers (I found maybe 25% of what I would normally find), the rest of the greys, and the early yellows. ..was still finding tons of blacks, though. Had a nice push of yellows late, but the forests filled in before the yellows could go crazy. Still had a great season, despite.

I had my first find in NW Indiana on April 13th last year. It'll be later this time cuz there are no more 60s or 70s on the horizon. That should mean less blacks this year, and more peckers. Still have a few weeks, so maybe April will pleasantly surprise us


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## r0ck3m333

Many mushrooms in general can look like lots of intimate body parts......but we call just those ones "peckers"...I guess it could be worse.


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## r0ck3m333

Hard enough telling people you hunt for mushrooms and they are like YOU MEAN DRUGS RIGHT?! ...Nope these ones you can eat! They are called peckers! No worries😉


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## Morel man 96

That was kinda funny lolll


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## capn morel

Hey fellow shroomers. First post of the new year. I'm another NW Indiana hunter living in Porter County. Wild ramps are starting to pop, the shrooms are usually 2-3 weeks after. But we need warmer weather. I'll keep you updated.


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## wade

capn morel said:


> Hey fellow shroomers. First post of the new year. I'm another NW Indiana hunter living in Porter County. Wild ramps are starting to pop, the shrooms are usually 2-3 weeks after. But we need warmer weather. I'll keep you updated.


 Excellent Reporting Sir @capn morel 
Thank You


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## noskydaddy

Nice to get some details on the elusive black morel. 
I have to admit, I am terrible at finding them. 
So thanks for all the info. 


I did know about the zone in Michigan being "more tropical" because of the lake:
It's known as the *fruit belt* because of all the cherries and blueberries 
and peaches that can be grown there. 


Imagine a 25-mile wide strip of land from the state line 
all the way North to Traverse City. 
That's the zone.


But I never thought to apply it to black morels! _DUH! _


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## noskydaddy

Heaven Lentine said:


> Oh yes, without a doubt I find blacks round here. Every season I find a decent amount of blacks as well as greys, right in my area actually. But I agree with both of yas when it comes to blacks popping before yellows. That's proved itself true to me for years now. I appreciate any info about Illinois, cause I have realized over the years that I tend to base shroomy time partly off of when Southern Illinois starts poppin'.


What kind of trees do your black morels like @Heaven Lentine ?


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## Regionnaire

capn morel said:


> Hey fellow shroomers. First post of the new year. I'm another NW Indiana hunter living in Porter County. Wild ramps are starting to pop, the shrooms are usually 2-3 weeks after. But we need warmer weather. I'll keep you updated.


Hey there, capn! Nice to see you back.


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## Regionnaire

noskydaddy said:


> Nice to get some details on the elusive black morel.
> I have to admit, I am terrible at finding them.
> So thanks for all the info.
> 
> 
> I did know about the zone in Michigan being "more tropical" because of the lake:
> It's known as the *fruit belt* because of all the cherries and blueberries
> and peaches that can be grown there.
> 
> 
> Imagine a 25-mile wide strip of land from the state line
> all the way North to Traverse City.
> That's the zone.
> 
> 
> But I never thought to apply it to black morels! _DUH! _


Hey there, Nosky...good to see you 

It goes even farther inland in NW Indiana because we get wind blowing directly off of the lake all winter. It takes longer for the ground to heat up because of it. That's why Lake, Porter, and La Porte counties can be so finicky.

Blacks are genetically identical to half-frees, greys, and yellows. They're black because they need to absorb more light to compensate for the colder ground.

I start to search for them when the ground temp is in the low 40's, and leaves are budding. With all others, I look for partial shade...early in the season, blacks tend to pop where there's more constant sunlight, and colder/darker pockets later. When I am searching for them, I start on the SE side of the forest working west, and hit most any sunny hill or open patch I can find. They are tough, but once you figure them out in a forest, you're golden for the entire season. If I find a patch, I tend to find more (peckers/greys/yellows) later to the north and west of where I found the blacks.

BTW, not sure why, but I have the best luck with black morels near Ash trees. Maybe they wake up faster than other species...I don't know


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## Penelope

I'm in NWI, Walkerton area. I've been lurking on this board for a long time but haven't bothered posting. I'd love to team up for a hunt. My personal hunting area was purchased and is now off limits, so I've been trying to scout out some new spots. I love finding them more than I actually like eating them, which in my mind makes for a great partnership! I'd also love to find other women for outdoor activities - I love foraging and identifying wildlife.


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## noskydaddy

Regionnaire said:


> Hey there, Nosky...good to see you
> 
> It goes even farther inland in NW Indiana because we get wind blowing directly off of the lake all winter. It takes longer for the ground to heat up because of it. That's why Lake, Porter, and La Porte counties can be so finicky.
> 
> Blacks are genetically identical to half-frees, greys, and yellows. They're black because they need to absorb more light to compensate for the colder ground.
> 
> I start to search for them when the ground temp is in the low 40's, and leaves are budding. With all others, I look for partial shade...early in the season, blacks tend to pop where there's more constant sunlight, and colder/darker pockets later. When I am searching for them, I start on the SE side of the forest working west, and hit most any sunny hill or open patch I can find. They are tough, but once you figure them out in a forest, you're golden for the entire season. If I find a patch, I tend to find more (peckers/greys/yellows) later to the north and west of where I found the blacks.
> 
> BTW, not sure why, but I have the best luck with black morels near Ash trees. Maybe they wake up faster than other species...I don't know


Hey @Regionnaire, good to see you too buddy. Thanks for even MORE detail. _"Ground temp in low 40s to begin."_ That's good to know. Maybe I'm starting too late. 

Like you, I do focus on where the ground gets more direct sunlight first. 

I read a good article on *vineyards* and where they plant grapes because, they too, use the "TERRIOR" (the lay of the land as it pertains to soil and climate) to determine best results.

It's very interesting to see the world in that 3D TOPO map. Kinda of like studying those maps to locate fish in lakes. I can study those things all day! LOL


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## Regionnaire

noskydaddy said:


> Hey @Regionnaire, good to see you too buddy. Thanks for even MORE detail. _"Ground temp in low 40s to begin."_ That's good to know. Maybe I'm starting too late.
> 
> Like you, I do focus on where the ground gets more direct sunlight first.
> 
> I read a good article on *vineyards* and where they plant grapes because, they too, use the "TERRIOR" (the lay of the land as it pertains to soil and climate) to determine best results.
> 
> It's very interesting to see the world in that 3D TOPO map. Kinda of like studying those maps to locate fish in lakes. I can study those things all day! LOL


The low 40s is a starting point for me this close to the lake. The farther inland you go, the warmer the ground. Wade was just mentioning in the other thread that he loves the ground temp @ 55-60. I start looking when it's in the 40s, and go out every day I can when it hits 50.

Just wanted to throw that out there. I'm so used to hunting near Lake Michigan that it might lead to some bias.


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## Regionnaire

Penelope said:


> I'm in NWI, Walkerton area. I've been lurking on this board for a long time but haven't bothered posting. I'd love to team up for a hunt. My personal hunting area was purchased and is now off limits, so I've been trying to scout out some new spots. I love finding them more than I actually like eating them, which in my mind makes for a great partnership! I'd also love to find other women for outdoor activities - I love foraging and identifying wildlife.


Welcome, Penelope! There are still some great forests to hunt in your area. I will help you out when the time arrives. If schedules line up, I have some new forests to scout not far from you, and a couple big forests I haven't been to in a while that could use the extra eyes. Last year, there were others from your area looking to meet, so maybe they'll pop their heads in at some point as well.


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## r0ck3m333

I've always found that the more people you take the more morels you will find.


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## r0ck3m333

Also you can carry more beer that way


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> I've always found that the more people you take the more morels you will find.


Yes..I agree, I hunt mostly a 7,000 acre area..
It is to much for me to find them all but Together We can cover it Throughly.. and it's so Enjoyable to share my spots and Hunt together..
Still I do announce to others a Moral Reminder that "These are My Spots..Do Not Ever come back here without Me" Unless I'm dead.. then sure come hunt Enjoy and Remember Our Good times Together


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## r0ck3m333

I let my friends know if they go without my crew not only will I be able to tell, but they won't find shit without us lol😆


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> Also you can carry more beer that way


That does sound good...Thanks For the Reminder..
Here are pictures of an Awesome old Pal about 4 yrs ago.. Hunting with me having a Beer, at "Ambush Pass" we where all Shocked when, without warning..6 months later a Brain tumor took him Quickly.. Luckily We had Many Good times Together Through the years Past


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## r0ck3m333

One of the best ways to mark a spot. Beer can in a tree. If you find an old beer can in a tree stop and look harder😄


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## wade

r0ck3m333 said:


> One of the best ways to mark a spot. Beer can in a tree. If you find an old beer can in a tree stop and look harder😄


Yep I figured that one out.. Funny kinda hate that .. but still have a look when


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## Penelope

Lol, snitches get stitches. Thanks for the warm welcome Regionnaire. I'm planning to really venture out to new areas this year, even if it's just to hike and scout. I would love to visit your area Wade. It looks so amazing in your photos. I'm from mid-Michigan originally and have found Northwest Indiana a bit desolate, despite the proximity of the lake. I love finding new quiet wooded spots around here that feel like home. I'm hoping to make a trip down this season for some hiking and maybe a little mushroom hunting if I can get the time off.


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