# Mushroom Madman Where Are YOU?



## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman, having any luck this year? I don't do the other site anymore. Just wondered if you were lurking. This year has been poor compared to last. Kansas was mostly a bust. N. Mo so so. Have to see what the future holds.


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## mushroommadman (May 29, 2013)

Hey kb, I am still around. I started a new job the first week of April. Good job, bad timing. Work really interferes with the mushroom hunting. Once again it's been a strange season for me. I didn't have as much luck around home as I usually do. I made an Iowa run, left yesterday around noon and hunted til dark. They needed a good rain before now, but I managed to come back with 22 pounds, so I'm not complaining too much.  &lt;a href=&quot;"&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;" alt="" /&gt;</a> &lt;a href=&quot;<a href="http://s1244.photobucket.com/user/springscanonphotos/media/IMG_0552.jpg.html"></a>"&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;" alt="" /&gt;</a> &lt;a href=&quot;"&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;IMG_0554.jpg" /&gt;" alt="" /&gt;</a>


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## mushroommadman (May 29, 2013)

One picture showed up twice. Never can remember for sure how to do pictures after a year has gone by.


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## kc rm hunter (Oct 17, 2012)

Go Madman!!!!!!!!! :!:


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## ksmorelhunter (Apr 24, 2013)

Awesome work Madman. Do you mind saying telling the general area in Iowa you were? Don't need specifics, just would appreciate any info you are willing to share. Those look very nice. I'm hoping the abundance of heavy rain Iowa received doesn't ruin what's up.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman I knew you were due. I have not had any days like that yet. Came close yesterday, but mine were not near as pretty. Should be gone today, but all the things I have been putting off for weeks came to roost. So I had a day off and spent it needing to catch up. Looks like you timed that perfect. Got them before all that extra rain. Is there someone you call, or is it experience on the timing.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman, you have to settle a bet I have with a bud. He says you picked those north of HW 34 and I say you got them south of 34 based on the size. Only weirdos like us bet on stuff like that. Tank of gas riding on this, and I am not a sore loser. I would have drown today if I had gone where I intended, Glad the week ahead has no rain, just cool temps coming. You may have time for another raid north again Madman. Come on gas. I got hills in NW. Iowa to get to.


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## mushroommadman (May 29, 2013)

Kb, I just go by the vegetation and head north till it looks right to me. I also try to move around 100 miles or so in a week. Of course that all depends on the weather. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. I picked these south of 34. Go get em on that free tank of gas! Keep me posted on your finds. When do you feel like they will be in NW Iowa?


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman, this year has been a tuff call on the vegetation due to extended cool weather. I agree with the 100 mile a week, normal years that is about right. NW Iowa is a hard call, they had a spell of no rain that worries me. Plenty of rain this last week, but was it in time? I may need to head to central or east iowa depending on how intel. plays out for the NW., so far the news is not real good. I love to hunt Iowa's loess hills, but not if the morels are sparse. Ground temp. wise I think most everything north of I- 80 stands a chance of still flushing big. But like you said sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you. I think I have been eaten at least a half dozen times this year so far. Tired of that. Thanks for the info. If I did not have a real job, I would leave in the morning.


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## newb87 (May 14, 2014)

Mushroommadman would you be kind enough to email me about a question I have for you kind sir? [email protected]


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Going back north this weekend Madman? The weather has kept them in the fridge for us. Good luck, be careful on the roads.


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## newb87 (May 14, 2014)

I hope you are not thinking I wanted to hound you about where you found those... I just wanted to get some advice as if I was heading the wrong way when I head up to Iowa Saturday. Second year hunting in the Kansas City MO/KC area with lots to learn. Last year I found 20 morels not lbs and this year 35 morels. For my bday I was able to talk the boss(wife) into going to Iowa with me to hopefully at least find a lbs or 2. Took me a few days to think about where to head but decided to head towards Derby/Woodburn and look around the Stephens state forest. Going to have a lot of fun even if we come back empty handed but was hoping to hopefully have some of the odds in my favor. And advice as if i should go farther north, NE or NW? You can still email me if you would like I just wanted to put that out there.. Happy and Safe Hunting!


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## mushroommadman (May 29, 2013)

Kb- Unfortunately I can't go this weekend. New job really dampers my travels. I told my wife I feel like a leashed dog waiting to be turned loose. How about yourself? If so, good luck and keep me posted. How far north do you think you'll be going? I'm going to make a run next weekend if things hold together.


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## newb87 (May 14, 2014)

Sorry for jacking this thread kb, been anxiously waiting for any advice even a little before taking this several hour road trip tomorrow heading towards Iowa lol... I guess I'm driving blind and will let you guys know if I come up with any thing good..

Sorry again kb...


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

NewB, I live in NW. Mo, I would say any part of Iowa north of the border will have some good morels this weekend. Some parts more than others. The sweet spot now is probably 50 - 200 north of the border depending on where you are . A large part of Madman's success comes from knowing what to look for,and where. It also takes a lot of patience sometimes. Your lack of experience is your only problem, and only time fixes that. If I had missed one tree today if would have cost me about a third of my total because it was the loaded one. I bet 20 people had walked by it based on the path of footprints I was following. Heck I walked by it on the way in and only caught it on the way out. Madman, by the way you beat me, I only got 10.5 lbs out of that tank. But they were tight fat greys and whites. I think you got places you need to visit. I just drove till I hit full lilacs,


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

By next weekend your gonna need to be up near HW 18 is my guess, but maybe not if it stays cool.


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## newb87 (May 14, 2014)

Hey I really appreciate the response.... It is helping my confidence being a young rookie morel hunter. I'm sure your out hunting already but the best of luck to both of you and will let you guys know how I end up doing.

Thanks again kb.


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## mushroommadman (May 29, 2013)

Kb- How was the hunting this past weekend? Hope my boy thinks about me when I'm in my 80's, and wants me to go mushroom hunting with him. That's great stuff there. Is it worth my trip to northern Iowa over the Memorial Day weekend?


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman, I don't know your spots. I think many in Iowa have quit hunting and left us the rest. I don't get to the east side much, but I was about halfway between I -80 and HW 18 last Friday and found little bad. I figure if you do from I - 80 north to the border or beyond you should still do good.. Have not been in the NE. corner , or know anyone that has if that is your direction. Don't know if there are any loaded elms that way or not. Don't know how long you need to drive to get up there, might as well go, you'll just be pissed at yourself if you don't go look.


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman, the reports I am getting from NE. Iowa are not good. If you have some spots that you always hit maybe, I know at least 2 real good pickers who did real bad that way the last few days so far. But 50 miles one way or the other can make a huge diff. If you have already left good luck. I never went up, pickings sounded to slim. Hoping that they are going to have a late flush, but I think the season is past them. What is there is there is the feel. Only takes one big tree though.


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## mushroommadman (May 29, 2013)

Kb- Not a great weekend for me as far as picking morels. 6 hours on the road one way for less than 10#. 8#s to be exact, and not all of those were salvageable by the time I got home. I didn't find that one big tree. The best tree I found had 33 around it. The rest usually a handful and some just one. I came across a lot of trees that should have been loaded, but nothing. If I see an elm from a long ways off I always go and check it whether I have to wade across water, cross a big ravine, or climb a steep ditch. This trip I got to the point where I said the heck with it. A first for me when it comes to elm trees. The vegetation indicators that I go by looked ideal, but as you said that wasn't necessarily the case this year. I should have arrived a few days sooner, but I don't think I missed anything. Didn't come across too many stumps. As you said, I think everyone had done gave up looking. I hardly seen anyone out like usual. I took my wife and kids and we wound up spending quite a bit of time sight seeing instead. So still a good weekend, and no regrets on the travels, but definitely not a profitable one! I guess I'm probably going to hang it up till another year. Always sad, but for me a relief as well. However, if I got a hot tip it wouldn't take long to pack my bags! Thanks for your info and expertise this year. See you next year!


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman, You did good if you got that much. I have two friends that both picked at least 300 lbs. last year. They said SE. Minn.. , NE. Iowa , SE. Wis. was pitiful. SE. Iowa was good, but for some reason farther north got wasted. One friend spent an entire day in 3 states and hardly picked anything. Like you nothing keeps him from checking an elm. Checked hundreds of them. He did the same as you, figured it was a waste of time and went home after a couple of bad days.. Got a buddy picking burns in Idaho if you really want a road trip. Wife and kids up to it?


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## mushroommadman (May 29, 2013)

Kb - That's something I would love to try sometime, but till my kids are bigger there's no way I would attempt that long of a trip with them. You ever been that far west looking? Have you heard any reports back from your buddy up there?


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## kb (Feb 13, 2013)

Madman, Man that bunch you picked back in early May sure look good. Where did the season go? I picked morels once on a river in some mountains in Utah long ago. Pure accident, stopped to camp and they were growing by a stream in cottons and aspen. The burns I have not been to, my buddy is a buyer so he did a little of both. He said they are waiting for more rain, but picked and bought plenty It's big business out that way. Got to know where the burns are: first year best. Then get to them somehow. Any Govern. land requires a permit and fees. Lots more rules out there. I was reading an article about the big burn in the California Sierra Nevada Mtns. last year that the Feds. won't let anyone into pick due to falling trees and limbs this spring. Reports are the ground has thousands of morels as far as you can see. No one gets to pick them. A big west coast wholesaler estimated that 23 MILLION DOLLARS worth or more was rotting on the ground. Fines start at 250 and run up in the tens of thousands if you get caught in the no zone. They can take your truck, morels , everything. Madman I could pay off a new morel picker mobile. You could drop the family off at Yellowstone, jump over to Idaho, and be back before they missed you. It's something for the bucket list I guess. You know sometimes we can catch a burn in parts of Kansas, but its rare.


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## swillobeck (Jun 3, 2014)

What a evening. Just cooked yesterday's bounty... 10 good sized Morels
Once around the pan olive oil
1/2 stick butter
1 whole onion
4 cloves garlic
Sautéed
Add Morels
Salt
Pepper to taste
Add 1 1/2 cup White Zin
Reduce
Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, reduce
Pour over grilled chicken breast
...pure love!


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