# North West Arkansas- 3 miles from the Buffalo River



## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Hello fellow Arkansans! I'm a newbie to this forum. This is my second year of foraging for mushrooms. But have been foraging for wild edible plants for 10 years now. Has anyone had any luck finding any morels lately? I found my first morels last year about the first week of April. Is that the norm for this area? Any replies would be appreciated. Thank you


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

None yet. I have been out every day hiking waterfalls and watching for new growth. Look me up on facebook. I'm in Crawford county near the Mulberry River. 1st week of April is the norm. This year I joined the Arkansas Mycological Society and will be going on a foray soon.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Unfortunately, well not really lol.. I do not have a FB account. I'm in Marion County. I am also a member of the AMS. I attended my first foray last year in October at Devil's Den State Park. May I ask which foray you will be attending? I haven't kept up much lately.


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

I got the Newsletter about the Morel Forays in the mail. Didn't you get one? You have to pay dues every year to remain an active member I believe.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Yes that is correct. I must have over looked it as junk mail by mistake 
I will look online for the next foray. Thanks


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

Still no morels in my area so far.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

None here either. I've been out in the woods for a couple hrs each day the past 3 days. 
Oh well... We've waited this long, what's 2 more weeks? Last year I found them not really looking for them. The day after I found the first ones I went out again. I tried looking under/around elms (not many poplars in this area) and oaks. Didn't find any. I just happened to stop at a cedar (not expecting to find any) looked down and low and behold there was a morel at the base of this cedar tree? So I began looking under all trees after that. I found a few (but not many). Hope they are more abundant where you hunt. Do you have any pointers/suggestions from any personal experiences?


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

Look for the Ash trees.


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## chapman two step (Apr 19, 2014)

Up here in central Missouri ash trees are a great place to start for those early morels. BAM!


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Thank y'all for your time &amp; comments!


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## veronicaandgary (Mar 22, 2015)

We are new to the morel hunt but are very excited to look in this next week, I think they will be out Wednesday or Sunday. We looked around Dardanelle yesterday with no luck. I have a doctors appt. in Talahina Ok on Tuesday and we plan on looking on the way and the way home. Does anyone have any suggestions of places of interest in that direction. We would appreciate any pointers. We will share in the bounty as well!


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

Morels are up already in central Oklahoma around OK City. I love the Talimena drive going from Mena, AR to Talahina OK.


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## veronicaandgary (Mar 22, 2015)

It will be our first time on that drive. I will report on the finds when we get home. I don't facebook sadly. I just emailed Jay about joining. I sent him a picture of a 45lb Hen of the Woods we found this past fall! I will post a picture on here in a bit. We have never eaten morels before but hear they are delicious. So far my favorites are the Black Trumpets and Hen. My husbands favorites are the Sweet tooth and smooth Chanterelles.


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

I like Lion's Mane. I found a big one last month near Camden.


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## veronicaandgary (Mar 22, 2015)

We found a 4 lb one on the way to Grant County back in November. I am going to post a couple of pics of the finds from last year.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

I saw on the "morel sighting" website that someone found morels in south Missouri yesterday. Got my adrenaline pumping, I'm so ready!!


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

I saw on the \"morel sighting\" website that someone found morels in south Missouri yesterday. Got my adrenaline pumping, I\'m so ready!!


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

http://morelhunters.com/


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

Yeah, Oklahoma too. I posted pictures of the actual finds on Facebook on our Arkansas Mushrooms and Fungi group page.


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

The thing is, those finds are really tiny baby morels. It will still be several days before they are mature. When the red bud trees blooms are fully open the morels will be too. I would say this weekend to look really good for them.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Thank you!!


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

Found today between Hot Springs and Little Rock.


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## veronicaandgary (Mar 22, 2015)

They look like they came up around the Saline County Area?! yeah, yeah, yeah.....


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Arkanshrooms you've just made my mouth water!! Enjoy my friend


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

Guys I didn't find these, I just saw the report on Arkansas Mushrooms and Fungi group on Facebook. I'm still looking for my first find up here in NW Arkansas.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

It's ok. Not like the post said "I" found, just said found today. I automatically assumed you had found them. I don't have FB so thanks for posting and letting us know that they are beginning to come up in Arkansas.BTW. Good luck! Hope the next pictures you post will be morels that you will be eating for supper.


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

These things are up along the Arkansas river in Fort Smith. Hopefully I'll find morels after the next rain.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

I haven't even found false morels. I've read of people eating them. Have you ever tried them?


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

No. I won't eat them. They are toxic and the toxins they contain do kidney damage. When you cook them it breaks the toxins down, if you cook them enough. How much cooking is enough? Who can say? Also even the steam coming off cooking them contains toxins. It is silly to take such risks when there are perfectly edible mushrooms elsewhere. Many of the people who eat them don't know the toxins they contain and are blissfully ignorant of the damage that could be done. I just think better safe than sorry.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

I agree 100% percent!!


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## jfeelong (Apr 1, 2015)

Found some black ones in Stone County! Around 12 or so! Can't figure out how to download a photo!!!!


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Now that's a lot closer to home!! Can't wait to get back to Marion County!!


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## arkanshrooms (Mar 17, 2015)

I host my photos on www.imgur.com then use html tags to put them here.


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## jean marie (Mar 17, 2015)

Beautiful photo of bloodroot!


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