# TTuman Lake Observations



## chapman two step

Sunday 3-29-15
After a cold week there is no need to even look for mushrooms today. Signs of spring did rear their head this week with the Dogwood trees blooming on Wednesday, the Bradford pear trees started blooming on Friday, along with the elm trees starting to get a tinge of green on them. The grass has greened up nicely, but no dandelions. As the old timers always told me that the first sign of spring in when the buzzards show up. They made their first appearance in the sky on Thursday. Truman Lake water surface temp. today is 45 degrees, up only one degree since last Sunday. In my area I always went by April 15th to find mushrooms, it is looking more like that date will hold true again this year. Good Luck Hunting to All!


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## jasonl

Words of wisdom and fact Imo....
Thanx for the update ...as I am coming your way next weekend for some fishing practice


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## shroomcuttin

How far is Truman from Buffalo MO ? I will be down that way from IowA on May 1st for the Hale Fireworks demo. Was thinking about looking around the lake.


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## jasonl

about 40 minutes north......may 1st will be past prime time probably but if they are still up they oughta be easy to see


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## shroomcuttin

Thanks Jason. Hopefully there will be some fresh ones left


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## jasonl

I looked there on Saturday near Osceola (east a bit)....and never saw anything ...another week ought to make a big difference ...I hope

and your welcome shroomCuttin.....the Truman area can be a real good place for Morels ....much better than SW MO in my opinion


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## chapman two step

just got in from a Sunday walk around to a different area. Didn't find any mushroom but did a box turtle fresh out of the ground with mud on his shell, a 4' long black snake and two soft shell turtles in the creek. We can check them off the list of things that happen. Truman Lake surface temp. this morning 50 degrees. Well get them sooner or later.


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## aadavis42

hear they are poppin in branson my land in warsaw should b rockin!!! found 300 last year so on Friday its hunting time!!!


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## chapman two step

Came home with 6 yellow morels tonight, they were all small and one I found was still bent over, meanings they just popped this morning. Well the Lilac bushes just came in to bloom yesterday and some flowers that are like ground cover came into bloom yesterday also. I will have to do some research to pin point exactly what they are and post. Truman Lake water temp. is 52 degrees at the dam. The reason for this thread is to find out which sign mother nature gives us can tell us when we will go into the woods and Find morels, not just look.


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## smguffer

i don't think morels follow the exact same patterns as any other flowers blooming or trees budding... i could be wrong.

one thing i've paid attention to and have noticed is there is normally a rush of early morel sightings about a week after i see the dandelions pop up.

about 2 weeks after the dandelions pop up is typically when it's "worth" going out and hunting morels seriously. 


thats just my own observation.


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## newrocker15

2 observations. One the roses in my town all opened up Wednesday the day I found my first morel in North east Jackson County and two it was a week after I saw my first thimble sized dryads saddle. Two days after finding the saddle it was five inches across, just thought that was interesting. Hope it helps.


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## jasonl

I found about the same near Truman lake on FRiday....6 morel mushrooms......and the Red's were up also...but just starting. 

Here in my woods south of Springfield its a slightly different story.....they are much more plentiful


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## chapman two step

Dear smguffer,
I am still searching for the "Magic Bullet". Based on what I saw last year, flowers are the key "I Think". Your 2nd sentence I totally agree with. On Friday I did see some tulip flowers that had bloomed red, beautiful. Thank you for your help.
Dear newrocker15,
Thanks for your observation, this is one I have not noticed. I will drive around the older part of my town tomorrow to confirm. As far as the dryads saddle, I am not sure of the species you speak of, more research on my part to do.
Dear JasonL,
Thanks for your confirmation on what is going on, wish I had time to get back down to the Queen City.
A Few facts now: Table Rock Lake surface water temp. 65 degrees
Lake of the Ozarks surface water temp. 56 degrees
Truman Lake surface water temp. 58 degrees
Smithville Lake surface water temp. 53 degrees
Lake water temps can be a very good guide for finding morels.
My hunting experience today was, went to the some on high ground where I found them on Friday, did not find anything.
Second spot, low ground close to creek, found 10 morels. Not just any morels, all were very small under 1 inch tall. Picked two, left the rest to grow. Third spot, a draw off of a creek so I will call it middle ground, found one grey 1 1/4 tall.
The flowers I spoke about on Friday are periwinkle flowers. I am still "hunting" for morels.
Brass tacks time: I am basing my theory on a flower that blooms when a person can go into the woods and find decent size morels, not baby's. As of today and last season's observations, I will place the bet on day lilies in bloom.
More brains and eyes are better than me, all help is appreciated.
Good Luck To All!


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## newrocker15

Chapman I was just thinking. How about the yellow flower at the bottom of Mayapples? Seems like they always bloom around the same time I start killing it with good size yellows. I just had my first fresh mushroom dinner of the season and am dying for a good haul. Took me three days to scrounge these up. The Mayapples up here at the river are just days from flowering, I will be in the woods daily after work this week. I will keep you updated.


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## morelmaniac78

Chapman two step- In my short years of trying to figure these boogers out, I've noticed when red buds on northern slopes are in full bloom, it is then time to venture into the timber.


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## chapman two step

Dear newrocker15,
Flowering of the May apples, keen eye you have! As of Sunday that has not happened here at Truman Lake, but the spot where I did find my earliest morels the May apples were the tallest. Good skill not luck puts them in the skillet, Thank for the info, I will look hard at this one.
Dear morelmanic78,
Read the post in the thread on Missouri board "shrooming ain't for wussies" and we have ruled out the that trees are not the best answer. I am looking deep into this mystery. Keep your eyes open, we are looking for the sign that it is time to "pick" morels not just find baby's. As I am old and slow keep up the good fight and ye shall be rewarded. 
Thank You and Good Hunting to All!


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## mushroom jake

Chapman, I have logged many miles over the years, I have seemed to do better by looking at trees. I have found them by all different kinds, but if I was to guess a # of morels per tree average...I have found the most by maples on the river, ash in the hills, and dying elms. Never once by a walnut or hickory. Just an observation. When I go in the woods haphazardly, I may find some, but when I look for certain trees I do better.


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## lori in thayer

Mushroom jake, what kind of maple? We have many silver maple on the farm by the river and I've never seen any, but then again, I never really checked it out as I usually zip through the area to get to a grove of cottonwood.


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## mushroom jake

Silver maples, even box elders. Any maples are good....especially when large and by a river.


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## smguffer

im sorry but after watching the woods come to life this year I am entirely convinced there is absolutely nothing else in the woods that coincides with morels. 

they are their own beast, following only their own rules. 

the best we can do is gather clues from the rest of nature to give us a general idea of what they will do and when they will do it.

thats my theory any way


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## mushroom jake

I used to write down every tree I would find them by in journals every year. As I started finding more I didn't have time to do that. They will surprise you, but there does sometimes seem to be a method to their madness.....but it can change in each area....every other ash in one area, and 50 miles away in the same conditions nothing. Same from year to year too. So I somewhat agree with your assessment too, but as you learn certain areas your trees can be helpful. Palm trees don't do to well.


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## chapman two step

Dear Mushroom Jake,
I was a tree trimmer for the electric company for 11 years, doing transmission lines across the western side of Missouri. A good to great morel hunter as to know the tree species, this is mandatory for finding morels just not stumbling across by accident. I agree with everything you have said. Here are a couple more that work sycamore in the bottoms and cedar on the steep hills. Here is another one that have heard no one talking about, the red oak pattern. This pattern I saw last year, thought it was strange, but today the pattern was reinforced. Started on the ground in the maple grove with no results. Worked my way up a ditch running East to West entering the hardwoods on the north side of the ditch. Found a large burnt up dead red oak tree and found 6 large Yellow morels. A short distance up the ditch 4 more morels. In both cases the earth was black as coal, move ten feet off the ditch in the leaf litter nothing this early, this is semi- low ground where I hunt around Truman Lake.
Dear smguffer,
I do respect what you say and agree with the term "in the woods". The sign I an looking for is not in the woods. Day lilies don't grow in the woods as you know, I look for them in town by houses. I am trying to think outside the box. The theory is based upon this: Could I drive into your town and look around, if I saw day lilies blooming I could then go into the woods and find yellow morel mushrooms? 
Here is the next step of the problem, can I find a due southern slope with the right kind of trees on it, as mention above. 
Today in Clinton, Mo. is saw my first day lilies bloom. Results 10 larges yellow morels for the skillet on a short hunt after work.
This post is only to educate, myself included.
My you bags be full and you go without hunger!


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## newrocker15

Chapman I have an update. I found my first big yellow haul of the season and yes the Mayapples flowered this morning in my area. I am about thirty miles east of kc and right on the river. Hope this helps


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## chapman two step

Dear Newrocker15,
I though about you in the timber this morning. I went to my early spot and found nothing. I went to another spot, looking for the Pattern I though I would find them on, No Luck. Moved up out of the bottoms to some higher ground and starting hunting. Mother Nature gave me a clue with my first big yellow of the day, two steps later my eyes saw 4 more big yellows. As the pattern developed through out the day it produced 40 big yellows, even a couple still bent over. When the pattern came into complete focus I saw the flowers on the May apples. 
You Sir deserve a 5 star award for you observations. With people like you in the woods, the health of mushroom &amp; knowledge being passed down will live on!
Thank You,
Chapman Two Step


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## smguffer

if you find the answer you be sure to let ol' smguffer know!

until then, im going to look at soil temperatures, humidity, precipitation, soil consistency, terrain i'm hunting, and a few other clues nature has to offer :wink:


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## chapman two step

It's Friday night and my hopes for a big weekend are not to good. We will have night temps. above 50 degrees tonight and tomorrow night, hope that bodes well for Sunday. Went Wed. after work only to find 15 morels but they were not fresh. Truman Lake lost 5 degrees of water temp. after the rain this week. 57 degrees surface temp. Friday.
Needless to say at this point in the season, it has not been a home run, only a single. The game is not over yet, in the late 80's I found shrooms in the middle of May.
Happy Hunting to All!


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## chapman two step

Old Homer here did a lot of observation today. Didn't have to bend much, over only three times, to pick some mostly dried out yellow morels. It only took 6 hours to do it. In a nutshell morels popped on 4-16-15 on high ground, 4-19-15 in lower ground. Went back today to previously hunted ground, no new growth in 8 days, cold front fixed that. Does opportunity lay ahead? Truman Lake went from 62 degrees to 57 degrees surface temp., did the cold rain pull out enough heat out of the soil, for one last warm up spurt? Not sure, if it comes it will be this weekend or not at all.
Happy Hunting Everyone!


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## chapman two step

The sun is setting this weekend, if we don't find them now we get to wait till next year around here anyway. You can't have a day without a night and Mama Nature is in control. Look where the sun has not shined.
The Best to All.


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## chapman two step

Looks the the end has come for me at least. My very short walk on Sunday did not turn up anything for me, just a new spot to look at next year.
Good Luck To All !


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