Morel season is getting close!

Well, it's getting close to that time of year. I think I'll head out this coming week (I have a few days of leave saved up) and see if I can find any morels. Not sure if they have started to sprout yet but I always have fun walking the hills and figured it's just another excuse to get out of the house.

Here are a couple pics from 2007 (I missed last year's season...not many of them in Iraq lol )
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killerbee
to cool hawk. i just started looking for morels last year. i thought i did fairley well, i probably found 80-100 for the whole season. but i have a HUGE question? [i'm still a rookie] so i started finding them around memorial day last year. are they really out this early? or would finding one right now be a bonus because it's so early? they are a blast to look for. i would drive around and completly di-sect[sp??] the ground to see if it was the "right " type of vegetation to what i thought would grow mushrooms. then after a while i started finding them. one time i was talking to my wife looking at her, when all the suddon i slammed on the breaks! she was yelling"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING"-- you guessed it, there was a bruiser of a murell right out her door! lol lol that sucker was 6 -8" tall and 3 -4 " across! i walked trough there and found some whoppers!
i cant wait till this season, will have to get some good ATL's for mushrooms!
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AGCHAWK
LMHO...too funny, my friend!

Well, I am not sure if they have started sprouting yet in the Blues. Those pics above were taken on 04MAY so we are certainly getting close.

From past experience, once you get to the point that most of the snow pack is gone and bare ground starts showing, that's also when the morels start sprouting. However, we are still getting snow up here so I am not sure what my normal area looks like. Again, I am taking some leave next week and will probably make a trip into the Blues on Tuesday and see what it looks like. If I don't find anything, maybe I'll take a walk and see if I can find any elk sheds. Of course, I am sure more of the hard core shed hunters have probably already been through there numerous times but I'll get a good hike out of it either way.
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AntlersOutWest
Humm, Ive never tried one.. How do you cook/eat them??

I see different kinds of mushrooms around here but they dont look like that.. How do you know if they are eatable??? I heard if they smell funny then they are not poisonous.. Don’t they all smell funny??
#-o

But looks like fun scouting for them while out hiking.. Better have a big pack to carry all the sheds and mushrooms home.
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AGCHAWK
AOW, they taste great! In fact, I like them over all other mushrooms...especially when they are cooked and eaten with a nice venison steak.

How do you know if they are edible...well, feed one to your buddy. If he/she gets sick or dies then throw the batch out and try again. lol

Actually, I learned how to identify them from my father and grandfather so I "just know" but there are no other mushrooms out there that look like the morels (pics). At least none that I have come across. Oh...I have never actually smelled them so I really have no idea if that works or not. Maybe I'll try it this season.
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Default Avatar
I was just talking to a co-worker this morning about Morel hunting . Here in NE Iowa its big time
and secret spots are coveted. Our nights have been below freezing so it will be another month yet for us. Morel season always coincides with spring turkey and first season turkey is only 2 weeks away. I like to get one good meal in me then i'm good till next year.
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waynedevore
Here folks will show you a good fishing hole or share a good hunting spot. BUT! take you to their Morel spots NEVER. Ours are about the 3rd week in May. I love shroom hunting. :thumb
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