2017 Atlanta Area Morels

I'm a Nebraska transplant and had no idea morels were in Georgia. I live in Alpharetta but have a dual sport motorcycle that allows me to get back into some remote areas of North GA. I respect your privacy about "sweet" spots but any hints as to when and where to start looking would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rick

 

Nice finds

 

Every spring I try to make it to central/north Georgia for a weekend of morel hunting. Usually we go the last weekend in March or the first weekend in April, but with the warm spring, we are considering next weekend (the 11th and 12th). Any reports on Georgia morels would be appreciated - it's a long drive to come back empty-handed.
Many thanks.

 

I'd say tonights thunder storms will shake them out of the ground!

 

Pastor J crushed it! Nice hunt.

You should check out my thread on mesh bags. I am predicting a big year on both hunting on sewing. Getting a head start on the sewing so we have plenty of time to go hunting!

 

Second Uncle Fester on the type of environment to look for. In both Georgia and Virginia, I've generally found them in sandy stream-side locations, often, unfortunately, with a thick privet understory. They seem to frequently be associated with mature tulip poplars.

 

Can you guys take some photos of the leaf litter and general areas with privet you're talking about? I have privet out the wazoo near me in flood plains, near creeks, and on hillsides but I've yet to see morels near it. Wanted to compare.

 

I'll try to do that when I go this year. Privet definitely has a wider range of growing environments than morels - for example, it will grow in areas with soils that are too mucky and waterlogged for morels. From what I've seen sandy, freely-draining, but rich, soil is key. Areas that I've seen success in usually have tulip poplars, red oaks, and sweetgum, generally older trees, with a mid/understory that is either fairly sparse or dominated by thick privet. But that could just be because that's where I first found them, and so that's where I look.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll check out Fowler Park next week. Hoping for a little rain and warm weather to make 'em pop up

 

Saw a find of 25 (found yesterday) near Atlanta on Matherly's site . . . nice pic . . .

 

Took a look in Dawson county and nothing yet, looked dry , maybe this rain will livin things up?

 

Heading up to central Georgia this evening; any more reports? How much rain did central/northern Georgia get on the 7th? I've been looking at weather histories for the area I go to. They report no precipitation, but also have comments saying there were thunderstorms, so I am guessing these specific stations just do not have rain gauges.
Thanks,
ES

 

Dang..... We finally get some rain and it's going to turn cold. This is looking like last years weather......

 

Picked about ten black morels last weekend, leaving the smaller ones and half the larger ones, in our usual spot in Butts county and tried new spots between Putnam County and Muscogee County with no luck.

 

Some of the more promising of the new spots looked as though they had recently been washed out by flooding.