I’m not trying to tell anyone how to hunt, but rather help spread the knowledge and ensure you all have fruit to hunt in the years to follow. With that being said, if you’re out hunting morels and you come across some that are old past their prime or really moldy and beat up, just leave them be. They will spore out for next year.
Additionally and probably the two most important bits of wisdom I would like to pass along:
1. Carry a knife with you. Cut the morels off at their base above ground level.
Do NOT pull them from the ground. Doing so disturbs the mycelium growth and can hinder your chances for the current year and future hunts to come.
2. Invest in or borrow a mesh bag. They sell some form of them in most stores (meijer, Walmart, sporting goods stores) and online. This is as essential of a tool for the morels survival as the knife is that I mentioned above. Plastic or paper bags will not allow the spores to drop from the mushrooms during your trek through the woods, field, beach (wherever your hunting) - whereas a mesh bag will. There is no place for plastic bags while hunting morels. Pass this info along! Buy your friend, fellow hunter, spouse, parter a mesh bag when you get one for yourself.
Best of luck and happy hunting!
the images below were from this morning under one tree I’ve been hunting for years. So please understand there is scientific evidence behind the above listed info I shared
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