[the shroominator]

To all you veteran shroomers. Any input on the string of 80+ degree days coming our way? Things are just getting good up here in north east Ohio but I'm worried about these hot days comin. Will it hurt? Or will it not make much difference? Thanks to all who respond!!

 

[cotty]

if there is rain with those days it wont hurt, but if no rain count the season out, too hot for morels, the heat will dry them out big time, but if you get a couple good rains, happy shroomin, cause they will be on like donkey kong

 

[the shroominator]

Good to know!! The last two days of the heat wave they're calling for 80-90% rain. Followed by 65-75 degree days. Thanks Cotty!!

 

[buckeyebowman]

I have to agree with cotty. Went out today and found exactly one morel! It was small and drying out so I left it. There's been rain north and south of me, just none here. It's like walking through fresh potato chips! There's just not enough moisture in the ground to get the morels to pop. Warm and wet can equal 'shrooms. Hot and dry is a killer! I figure I have one more chance with the rain forecast for Sunday. One glorious flush before wrap it up time! Hope it happens. Morel hunters around here are hanging their heads!

 

[the shroominator]

Buckeye I've been reading your posts for a while now. I think some footwork is needed for you to find some more woods to cover. While out today going 100yds from one spot to another I noticed it went from rice crispies to moist bran flakes. Find the shaded areas. Morels seem to like what I call edge cover. Like when your walking the edge of a forest bordered by clear cuts or right of ways. I try to mimic that in the woods too. Of course that's half the battle. The other half is finding the right trees growing in the right soil. And the search is on. I'm starting to need my glasses more an more these days. Hard to adjust. Good luck to all!! Buckeye.. May the morel gods smile upon you. I'm waiting for the day when you find the mother load. It's an awesome feeling that I've had the pleasure of experiencing once in my life. 5lbs under one dead elm in the sun on a tiny ridge top in very sandy very dark soil. It's like black sand there. That's my honey hole.

 

[cotty]

i agree shroominator, i have been reading buckeyes posts for a while as well, my advise to buckeye is ask some farmers to hunt their land go to the state forest and walk forever to get where nobody else has gone the motherload is still out there and if you get this rain coming its gonna be there, for you, and look for the elms and sycamores this time in the season, head down to licking county, from what ive seen licking and perry counties are just kicking off buckeye, they are both in what i call mini climates

 

[buckeyebowman]

Appreciate the advice guys! I was thinking that myself the last time out hunting. I actually found that one lone morel on high ground that was good to me last year. But I thought it's pretty dry up here, maybe I need to get lower, and on some more shaded slopes where there might be more moisture in the ground. Nada! I went and hiked a creek bottom in a local park last week. Didn't find 'shroom one of any description, but did wind up with an incredible ramp spot! So, overall, I have to mark that up as a positive experience.

So then, I began to consider if I should start branching out. There's been no rain here, so maybe I have to go where the rain has been falling. But, I have no spots to hunt there. I could look up public hunting areas, State parks, etc. and give them a try, but it's getting kind of late. This is only my third year morel hunting, so I've kind of been "local centric" looking to get my feet on the ground. It was some members at my hunting club that encouraged me to get started. That first year I found nothing. Until the very end! I found about a dozen over the hill, dried out yellows under an elm.

I didn't get to take anything home from that find, but what it did for me was immeasurable! I showed me that when I "looked" at a morel, I "saw" a morel! And I knew what it was!

I figure that's a seminal moment in any 'shroom hunters career. To know what you're looking at! That's what enabled me to find the shaggy manes, meadow mushrooms, and ramps. And I'm after more! I wish I had gotten into this earlier in life, but heck, it's all a great adventure whenever it happens,

 

[cotty]

what area are you close to try mohican state forest ive heard good things about that place on good years buckeyebowman, always have wanted to try up there just never have the time or money, most of my hunting goes on at AEP, hocking county, pickaway county and fairfield county, AEP is a good hour drive from me but is worth it because i normally find enough to eat give away to family and then sell to get my gas i used to get there and back, back in the tank, sadly didnt make it down to AEP this year but my buddy who introduced me to the area, went down and found a total of 24 lbs this year, maybe next year, need that extra income to hit the good spots, i hate to do it but i sell shrooms to find more shrooms, its sad that these days you have to sell them to get them even with a full time job, but it is what it is, and buckeyebowman all my bottom spots are still very moist if you gonna find any morels they gonna be in the deep holler bottoms dont know if you have any of them around your area, but if you do check them out and look hard around the sycamore, i always find my giant yellows around sycamores at the end of the season

 

[buckeyebowman]

Mohican is a pretty good haul for me. I'm in Youngstown, northern Mahoning Co. I'm on other boards that tell me that AEP lands are on fire! But, they got rain. I've also seen posts from guys in Jefferson Co. who are getting them. I ask them if they've gotten rain recently and they say yes! It seems to me moisture is the key component in the equation once the temps get right. We don't have deep hollers around here, but we do have creek bottoms. Hiked one the other day. Crispy! Found ramps but nothing else. The deeper hollers don't start to happen until you get into southern Columbiana Co. and further south.

 

[cotty]

thats where you need to be though and if you are in youngstown, aep lands aint far from you, guernsey county in the southern portion is aep land, muskingum county, morgan and noble counties

 

[cotty]

and yes they are finding them down there right now just the spots i know of are done picked out, but maybe if i get the chance i might get a decent trip down there if i can find the money to do it

 

[buckeyebowman]

Well, before I run all the way down there, I may try Mosquito or Grand River Wildlife Areas. Trumbull Co. got significant precip this evening. We did too. Things are looking up. Saw a post on another board from a guy finding them near Salem in Columbiana Co. That's south of here. They got a good rain 4-5 days ago. He's got big yellows popping all over the place! I have the feeling it's going to be on hot and heavy here very soon!

 

[cotty]

yes you are right the peak of the season for all of ohio is fast aproaching, but this weekend should be the best weekend for the whole state, its already somewhat peaked south of 70, but with the rain we may get a resurection of the season down south here, i love ohio, its the most bipolar state in the united states

 

[buckeyebowman]

I hope you're right, cotty. I'm getting the feeling myself that the latter part of May could be amazing if we can just hit the right spots. And I base this reasoning only for my part of the state. We spent a long time complaining about the temps. It's too cold! Thinking back on that, I realized that even when it was cold it was dry. Even after the snow melted that moisture only lasts so long. After all, an inch of rain will make a foot of snow! Then, when it finally warmed up it did so with a vengeance! All with little to no rain. There was absolutely no reason for morels to flush in a major way. Just the isolated 'shroom here and there. I'm hoping that the mycelium is sitting in the ground just waiting for things to get right. After all, they don't HAVE to pop until they are!

 

[cotty]

for one they dont pop buckeyebowman if that was the case we would be hearing shotgun shots in the wood all night long from morels popping lol, but you are right, the ground has dried out quick, and the mycellium doesnt have to grow if it dont want to, but if the ground moisture ever gets right we will have a dandy of a season atleast for you guys up north, southern ohio might have a dandy of a seasson if this rain flushes the bigfoots and tulips, but if not this year will be another bust, atleast this year was better than 2012, i found a total of 22 morels that year no blacks no half frees 1 tulip and 20 yellows, but this year i have found 52 mushrooms total, enough for a couple skillets, but i want some big ones to freeze hoping im right i have been the last few years, this season started off slow and is getting to a slow finish

 

[buckeyebowman]

You are right that the ground dried out quick! We had a hell of a storm yesterday evening. When I walked out in my back yard this morning the ground was firm and dry! I had to walk out there because a large portion of my neighbors maple tree wound up there. I'm a little surprised I still have a roof! Our soil was very thirsty. I'm revising my plans. I'm heading North to Trumbull Co.! They got more rain than we did. I'm heading up to my Sis and BIL's tomorrow eve, 'cause me and my BIL are hitting Pymatuning very early on Thursday. The crappie are on fire, and you can catch walleye shallow in the pre-dawn dark. I figure I can hunt for a few hours in either Mosquito or Grand River before going to their house. Probably 'skeeter, I know that place better than Grand River.

 

[cotty]

mushroom season is done for me today pissed me off i found 62 6 to 7 inch yellows in the sycamore grove i just checked, they looked ok before i picked them, they crumbled in my hand, hit the mother load 4 to 5 days late, fml, but know where to look next year, so not a total loss, gotta get in there a week earlier next year

 

[jdk32581]

Cotty-

Sorry to hear... That is the worst when you are just a little late. Has happened to me too many times. Thanks for the AEP advice had a good time down there found some nice monsters. Was your "too late" sycamore grove down low or up high? AEP sycamores?

J

 

[cotty]

in a swamp bottom in pickaway county and it happens, thats the nature of the game just pisses me off a bit, and i didnt make it down to AEP this year sadly, my buddy i normally go down with found 9 lbs down there