Checked on 3 patches at my Hart County farm this afternoon. Picked 16, 1 was one that I left behind to see how the low 20’s temps affected it. No harm, it doubled in size since last weekend.
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Kentucky Morels 2023
Yes cold weather is still upon us but i'm getting hyped up about the coming season. How about you all?
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Do you folks have any experience around central ky? If I average one morel per hour walked that would be a victory for me… I usually drive out toward the gorge area, but I just have the worst luck, I have not found one in hours of walking around public land on the KY River in multiple different areas, I’ve read plenty and generally know what to look for, I’m a botanist/farmer so I’m ok with tree ID, not that it’s mattered much, I find most of mine on tulip poplar but they are usually the late small tulip morels… I’ve found some on sycamore too, and you know, some cedar but only in one patch, I found 1 on a cherry tree inside Lexington, proud of that! Never found on an ash, never found one near mayapples or near roses. But I have genuinely only 1 small dry grey on a dead elm, I have dozens maybe hundreds marked on my garmin but I strike out every one. I’m ok with it cuz I like being out and exploring but it’s not great to come home after 12+ hours with like 4 morels to show for it. More importantly, my 12 your old daughter enjoys finding them, and her untrained eye is good… but I have to stage her hunts by finding them first, and pointing her in the right direction and she knows it… She can’t handle busting brush off trail with me through all the brambles, not to mention ticks… at the rate I find morels, I just ask if she wants to hike with me… I would absolutely love to be able to let her get in a big patch where she doesn’t know what to do… or take a trip where she doesn’t say “it’s ok, you’ll find more soon”. I’ve never been out picking with anyone before, I had to self teach the last years, for all I know I’m just missing the darn things and someone could pick 40 walking behind me while I pick 4…but I don’t think that’s my problem… It seems like central ky is pretty barren of the right environment even if the right trees are here, so I’m good with driving, if I’m walking for 10 hours and driving for 2 but picking nothing then I’d be better off driving 6 hours and walking for 4 hours so long as I could fill a skillet. If anyone has tips for the area, or wants to point me in a good direction that would be great! I’d be game for a meetup, we could hurt some areas I know 🙄 I’m sure I could learn a thing or 2! Or we could try out something neutral that none of us really know… or in the unlikely event anyone wants to take me somewhere they know they’ll find morels… we’ll that would be fantastic! I know that’s unlikely indeed, but I’m still in the whole “ teach a man to fish “ stage… I’m a hands on learner and I really want to learn how to reliably find these treats, so as convenient as it sounds, I’ll happily stay out most anything or anywhere you might call “YOUR territory”… and I’d certainly not mess around on any private land. I’m fit enough to put in a decent walk or rough terrain myself if that’s a factor. I know there’s Facebook groups that do some meet ups, but I just don’t like using it… I think they may just not my speed 🤷 but I suppose if anyone knows of any groups that fit the bill then I’d be open to it. Thanks for reading, looking forward to following the thread this year… I honestly think I there’s more solid info that’s usable for people in these yearly state based threads. I can certainly tell you that what works in one area may not apply to anyone else, and there’s no better resource for good morel data that actual hunters… all the science is great, I’ve read a bunch of it… but it’s just not a replacement for actual experience… Cheers! Happy hunting!
Checked on a different area in Jefferson today where there are 2 patches that have been very dependable over the past few years. Had my knife in hand as I approached the best patch because I knew I’d be picking. Just had to disappointedly stick my knife back in my pocket. Nothing and the woods didn’t look ready there.
Most of my spots I currently hunt were found 10-24 years ago. I just keep going back to those spots and rarely intentionally look for new spots. Unfortunately, I think it takes a little time to develop a good, dependable bunch of hunting spots. The patch I picked 4 from yesterday in Hart county was found by my brother and I 24 years ago while turkey hunting. We were hustling to start up a hillside to set up on gobbling birds and just as we started up the hill my brother pointed out several big black morels. We finished our turkey hunt and went back to pick those and found some more. That patch produces most every year.Do you folks have any experience around central ky? If I average one morel per hour walked that would be a victory for me… I usually drive out toward the gorge area, but I just have the worst luck, I have not found one in hours of walking around public land on the KY River in multiple different areas, I’ve read plenty and generally know what to look for, I’m a botanist/farmer so I’m ok with tree ID, not that it’s mattered much, I find most of mine on tulip poplar but they are usually the late small tulip morels… I’ve found some on sycamore too, and you know, some cedar but only in one patch, I found 1 on a cherry tree inside Lexington, proud of that! Never found on an ash, never found one near mayapples or near roses. But I have genuinely only 1 small dry grey on a dead elm, I have dozens maybe hundreds marked on my garmin but I strike out every one. I’m ok with it cuz I like being out and exploring but it’s not great to come home after 12+ hours with like 4 morels to show for it. More importantly, my 12 your old daughter enjoys finding them, and her untrained eye is good… but I have to stage her hunts by finding them first, and pointing her in the right direction and she knows it… She can’t handle busting brush off trail with me through all the brambles, not to mention ticks… at the rate I find morels, I just ask if she wants to hike with me… I would absolutely love to be able to let her get in a big patch where she doesn’t know what to do… or take a trip where she doesn’t say “it’s ok, you’ll find more soon”. I’ve never been out picking with anyone before, I had to self teach the last years, for all I know I’m just missing the darn things and someone could pick 40 walking behind me while I pick 4…but I don’t think that’s my problem… It seems like central ky is pretty barren of the right environment even if the right trees are here, so I’m good with driving, if I’m walking for 10 hours and driving for 2 but picking nothing then I’d be better off driving 6 hours and walking for 4 hours so long as I could fill a skillet. If anyone has tips for the area, or wants to point me in a good direction that would be great! I’d be game for a meetup, we could hurt some areas I know 🙄 I’m sure I could learn a thing or 2! Or we could try out something neutral that none of us really know… or in the unlikely event anyone wants to take me somewhere they know they’ll find morels… we’ll that would be fantastic! I know that’s unlikely indeed, but I’m still in the whole “ teach a man to fish “ stage… I’m a hands on learner and I really want to learn how to reliably find these treats, so as convenient as it sounds, I’ll happily stay out most anything or anywhere you might call “YOUR territory”… and I’d certainly not mess around on any private land. I’m fit enough to put in a decent walk or rough terrain myself if that’s a factor. I know there’s Facebook groups that do some meet ups, but I just don’t like using it… I think they may just not my speed 🤷 but I suppose if anyone knows of any groups that fit the bill then I’d be open to it. Thanks for reading, looking forward to following the thread this year… I honestly think I there’s more solid info that’s usable for people in these yearly state based threads. I can certainly tell you that what works in one area may not apply to anyone else, and there’s no better resource for good morel data that actual hunters… all the science is great, I’ve read a bunch of it… but it’s just not a replacement for actual experience… Cheers! Happy hunting!
Can't always depend on those spots, have had same exact situation on spots n then they just dried up n quit producing. Guess they don't last forever, but these spots I contribute them stopping do to farmers spraying stuff on fields n the overspray just went into the woods n killed those also.Most of my spots I currently hunt were found 10-24 years ago. I just keep going back to those spots and rarely intentionally look for new spots. Unfortunately, I think it takes a little time to develop a good, dependable bunch of hunting spots. The patch I picked 4 from yesterday in Hart county was found by my brother and I 24 years ago while turkey hunting. We were hustling to start up a hillside to set up on gobbling birds and just as we started up the hill my brother pointed out several big black morels. We finished our turkey hunt and went back to pick those and found some more. That patch produces most every year.
Anybody else thoughts on this?
Non of my spots are in farming areas that would have any spraying involved whatsoever. I have had patches just peter out after being productive and dependable for many years. I suspect that the mycelium dies for some unknown reason but don’t really know why.Can't always depend on those spots, have had same exact situation on spots n then they just dried up n quit producing. Guess they don't last forever, but these spots I contribute them stopping do to farmers spraying stuff on fields n the overspray just went into the woods n killed those also.
Anybody else thoughts on this?
Can't always depend on those spots, have had same exact situation on spots n then they just dried up n quit producing. Guess they don't last forever, but these spots I contribute them stopping do to farmers spraying stuff on fields n the overspray just went into the woods n killed those also.
Anybody else thoughts on this?
When I was told that morels grew on the fish & game club that I had just joined, I thought that I had found morel heaven. There are hundreds and hundreds of dead elms all over the property. I've found morels under exactly one of them, and exactly one time! Most are far too long dead. Morels have what is called "mycorrhizal" relationship with other plant species that is grows with, and that relationship was particularly strong with elms. When the tree started feeling the effects of the Dutch Elm Disease, the morel mycelium could sense it and knew it had to get out of Dodge! so it flushed lots of morels to produce lots of spore so it could relocate. There are some who attribute the popularity of morel hunting with the elm blight.Non of my spots are in farming areas that would have any spraying involved whatsoever. I have had patches just peter out after being productive and dependable for many years. I suspect that the mycelium dies for some unknown reason but don’t really know why.
I don't know about pesticides and herbicides killing mycelium. It's well known that mushrooms are very effective at pulling toxins out of the soil. Two of the places that always cautioned about gathering are old apple orchards and railroad grades. Apple orchards for the pesticide lead arsenate which was used to control the coddling moth, and railroad grades for the heavyweight herbicides they would spray along them to keep the vegetation down.
It has been a bizarre season so far. I picked my 1st 3 blacks of the season in Jefferson county on 3/9 and picked 6 more very fresh ones today, one of which was in the same patch where I picked the 1st 3. Judging by how fresh these were today, I expect to pick some more next week after today’s rain and higher temps. 3 weeks is a long time to pick fresh blacks from the same patch.
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Glad to hear that. My daughter and I are headed to Mammoth Cave for a few days on the 5th.It has been a bizarre season so far. I picked my 1st 3 blacks of the season in Jefferson county on 3/9 and picked 6 more very fresh ones today, one of which was in the same patch where I picked the 1st 3. Judging by how fresh these were today, I expect to pick some more next week after today’s rain and higher temps. 3 weeks is a long time to pick fresh blacks from the same patch.
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My Hart county farm is 1 mile N of Mammoth Cave National Park. My blacks morels may just about be finished there but the small yellow/grey tulip morels should be popping this coming week. There will probably still be some mature blacks to be found but many will probably be past their prime. I will hunt my farm before you arrive on the 5th so I’ll try to get you a report.Glad to hear that. My daughter and I are headed to Mammoth Cave for a few days on the 5th.
Thank you sir. You have given me advice in the past and I appreciate it. Coming from north Alabama.My Hart county farm is 1 mile N of Mammoth Cave National Park. My blacks morels may just about be finished there but the small yellow/grey tulip morels should be popping this coming week. There will probably still be some mature blacks to be found but many will probably be past their prime. I will hunt my farm before you arrive on the 5th so I’ll try to get you a report.
Picked today in Hopkins County.
Glad I found your post. I’m a newbie and now i know they are up and visiblePicked today in Hopkins County.
Thank you
Picked today in Hopkins County.
Well I made several more trips out, a couple in Scott, Owen, Franklin county and somewhere else, I forget… the flora looked good, mayapples up, most elms are blooming etc but the only fungus I found was some pheasant back pins and some oysters that were dry and the deer already got them… lots of gallerinas, a few devil urns and a few others.
I was planning to go out today too but apparently my body wanted some rest, I woke with a start at noon with alarm set for 8am 🤷.
All my spots are consistently late… never found a black morel… I’m trying to decide whether I should try around Louisville/e town or if I should head south on 75 towards somerset or maybe McKee. 3-4 hours round trip drive time kinda puts a damper on things… especially when it’s just a scouting trip.
That wind did a good job of drying everything back out after that rainy stretch.
I know to hunt the south slopes early since they’re usually warmer. Do you guys hunt the bottoms early or ridges? I’ve never had much success on ridges anyway and I usually think the valleys get hotter but I know that at least some valleys also get way cooler at night with the cool air sweeping down into them.
I was planning to go out today too but apparently my body wanted some rest, I woke with a start at noon with alarm set for 8am 🤷.
All my spots are consistently late… never found a black morel… I’m trying to decide whether I should try around Louisville/e town or if I should head south on 75 towards somerset or maybe McKee. 3-4 hours round trip drive time kinda puts a damper on things… especially when it’s just a scouting trip.
That wind did a good job of drying everything back out after that rainy stretch.
I know to hunt the south slopes early since they’re usually warmer. Do you guys hunt the bottoms early or ridges? I’ve never had much success on ridges anyway and I usually think the valleys get hotter but I know that at least some valleys also get way cooler at night with the cool air sweeping down into them.
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