out today.saw some jellies,devil's urn,mayapple sprouts and even a very slow moving garter snake.maybe false morel,but stepped on it. starting to feel good. fogwhisper,where are you?miss your pep! morels through positive thinking can't hurt.GOOD LUCK to everyone! who finds the first one?
let's here some chatter!
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I'm going out searching this weekend. I just started shrooming last fall so I have never even searched for morels. I will be searching just north of Albany. Good luck everyone
i know i'm early ,but why not get the excitement going? got the bug and spend time in the woods anyway.ticks are bad again this year in southern finger lakes.thanx for some chatter! HEY GEO,you gave me an idea.it doesn't need it ,but i think i'll fire up my mower! ha ha ! thanx again guys!
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Can't wait to get after them! Turkey hunting season starts May 1st so I'll be a bit distracted, but am feeling confident in harvesting both turkeys and morels! Be safe in your explorations and as I always say (when hunting season is open) wearing some bright orange clothing is a good idea.
Hey jcumo, I'm in lake george area. Been scouting around and researching. It sounds like morels can be anywhere but looking in bottomland with elm/ash and limestone soils is a good bet. I'm thinking along the hudson river might be a good bet in our area. Any other ideas? Never found a morel yet in this area as I just moved up here last summer but hoping to this year. Also I went down south a few days ago and springs a couple weeks ahead down near boston so does it make sense to see when people find them down south and then know we're a week or 2 away?.
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This past weekend I was looking in southern Dutchess county, right about where the USGS says there's supposed to be limestone bedrock. Checked a wooded area where I identified some (I think) elms and tulip trees, as well as a spot I identified via Google maps as an abandoned orchard. Too early still--no trillium blooming, no flowers on the apple trees, and skunk cabbage just popped, but I did see a couple false morels and devil's urn in the woods, so there's some mycelial activity going on.
A question for the group about elms. Given Dutch elm disease, will it be rare to find elms in the woods? Also, elms are supposed to be very broad-crowned, but as these were growing around other trees they seem to have gotten a lot taller than broad. From the bark and base of the trunk I believe these were elms, plus I checked out some dried leaves around the area, which looked like elm leaves (far as I could tell). Is there another species of tree that I'm possibly confusing for an elm here?
A question for the group about elms. Given Dutch elm disease, will it be rare to find elms in the woods? Also, elms are supposed to be very broad-crowned, but as these were growing around other trees they seem to have gotten a lot taller than broad. From the bark and base of the trunk I believe these were elms, plus I checked out some dried leaves around the area, which looked like elm leaves (far as I could tell). Is there another species of tree that I'm possibly confusing for an elm here?
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sheazang I just got into mushrooms this past fall so I have never even tried looking or morels. I have some very active mushroom land for the fall species. Hoping I luck out in the spring too. I have a couple of spots in mind on some state land and there is very rustic woodsy camp ground I know that has a lot of ash and elms near lake lazurne. Good luck. Ill be posting if I find anything
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shroomann--can you give any details about the habitat? I was just in Dutchess county this weekend and didn't see anything. Haven't found morels yet--I want this to be the year! (I'm not the old guy in my avatar; that's Joe Biden, it's an image from another site's comment profile.
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Don't look for morels, that is usually a lost cause, look for the trees that morels crave. There is only a small number of tree species that morels crave or need. It is a lot easier finding the right tree species than to just randomly look on the ground. Not saying you won't find them that way but finding the right trees is more productive.
Keep a journal of where you find morels. Each year use that spot as a target as you search surrounding areas either to or from said target. After a while you will get a better feel for what terrain works best for your area. I find a journal is invaluable. My journal has ; Species,Date, Air Temp, General weather conditions, Locale, Surrounding habitat, and Comment. Ground Temp is useful to many veteran hunters but I ain't that hard core.
Keep a journal of where you find morels. Each year use that spot as a target as you search surrounding areas either to or from said target. After a while you will get a better feel for what terrain works best for your area. I find a journal is invaluable. My journal has ; Species,Date, Air Temp, General weather conditions, Locale, Surrounding habitat, and Comment. Ground Temp is useful to many veteran hunters but I ain't that hard core.
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shroomann--thanks! I definitely don't expect you to give any locations away--that would defeat the purpose of "hunting" and diminish the rewarding feeling I'd get if/when I find them. I was more asking about general habitat qualities--what trees, the lay of the land, what elevation.
geogymn--I've done about all the research I can about what trees they like. I'm having some difficulty identifying elms, but I've found a bunch of abandoned apple orchards that I hope will pay off. I've also looked around some old tulip poplar in Fahnestock state park, right next to the blooming trillium (which is a good indicator that the timing is right, I've read). I've also looked at USGS data to find where limestone bedrock is predominant, as I've read that they like sweeter soil. I have a feeling that if I keep at it, I'll find them. For now though, I'm just burning gas and calories!
geogymn--I've done about all the research I can about what trees they like. I'm having some difficulty identifying elms, but I've found a bunch of abandoned apple orchards that I hope will pay off. I've also looked around some old tulip poplar in Fahnestock state park, right next to the blooming trillium (which is a good indicator that the timing is right, I've read). I've also looked at USGS data to find where limestone bedrock is predominant, as I've read that they like sweeter soil. I have a feeling that if I keep at it, I'll find them. For now though, I'm just burning gas and calories!
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Span man, I'm sure you checked out Elm in google images but.... Elm generally have no lower branches, one main trunk which splits off into two or more smaller verticle trunks. Slippery Elm appears to be a smaller version of the American Elm. Look for Elm that is dead and just starting to lose its bark. I will often check out a hundred dead Elm and not find a single morel but my biggest mother lode finds have been under dead Elms. I found close to 100 yellows under single Elms on a couple occasions.
Old Apple orchards don't guarantee morels but it is a good place to look and I have had good luck with old apple trees. It seems that there is always an Ash by the Apple tree that produces morels. Check your orchards several times during the season. I have good luck under Ash without any Apple around also.
My earliest finds are under Poplar.
I won't find any morels till after the trillums blooms.
I have no knowledge or imput about soil PH but I never find morels in greasy soil. They like water but don't like their feet to stay wet.
The first one is the hardest. Persistance generally pays off. Enjoy the hunt. Geo
Old Apple orchards don't guarantee morels but it is a good place to look and I have had good luck with old apple trees. It seems that there is always an Ash by the Apple tree that produces morels. Check your orchards several times during the season. I have good luck under Ash without any Apple around also.
My earliest finds are under Poplar.
I won't find any morels till after the trillums blooms.
I have no knowledge or imput about soil PH but I never find morels in greasy soil. They like water but don't like their feet to stay wet.
The first one is the hardest. Persistance generally pays off. Enjoy the hunt. Geo
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Thanks gym. I haven't been looking for ash but it seems like that's a major indicator in this area from what you and others are saying. Soon as we get some significant rain I feel like they'll pop.
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Warming up tomorrow and Sunday, heading out Monday to get familiar with the geography of some new spots.
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A friend said he found about a dozen Vepa conica in southern Madison County.
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