Things are shaping up for us KB, been getting good moisture and Temps are rising. Won't be long now. Hopefully we have a long slow warm up with a extended season.
Morel Season 2023 : Box Filling Time
Well the elms are seeding and spring is coming. Time to throw up something and see who is still with us after another winter. Time to start stomping some timber to build some hills legs back and find some good spots. Time to start watching who got precip and how much. Time to start watching ground temps and boards to see if a road trip south would be fruitful. Time to spray all the gear, last I saw there are 12 different tick born diseases present in Mo. and its neighbors accounted for. Time to Hunt is just around the corner. Happy morel season all.
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29 degrees today, it looks like we are in for a slow warm up, which I will be happy to see. The early/fast warm ups never seem to make for the best picking.Just 40 miles north but we are not doing anything early here. North of me gets a lot colder real fast. Might be a sweet year for chasing morels. Actually move north in a steady pattern. Last year that stretch of 90's weather ran clear up to Canada and sped up everything north. I picked morels way north of Omaha on the same day I picked some just north of St. Joe on the way back.
I remember when we could still pick in mid May in our region, never used to go north until late April,, early to mid May.
Would be nice to pick South to North again.
We never did get together last year, maybe this year.I will have lots of opportunities for public hunting in KCMO if anyone is interested PM me. I don't care if you learn my spots they are everyone's anyways and 0constantly changing😎
I just saw a claim on Greys in KC today. The bovine scatology is in full force already. I guess even Jesus had a fish story.
As for how this year is shaping up, all I can say is it looks a lot like 2013 revisited
I’m usually like a 6 year old on Christmas Eve. I go out WAY too early and drive myself into the ground.
I’m doing better this year. The cold snap was probably a good thing. Seems like when they pop early, the season gets cut short by another frost/snow. Best seasons I’ve had is when they’re flushing very late April into May.
Man I spent a lot of years busting timber way to early with morel expectations, I have cut way back on the expectations part but still get out early like KB said, warm up the legs and tag trees.I’m usually like a 6 year old on Christmas Eve. I go out WAY too early and drive myself into the ground.
I’m doing better this year. The cold snap was probably a good thing. Seems like when they pop early, the season gets cut short by another frost/snow. Best seasons I’ve had is when they’re flushing very late April into May.
2013 was epic from Texas to Minnesota and everywhere in between. There was a real progression of the flushes so you could literally hunt from south to north.How was ‘13? Good year? I can’t recall.
Isn't that the year shroommate dam near killed himself from heat stroke in those bottoms?And It stayed real mild into May so they lasted. That year I picked morels up near Sioux City in the bottoms. It was one of the years the bottoms went nuts after the federal gov. killed off the cottonwoods. Then 2 days later drove down to the Kansas/Oklahoma border and picked a car load in cedars. Over 300 mile separation. We could use more rain out of this system tonight but it looks pretty limited on who gets it.
He is a hunting machine with no off button for sure.It was the year. That was a very humid day. I was sweating buckets at 7 AM. and he was already there, in his full nylon gear. I think he ran out of water sometime in the afternoon. I was with there another picker and shroommate called us. He was cramping and had the dry heaves, overall crappy. Went back in and helped him get back to his car, with the shrooms of course. He is like many good hunters, they don't quite easy. He just pushed it a little to far. We all picked a few boxes of morels though. I still have a picture of a baby deer I ran across that day.
True, Mitch is a good dude, if I had been closer I would have went to help but I was 200 miles away, I was so happy when I knew KB was there to help.Stupid comment, the man seriously almost died that day. If it hadn’t been for a solid network of friends who do care he very well may have died In those bottoms that day. I know these folks, they are better than that.
KCKUSH
I have travel plans for next week if the weather and reports are good.
Mitch put me on more than my fair share of morel over the years. I still don't get reception ANY WHERE on hwy 2.Mitch, like all of us, had been hitting it hard day after day. Sometimes things just pile up on you. Mitch paid me back 4 years later. He put me on a patch in a river bottom that he could not come back to hunt due to work. He had found a ton the year before in this spot. Myself and the dude that was with me that day in Iowa picked 40# out of that spot. Ironically it was hotter than hell that day also and we ran out of water. Walking that 40 out was a hot endeavor, but a heck of a lot better than walking with nothing. The 2019 flood destroyed that spot unfortunately. Cell service makes it much safer now than 30 years ago to hunt on your own. But there are still areas I hunt where you are on your own. The warmup coming is going to get the season going. I hope the rain is widespread this week.
I have travel plans for next week if the weather and reports are good.
A person might get lucky and find an early one out there. Down toward KC more. I have not, but after that heat today there were most likely a few rose in wet areas. I know it seems early, but there are always the rare spots that catch and hold the heat. Places with stones and dead elm are good spots. The stone soaks up the heat all day and creates microclimates. Find you an old limestone quarry and on the top of a south facing slope and you might have something. Used to be a lot of rock elm in those. Sure could use all the rain the good Lord can spare us tonight. And look out for those folks in the tornado
What are these? I know, just curious if you do.
I figured that is what you would say. That is not a half free, try again.Half free morels.....but strange seems kind of like a mutant. We call them witch hats
We do indeed get half free morel in Missouri (I personally walk past untold amounts of them because they are crap imo) the mushrooms in your bag are a lot like Verpas in Northern USA , PNW area however they are not true verpa bohemica, Thimble Cap morel is what MDC calls them but I have not seen the information on these on thier website for a few years. Mushrooms of North America does have information on them as does mushroomexpert.com.
I always stomp them into the ground so newbies don't pick them and eat them. I don't think they are toxic but I don't want others to make a mistake. I have observed far more of these this year than most.
I always stomp them into the ground so newbies don't pick them and eat them. I don't think they are toxic but I don't want others to make a mistake. I have observed far more of these this year than most.
Great, enjoyThey most definitely are not a verpa not even close and they taste more mushroomy. They go good in the pan with other morel species. Looked them up morchella populaphila.
What part of the state are you in sir? I have never seen them burn the river here in KC area. Sure wish they would, make it easier for a old man like me to walk. Nice morel btw.View attachment 45581
The more I look the more of these cups I see. According to the Peterson's guide there is a morel which is cup like, ending up flat like a pancake? Also, myclog8sts are saying morels are cup family, just with 100s of cups on a morel.
View attachment 45582
These are from the other side of the MO river also in the bottoms, the only trees in there are cottonwood and an occasional mulberry. Conservation department burned the bottoms so they're easy to see but not that frequent.
Yes sir, but HURRY UP they are having a heat wave. If I remember correctly you are in NWA NCA? I can share information with you if you PM me a phone number. We did well in SWMO over the weekend.Hello y'all. Just wondering of south Missouri is still popping? Thanks!
I will get back with you shortlyI sent you a message. Hope to hear back from you. We're planning on Sunday
At 60 my giddy up is far below where it was even 5 years ago. I don't sell any more so the need for huge poundage has diminished. I have hunted less than ever before this year and only drove more than 40 miles 1 time and that was a planned camping trip where I generally find shrooms, which we did. Camping was the main goal on that trip though. My fridge is full and I'll be drying tomorrow. With that being said I am thankful for the river bottom information north of town. I still have to make my trips to Iowa and Nebraska, I got an old buddy in Iowa that can't really get out any longer so I make sure he gets a nice sack every year.That is what everything in life comes down to. Choices. Do I go picking in the cold rain, in the mud, when its hotter than hell? Do you walk that extra mile or drive the 400 to have a chance? I was out in the cold and wet yesterday and saw nobody else. Anyone who waited for today where I had been, good luck. I will admit though, 63 has taken some of my giddy up away. Bottoms way north of town were still smalls in case anyone is wondering.
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