[sb]

Let's get the OHIO Spring MORELS postings going.

I'll have to confess I'm beginning to think of my early spots and potential early locations already.

 

[sb]

This was April 3 of last year.
I uncovered these at a 'honey hole tree' and my pointing finger of glove is to right.

 

[sb]

These first Black Morels were from April 5 of last year.
It feels great to look at these again and post them, but it reminds me that I probably have 5 weeks yet!! Waaaa!

 

[gutterman]

I hear ya sb I’m ready been thinking about morels for weeks! I found 17 blacks April 1st last year and was hoping for March morels this year for first time ever for me in northern Ohio but with a bunch of snow on the ground it’s gonna push things back a bit. Happy hunting!

 

[shroomsearcher]

May I make a suggestion? It would be nice to see when finds are actually posted to know in what part of the state they were found. Just a general idea like SW OH, southern OH, NW OH would be nice. I start out looking to see finds posted in the southern states just to follow the progressions northward. I'm in NE OH, and we're about the last to get going around here.

 

[sb]

Excellent idea shroomsearcher.

1. The morel white babies, above, April 3, were in Hocking County, SE OH.
I knew to pull away the leaves to look for them because the prior year I found that tree with 90+ hollow Morel Stubs where someone found it first and got them all!! I determined to visit that tree a month earlier the next year -- it worked.

2. The nice Black Morels, April 5, were from Franklin County, Central OH. They were from within the city limits of Columbus. The creek bank had a South face with about a 30 degree slope -- therefore presenting a great sun warming orientation for early finds. The ground temp heat sink effect of in-the-city I had attempted to quantify in a prior year (2012) and it seemed to be worth about +2.1 degrees farenheight.

Sooo . . . does that mean Go to the big City microniches to find early Morels? Ha!!

3. Great hunting to all!!

 

[River Birch Run]

So what type of habitat do you guys find blacks in. I have yet to find one. I pushed hard last yr when they popped and never found a single one. Clearly i'm looking in the wrong area's, cause I killed the grays and yellows. I'm in North Central OH.

 

[gutterman]

I find blacks in stands of tulip poplar and ash. Also find yellows in the same areas. I find my morels in north central Ohio as well...

 

[shroomsearcher]

Basically, all of our Ash trees have died here due to the borer. And they went quick! I checked closely around them when they got into trouble, thinking that might bring about a flush, like it did with the elms. No luck! And we don't really have "stands" of Tulip Trees, just isolated ones here and there. At least that's what I've found.

And, as far as the Ohio Division of Forestry goes, there are no such things as "poplar" trees in this state. Tulip "poplars" are Tulip Trees. The other trees that people call "poplar" are really Dogtooth and Bigtooth Aspen. Still, I guess that blacks can grow around them, but I have never found any substantial numbers of them in my area.

 

[gutterman]

Yes tulip trees are actually part of the magnolia family. But that’s what they go by tulip poplar or yellow poplar though

 

[gutterman]

 

[gutterman]

In Michigan yes big tooth aspen and dogtooth are called “popple” not poplar trees by the locals and they do find lots of blacks around them

 

[gutterman]

Shroomseacher you ever hunt Mohican state forest? Specifically around the state park area down in the area around the covered bridge? Just down from the pleasant hill dam along the river? There are stands of tulip poplars in that area and they produce blacks and giant yellows. Also a lot of big sycamores that will have morels growing in the spider roots as I call them. I don’t get that way to hunt much anymore haven’t been for last 4-5 years but used to take family there and say see that tree 50 yards away go look bet you there’s morels and there always was! They were always amazed. You can spot tulip trees from a distance in variety of ways. They are the tallest and straightest trees in the woods for one. For another when they pop there buds in the trees there leaves are a much brighter green than other trees colors. Very noticeable once you get the hang of it.

 

[sb]

I'd like to have something to add, but -- truth be told -- I have only one spot for black morels in Central OH (city limits) and I've found them there every year without fail for 7 years in a row.

The interesting thing was that last year, I went over the same area several times and every time I found more. Thinking I had surely found all of them, I then moved on and upon returning downstream, to leave, I found more black morels again than the first time and the 3 traverses of the same bank area!!!

This keeps me humble. I'm just a "learner"! Maybe I should go back to crawling on the ground?

 

[gutterman]

I'd like to have something to add, but -- truth be told -- I have only one spot for black morels in Central OH (city limits) and I've found them there every year without fail for 7 years in a row.

The interesting thing was that last year, I went over the same area several times and every time I found more. Thinking I had surely found all of them, I then moved on and upon returning downstream, to leave, I found more black morels again than the first time and the 3 traverses of the same bank area!!!

This keeps me humble. I'm just a "learner"! Maybe I should go back to crawling on the ground?

To be honest the blacks I find are the same way. I walk over the same area repeatedly in the same steps and there’s always fresh pops. It’s only a area maybe 5-10 acres and find loads of them walking it over and over. They hide very well in the leaf cover

 

[River Birch Run]

My hunting grounds, just have a hand full of tulips .

 

[shroomsearcher]

Shroomseacher you ever hunt Mohican state forest? Specifically around the state park area down in the area around the covered bridge? Just down from the pleasant hill dam along the river? There are stands of tulip poplars in that area and they produce blacks and giant yellows. Also a lot of big sycamores that will have morels growing in the spider roots as I call them. I don’t get that way to hunt much anymore haven’t been for last 4-5 years but used to take family there and say see that tree 50 yards away go look bet you there’s morels and there always was! They were always amazed. You can spot tulip trees from a distance in variety of ways. They are the tallest and straightest trees in the woods for one. For another when they pop there buds in the trees there leaves are a much brighter green than other trees colors. Very noticeable once you get the hang of it.

Never hunted that far afield, but maybe a road trip would be in order this year. A few years back, I found a big gang of yellows under a tree that I couldn't identify at first. At least when I was standing close to it. Couldn't identify the lower bark, and looking at the upper part of the tree the sky was too bright for me to really make anything out. But, it's not far from a power line, so once I finished I walked out there and looked at the tree. It was a sycamore! This was the first, and only, time I had ever found morels near one. Maybe that's because it is the ONLY sycamore in the area. And it is on high ground, nowhere near lowland fertile soil or watercourse, which is where you normally find sycamores.

I'd like to have something to add, but -- truth be told -- I have only one spot for black morels in Central OH (city limits) and I've found them there every year without fail for 7 years in a row.

The interesting thing was that last year, I went over the same area several times and every time I found more. Thinking I had surely found all of them, I then moved on and upon returning downstream, to leave, I found more black morels again than the first time and the 3 traverses of the same bank area!!!

This keeps me humble. I'm just a "learner"! Maybe I should go back to crawling on the ground?

The first morels I ever found took 3 looks at the exact same patch of ground! I had an elm that I thought was prime even though I was a rookie. On my first look the some of the ground near the elm was covered with little brown mushrooms. The second time I visited, the lbm's had died back and nothing was growing there. My third time in the area I thought about not going in there, figuring the place was a bust. But it only takes 10 minutes round trip to walk in and out, so what the heck! I found 22 yellows in an area about 12'x12'.

It can pay to go back over old ground.

 

[Zabz]

ooooOoohhh yeah. The first time the temperature hits mid 50s the wheels start turning! Last year was great, can't wait!

Every year I wear myself out trying to be the early bird. This year I'm just letting it happen and see where it goes.

 

[Mike J Taylor]

Shroomseacher you ever hunt Mohican state forest? Specifically around the state park area down in the area around the covered bridge? Just down from the pleasant hill dam along the river? There are stands of tulip poplars in that area and they produce blacks and giant yellows. Also a lot of big sycamores that will have morels growing in the spider roots as I call them. I don’t get that way to hunt much anymore haven’t been for last 4-5 years but used to take family there and say see that tree 50 yards away go look bet you there’s morels and there always was! They were always amazed. You can spot tulip trees from a distance in variety of ways. They are the tallest and straightest trees in the woods for one. For another when they pop there buds in the trees there leaves are a much brighter green than other trees colors. Very noticeable once you get the hang of it.

I agree with everything that was said above! I have been hunting this area (as above) for over 50 years and always find blacks, right after the V.B. (Church Steeples) between April 1 and April 15th. This area use to have all varieties and was very plentiful in yield. Due to logging, private property restrictions and more hunters and find that you need to hunt long and hard to find a good yield now-a-days! Also, the weather has been a lot cooler the past 10 years or so.

 

[gutterman]

I agree with everything that was said above! I have been hunting this area (as above) for over 50 years and always find blacks, right after the V.B. (Church Steeples) between April 1 and April 15th. This area use to have all varieties and was very plentiful in yield. Due to logging, private property restrictions and more hunters and find that you need to hunt long and hard to find a good yield now-a-days! Also, the weather has been a lot cooler the past 10 years or so.

Yes it is a very good area to hunt with hillsides full of tulip trees. Sycamores everywhere. Also it is hunted hard. Especially by the Amish....have seen many a horse and buggy and straw hats pushing drives like they were deer hunting lol. Still can find quite a few though if you get there early early morning and know where to look