[iwonagain]

Hello Everyone and happy new year!
This is the time of year when many of us are starting to get the itch to return into the woods Lets hope that this season's crop will be as decent as 2020 and, better yet, as plentiful as 2019! I still have plenty of dehydrated ones from last season as I wasn't able to give them away in person to some of the older folks I know because of this bloody virus. Thankfully, getting lost in the woods remains one of the best ways to social distance and forget about this harsh reality for a while. NOAA's seasonal outlook for Feb-Mar-Apr 2021 calls for a warmer and drier than average climate (Climate Prediction Center - Seasonal Outlook) - but as we all know one just needs the rainfall at the right place and time (which is ~1100, 32F degree days). Cheers to a bumper crop! 🍄

 

[shroomanator]

Hello Everyone and happy new year!
This is the time of year when many of us are starting to get the itch to return into the woods Lets hope that this season's crop will be as decent as 2020 and, better yet, as plentiful as 2019! I still have plenty of dehydrated ones from last season as I wasn't able to give them away in person to some of the older folks I know because of this bloody virus. Thankfully, getting lost in the woods remains one of the best ways to social distance and forget about this harsh reality for a while. NOAA's seasonal outlook for Feb-Mar-Apr 2021 calls for a warmer and drier than average climate (Climate Prediction Center - Seasonal Outlook) - but as we all know one just needs the rainfall at the right place and time (which is ~1100, 32F degree days). Cheers to a bumper crop! 🍄

So I just thought, "you know what? I think the time is getting close to see if anyone is posting on morels.com yet"

 

[tonsoffungus]

I started scouting as soon as youth/late deer season ended in TX! Here's a good pic from last year.

 

[santa shroom]

Lacing up the ole boots

 

[shroomsearcher]

Lacing up the ole boots

Hey, santa shroom. I heard some interesting stories about the Santa Claus myth having its origins in the shamanistic religious traditions of some far northern peoples in Lapland and Siberia. Are you aware of these? Your handle caught my eye.

 

[iwonagain]

Some good news: the widespread tree damage (esp elms and some cottonwoods) caused by the October ice storm will certainly help producing above-average crops in some places (provided of course that the rainfall comes on time)- In contrast to the 2007 ice storm, which coated our county with about twice the amount of ice, damage to red cedars was not as bad as I would have thought (younger cedar trees surprisingly are quite flexible). The brunt of the damage I noticed was on elms, Shumard/water oaks and especially pecans...

 

[pratherpea52]

Hey I won hoping this foot snow we got east ok will throw a plentiful year ahead toward mid March would be nice but most likely end of March this county hasn’t seen that type snow in years. 60 degrees today an 70’s tomorrow I think. But happy hunting to everyone an hope best to all

 

[kb]

What is up guys. Almost hit 70 up here in NW. MO. so thought I would see how you guys were doing. Heck of a cold snap huh. We hit -20 one night up here. A little frosty I would think the snow would sure help the cedars stay wet since they catch a lot. We had some ice up here this winter, nothing like the mess you guys got. I agree with you Iwon it should be good on those cottons. I don't know how much time it takes for the damage to affect the root systems. Lighting struck ones from the last summer are good as are logged ones. You guys were a little later in October, we will see. Are the elms you mention hybrid elm? or the American variety. I know our hybrids got hammered up here by the ice. Ash with damage are good to sometimes.

 

[kb]

Hello Everyone and happy new year!
This is the time of year when many of us are starting to get the itch to return into the woods Lets hope that this season's crop will be as decent as 2020 and, better yet, as plentiful as 2019! I still have plenty of dehydrated ones from last season as I wasn't able to give them away in person to some of the older folks I know because of this bloody virus. Thankfully, getting lost in the woods remains one of the best ways to social distance and forget about this harsh reality for a while. NOAA's seasonal outlook for Feb-Mar-Apr 2021 calls for a warmer and drier than average climate (Climate Prediction Center - Seasonal Outlook) - but as we all know one just needs the rainfall at the right place and time (which is ~1100, 32F degree days). Cheers to a bumper crop! 🍄

I think I read where we are being affected by a La Nina cycle in the Pacific. Hence the dry. but like you said only one or two timely rains is needed.

 

[iwonagain]

I think I read where we are being affected by a La Nina cycle in the Pacific. Hence the dry. but like you said only one or two timely rains is needed.

American Elms (Ulmus Americana); I took a stroll the other day in the woods and noticed damage to some of them. Currently, there indeed is a 60% chance of a La Ninha pattern to remain this Spring and transition to neutral conditions sometime this Summer. Such a pattern usually displaces the jet stream (storm track) further to the north during the Winter-Spring and, thus, reduces our chances for precip in the Southern Plains. One good >= 0.75 soaker is needed by the end of March; that is all. The most important thing is that temps do not soar into the 80s too quickly; Usually, a 3 day stretch of 80+F weather near/after the end of March will significantly reduce the length and, potentially, even kill a season.

Climate Prediction Center: ENSO Diagnostic Discussion

 

[shroomsearcher]

American Elms (Ulmus Americana); I took a stroll the other day in the woods and noticed damage to some of them. Currently, there indeed is a 60% chance of a La Ninha pattern to remain this Spring and transition to neutral conditions sometime this Summer. Such a pattern usually displaces the jet stream (storm track) further to the north during the Winter-Spring and, thus, reduces our chances for precip in the Southern Plains. One good >= 0.75 soaker is needed by the end of March; that is all. The most important thing is that temps do not soar into the 80s too quickly; Usually, a 3 day stretch of 80+F weather near/after the end of March will significantly reduce the length and, potentially, even kill a season.

Climate Prediction Center: ENSO Diagnostic Discussion

There was one year where we had a 4-5 days of temps in the low to mid 80's in early March, and then it got cold again. I found absolutely nothing that year! I prefer a nice gradual warm up, just not as gradual as last year. It took forever for the ground temps to break 50!

 

[iwonagain]

There was one year where we had a 4-5 days of temps in the low to mid 80's in early March, and then it got cold again. I found absolutely nothing that year! I prefer a nice gradual warm up, just not as gradual as last year. It took forever for the ground temps to break 50!

Last year, however, the gradual warm up was accompanied by several 0.75+ inch rain events -which is a perfect combination for a bumper crop under red cedars; I found nearly 80-85% of my bounty last year under those. Many of those groves had mycelium running through rows/patches of trees so once you started picking you could go on for 30 min-1h+ non stop. Red cedar morels are personally my favorites because they are easy to spot and there are no ticks under thick cedar groves - and those little morel clusters shining like a sore thumb above the needle litter are so pretty to look at! -lets hope this year will be no different !

 

[pratherpea52]

You did tear them up last year I won patch after patch hope we all get that opportunity this year my friends

 

[iwonagain]

You did tear them up last year I won patch after patch hope we all get that opportunity this year my friends

Likewise Sir - One of my cedar spot has unfortunately been built over, so I will have to ask the new owners if I can still forage around their property; in the worst case I will still tell them where they can find morels around their new home for them to consume at their own leisure lol [under the few 2 dozens cedars left]. After all, the fun is in the hunt

 

[kb]

I agree on the quality of the Cedar morels Iwon. No bugs in them either. My wife thought they smelled like cedar and did not like it. No one who ate them complained. To bad about your spot being dozed. I have had to much of that happen to the near urban spots I have hunted up here and way to many river bottoms cleared. Always looking for new spots. Darn weather. You guys are right on the heat. When I look at pictures of hunts going back over 30 years the best hauls usually show me wearing at least a jacket. Often its overcast and I usually have mud on my boots and pants. I have picked many in heat also but the season was short.

 

[iwonagain]

"
North American spring forecast looks fairly solid to be a more La Nina type spring. Most of Alaska and western Canada are to expect colder than normal conditions, which could extend the winter weather conditions into spring.

The United States expects to see warmer than normal and drier conditions across the southwestern parts. Most of the central and eastern United States is also expected to have warmer than normal spring, with normal precipitation on average. The northern and northeastern parts can expect to see neutral to wetter conditions with above normal temperatures.

But the northwestern United States is expected to see cooler and wetter than normal conditions, due to the northwesterly flow from the low-pressure area in western Canada.

The south-central United States can likely expect an increased chance of more severe weather in mid to late spring, with a high probability for a more intense tornado season across the Tornado Alley in the April-May-June period."

Spring 2021 long-range weather forecast for North America and Europe: In the grip of the Oceans

United States and Europe get ready for Spring 2021, with weather influence from the colder ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean

www.severe-weather.eu

 

[iwonagain]

Now this is what I like to see - ensemble average precip forecast for the next 2 weeks in the 1.5-2 inches range (on already moist soils). If this trend continues till early April, we will be good to go - especially under cedars.

 

[nate]

😜

 

[iwonagain]

First find of 2021!!; probably near or south of Augusta GA as the 32F degree day magic threshold of 1100 has been reached last week (https://uspest.org/wea/gis/NW_32us.png) - I am READY !!

 

[arkanshrooms]

Yep. I know that forager personally. I was wondering about the Red river area or North Texas.