Texas County 2014 Morel Hunt Update

Hey Vibrant and Shell, I saw some of the photo's on the other site (morel mushroom hunting dot com) There were multiple reports of false morels and photos of them. What do you guys think about them as in, do you think morels come up where they do? only later? Do you think they always come before the morels?
And what do you think about people eating them? My brother and his wife who are both pretty tough and state corrections officers eat them... And they do not hurt them at all, in fact they prefer them over morels. I would not eat one at all but they always ask me to give them the ones I find. I have found them nearly as big as soft balls near this old sawmill site on the St. Francis river, but no morels within several hundred yards.
It's raining and cold here today in the hills. Old man winter is stubbornly hanging on. We were going to fix a gate cable and put up cameras where people have been trespassing but are going to put it off. Trespassers cost us money and time and hard work. Plus they throw their junk down in the beautiful woods. OK I will be quite on that one. Later guys. Hopefully we will have some morels frying up for our family soon....

Hey guys I was out in the rain yesterday morning lol. I know, no one can say I don't try. Plum trees are blooming up here in the hills but still no may apples up or trillium. The ground under the leaf litter is really nice and moist. Just prime. I found some amber Jelly Roll/Witches Butter and some beautiful Turkey Tail mushroom clusters.
You won't believe how they got that big cable down. They run thru it with their vehicle.. It was clamped to an oak on one side and locked with a chain on the other side with a post in the middle. They ran thru it and of course the chain broke but they went over the post and bent it and drug it right out of the ground. Incredible. And then when I was in the woods I found about 10 trees back there marked with ribbon!. I took it all down and set up some cameras. What a drag. We still haven't got the cable fixed. They tore down our purple tape signs but I am putting them back up and we have decided to do some things and then have them prosecuted. What is bad is that there is thousands and thousands of acres of National forest all around here that anybody can go on. So when I am off work and could be hunting and fishing I have to do this instead. OK I am done griping for a while lol
Good luck guys, let me know how it's going over there.

Vibrant WTG.. And I do not think the freeze will much affect us because probably 99% of our morels are tiny babies or still underground. Also, we have the benefit of our very thick leaf litter covering the ground (and the morels) in most places. It will act as great insulation against the freeze or frost. Also the sunshine and heat will warm up the surface very quickly in the mornings. While I am not a biologist or anything I am a hillbilly woman of 49 who has been gardening and gathering herbs in these hills and mountains all my life as did generations of my family before me. In the past I have always protected tender young plants that were several inches above ground from hard freezes and frosts with just thin plastic jugs or old buckets. Maybe I am being hopeful or over optimistic but I still think we are going to have a banner year! lol
I kind of thought this would happen because my horses still have a heavy winter coat and that is very unusual.
Well, I am also a nurse and have to work thru Thurs. or Friday so keep me posted as I can't be out in the woods too much. Good luck to all.
Morel Maniac.. That recipe sounds just amazing! I will tweek the spice and filling a little but it makes me very hungry.. Thanks

Hi Shell,
I sent you an email about some stuff on it and here is some stuff I would like to share about it. First, let me say that there are many folks who know more than me but I would like to share this. OK, first go on youtube and on the internet and learn everything you can. It is common looking, nothing fancy about it so it doesn't stand out. I would be happy to show you and your wife if ever we could meet up. Yes, it is very important to dig the entire root because buyers from asia believe in mystical things about all its parts and pay a LOT more money for whole roots, even the fibers below the legs of the root. You can only dig from Sept 1 to March 15 in Missouri I think but MDC has the rules on it. And sell from Sept. 15 to March 15 I think. It is ILLEGAL to hunt on all of Mark Twain I think. And an enormous fine if they catch you.
Shell, our hills with their hardwood forests produce some excellent Seng and very potent. I had no idea how much they are paying us for it.
OK, never take it before the berries turn red around the end of August thru Sept. or it can't ever grow back. When you find it, never take a plant that is too young or little with less than 3 prongs in MO, I think 4 prongs in some states. When you find one with red berries, just gently mash the berry and replant the seeds right around your plant. I go about a foot or so and an inch or two. Never ever take the whole patch. We used to take one third and then many more will come up and you can hunt the patch about every year or two. I hope everyone reading this will please only harvest it in a sustainable way or someday we will not any seng any more. It's happened in a lot of states. The hunters greed for the money and no care for the plant has made it nearly extinct in places.
Never take pictures of your plants with cell phones or fancy new cameras and publish them on the internet because they have gps tracking and someone will come and get your roots. I would bank on it. Check the laws but I am not sure if MO requires a permit to hunt on public land. My hunting will be on private so it doesn't require a permit.
China is absolutely crazy for our wild ginseng since they have hunted theirs to near extinction and my mouth fell open when I saw what they are willing to do to get it.
It really is easy to find, easier than morels in my opinion and your country and all the counties around us are prime for some of the best seng out there. You should start now finding the plants, you and your wife, and learning everything you can Shell, then when the fall comes I gaurentee you guys will be on it!
We are having a dinner and a cemetery meeting after church today and when I get home this evening I will try to send you some info I like by the email message. Kindest regards...