[pbwv]

Any finds in Wv. yet???

 

[mbdola]

I've not heard of any finds in wood, wirth, or ritchie yet, but there have been several finds down south near Beckley and down in Boone and Lincoln Counties. Shouldnt be much longer for northern WV.

 

[pbwv]

Thanks MBD. I'm going for a short walk in the woods this afternoon. Have a hilltop dump area that always has early blacks gonna check it out. will post my finds or pics if anything good comes from it. The woods are still nude but I cant stand it anymore. HAHAHA

 

[mbdola]

You may be surprised, I just saw that there were some small blacks found in Marion Co. It looks like they are out now, just need some good weather to get them above the leaf litter.

 

[pbwv]

Also I would like to know of other shrooms I can find in my area. I don't like the store bought, canned, or portabella mushrooms. But I will eat any morel I can find. Thanks for any suggestions on shrooms with the neer same taste and texture of morels.

 

[mbdola]

Chanterelles are great. They are really really easy to find around here and usually come around late July through August in to September. They can be found in Oak stands and washouts where I hunt them. Chicken of the Wodds are good too. They grown on logs and trees, Oak and Hickory. Those are two of the easier ones to ID. If you want to get into some others, Oysters and Honey's are pretty good. I would suggest getting the book Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians. Great book, useful in ID'ing. You can't go wrong with Chants and Morels though. Honestly, I like Chants a lot more than Morels, but both are great.

 

[pbwv]

Thanks again MBD. I have looked up the book and will order it this Friday and have it by nxt Tuesday. And for the blacks in Marion Co. That gets my blood pumping lol. If I had a four wheel drive baby stroller I would be in the woods right now but the boss lady don't get off work till 2:00 will just have to w8 a few hrs longer...sigh...

 

[pbwv]

Well no shrooms yet. Saw some wild onions and 1 red bud tree starting to bloom. other than that the woods are bare but naked. At least I can say I enjoyed the walk and silence of mother nature.

 

[mbdola]

Yeah I think its going to take at least another week of warmer temps. My first find last year was on April 21 in Harrison County and we had 15 straight days of low+high temps over 100 degrees and mulitple days in the 80's leading up to that. It was dry last year though. So I think at least another 7-10 days get a substantial flush and make the hunting a little easier. I've got a couple spots I check to see if anything up but wont start hunting in earnest until I see some flushes on those patches. Regardless I'll be out this weekend just checking up on them.

 

[pbwv]

Yea I agree. But that's not going to stop me from looking some this weekend. Spoke to the neighbor of the property I hunt on and made a deal with him 50/50 of what ever I find on his land and he said go get e'm. he has some real nice looking popular stands and 3 nice wide creek beds so im gonna do some spotting tomorrow. He is in his 70s and looked very happy to have someone go get him some shrooms. He even told me of a few spots where he used to find them about 15 yrs ago lol. Hoping to find the biggest honey hole I have ever found there but just 1 would make me happy!!!

 

[mbdola]

I hear ya man. I'll be out every couple days til they show up. My level of obsession with these things is reaching a boiling point after the winter we had here. I cannot wait to fry up my first batch and basically just get out there hunting.

 

[pbwv]

Well packin my bag and getting ready to hit the woods. Got 30 more acres of private land to scout out so will be later this eve before im back.
I have sat on a point while eating my lunch for the last 3 years looking at the land I now have permission to hunt on. I think that's where I will start...Just never hunted there because im not the kind of guy that likes being shot at and when the no trespassing signs say enter at your own risk!!! You prob. shouldn't enter without permission hahaha. Best of luck to anyone going out this weekend I think a few may be up on Sat. or Sun. after all the sunshine this week.

 

[mbdola]

Good luck man. I'm heading out this evening to check up on a couple spots too.

 

[pbwv]

Found 8 false in a bunch of elms. Its one of the spots the property owner says he used to find them. One of the most promising spots I have seen in 5 years and its ready. All in the middle of 6 dead elms surrounded by many live elms. Would have taken some pics of the falses but lft camera in my truck. Have a feeling that when they start to pop I will need a 40# feed sack to bring them out lol...Feeling very excited its the largest elm grove I have ever found!!!!

 

[mbdola]

Been out lately PB? I'm hoping this cold snap won't hurt progress too much here, I'm heading out all day on Friday whether there's shrooms up or not. There's been finds in a ton of counties down south including Roane, Braxton, Gilmer, etc... So they are marching North.

 

[pbwv]

Went out Saturday found some more false posted a pic of 1 in photos but no true shrooms yet. I think the cold snap might delay them a day or 2 but it wont hurt the season any. The ones that are up are more than likely covered with leaves so a frost shouldn't hurt them. Good luck on Friday MBD I will be out Saturday for sure and maybe Friday. But who knows if I get a chance this week I will prob go before lol.

 

[mbdola]

Found a few blacks up on the ridge near poplar and ash. Left them there to grow til Friday. Still early in, no greys yet. Should be good later this weekend and into next week.

 

[pbwv]

Well I haven't made it out this weekend yet. My baby girl of 6 months has a upper respiratory infection and I just didn't feel right leaving her home with momma all the time. She seems to be feeling better today so maybe after dinner I can go hunt some Easter eggs. Preferably the kind you soak in saltwater and fry in butter lols. Best of luck to all and Happy Easter!!!

 

[mbdola]

I was out Friday. Nothing but hundreds of flippin Verpas. Notice the cotton in the stem. Leave em in the woods unless you want to $hit yourself. They were everywhere.

 

[garden]

MBD I am glad you showed the photos of the Verpas. It looks like a morel. Is it also called the half free? Thanks..