I tried looking for morels last year with no luck 
I was too late. But it’s a new year with new possibilities. I have a few places to look. I just want to make sure that I time it right this year. Any thoughts? Predictions? I’m sure a lot of you guys know a lot more than me about these delicious fungi!(and other shrooms)
Depending on where you are you have some time, usually they start when the lilacs bloom? But it never hurts to look and keep checking back in your favorite spots. I love hunting those things but don’t really do it now that I am allergic to them, not a fun experience.
Spring offers Pheasant Back mushrooms too. Way better eating than Morels. I grow my own Shitakis and have cut way down on time in the woods when I can have all I want for mushrooms and not leave the yard. Being in the woods is great exercise though and just nice to out in nature.
In the fall one of the best of all wild mushrooms is available….the hen and chicks mushroom. One of these can weigh in at 10-12 pounds and yield lots of bags of leaves for the freezer. The best of these animals is one that is young, less than a week in growth and having the lighter tan colored leaves, but even an older hen and chicks is fine dining. These like living, but very old, mature oaks but can appear anywhere. I plucked one in the yard
last fall that was about ten pounds. These will recur year to year if you cut the core above ground and leave the woody stump in the ground.
My three Shitaki sites in the yard should be showing some goodies in a month or so. The strain I have working right now will yield Shitakis about 10″ around. One is a big addition to a meal. The current logs were inoculated last summer and had some mushrooms in late October already but this early summer should be outstanding thru July and again in late September into late October and repeat these cycles for 5-8 years.
My Winecap bed should be productive this spring. I plucked a few from it late summer early fall last year.
I’m going to drop a silver maple or a small cottonwood at the cabin’s 40 this year to start a few Oyster Mushrooms.
Mother’s Day 
I love getting out in the woods chasing shrooms.
Not much of an early spring guy (usually busy with work and fishing), but I hit the woods pretty hard in summer and fall.
No doubt that the morel season will be a bit later than normal this year. Like the lakes, our soil temps will be colder than normal for this time of year.
By far, my favorite to go after is Chanterelles, followed by Hens later into fall. I also pick lobsters, lions mane, aborted’s, kings, cinnabars, chickens and hedgehogs.
Mushroom hunting is a lot of fun and a great excuse to head out in the timber 
I don’t chase them, but there for sure will be a group of hippies trespassing and searching for them on my land again this year…
I’ll be following this thread closely, I’ve always wanted to give it a shot.
I don’t chase them, but there for sure will be a group of hippies trespassing and searching for them on my land again this year…
I’ll be following this thread closely, I’ve always wanted to give it a shot.
I could chase out the hippies for you but I’m afraid I couldn’t pass up their intended target….
I don’t chase them, but there for sure will be a group of hippies trespassing and searching for them on my land again this year…
I’ll be following this thread closely, I’ve always wanted to give it a shot.
Just wait for them to almost leave the property. Then stop them and tell them that if they don’t give over the mushrooms they will be charged with trespassing and theft. 
DT
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Merican Eagle wrote:</div>
I don’t chase them, but there for sure will be a group of hippies trespassing and searching for them on my land again this year…I’ll be following this thread closely, I’ve always wanted to give it a shot.
Just wait for them to almost leave the property. Then stop them and tell them that if they don’t give over the mushrooms they will be charged with trespassing and theft.
DT
That might work. Just be sure your gun is bigger than theirs.
thanks for the tips guys. I think I’ll be targeting morels for the most part at first as they are easily identifiable. I do love all mushrooms so maybe it’s something I can get more into as I learn more. I’m in east central MN, so if any of you southerners start getting them let us know! Maybe I can actually time it right this year.
The last couple years, I’ve spent a good amount of time looking. This time last year, we were already finding them in the Southwest Metro. This year will be quite a bit later, but the soil temperatures are warming up fast. In two weeks we should be seeing some pop up with a little rainfall. Keep in mind that South facing slopes will be the first place to grow them. East/West/North facing slopes are usually a week behind. We look at it like a treasure hunt in the woods!
Found a wood tick on my dog yesterday, amazing how fast those buggers come out.
We got a note from a friend in Lake City along with a picture of a morel already up.
If anybody wants, I have two hens of the woods that pop up every year… I tried it last year and it was ok but the wife was freaked out about them, so it would be easier to have someone who can appreciate them to have them. Kind of weird but the one in the front yard pops out early summer and the other one more towards the end. Message me if you want a call to come grab em, I’m by St. Cloud Mn
The fall hens are the ones I get after. I’ve tried earlier ones and thought they were a little off compared to the fall clusters.
I tried the earlier one…. thing was about the size of a 5 gallon pail… things pop up overnight too !
Here’s a web site with a map of current reports thegreatmorel .com
I tried the earlier one…. thing was about the size of a 5 gallon pail… things pop up overnight too !
One good one will make about fifteen big meals.
We need a little rain really. The ground’s surface in many areas here is dry down to about 4″ now….well except where I started to dig to bed some new asparagus plants and lifted up a 4 foot chunk of frozen ground about ten inches thick.
They’re out in the St. Louis area! We’ve had a ton of luck last week. Headed out again today! Good luck!
Anyone in MN finding morels yet? Haven’t had a chance to go look. But I’ve been waiting for some rain. Haven’t had much in east central MN.
You won’t find them soon. Grass will also be high this year before they really get going. They will be there but it’ll be tough. Memorial day weekend this year. Or later.
Thanks for the feedback. I really would like to redeem myself and score some this year!
A buddy from Byron text me a picture of a morel that his neighbor found in his back woods yesterday… They are starting to pop up, just wished I liked mushrooms to make it worth going to take a look.
With the recent rains and last weeks heat I am hoping to find some in the Fergus area this weekend. I don’t have real high expectations, but I am going to look. I have a honey hole that has had them in it the last 2 years. Fresh fish and fresh morels in the same pan….OH MY!!! 
Sounds like a winning combo Sticker. This is my first year at the cabin in Outing. Do you think I could find them that far north? I have a lot of decaying deadfalls from past storms.
Eelpoutguy, We find them in the Detroit lakes area, which is only a smidge south of you, I have a buddy that gets quite a few in the Bemidji area, they seem to thrive in hardwood habitat. I have never successfully collected them but haven’t really tried either. The ramps are going in my area and have been collecting those, maybe a week or so for morels?
Aaron, Thanks for the info. I will keep an eye out for both.
Sounds like a winning combo Sticker. This is my first year at the cabin in Outing. Do you think I could find them that far north? I have a lot of decaying deadfalls from past storms.
You should have a decent chance of finding chantrelles and Lobsters (probably others too) in the summer. I stumbled on some by accident at my in-laws near crosslake a few years ago.
Its not faroff for you guys. A friend of mine went out 5 days ago and got 116 greys, no yellows. Ive heard that a few other people are finding them too, how many I don’t know but Kevin did pretty good. Were going tuesday up by Elkader to my friends family farm that he almost always find some on, maybe it will be a good year. I found a new place to hunt on a local big acreage but IM so busy with rush jobs I haven’t had the time to go. Ive heard from a neighbor that the timber is a good place to go, anyway we will see. Good luck to the ones who go.
Any good word from Minnesota. I’m up in the north branch area and the wife and son and my self went out today in the light rain for a hike and found 0. Didn’t hunt to hard but enough to see a few if they were there. I think it’s still a little early and dry
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