Has anyone been out morel hunting yet? I just learned of them last year and was wondering about what time of year they begin? Ive heard to look for lilacs in bloom and start on the south sides of hills. Anyone eles have any more tips?
At least a couple weeks yet around I would say. Need some rain with warm weather.
down here we are still just about two weeks out, maybe less if you get a good hot day in the 80’s right after a good soaker. I’ve always wanted to get a soil temp reading, just keep forgetting.
nice, its warm here today and I think were going to be getting some rain tonight. I cant wait to get some this year. have you ever tried drying them so you can have them all year? I found some in the siren,webster area last year that were almost a foot tall. but the ones that I found in the metro area were at max 5in. Ive heard elms but I had better luck with big oaks. Any ideas why they get Big in WI and are smaller in MN metro?
Rumor has it there are morels above ground in southwest WI. Source is morel mania (2009 Sightings). If the report is true the morels will rival the size of a Moon Glow Ice jig. Nothing close to harvestable size yet. I took a peak in the woods last weekend down in Grant County a mile and half from Morelmasters headquarters. A small company a friend & I started as teenagers. I’ve since sold out after relocating to Pool 9 in De Soto.. South laying slopes, which warm the quickest, are the first areas our little gold nuggets will first arrive. The ground I was on looked pretty young yet as of 6 days ago and beginning to dry out fast! Clouds of dust were trailing the uncle’s 2290 mulching some top soil for corn strips. I did run into a patch of dandelions & ground plum in the early stages of opening. Mayapple sprouts were an inch to two above ground. Haven’t been in the woods since last Saturday for a follow up.
I can also tell you soil temps have reached the target of 52 degrees 4 inch soil temps. You won’t find a morel until the ground temps hits 51 to 53 degrees. That from the mouth of the late Larry Lonik in 2001 when he spent 3 days on the farm filming footage for his morel film “Motherload”. Larry was a former Michigan State biologist specializing in dendrology. He died in a four wheeler accident in Missouri in 2003 ~ doing whatelse? Following & hunting morels on the annual spring march northward from Texas.
The next significant rainfall will have them sprouting under dead elm trees amongst other locations in the southern region of WI. You can take that to the bank. 7 to 10 days later on the average with any cooperation with Ma nature and they’ll reach lengths long enough to come out of frying pan laced with butter. There are two time tested proven indications that signal when it’s “time” to harvest morels. 1. Dandelions will be in all three stages. 2. Your grass will need the first mowing of the season. Goodluck!
we don’t have elms around here, but that is the tree of choice, dead for one year or starting to die elms gives the signal for the morels to pop and spread their spores. We have large cottonwood trees along the riverbanks, the earlier sprouts will be along the edges in the grass, then follow them into the woods as time goes by. I will hit the sandy areas first, then move to the dark soil hills up to Labor Day. the cooks blog (member groups)will be active here soon with cooking/storing ideas, along with some of my pictures.
Close to May 1st here and maybe the 10th up there. Anywhere where the spores can germinate I’ve found them, sand, south facing hillsides because they warm first, then north slopes. I’ve had good luck along creek bottoms and the slopes that run to the creeks. Thier in places you’d think they weren’t supposed to be like right out in the middle of cow pastures that are constantly grazed. They could be anywhere but look for the warmest places first with atleast the first inch or two having decaying leaves.
I’m heading out next weekend down here.South slopes 1’st Elm trees,apples, pines,black oak trees.
boy, that’s sure a nice haul, don’t know what I like the best that giant yellow, the drink, or the vine ripened tomato 
Be sure to use a mesh sack out in the woods, helps spread the spores for next years batch.
Starting to get them around Vinton!
–Whitey
Greys? any size to them yet?
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