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I'm really bad at this...

9K views 116 replies 30 participants last post by  Chriss83 
#1 ·
Prior to this year, I've never intentionally hunted for morels.

I'd find one here or there - in my yard, or in the woods out scouting for deer in the spring -but never enough that I'd bother picking them. Maybe an average of 1-2 a year.

As a way to get out in the woods a bit more this spring and force myself to do a little more scouting - I figured I'd give actively hunting for morels a go. I wasn't expecting much, but figured with some effort I'd at least find 10-15, enough to bother picking and eating.

Lets just say that hasn't happened.

I read all kinds of stuff on the internet and in books. I've concentrated my efforts on areas that fit the description...

Dead/dying Elm, Oak, Ash
Dead trees/stumps other deciduous trees (oak, hickory, birch, beech...)
Burned areas
Creek beds
Controlled burn sites in/around deciduous trees
A group of old abandoned apple trees on state land
Mossy areas.... mayapples... trilliums...

I've hit tons of state land between Harrison and Gladwin, as well as looking in Ypsi/Arboer around where I work at lunch every day (lots of dead decidious trees, in areas that get controlled burns every couple years), and at the parks near my house (also deciduouswith regular controlled burns).


I figure - I've got 15-20 hours in, and I haven't seen a single morel. Not a tiny one. Not an old dried up one. Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

Either I'm looking in the wrong places, or I'm just missing what is there - but I'll take any tips I can get.

Note: I am mildly red-green deficient, so I might have a harder time seeing them than some folks.
 
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#2 ·
Either I'm looking in the wrong places, or I'm just missing what is there - but I'll take any tips I can get.
These are my two biggest problems. I feel when I'm in the woods I seem to look at the big picture reason for missing the little things that may be there (looking for deer/game, trails, scraps rubs when with my Dad or Uncle they are always looking more for signs being tracks, droppings, beds, escape routes etc). I also feel with confidence in an area it is much easier to find them, my Dad and I would go to a place and find them almost every time out. Now that he is gone I have been back to that place one or twice and found them but looking other areas that I feel should be good I just don't fine them maybe because there are none to be found or more likely I am missing them. Another area my Dad and I used to find them all the time they logged the area and after that we didn't find them again maybe it was temporary buy lasted a number of years just have not been back since he passed.
 
#9 ·
Many is the time sightings fell off and I'd stop and lean against a popple , then start a slow dissecting from it's base out to depending on density of trees ;fifteen yards or so.
When they were up , multiples would be spotted again. But I'd keep looking for more.
Having to relocate them ,but knowing they were there helped slow my progress.
No sense blowing past or stepping on any.
 
#7 ·
I will say this is a really tuff year for looking - last two weekends north on 1 mushroom - now did find a few and I mean few but 2 small to
pick. We have general areas that have produced for years and others are tree specific. Cold up north has not done us a favors and the
rain days were followed by cold weather - glad I have a few jars dried as think I am going to need them. Even down state things are way behind.
Just hoping the heat now and rain does not end our season. I am sure you have been in the right areas, just the wrong time.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Prior to this year, I've never intentionally hunted for morels.

I'd find one here or there - in my yard, or in the woods out scouting for deer in the spring -but never enough that I'd bother picking them. Maybe an average of 1-2 a year.

As a way to get out in the woods a bit more this spring and force myself to do a little more scouting - I figured I'd give actively hunting for morels a go. I wasn't expecting much, but figured with some effort I'd at least find 10-15, enough to bother picking and eating.

Lets just say that hasn't happened.

I read all kinds of stuff on the internet and in books. I've concentrated my efforts on areas that fit the description...

Dead/dying Elm, Oak, Ash
Dead trees/stumps other deciduous trees (oak, hickory, birch, beech...)
Burned areas
Creek beds
Controlled burn sites in/around deciduous trees
A group of old abandoned apple trees on state land
Mossy areas.... mayapples... trilliums...

I've hit tons of state land between Harrison and Gladwin, as well as looking in Ypsi/Arboer around where I work at lunch every day (lots of dead decidious trees, in areas that get controlled burns every couple years), and at the parks near my house (also deciduouswith regular controlled burns).


I figure - I've got 15-20 hours in, and I haven't seen a single morel. Not a tiny one. Not an old dried up one. Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

Either I'm looking in the wrong places, or I'm just missing what is there - but I'll take any tips I can get.

Note: I am mildly red-green deficient, so I might have a harder time seeing them than some folks.
And you know what's funny? You can go back home and find some growing in your lawn, or in the firepit at the cabin, or in the ground that was tore up by a bulldozer that put in a gravel drive.

In the words of Joe Minaldi: "Life is stranger than shiiit, that's all. It's a pisser."
 
#11 ·
Prior to this year, I've never intentionally hunted for morels.

I'd find one here or there - in my yard, or in the woods out scouting for deer in the spring -but never enough that I'd bother picking them. Maybe an average of 1-2 a year.

As a way to get out in the woods a bit more this spring and force myself to do a little more scouting - I figured I'd give actively hunting for morels a go. I wasn't expecting much, but figured with some effort I'd at least find 10-15, enough to bother picking and eating.

Lets just say that hasn't happened.

I read all kinds of stuff on the internet and in books. I've concentrated my efforts on areas that fit the description...

Dead/dying Elm, Oak, Ash
Dead trees/stumps other deciduous trees (oak, hickory, birch, beech...)
Burned areas
Creek beds
Controlled burn sites in/around deciduous trees
A group of old abandoned apple trees on state land
Mossy areas.... mayapples... trilliums...

I've hit tons of state land between Harrison and Gladwin, as well as looking in Ypsi/Arboer around where I work at lunch every day (lots of dead decidious trees, in areas that get controlled burns every couple years), and at the parks near my house (also deciduouswith regular controlled burns).


I figure - I've got 15-20 hours in, and I haven't seen a single morel. Not a tiny one. Not an old dried up one. Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

Either I'm looking in the wrong places, or I'm just missing what is there - but I'll take any tips I can get.

Note: I am mildly red-green deficient, so I might have a harder time seeing them than some folks.
Multiple approaches.
Find one and there must be more. Umm , maybe.
There are bold maverick pioneer type specimens. What are you doing here little guy? The wind blow a spore and it landed in just the right spot?
Then there are those just on the fringe.
But...

A colony of shrooms is dependent on what is below them. And the niche of environment that can measure from square feet as small as a bathtub , to acres.
I moved a white pine to the front yard where I lived before (no I seldom associate white pines with black morels. Have picked blacks around a couples driplines in a poplar forest though) and instead of morels around my compost pile out back where I scattered my rinse water (And yes I know some folks say never wash a mushroom , I do my morels) they would grow under that pine.

You want to be in/on a colony.
That is dependent on the ground/soil /niche environment. And importantly the right conditions of moisture and temperature. You are picking fruit. But what that fruit comes off is important. It may not fruit well when conditions are not right. But if it does alright after fruiting season there is the future years.

One site was picked over 40 years until logged. That is what you want to start out in. Once you get the hang of spotting them you can go find lots and lots and lots of ground with no morels on it.

Inspect the ground on a known producing site of a colony. Under the surface is the real life form. But everything above supports it. Yes , slipped bark can sometimes be right where to look. But the source of the fruiting that is positively affected by certain events and conditions has to be there first.

You find morels up good , note the wind/air flow direction.
Next year check below /that direction where you picked the previous year.
I had blacks cross a trail into oak scrub doing that. Did they really? Heck I've never associated blacks with oaks and I don't even like seeing oak leaves blown onto where I pick. But there they were after the usual black picking area was fading for the season. At least they were one year. Maybe two.
 
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#15 ·
Instant gratification or sucess is not the norm in new pursuits.
And should not be expected to improve with time unless effort is intelligently applied.
Enjoy the adventure when starting something new. Or even pursuing something old.

We have dinosaur bones in Michigan. Should I pout if I go looking and don't find any?
We have black bear too. Seeing many?

Get a mushroom stick.
A proper mesh bag or basket..
You don't need one , but have a mushroom knife. Once it's tasted a mushroom , sanctify it for such. Heck I even have a mushroom hunting , what looks like home sewn camo heavy shirt. It has seen too many morels to not want to hunt without having. Even if it's warm out.
There are morels "out there." They look like a sponge at the right angle.
Your color challenges are not a handicap. As colors vary by sunlight , backlight, shade, background.
More than once I've insisted morel pattern would make a good camouflage.
Other times they stand out. But not in my shadow.
 
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#16 ·
Instant gratification or sucess is not the norm in new pursuits.
And should not be expected to improve with time unless effort is intelligently applied.
I'm not expecting instant success - but as you noted (and any athlete knows) practicing wrong is worse than not practicing.

If I knew I was doing the right thing - persistence isnt hard... but based on folks general advice, there is no "right thing", and the right thing varies wildly and is so inconsistent as to amount to "try everything and hope you get lucky".

Enjoy the adventure when starting something new. Or even pursuing something old.
I don't expect guarantees, but if trying really hard and spending hours doesn't at least increase my likelihood of success over doing nothing - I'll find more fruitful pursuits.

I just.... Largely don't do things I'm not successful at. If after a modicum of effort I'm not reasonably good, I quit and pick another thing off the list of thousands I want to try.

We have dinosaur bones in Michigan. Should I pout if I go looking and don't find any?
No. You should consult experts to tell if you're hunting and the right places, and what the normal number of man hours per discovery are - and then move to more likely locations, or fix whatever is causing you to have discoveries at lower rates.

We have black bear too. Seeing many?
Black bears are up 2-0 on morels this year.


Your color challenges are not a handicap. As colors vary by sunlight , backlight, shade, background.
Well... It's definitely a handicap when attempting to follow a blood trail. I can still do it, but it is much harder for me to see blood than my wife/kid.

...and looking at pictures of "how many morels can you find"? My wife always picks them out much easier than I do.
 
#18 ·
Don't blame yourself, blame mother nature. The spring weather for at least the last three years has been absolutely horrible for proper morel growing conditions, at least in the northern lower. Same ole crap, at first you get enough rain but too many freezing nights. Finally it warms up but turns as dry as a popcorn fart. I've hunted morels my entire life and have even bought used cars with mushroom money. The last three years it's hard to make gas money. If we ever get a decent spring you will find them.
 
#19 ·
Prior to this year, I've never intentionally hunted for morels.

I'd find one here or there - in my yard, or in the woods out scouting for deer in the spring -but never enough that I'd bother picking them. Maybe an average of 1-2 a year.

As a way to get out in the woods a bit more this spring and force myself to do a little more scouting - I figured I'd give actively hunting for morels a go. I wasn't expecting much, but figured with some effort I'd at least find 10-15, enough to bother picking and eating.

Lets just say that hasn't happened.

I read all kinds of stuff on the internet and in books. I've concentrated my efforts on areas that fit the description...

Dead/dying Elm, Oak, Ash
Dead trees/stumps other deciduous trees (oak, hickory, birch, beech...)
Burned areas
Creek beds
Controlled burn sites in/around deciduous trees
A group of old abandoned apple trees on state land
Mossy areas.... mayapples... trilliums...

I've hit tons of state land between Harrison and Gladwin, as well as looking in Ypsi/Arboer around where I work at lunch every day (lots of dead decidious trees, in areas that get controlled burns every couple years), and at the parks near my house (also deciduouswith regular controlled burns).


I figure - I've got 15-20 hours in, and I haven't seen a single morel. Not a tiny one. Not an old dried up one. Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

Either I'm looking in the wrong places, or I'm just missing what is there - but I'll take any tips I can get.

Note: I am mildly red-green deficient, so I might have a harder time seeing them than some folks.
Not the best time to be a beginner morel hunter.....most of the past several seasons. Though the white variety does seem to fair better most seasons.

The key is the woods they grow in, you won't find them just anywhere. And the description of where they will grow isn't absolute.....that means they can grow where they "shouldn't" and will not where they "should" grow.

Find a spot and keep it to yourself and only the most trusted of friends, and hope the saws don't find it and the WX is right for the season.
 
#50 ·
He's definitely been provided an advantage, where they grow. He only has to do the driving, leg, & eye work should he desire. It's gonna be crowded, but it's 100% morel woods if he applys the obvious to his walkabout. And doesn't walk into a field and hope they are there.....though they could be!
 
#25 ·
There is some luck involved chasing morels….

More of an experience game than just luck…

we don’t chase them like we once did, but I still remember how it felt and smelled. We would get that smell and just start looking. Some ramp smell and some trillium sticking up….. In the old days some Ash trees around..

We had a Forester look an 80 we owned and as a throw in he pointed out where there should be morels. We already knew that is where they were in May. So some guys know….
 
#28 ·
I started out about 5 years ago I believe. There are well-known areas that produce Morales and the weekends I'd drive them looking for the cars. Imo it's the best way to get started. Sure once in awhile it ends up being a turkey hunter but I've got to where I can usually pick out the shroomers. They can't find them all and they never do. The main thing is you're learning the preferred Woods type.

Me it's all about the blacks, BTA'S bigtooth Aspen Groves. And once I found some blacks in these popular shroom Woods, I would get on onyx and look what those BTA stands look like from the overhead view (foilage). They are easy to pick out from the other various tree types Imo. And sure it takes a lot of scouting 2 find a good Woods that produces blacks but with this procedure I can find the farther back off the road bta's where a lot of people don't like to go for some reason. And for me my most successful scouting has came towards the end of season where they're Standing Tall and some even falling over (morels)but I can walk fast and cover a lot of bta's Woods compared to early-season when they're small in hiding. Good luck
Slope Terrestrial plant Plant Asphalt Grass
 
#30 ·
You picked a terrible year to start looking for morels. There are definitely more blacks than yellows between Harrison and Gladwin.
For blacks you want to look for stands of big toothed aspen and black cherries. I have not heard any reports of findings in your area this year. They are definitely late, yellows have been late in Oakland county. I am finding very few in areas that usually produce good.
Good luck and keep looking.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Prior to this year, I've never intentionally hunted for morels.

I'd find one here or there - in my yard, or in the woods out scouting for deer in the spring -but never enough that I'd bother picking them. Maybe an average of 1-2 a year.

As a way to get out in the woods a bit more this spring and force myself to do a little more scouting - I figured I'd give actively hunting for morels a go. I wasn't expecting much, but figured with some effort I'd at least find 10-15, enough to bother picking and eating.

Lets just say that hasn't happened.

I read all kinds of stuff on the internet and in books. I've concentrated my efforts on areas that fit the description...

Dead/dying Elm, Oak, Ash
Dead trees/stumps other deciduous trees (oak, hickory, birch, beech...)
Burned areas
Creek beds
Controlled burn sites in/around deciduous trees
A group of old abandoned apple trees on state land
Mossy areas.... mayapples... trilliums...

I've hit tons of state land between Harrison and Gladwin, as well as looking in Ypsi/Arboer around where I work at lunch every day (lots of dead decidious trees, in areas that get controlled burns every couple years), and at the parks near my house (also deciduous with regular controlled burns).


I figure - I've got 15-20 hours in, and I haven't seen a single morel. Not a tiny one. Not an old dried up one. Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

Either I'm looking in the wrong places, or I'm just missing what is there - but I'll take any tips I can get.

Note: I am mildly red-green deficient, so I might have a harder time seeing them than some folks.
I'm not good at formally identifying most trees or other plants.... It's just not something I ever got into and a lot of my outdoor pursuits are self taught, so nobody along the way told me what was what. That said.... Mushroom hunting, most definitely morel hunting, is a lot like grouse hunting to me. I don't necessarily know why I say something "looks good," but I feel confident in identifying spots after years of trying to identify spots...... This is just me, I'm sure others may see it differently.

To start, one thing I'd say is that "up north" morel hunting is different than "down here" morel hunting. I haven't hunted up north in years. But, I did a fair amount when my grandparents and parents lived up there. Up there, I found a lot of black morels, which is something I do not find in abundance down here (other than in my backyard, which is another story....). As others have mentioned, it seems like Aspen was a predominant theme up there, with particularly good spots being along creeks, gently sloping hills, the occasional conifer mixed in, etc.

The spots down here I hunt are almost exclusively the yellow variety. Two of the best finds I've ever had, where you get into a patch of like 50+ in a small area, were gradual east facing hills, softer hardwoods (softer hardwoods???) when the forest floor is getting green. I have heard others say southwest facing hills, or even north facing hills later in the season. Just stating my personal experience of east facing hills, sloping down toward wetland, on the edge of a field even better. I have always associated the stage of mayapples with morels, ramps as well. If the ramps aren't out and ready to pick I generally don't get too excited about seeing morels. Same if the mayapples haven't fully grown. I also associate the general color of the forest floor with seeing them. No green at all, I'm probably not even going. Full blown green, it's too late or there is maybe even too much vegetation in the area. Somewhere between 50-75% of the full blown vegetation that you'd see at the end of May, that is when I feel like I'll find some. I generally avoid a lot of oak when hunting down here. I've had good luck with overgrown fence rows down here, ones with trees. As with many other things, I like edges, edges of fields, edges of swamps. But, if I see skunk cabbage I feel I'm too low and will go elsewhere. I don't dismiss small amounts of raspberries, or even thin patches if the surrounding areas look right. One of my better spots has a few raised peninsulas that jut out into a swamp that has small bushes/trees with raspberries mixed in. They're a pain to pick, but every one is worth it.

Anyway, this is just me. I can't say enough that it's just looking at some ground after years of hunting and having the instinct to say "Yeah, that looks good." I'm sure there are more exact and scientific methods that could be used, identifying flora, sun exposure, weather, etc., but this is how I do it. The other thing is IT'S A MOREL. The other mushrooms I pick, extremely predictable. I've found 50 morels in an area 10yds by 10yds and never seen them there again over 15 years..... Good luck.
 
#40 · (Edited)
One of only a couple spots I know of... my first year produced about a pound. Every year after I got like 5 lol

That's 5 mushrooms, not pounds.

View attachment 831352
After a half hour at lunch yesterday, and about two hours last night... I figure I'm a touch over 20 hours of looking between Ypsi/Arbor and Harrison/Gladwin.

I'd be ecstatic if I found one, dried up bug eaten, morel at this point.

One of the areas I've been hunting is getting controlled burned this Friday, so no more looking there after tomorrow.
 
#77 ·
I agree with sureshot - those woods don't look very "morel friendly" to me. If you're hunting southern MI right now, I'd focus on dead elm and fruit trees. I don't find many whites around ash down here (up north is a different story.) Looking at the leaf litter in the picture, seems to be a lot of oak - I don't find any morels in oak woods. I know people do well around tulip poplar but I haven't found many tulip poplar to make a statement on them.

If you head up north for blacks, learn to identify big tooth aspen from the other aspen. It's a bit difficult when they're not leafed out but take a look at the leaf litter on the ground. The woods I hunt up north are pockets of BTA interspersed amongst other hardwoods. In those stands of BTA are some mossy stumps from logging done long ago - these are the spots to take your time scanning around. Sometimes I'll get to a spot and it just feels shroomy and I can't figure out why I'm not finding any but then I look closely and can see the area has already been picked.
 
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