# Oh my God.....



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Today we have the worse possible weather upon us, just look what happened last year. 

In 50 years I never had such a horrible harvest as last years yield was.....and I am sure it was due to the fact that the WX warmed to unbelievably high temps during the usual winter months several times before it was supposed to happen. Something that never occurred before in all the years I have been picking morels. Drought years have yielded more morels for me than last season did.....a simple fact.

Now we have this same scenario happening again.....I know there is nothing I can do about it other than complain, but I sure want to be hopeful that this years weather does not cause the same disaster that last season was.


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## celticcurl (Apr 4, 2012)

I remember last year as extremely cold and very snowy. I've even got the pictures to prove it but I'll have to check the historical facts because my memory isn't the greatest.

Year before that was even colder and snowier. I missed both morel seasons here in MI and didn't know it was a that bad of a year.

I hope we have a really good morel season this year. It would be fun to pick a bunch of big fat white morels.


I was looking at the long range forecast yesterday and noticed a dramatic cool down, and a cold Feb with a gradual warm up in March. That doesn't sound too bad, does it?


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

celticcurl said:


> I remember last year as extremely cold and very snowy. I've even got the pictures to prove it but I'll have to check the historical facts because my memory isn't the greatest.
> 
> Year before that was even colder and snowier. I missed both morel seasons here in MI and didn't know it was a that bad of a year.
> 
> ...


Well, you must not remember so good. We had several warm spells among the usual coldness of winter here in GR, I pick this area and South as well as North.

Of course North of here it'll be colder, but still following this same pattern, I pay attention to it every year.

Max temps last "winter" in GR below. Or go to www.wunderground.com and do a custom history search. This is just messed up weather.

It was 30 on 1-1-16
It was 16 on 1-11-16
It was 41 on 1-15-16
It was 15 0n 1-18-16
It was 47 on 1-31-16
It was 45 0n 2-7-16
It was 17 on 2-13-16
It was 61 on 2-19-16
It was 32 on 2-26-16
It was 57 on 2-28-16
It was 25 on 3-1-16
It was 71 on 3-8-16

Then in the "Spring"
It was 37 on 3-24-17
It was 68 on 3-27-16
It was 37 on 4-2-16
It was 53 on 4-3-16
It was 34 on 4-4-16
It was 79 on 4-16-`6
It was 82 on 4-18-16
It was 80 on 4-25-16
It was 49 on 4-26-16

https://www.wunderground.com/histor...statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

This winter and last have been mild. The two before that were frigid. My shrooming was a bust last year as well. Might have found 150 to 200 when I usually get 600 or so and quit picking.


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## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

TK81 said:


> This winter and last have been mild. The two before that were frigid. My shrooming was a bust last year as well. Might have found 150 to 200 when I usually get 600 or so and quit picking.


Rehab is for quitters! 

Hopefully February puts us back on schedule. My morel success last year was limited, but I did find them in places that I've never found them but always looked in.


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## chuckinduck (May 28, 2003)

celticcurl said:


> I remember last year as extremely cold and very snowy. I've even got the pictures to prove it but I'll have to check the historical facts because my memory isn't the greatest.
> 
> Year before that was even colder and snowier. I missed both morel seasons here in MI and didn't know it was a that bad of a year.
> 
> ...


Not in my neck of the woods. When my permanent spearing shanty can't get on the ice all winter because of the lack of cold that means it was a extremely weird winter. Guess where my shanty is right now? Same spot as last year. Bring on the chanterelles I guess.


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## celticcurl (Apr 4, 2012)

I remember HATING last winter because I couldn't go out and do anything because of the snow. I do believe OldGrandman that it wasn't as cold as I thought. This year actually looks colder on paper but I'm not hating it as much because the snow is gone. Or maybe I'm getting tougher and the cold isn't bothering me this year. Yeah, I'll go with THAT.

We aren't going through as much fuel this year compared to last which is nice but I've only had my cross country skis on once which is kind of a bummer.

I believe this year will be a great year for morels for Michigan. I've never experienced a great year for morels in Michigan so my expectations are set pretty low.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

growninmi said:


> Rehab is for quitters!
> 
> Hopefully February puts us back on schedule. My morel success last year was limited, but I did find them in places that I've never found them but always looked in.


Was the single most frustrating season I ever remember last year. Hit only a couple decent spots for decent numbers, and the later white varieties were better than the early blacks for me. I prefer the blacks though. Oh yeah, the logging didn't help matters!

I see the North is still snow covered and colder than here for the moment..... But nearly 60 on January 21st in GR?! And in the high 40's still?! OMG.....my Southern spots probably cannot take much more of this and it'll be a repeat of last season. I won't need rehab, maybe therapy though.....:help:

Pray for a normal finish to Winter and a normal progression into Spring everyone.....


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## MrJosePetes (Feb 8, 2013)

It's definitely concerning. From what I've seen and can recall, this winter is very similar to last, except more extreme at this early point. Last years was very up and down, but at least to this point in the winter, the warm ups were more brief. This weather could be very, very bad if it lasts for too long. The good news is like you guys said, it should cool down soon. It's hard for them to predict weather beyond 7 days, but hopefully the cooldown lasts. It's the back and forth temps that really ruin things, and it seems like when the winter follows those up and down trends, the spring usually does too. An early warmup with 80 degree dry days followed by frosts leaves Mother Nature pretty much screwed. I talked to a lot of people last year who've been doing this for decades, and they all said it was their worst season. 

We have two months of winter left. If things stabilize, we get some snow on the ground, and it can last a while, this shouldn't turn out to have too much of an effect. We would just need a more gradual warm up the rest of the way. But I'm definitely worried about it. The way the winter has gone so far, it's hard to see it going back to normal for the next 2-3 months. But I sure hope so. I haven't been doing this as long as most of you, but last year was a tough one for me as well. I by far spent more time hunting than any year before, and still found less. I believe I only picked 100+ one day, out of probably 20+ days spent in the woods. My over all total was around 1050, which was better than a lot of people I talked to, but there were a lot of days where I found less than 50 in an entire day of hunting, and a couple days I got shut out, which hasn't happened since my first year. I won't have three weeks off again this year, so I can't afford such a slow pace. If this year is another repeat of that, I will be doing a lot more spring fishing I guess.

Either way, it is exciting to know that enjoying time spent in the fresh spring woods is only 3 months or so away. Hope everyone has a great season!


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## topgun47 (Jan 17, 2014)

How refreshing to only hear complaints about the weather..


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

topgun47 said:


> How refreshing to only hear complaints about the weather..


LOL! I hear ya, but I'd gladly listen to 5X the political griping if it meant for even a normal morel season after last year! Too early to know what'll happen yet.....
Gotta love the positive vibes from celticcurl & MrJosePetes though.....

We are so overdue for one of those ridiculous seasons like 2003 was, I mean I didn't have the time off that I do now, still I picked so many morels that if you knew me you got some.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

I agreed last year was horrible. Weather is obviously the number one factor but a close second for me is the total destruction of of ash forest. All the trees are dead. We have a forest of about 80 acres that was mainly mature ash. We would find 1000-1500 a year. One banner year we found around 2500. Last year was the first year I can recall we didn't find one. Nada. Every last ash tree is dead.


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## topgun47 (Jan 17, 2014)

Hang in there with the ash trees. I lost the one in my front yard 10 years ago so I trimmed it down to a 2 foot stump. I thought it was totally gone for good.

Guess what?, about 4 or 5 years ago it started sprouting branches again and now it's almost 20 feet tall and maybe10 feet in diameter.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

topgun47 said:


> Hang in there with the ash trees. I lost the one in my front yard 10 years ago so I trimmed it down to a 2 foot stump. I thought it was totally gone for good.
> 
> Guess what?, about 4 or 5 years ago it started sprouting branches again and now it's almost 20 feet tall and maybe10 feet in diameter.


I have seen that too with some that were cut. I wonder if the bugs are just going to die off once all the trees are dead or what. Time will tell.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Boardman Brookies said:


> I agreed last year was horrible. Weather is obviously the number one factor but a close second for me is the total destruction of of ash forest. All the trees are dead. We have a forest of about 80 acres that was mainly mature ash. We would find 1000-1500 a year. One banner year we found around 2500. Last year was the first year I can recall we didn't find one. Nada. Every last ash tree is dead.


I know what you mean, but morels are not solely an ash forest mushroom. Last year all manner of forests were mostly void of them. I did better for the white varieties than the blacks by far. Many areas were relatively void of morels, but no one specific tree type woods dictated this.....black or white!

I did not see any pattern to my best or worse picked woods last season... There was like 1 good flush and if you hit it, then it was just OK pick in's, if not you were screwed. I mean that is what happened for me in all manner of tree type woods...

It was just an f-ed up season last year and I cannot find any answer for it no matter how hard I try......

Hoping for better results this season....good luck to y'all!


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Are you kidding me!?! STOP IT!!! :rant:

This WX is insane, not liking it at all.....I see 50's & 60's in the near future, this time even the North is getting in on it......:sad:

I'll need therapy by March, I can see it coming... :help:

Trump needs to get on this global warming thing and fast..... rotest_e


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Heading out ice fishing Wednesday morning might be the last time down here .Might get up to the Yoop in a week if their ice holds up .


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Never heard of jan. Thaw? Has been a warm winter but hell im only 33 and remember many years having 50 plus in jan. Theres a reason its called jan. Thaw. It happens. Jan 1st high temp 57 in 1897. Jan 2nd 51 2004 jan 4 60 1997. Jan 7th. 63. 2008. Jan 13 58 1932. Not saying last year wasmt awful. But we nees to worry about march temps being to high. Not jan...feb.. There is alllllwayyys warm ups.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Sparky23 said:


> Never heard of jan. Thaw? Has been a warm winter but hell im only 33 and remember many years having 50 plus in jan. Theres a reason its called jan. Thaw. It happens. Jan 1st high temp 57 in 1897. Jan 2nd 51 2004 jan 4 60 1997. Jan 7th. 63. 2008. Jan 13 58 1932. Not saying last year wasmt awful. But we nees to worry about march temps being to high. Not jan...feb.. There is alllllwayyys warm ups.


In case you hadn't noticed, we had that January thaw already this year.....in JANUARY!

This is February and have had the second warm spell within this month. And another about to come upon us. This is totally abnormal. This isn't good for any crop. Our privilege hedge is shooting up green sprouts already.

I mean by June we'll all know how the season ends up, but if this crap keeps up it probably won't be good. Hope I am wrong.....that is all I can say about it at this time.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

We have 2 or 3 warm ups most febs to ogm. We just need to hope for a cold wet march.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Well despite everything looks like were on track for normal start time. Lets hope for a nice slow warm up amd lots of rain with no snow pack. Sometime end next weekish maybe first lil guys


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Sparky23 said:


> Well despite everything looks like were on track for normal start time. Lets hope for a nice slow warm up amd lots of rain with no snow pack. Sometime end next weekish maybe first lil guys


Next week is the last week of March, not at all normal start time, even in Southern Michigan.

Nevertheless, I do hope the season is a good one!

The 2nd week in April is normal for the first few dinks to be found in the Southern part of Michigan. Check Hypox's archived reports that are not from 2012 or since then.


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

I'd say April 12th-17th is a pretty normal start for me. The years I start finding them sooner than that end up being bad years in general.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

hypox said:


> I'd say April 12th-17th is a pretty normal start for me. The years I start finding them sooner than that end up being bad years in general.


Yup. Still 3 full weeks away for a normal season, these days that is, and this is in the Southern most reaches of Michigan. 

I really didn't need to check your reports, because I have my own.
Apparently my information doesn't hold much weight for Sparky23 though, so I referenced yours!

Still, I would expect it to be early this season down here, but up North still has some snow around so it might be 2 different worlds.

Time will tell.....


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

I had my dates mixed and said it wrong anyway butbyesbend of next week will be april. Also said maybe more chance for just after that which isnt awful...they didnt start last month like you thought lol


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## MrJosePetes (Feb 8, 2013)

I would definitely think north will be further behind the south this year than normal. I don't expect to see them in my area for at least 3 weeks but I'm sure there will be lucky stump pics on here soon. That 73 degree day Friday was more than I wanted to see, but I like that it's supposed to cool down and keep some moisture in the forecast. lets see what happens. Aside from a couple brief warm periods, most of this month it's done exactly what we needed.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Nope, I cannot predict the future, didn't really try. Was concerned though, based on the way the WX was going and how it could have turned out based on last year. It was just a little different this year it has turned out. It roller-coastered enough into down right frigid cold, maybe it'll be fine......who knows what it did to the crop though.

One thing I am holding onto, and it is more hope driven than data driven.....is maybe, _*just maybe*_ we might have a good season ahead. I have never-ever had 2 total crap seasons in a row.
Then again I never experienced 2 Winter and early Spring seasons in a row like last year and this one! Nearly 70 in February, numerous way warmer than average days since Jan 1st. Very little snow or snow cover after Mid-January. 

I do wish the best of luck to all in the coming season, I mean as long as you ain't in my woods :evil: LOL!

But I will acquire data and learn something new about morel yet again, after all this.


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