# Spring=morels



## skulldugary

With spring just around the corner,I was wondering if anyone else was was looking forward to the morel season as much as I am?Then there will be the rest of the year with oysters,chants,lobsters,blewits and the rest of the mushrooms to keep us out in the woods.


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## toto

Yep, my wife and I found a spot that is just loaded with em. We got like 16# last year, big white ones.


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## Mike Rathnow

Everytime the snow starts to melt in March, and I start seeing the birds coming back, and start building their nest. The only thing on my mind is going turkey hunting, then spending as much time in the woods picking morels. Found some great spots last year. Hopefully I'll be able to load up again this year. Good luck to all hunting shrooms this year. Also if anyone has some spots that don't get picked. You can always PM me and I'll take care of the morels for ya......LOL :corkysm55


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## archie holst

Three weekends away they come up behind the house starting the first week end in april usually. I have pictures of morels with snow on there caps when they come up in early April then we get one of those little snow squalls in the middle of the month.


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## nitrojoe

The other day I was in the woods walking my dog and found myself looking for morels in areas that the snow melted.....a little early though.


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## SRT

where is good place to find like a guide for mushrooms?


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## bowhunter4life

I saw a mushroom guide at Barnes and Nobles in East Lansing the other day. my guess would be any book store may carry one. Last year wasn't as good as year for me as 2 years ago, but i am looking forward to getting out there and looking for them.


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## triplehooked

MMM... morels. I'm drooling already  
I hope we have as good a year as last year. I made it out maybe five or six times and found around 450 to 500. Good stuff!!! Were heading south for vacation the first week of April. Family down there says I'll hit perfectly on season for morels. Didn't plan it that way but I ain't complaining. 

Should find a good selection of morel books at any of the larger book stores.I bought one a couple of years ago called The Curious Morel at Barnes and Noble. A good read and by a Michigan author,I think.It will get you started on when and where to look and more importantly,what they look like. You don't want to mess around with the wrong mushroom! Good hunting!


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## Whit1

In a post above a member asked, "Where is good place to find like a guide for mushrooms?"

You might be able to find an experienced guide in the Mesick area. They do have their Mushroom Festival in early May and some of the wags that gather around the beer tent might hire out. Before making arrangment at the bar, however, I'd suggest that you observe the guy's intake of alcohol. Too much and they will show up late and then they'll be sick and puking all over the woods as you walk in your search for morels. Although some have long experience in morels they are lacking in morals so be careful.

Of course, one must be cautious in taking on a guide for mushroom hunting. Some of them are semi-outlaw types who don't care at all about size and bag limits. These cads skulk around in the woods in camo, inlcuding their trusty onion sack for carrying their 'rooms, picking without regard to legally mandated size and bags limits. Some even sink to the low level of poaching out of season and after dark using a red light in order to avoid detection. It seems that "family tradition" has a lot to do with the propensity of a mushroom hunter to poach. 

Other guides are so into catch and release mushrooming that the only benefit of hunting under their tutelage is excercise.

The most controversial guided mushroom hunts involve those few, but very vocal guides, who advocate QMH.....Quality Mushroom Hunting! These wags will deluge you with a never ending list of reasons why this system of mushroom management is so superior to TMH..Traditional Mushroom Hunting.

QMH advocates the select harvesting of mushrooms that will lead to a more balanced sex ratio by leaving the younger males alone in order to grow. I believe they utilize MLR (Mandatory Length Requirement) of 3 inches. Male mushrooms must be at least 3" in length in order to harvest. The true believers will tell you that they'll take out every female mushroom (called moes..males are mucks) they find. 

At this time this is on a volunterr basis, but a movement is afoot to implement these harvest restrictions statewide.

I hope this gives the reader valuable input in selecting a mushroom guide.

(sorry SRT and others I couldn't resist.....:lol: )


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## dinoday

Whit...you kill me :lol: 
I can't wait to get at some of the little buggers...I'm praying for a season like the year before last...last year most of my spots had half the 'shroom of the year before.
Won't be long now...if we'd only get some warmer weather :corkysm55


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## skulldugary

Haaaarrr...LMAO at Whit.......Yep can't wait for the season to get started,I'm down to about my last 8 meals of them little rascals..


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## Randy Kidd

I am over 50 years old, Been around the world twice, been to at least three county fairs, and have been married more times than should be legal...and I have yet to taste a morel mushroom!!! you'd think I have lived under a rock! I think it is time I started reading up on it and try and find a few this year.


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## Mike Rathnow

Howell is the first place I go for hunting shrooms. My sister lives there. Some great places right in your back yard for morels. I head north from there. Believe me if you never tasted a morel, and you love mushrooms. You don't know what you're missing. GET OUT THIS YEAR AND GET SOME!!!!


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## FIJI

The Curious Morel (and several other must-have guidebooks) from my late bro Larry "Tree" Lonik - The Mushroom Man, World's #1 Morel Expert... are still available in print


try: www.morelheaven.com

and

http://members.aol.com/morelmadness/index.html

http://www.michiganmorels.com/

http://www.morelmania.com/

http://morelmushroomhunting.com/




perge' Brother Tree - Hunt on !!!


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## DuckMan

Mike Rathnow said:


> Believe me if you never tasted a morel, and you love mushrooms. You don't know what you're missing.


I dunno. I love mushrooms and I had some Morels I found last year and well.....I didn't really care for them. VERY strong. One caveot though....I didn't eat them fresh. I froze them and then when I had the chance, I thawed them out and sauteed them in butter. Maybe the freezing tainted them for me. They were also late in the season for them.  

I plan on giving them one more shot and trying them fresh. If they still don't appeal to me, I'm out.


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## duckman#1

I was afraid someone was going to start a morel thread soon...... :yikes: 
As I look out the window i keep telling myself "only 4-5 more weeks until Morel time" So i've been trying to put morels out of my mind for a couple more weeks, BUT you guys aren't helping! :rant: 
I'm thinking positive- with the snow on the ground longer, a better chance the forest floor will be moist when its growing time. Now, if we can just get a nice warm spell to last through April-May


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## triplehooked

Larry Lonik, couldn't remember his name in the last post. Great guy,met him once at the GR sport show. Was looking forward to talking with him the following year . Heard of his passing from a younger couple taking over his business. I bet, like a true morel hunter he took his secret spot to the grave. (I told my wife she could go hunting with me, but I'd have to blind fold her. he he)


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## Bluegill Bob

Whit1 said:


> The most controversial guided mushroom hunts involve those few, but very vocal guides, who advocate QMH.....Quality Mushroom Hunting! These wags will deluge you with a never ending list of reasons why this system of mushroom management is so superior to TMH..Traditional Mushroom Hunting.
> 
> QMH advocates the select harvesting of mushrooms that will lead to a more balanced sex ratio by leaving the younger males alone in order to grow. I believe they utilize MLR (Mandatory Length Requirement) of 3 inches. Male mushrooms must be at least 3" in length in order to harvest. The true believers will tell you that they'll take out every female mushroom (called moes..males are mucks) they find.


The mushrooms are up now Lots & Lots of them everywhere. You people are just not willing to hunt for them. I have out trail cams or them, dont you stupid people know they have gone nocturnal? I may live on the other end of the state from you but I do know that there are lots of mushrooms in your woods. Why I saw two 4  + on my trail cam last night that I didnt even know was in my section. MLR & QMH works.


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## StumpJumper

I'll be taking the best friends of Larry "The Tree" Lonick on a hunt this spring, Don't see why I could'nt make room for a couple more. We'll be hunting the Mesick area around mid-May, shoot me a PM or visit me at my site. I've been thinking about doing an outing this spring for beginners anyways.


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## StumpJumper

Speaking of, I have a roast thats been cooking since 4:30, I just added carrots, celery, onions and about 2 oz of dried morels, man is it smelling good!

I wish my wife would hurry up and get home!


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## huntndaddy

Going out today in the Holly area searching out the ever-elusive morel. I know it is still kind of early but what the hey, just look at this awsome weather. You never know. I have found them the first week in April one year.


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## skulldugary

Mike,I seen on your site that the ground temps in Holly were at 45 degrees,thats a good sign that things should start happening soon in the southern parts of the state.


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## huntndaddy

Skulldugary,

The soil temps are indeed climbing and are about at the stage to where morels will begin to fruit based on my own experiments. I will probably be out every day this week. I am not too hopeful because I truely believe it is still a week away but you never know and like I said before I am not going to sit on my azz and wait for the first reports from Michigan to come in. 

I need some freshies now


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## outsider

You got that right , I want to be the guy that gives that report if I can help it LOL. Checked soil temps here in clare co and the best I could find was 41deg. I'll keep checking as often as I can get out. Another week is my guess.
COME ON RAIN


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## skulldugary

Yep,some warm rains and warmer over night pemps would go a long way in making those little suckers pop.


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## bounty hunter

Seems like it is still a few weeks or more until they pop in my area.(thumb)


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## therapy

Found our first mushroom of the year last sunday, Only about an inch big, but it's more than i thought we would find, Just great to be outside with the family, With some rain i think it's going to be a great year in my neck of the woods.


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## skulldugary

Way to go Therapy,was it a black?I was out out 3 hours yesturday and no morels,not even any Verpa Bohemicas which I usually find just starting to come up through the leaf litter about now,it's bone dry around here,I hope we get some rain SOON.


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## therapy

Yes it was a black, I was suprised when my wife said "HA,HA, I found one"I searched hard after that but there were no more, Just a bunch of nickel sized beef steaks.


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## ReddHead

Good job finding that mushroom. I can't wait to have some sauteed morels and fried walleye. Makes my stomach growl and mouth water just thinking about it.


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## bluedevil

I too looked for a few hours last Sunday and found nada. VERY,VERY dry here.


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## huntndaddy

If we don't get rain soon this season could very well be over before it even begins.:sad:


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## skulldugary

HD,I hear ya,no "defenitive" chance for rain here the next 2 weeks here,just maybe's and could be's..It,won't keep me from lookin though,I hope we don't have a season like last year.


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## bounty hunter

Went for a walk in a wet area of dead elms yesterday and came home empty handed. :gaga: Lets hope for some rail REAL soon because even the wet areas are drying up now.


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## huntndaddy

Therapy,


This is indeed good news. I am glad to hear that someone is finding. Hope to find my first of the season this weekend.


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## funebonz880

This is not looking good if we do not get rain soon. Cmon rain gods, rip open the heavens and give some rain.


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## skulldugary

We'll get a few morels but some good rains in the next week and some some every week though the season would go along ways in helping things out.Could be the difference between a poor and fair season....


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## bucknduck

I have a healthy patch that pops up each year in my backyard. I'll post when I see the first one's pop up. We are usually a little late cutting the grass in the spring until after all the morels have been harvested. 
I also find them in areas where I turkey hunt. Turkey hunt in the morning, then my wife meets up with me and we hunt morels around mid-day and into the afternoon. 

Rich


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## fishindude

Bucknduck, im with you. There is nothing better than turkey hunting and pickin shrooms at the same time.


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## One Eye

I too find my mushrooms while out turkey hunting, most seasons. My dad also has a patch that come up each year in his yard, but they seem to come up later than the one in the woods. I was out most of the day today, and none spotted. It is very, very dry. Come on rain.

Dan


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## Rondevous

Found my first black of the season today.

It was growing under a white pine.


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## Shad

cool what area?


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## hypox

Mushroom season has officially started in michigan. My girlfriend went and looked about an hour ago and found 3 blacks. I'm going to check first thing in the morning!


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## Rondevous

Shad said:


> cool what area?


Along the Black river, near Port Huron.


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## Austinwp

what area are you guys in i have been looking in manistee and have not found any it is still very very dry out


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## hypox

Kalamazoo county


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## Austinwp

you guys have gotten rain lately havent you


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## Whit1

I live in Manistee County and there are no morels yet.......WAY too dry


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## quest32a

Austinwp said:


> you guys have gotten rain lately havent you


We got a little last night, and then a few sprinkles tonite. We are still in need desperatly!


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## bucknduck

Central part of the state is expecting rain Tues and Wed. Took a walk to the sacred garden and nothing as of yesterday evening. 

Rich


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## triplehooked

I checked real close today for some blacks but found none. Nice thread to keep an eye on though,keeps the spirits up to know their starting to pop! Come on rain.


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## bounty hunter

How long after a good rain does it take for a morel to pop out?


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## fishin addiction




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## DownToEarthToo

Found 11. Ground so dry! Three of those elusive little critters were small and dried totally, like they struggled to grow and were drying in the process. Rained a bit this morning. Will be going out again tomorrow with the hightest of hopes. Hunting morels is a spring ritual for us and it will be darn right sad if this year's season is as poor as it looks to be.


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## huntndaddy

Well folks,

It has fianally rained here in Michigan. Here we go. This should kick this morel season into gear.

All I have to say is let the fun times begin... Go getem! Before someone else does.:lol:


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## toto

Hey Down to earth, its still early, with todays rain, what little we got, a couple of good warm sunny days, and you should find em.


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## hypox

The girlfriend and I found 46 in about an hour tonight....Heading back out in the moring.


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## swampbuck

found some!!! northern gladwin county


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## huntndaddy

This is great news guys. It seems that there are many reports comming in from Michigan lately.


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## bounty hunter

Still looking for the first of the year in Lapeer county


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