# You know it’s a sad year in northern Mi for blacks ???



## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

When there are less
posts on the morel forum than on the whitetail forum at this point of the morel season . And the posts
Replys Run form 8 hr to 2 plus days 

When you’ve found much fewer than the last two P poor seasons. 

When not even the locals are looking in the go to areas .

When those posting of 1000 picked are so few and far between and farther south of the M 55 line 

When the local watering hole erupts about the 4 day forecast in the upper 70s . Going to kill the hopes of a season this year . 

any others .......




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## MrJosePetes (Feb 8, 2013)

They are out there


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

I went up by Oscoda looking for blacks this past Sunday. Our group of 5 guys found 150ish in about 6 hours of looking. It was my first time really looking for blacks but I caught on quick and ended up with the 2nd best bag between us. My friends 72yo dad beat my count by a fair margin.

He said this is one of the slowest & latest years he can remember for morels. He's hoping this weekend will be good, but with the maturity of the ferns and other vegetation out there on Sunday, I'm thinking the morels will be hard to see after a few more days of growth.


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## jeffm (Sep 20, 2008)

Quack Addict said:


> He said this is one of the slowest & latest years he can remember for morels. He's hoping this weekend will be good, but with the maturity of the ferns and other vegetation out there on Sunday, I'm thinking the morels will be hard to see after a few more days of growth.


Man I'm a newby as most know here..but you guys are actually finding black Morels in area's with fern in it ?


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Went up to Benzie county Monday nothing yet but some of the plants that are usually out when blacks are were still way behind on their growth .Going back up in about a week .


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

jeffm said:


> Man I'm a newby as most know here..but you guys are actually finding black Morels in area's with fern in it ?


Yep, I was pretty much a passenger on that ride but that's the gist of the area we were in. There were a lot of ferns already up about 6-12", and a bunch more poking up thru the leaves that I had to investigate with my walking stick to make sure the little tents weren't being pushed up by mushrooms. And the ferns grow fast...


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## jeffm (Sep 20, 2008)

Quack Addict said:


> Yep, I was pretty much a passenger on that ride but that's the gist of the area we were in. There were a lot of ferns already up about 6-12", and a bunch more poking up thru the leaves that I had to investigate with my walking stick to make sure the little tents weren't being pushed up by mushrooms. And the ferns grow fast...


Cool thanks man, can never learn enuf about these dang morels, appreciate you getting back with the info.


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## wannabapro (Feb 26, 2003)

It been worse this year than ever. Which is sad because with all of the late snow I thought that would be a big helper.


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

MrJosePetes said:


> They are out there


Sure they are out some, but it sucks. It flat out sucked again this season like the past couple if not worse. So much for my refrigerator-stove theory!!!

Some are getting the whites & greys, and that is nice. But once you go black you never go back!


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

Oldgrandman said:


> Some are getting the whites & greys, and that is nice. But once you go black you never go back!


I picked well over 100 nice yellows and grays this year. I prefer their taste a lot more than the blacks.

About half of the blacks I picked last weekend had odd texture, almost like they were old - but some of those were pretty tiny, so dunno.

A fair number of the blacks had these tiny little gray mite-like bugs on and in them. Thousands floated up in the water as I was cleaning them. Never see that in the yellows and grays I find...?


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Quack Addict said:


> I picked well over 100 nice yellows and grays this year. I prefer their taste a lot more than the blacks.
> 
> About half of the blacks I picked last weekend had odd texture, almost like they were old - but some of those were pretty tiny, so dunno.
> 
> A fair number of the blacks had these tiny little gray mite-like bugs on and in them. Thousands floated up in the water as I was cleaning them. Never see that in the yellows and grays I find...?


Like the tread title says.....but hey at least you got some whites. I suppose I could go Sunday or Monday but the woods might be crowded and not sure I am up for another 450 mile disappointment run!!!

To each his own on taste, you can always leave those blacks for me!  

Old morels have long stems and elongated wrinkles, pretty thin wrinkle walls if they are really old and spored out. But yeah I had a couple specific spots a few times with those little bugs I've heard called mushroom fleas on the blacks, definitely not appetizing! But I bet that ain't their real name. Seem to be spot specific in my experience. I have my way of dealing with the bugs.

Good luck if you get out again!!!


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

They are snow fleas that have over stayed their welcome .They hang on in the right conditions .


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Thirty pointer said:


> They are snow fleas that have over stayed their welcome .They hang on in the right conditions .


Maybe Springtails, maybe not. But whatever they are they should just go away...these are them. :SHOCKED:


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## jeffm (Sep 20, 2008)

Update: Nothing that everyone don't already know but....


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Oldgrandman said:


> Sure they are out some, but it sucks. It flat out sucked again this season like the past couple if not worse. So much for my refrigerator-stove theory!!!
> 
> Some are getting the whites & greys, and that is nice. But once you go black you never go back!


My take is that we had a two week window for blacks. Out shack in Newaygo County produced about 400 blacks for me in 3 trips. Tuesday the 10th after work I scored 53 very fresh blacks in our elm and pine spot. Tuesday the 17th after work I went to the same spot and picked 290 in 2 hours. Wish I would have had more time. Went back up Sunday and found 62 in about 4 hours (and one white). Half of the 62 had been up a while and were just about too dry to pick. I might shoot up and look for whites one day this weekend, but I think the blacks came and went in that two week window. I have two more NE slopes in the pines that might still produce some blacks, but I'm not holding my breath. A work buddy did find 70 fresh whites in Yankee Springs last night...so this weekend should be the time for those north of Kent County.


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## MrJosePetes (Feb 8, 2013)

Those are springtails in your shrooms. I’m with you guys that it sucks out there, it’s much worse than last year for me but last year went very well. This year is still better than 2016. I picked very very few in my northern spots that year due to zero precipitation. I’ve had a few pretty good days this year but nothing special. Giving it another go tomorrow. My main area I hunt still isn’t showing greys yet.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

I ended up just over 600 and 500 of those were north only one trip that i was expecting much. The one area i guess i camt wait for a good year becaise the last 2 have been good enough for me. Expanded to 3 new spots amd left while picking to get back to real life unfortunately. Hopefully this isnt an overall down trend in the north. Maybe the ash trees had more in play than known.


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