rico Posted April 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 Just now, milehiiu said: We would go to one Farmer who had tons of land.Totally fenced in. It was about an hour's drive from home. My dad would give the farmer candy bars, at his gate. With a smile on his face, the farmer would let us in to his wooded area, which was also fenced in. The farmer gave us the key to that gate.No one else was allowed in. Spring and fall, we had the farmer's entire woods to ourselves. Unlike some of the closer in wooded areas, that at times there would be a whole line of cars parked along side of the road.... and pickers, tripping all over themselves. Well where I live...people trespassing to hunt deer is an issue. Couple of years ago I went looking for some "Hens" only to stumble across a couple of guys in treestands on my property. I wish it was all fenced in, but it is not. The same can happen in the spring as well with turkey hunters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehiiu Posted April 15, 2019 Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 10 minutes ago, rico said: Well where I live...people trespassing to hunt deer is an issue. Couple of years ago I went looking for some "Hens" only to stumble across a couple of guys in treestands on my property. I wish it was all fenced in, but it is not. The same can happen in the spring as well with turkey hunters. That's not cool. One thing, I think you can agree with me, is that Northern Indiana has some of the best mushroom hunting in the country. https://www.thegreatmorel.com/morel-sightings/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehiiu Posted April 15, 2019 Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 Back to Morel's : The 10 Best Places to Find Morel Mushrooms I am not posting this for you Rico, as I am sure you know how and where to look. But rather for others reading this great thread of yours who may be interested in picking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted April 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 4 minutes ago, milehiiu said: Back to Morel's : The 10 Best Places to Find Morel Mushrooms I am not posting this for you Rico, as I am sure you know how and where to look. But rather for others reading this great thread of yours who may be interested in picking. I would like to add to this as least concerning my part of the state. Wild cherry and yellow poplar(tulip). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leathernecks Posted April 15, 2019 Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 1 hour ago, milehiiu said: Not to be confused with the Sheepshead or Hen of The Woods..... commonly found in the Fall. Pictured above. My dad loved them. Maitake (Sheepshead, Hen of the Woods) Mushroom Hunting Tips My parents live right on the edge of a wooded area, and we used to go looking for Hen of the Woods a lot of falls. Went out once with my dad and filled 2 pack baskets, and we each had an armful and could have kept going for hours. Found one spot about the size of a house that had about 10 of them in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leathernecks Posted April 15, 2019 Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 Questions for seasoned morel hunters. When you find a morel, is there anything you need to be aware of? Obviously make sure it is actually a morel, but anything else? If it is really small do you pick it or leave it? If you do leave it, could you go back the next day and it would be bigger? Does color matter? I know there are different colors, but is there much difference between them? I'm assuming you pick any morels that you see, and the color wouldn't stop you from getting it? Do you find an area you think will be good and slowly scan or do you look more quickly and cover a larger area? I have more woods to walk through than I could ever do in a weekend, so which approach is better to find them? Do you usually find them in the same spots each year or is it unpredictable? As I said, I have a large wooded are at my disposal, so is it worth it to "track" where they are if I find any in hopes they'd be there again the following year? How long are they good for once picked? I'm guessing I'd cook them up if I find them this weekend, but if I get lucky and find a handful and don't want to cook them all, how long would I have before I'd need to cook them? What's the best way to store them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehiiu Posted April 15, 2019 Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 9 minutes ago, Leathernecks said: My parents live right on the edge of a wooded area, and we used to go looking for Hen of the Woods a lot of falls. Went out once with my dad and filled 2 pack baskets, and we each had an armful and could have kept going for hours. Found one spot about the size of a house that had about 10 of them in it. Great story. One that I am sure you were excited about, when it happened, and will live on in your memory for years to come. Thanks for sharing. And I have one that I have told so many times, that my family just puts up with me, whenever I share it with others for the first time. And I don't mean to side track Rico's fine thread on mushrooms. I just hope he appreciates it, seeing as how Rico is both a picker and an angler. And the fact that just today, Rico talked about the perch biting. ___________ Here's my story. I had to be less than 10 years old at the time. My dad rented a row boat, so we could go perch fishing off the shore of Lake Michigan. We had minnows. And ran into an unbelievable school of perch. So many that we ran out of bait, very quickly. As soon as we threw a line in, there a perch on it. After running out of bait, we started using what ever was available. From chewing gum, to the buttons on our shirts. Filled that boat completely up with perch. Have a bucket was not gonna work. Too many fish for just one bucket. But the bucket helped to put the fish from the boat to the trunk of the car... .....which was entirely filled with perch. (my dad was the kind of guy who only saw a car as a utility vehicle ). Got home, and called everyone we knew to come at get as many perch as they wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted April 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 1 hour ago, Leathernecks said: Questions for seasoned morel hunters. When you find a morel, is there anything you need to be aware of? Obviously make sure it is actually a morel, but anything else? If it is really small do you pick it or leave it? If you do leave it, could you go back the next day and it would be bigger? Does color matter? I know there are different colors, but is there much difference between them? I'm assuming you pick any morels that you see, and the color wouldn't stop you from getting it? Do you find an area you think will be good and slowly scan or do you look more quickly and cover a larger area? I have more woods to walk through than I could ever do in a weekend, so which approach is better to find them? Do you usually find them in the same spots each year or is it unpredictable? As I said, I have a large wooded are at my disposal, so is it worth it to "track" where they are if I find any in hopes they'd be there again the following year? How long are they good for once picked? I'm guessing I'd cook them up if I find them this weekend, but if I get lucky and find a handful and don't want to cook them all, how long would I have before I'd need to cook them? What's the best way to store them? 1. You need to be aware of any insects that have crawled up inside them. There are many theories on whether they grow after they pop up. I pick them when I find them. 2. Once again I pick them all...but taste wise I prefer blacks followed by grey/yellow and lastly spikes(pecker-heads). 3. Know your trees as greys and yellows gravitate towards specific trees for the most part. Blacks and spikes could be anywhere you are walking. 4. I find blacks in the same spots every year. Yellows and greys will peter out after a few years if you found them around a dead or dying tree. If you find them around a live tree...remember that spot for the following year. 5. Depends on the condition you find them in. A fresh one will last longer than an older one. Sometimes you have to experiment around with them. I freeze mine(I got a process for that) but I have friends that dry them out. Good luck and if you have any more questions feel free to ask.....happy hunting!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leathernecks Posted April 15, 2019 Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 28 minutes ago, rico said: 1. You need to be aware of any insects that have crawled up inside them. There are many theories on whether they grow after they pop up. I pick them when I find them. 2. Once again I pick them all...but taste wise I prefer blacks followed by grey/yellow and lastly spikes(pecker-heads). 3. Know your trees as greys and yellows gravitate towards specific trees for the most part. Blacks and spikes could be anywhere you are walking. 4. I find blacks in the same spots every year. Yellows and greys will peter out after a few years if you found them around a dead or dying tree. If you find them around a live tree...remember that spot for the following year. 5. Depends on the condition you find them in. A fresh one will last longer than an older one. Sometimes you have to experiment around with them. I freeze mine(I got a process for that) but I have friends that dry them out. Good luck and if you have any more questions feel free to ask.....happy hunting!!!!! Thanks! What's your scanning technique? Slow scanning a certain area or more walking to look at more different places? Or do you find the right kind of trees and just check around each tree? Do you ever hunt for anything else while you're out? I've read some people look for fiddleheads, but it doesn't seem like they're that prevalent in my area. They seem to be more in the Northeast. And, I've never seen them in all my years in the woods, so I don't think I'd find any of those. I also see people who look for wild leeks, or ramps as the cool people seem to call them. I feel like I've seen these in the woods before, but I never knew what they were. I'm going to try to check some of them out while I'm looking and see if that's what they really are or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted April 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 56 minutes ago, Leathernecks said: Thanks! What's your scanning technique? Slow scanning a certain area or more walking to look at more different places? Or do you find the right kind of trees and just check around each tree? Do you ever hunt for anything else while you're out? I've read some people look for fiddleheads, but it doesn't seem like they're that prevalent in my area. They seem to be more in the Northeast. And, I've never seen them in all my years in the woods, so I don't think I'd find any of those. I also see people who look for wild leeks, or ramps as the cool people seem to call them. I feel like I've seen these in the woods before, but I never knew what they were. I'm going to try to check some of them out while I'm looking and see if that's what they really are or not. I have black spots that I spend a lot of time scanning but most of my time is looking for specific trees that produce grey and yellow sponge. I do pick wild leeks when I come upon them. In my area they just look like small onions. And once a year my elderly Mother will accompany me and if we stumble across poke her mushroom hunting is over. She loves poke salad. I also have some buds I hunt with that keep a watchful eye out for deer sheds. But remember to know your trees....not only by leaves but by bark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leathernecks Posted April 15, 2019 Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 12 minutes ago, rico said: I have black spots that I spend a lot of time scanning but most of my time is looking for specific trees that produce grey and yellow sponge. I do pick wild leeks when I come upon them. In my area they just look like small onions. And once a year my elderly Mother will accompany me and if we stumble across poke her mushroom hunting is over. She loves poke salad. I also have some buds I hunt with that keep a watchful eye out for deer sheds. But remember to know your trees....not only by leaves but by bark. My dad is probably going with me one day, and he's the outdoor's guy, so he'll be able to help me with trees. I've also been trying to study lol. http://treebarkid.com/index.php/general-bark-id-key I've never had or looked for poke, but I'll add that to the list of things I'll look for. I feel like the morels, wild leeks, and poke would all go together to make a good meal. Well, throw a steak in there, and then I'd really be set! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted April 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2019 5 minutes ago, Leathernecks said: My dad is probably going with me one day, and he's the outdoor's guy, so he'll be able to help me with trees. I've also been trying to study lol. http://treebarkid.com/index.php/general-bark-id-key I've never had or looked for poke, but I'll add that to the list of things I'll look for. I feel like the morels, wild leeks, and poke would all go together to make a good meal. Well, throw a steak in there, and then I'd really be set! As far as studying the best thing is to be out there with someone that knows their stuff. I was taught trees by my Grandpa...you don't have to know them all...just the ones that produce mushrooms. My list...... American Elm-dead Yellow Poplar(Tulip) dead or alive White Ash-alive Black Ash-alive Sycamore-alive Beech-alive Apple-dead Wild Cherry-alive Beech-alive Shag Bark Hickory-alive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zlinedavid Posted April 16, 2019 Report Share Posted April 16, 2019 5 hours ago, Leathernecks said: My dad is probably going with me one day, and he's the outdoor's guy, so he'll be able to help me with trees. I've also been trying to study lol. http://treebarkid.com/index.php/general-bark-id-key I've never had or looked for poke, but I'll add that to the list of things I'll look for. I feel like the morels, wild leeks, and poke would all go together to make a good meal. Well, throw a steak in there, and then I'd really be set! I'm sure this has been said many, many times over the years when it comes to poke/pokeberry: "Make sure you knows what you's a'doin." Everything on the plant is poisonous when raw. The root and the berries are poisonous regardless. The leaves and thin, green stems are good eatin' if washed and cooked thoroughly. Way I've always heard it prepared is boil the **** out of it 3 times with a splash of vinegar, followed by the magic elixir that makes anything tasty....tossed with hot bacon grease. It's similar to any other wild green, with a taste somewhere between onion and asparagus. If you're in south/southeastern Indiana, you may also come across branch/brook lettuce. Similar to poke/pokeberry, but has the added benefit of not being poisonous. Prepare using the same method, minus the boiling. Frying an onion in the bacon grease is a good addition. Has more of a spinach taste compared to poke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehiiu Posted April 16, 2019 Report Share Posted April 16, 2019 Gotta say. I have enjoyed the heck out of this thread. And thanks to every body who has shared. I have learned a lot. Almost makes me wish I was : (Back Home Again In) Indiana . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted April 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2019 I think mile posted a link up there that is oh so true. Don't be afraid to check out a woods that has been recently logged. Check around the stumps and open areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrflynn03 Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 On 4/15/2019 at 1:38 PM, Leathernecks said: Questions for seasoned morel hunters. When you find a morel, is there anything you need to be aware of? Obviously make sure it is actually a morel, but anything else? If it is really small do you pick it or leave it? If you do leave it, could you go back the next day and it would be bigger? Does color matter? I know there are different colors, but is there much difference between them? I'm assuming you pick any morels that you see, and the color wouldn't stop you from getting it? Do you find an area you think will be good and slowly scan or do you look more quickly and cover a larger area? I have more woods to walk through than I could ever do in a weekend, so which approach is better to find them? Do you usually find them in the same spots each year or is it unpredictable? As I said, I have a large wooded are at my disposal, so is it worth it to "track" where they are if I find any in hopes they'd be there again the following year? How long are they good for once picked? I'm guessing I'd cook them up if I find them this weekend, but if I get lucky and find a handful and don't want to cook them all, how long would I have before I'd need to cook them? What's the best way to store them? For the question if they continue to grow after popping up. https://youtu.be/gzFKY21e9wM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehiiu Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 15 minutes ago, mrflynn03 said: For the question if they continue to grow after popping up. https://youtu.be/gzFKY21e9wM Nice find. I truly enjoyed that. And thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrflynn03 Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 16 minutes ago, milehiiu said: Nice find. I truly enjoyed that. And thanks for sharing. Your welcome. I had always wondered myself and came across this video a year or 2 ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leathernecks Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 27 minutes ago, mrflynn03 said: For the question if they continue to grow after popping up. https://youtu.be/gzFKY21e9wM Such a cool video! Thanks for sharing! If I find any small ones I'll leave them and keep track of how much they grow from the time I see them. Maybe I'll take a ruler and take some pictures...of the mushrooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted April 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 10 minutes ago, Leathernecks said: Such a cool video! Thanks for sharing! If I find any small ones I'll leave them and keep track of how much they grow from the time I see them. Maybe I'll take a ruler and take some pictures...of the mushrooms. Be careful they don't rot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrflynn03 Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 12 minutes ago, Leathernecks said: Such a cool video! Thanks for sharing! If I find any small ones I'll leave them and keep track of how much they grow from the time I see them. Maybe I'll take a ruler and take some pictures...of the mushrooms. A couple other things I was taught is if you find a good patch leave a couple to hopefully spawn growth for next year And to use and onion sack to carry your finds. They will drop spores as you walk around so the hope is to create new growth in other places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrflynn03 Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 2 minutes ago, rico said: Be careful they don't rot. Or get picked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leathernecks Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 I happened to run into a farmer I know this afternoon, and he said the soil temp around us was 45 degrees today. With another 70+ day in store for tomorrow, and the extended forecast only showing one day below 61, it looks like it should be getting really close to being morel season here. The darn Facebook site I linked earlier usually updates every 2-3 days, and it is starting to get close to my county and they haven't updated in 3 days! I keep refreshing lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted April 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 1 minute ago, mrflynn03 said: Or get picked. That too. They do grow in my yard, I have tracked them from time to time as far as growth. More often than not they shrink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierJax Posted April 17, 2019 Report Share Posted April 17, 2019 11 hours ago, rico said: I think mile posted a link up there that is oh so true. Don't be afraid to check out a woods that has been recently logged. Check around the stumps and open areas. I found some out in a cow pasture took them home and cooked them up for dinner and then i started seeing weird $h*t and dont really remember much about the evening...you ever have that happen from a morel...🤪😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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