TOPIC: Sign that it's time for Morel's to show up

trahn007,
Barrier hunting, guess I never thought of that. I find many morels along wood lines where they end and a grass or corn field begins. Now it makes sense, thanks for the tip and reason why they are there.

Latts three tips of the day for what it's worth when morel hunting.
1.No one has mentioned ASH trees on this thread yet. IMHO Ash trees are right up there with the best of them as far as morel host trees.

2. If you find a really old junk yard in the woods with a lot of rusted metal check that spot out really good. Rusty Old Cars, corn bins, rolled fence and any other rusted metal will surprise the heck out of you for finding morels trust me. I mean they grow really tight next to the base of the rusted metal.
Some of you may already know this from experience. I have never read anything about rusty metal either. It's just something that I have discovered and another hunting buddy discovered and when comparing our hunting stories we determined there is something to it. Trust me there is. I hunt one of my go to spots every year. This woods is about 3 acres and there is a rusty corn bin in the woods. Never found a single morel more than 30 feet from the corn bin. However at the base of the corn bin I will harvest no less than 2 dozen nice grays and large yellow morels each season. Last year is was double that.

3. Japanese Honeysuckle- Last year I started hunting underbrush consisting mainly of Japanese Honeysuckle. I found as many morels growing in this as I did in a mixed hardwood forest. I hunted Japanese Honeysuckle in various spots throughout the state and most of them produced morels. So take it for what it's worth and you may be surprised.
Latt

Latt I never pass up a medal dump they are killer spots. The iron changes the state of the soil due to leaching and forms a barrier. It's very interesting to watch how morel mycelium grows. In the lab using agar dishes the myc runs very fast in high nutrient agar once it hits the side of the dish it forms massive amounts of micro sclerodia. I've growen two different morel strains in a large dish once they hit each other they form massive amounts of micro sclerodia. When growing in spawn bags I use a high nutrient substract with a layer of low nutrient substract on top, all the sclerodia is formed in this low nutrient layer. The sclerodia is a nut size sac where the myc stores it's nutrients this is the final stage before the morel forms. So a barrier is a change in state of the nutrient levels in the soil. Morel myc when it has all the nutreints it needs it never froms sclerodia, it's that change in state that triggers it to fruit. This change in state can be many things a dying host tree, a dead animal, change in elevation, stands of different trees and plants change the make up of soil, it's just many things. Next time your out picking morels and you find some look for the barrier, it is there.

Black morel micro sclerodia forming on sides of mason jar.

This was an Esculenta Strain. I set up an outside morel bed the bed was about 50ft away the only place the morels fruit are right along the foundation at my house classic barrier.

Good stuff guys.

Still taking notes, starting to feel better about possibly finding more of em this year.

Thanks

TNhunter

Hey all you folks with Morel knowledge..

Couple more questions.

1.. My mom has a Huge Old Ash tree in her front yard, my dad planted it 55 years ago. It is starting to die back, has some dead limbs and some spots down at the base where there is decay just above the roots.

I have seen pictures of morels online that looked like they were just growing out in a field or even in someones yard.

I guess they don't have to grow in the woods, or in heavy leaf cover, so I might even find some around that old dieing ash in my moms front yard - Right ? I have been checking it a couple times a week the past couple weeks, but so far nothing - probably just too early and cool now.


2.. On the barrier hunting thing. When you are hunting the edge of a field or power line or road, do you find them more out in the field, or back in the woods, or about the same on both sides ?

Thanks

TNhunter

A place I used to turkey hunt had a cabin in the woods. Their yard had a couple medium age elm trees. Every spring, they picked up literally tubs full of mushrooms from their mowed yard. So yeah, I think they can and do show up regardless of what is above the ground where they are actually growing.

I've also always understood that when different fungi [plants for lack of a better word] grow together, they also send up fruits or mushrooms. I wonder if this is the same phenomenon as the edges.

i know they pop up after the first muggy/humid week after winter...this year i wouldnt know, every tree, plant, fish,and other animals seems to be confused. id have to ck my yard more often i guess....

Winter has been mild for sure but I would have to say IMHO no one will find any morels down there until the first week of April. Maybe a report or two of a few the last week of March but very few in the whole state. So I wouldn't look for another 6 weeks minimum unless you just want to enjoy the woods and a good hike.
Good luck.
Latt

TN it is early for morels Latt is right with his dates. Morels need shaded light like ginseng to fruit natural. I've picked morels in open area's when cloud cover cut the sun for a string of days.