# northern ohio morels



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

just some pics from today.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

how many can you see (kinda tough in this pic)


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

i almost missed this one


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

the one from the pic above (8") and a "twin" that was on the other side of the same stump. by far the biggest i found today.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

total haul for the day, after getting soaked to the bone but it was worth it!!


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

That is a real nice batch. I am gonna have to head out tonight.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

That is the only way that I like to hunt for mushrooms anymore is when I am out after those big monster yellows. You can fill a bag much quicker with those. And they are much more predictable as to location so I always covered more territory quicker.

There's some real good eating there.


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## Fishin'Fool (May 4, 2006)

What do you do with all those mushrooms?


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## lv2fish (Jun 23, 2005)

Nice pics HWF! Looks like fun and even better eating them! Congrats, what a season this year huh?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I don't hunt the mushrooms hardly at all anymore. I was curious after Lv2fish's comment about a great season. A guy I work with commented that he thought it was a very poor season but I had been hearing of several people finding them. So was it a better than average season? Or worse?


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

My season has been worse than in years past, but I believe it has more to do with my timing than the amount out there. I usually start when the walleye are done in the Maumee river, the run lasted longer this year so I got started later on the schrooms. The weather lately has also been a factor......when we had the heat it was dry here, now we have gotten the rain over the last week the temps have been cool. I am gonna beat the bush tonight and see if any have popped since we got all this rain.


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

I got 8 yellow morels last night, biggest was 6". Found 5 more that would have been dandies before the slugs got to them. This is actually my first season collecting them and these are the first ones I've kept.


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## Fish4Food (Mar 20, 2006)

bkr43050 said:


> That is the only way that I like to hunt for mushrooms anymore is when I am out after those big monster yellows. You can fill a bag much quicker with those. And they are much more predictable as to location so I always covered more territory quicker.
> 
> There's some real good eating there.


 hey bkr, you said the yellows were more predictable, where do the like to grow?


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

I looked for a bit yesderday and found 3 that had been up for a while, no fresh ones. My nieghbor found 3 fresh yellows that were the size of beer bottles on the property line. I may have to spend a little more time looking today.


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## lv2fish (Jun 23, 2005)

I went out for one last time in Central Ohio, found one very large yellow, not worth picking, it's done here keep moving north.

Bkr - Everyone I know that hunts them every year has seen this year to be better than the last 3 years. Morels will pop every year, however temps/rainfall will dictate just how "well" the season produces. In my opinion, certainly an above average year in my part of the state/country.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Fish4Food said:


> hey bkr, you said the yellows were more predictable, where do the like to grow?


 Two words.

DEAD ELMS

When I was a teenage we would drive down the back roads searching the fencerows for the dead elm trees. They are always plentiful with the Dutch Elm disease that continually plagues them. If you find the right time of the year and good conditions you will cash in around dead elms more times than not. They will grow in other places as well but for me not as reliable as elms. You can also target apple trees, sycamore trees, and ash.

I can remember countless times finding 1-2 dozen medium to large yellows around just a couple of dead elms. They could be within a few feet of the tree itself or 30-50 feet away but they usually are there.


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

I found one 6" gray last night. Just about every one I've seen so far has been near Tulip trees, in the leaf litter. Last night my wife pan fried some I collected on Monday, also sauted a few with diced ramps and garlic.........DELICIOUS!


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## Fish4Food (Mar 20, 2006)

thanks bkr, yea i have found alot near dead elms, also i know a spot in some poplar trees, where they come up every year


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

steel im glad youre finding some too.

heres my perspective on this season.

season 1: nothing
season 2: one lousy half free
season 3: unbeleivable

i found some young ones today, along with some chewed up ones. i wonder how long this will last?

heres a neat pic from today. 15" away from it and it still blends in with the background. its like trying to find ghosts.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

a fresh little one.


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

Still finding some here and there. Got seven Sunday, found only a couple rotten ones Saturday.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

the only ones ive been finding now are older.

i was keeping an eye on some in an area near work. today there was no trace of them! they were already past their prime when i first found them. they were the really yellow ones, like luminescent. today they were GONE gone. not even a hunk of stem.

but then theres these other ones ive been watching, they seem to be holding up, they are drying out a bit.

hey steel fry up a couple in butter, then when theyre cooked throw in a few eggs and scramble them.....its like nothing else!

best way ive tried them so far.

i tried them dipped in flour and deep fried, i didnt care for that at all. too much oil.

good luck, if you keep finding fresh ones please post or pm me, i am very curious about how long they will come up. it seems like in the areas im searching there was a huge push about the 3rd day of all that rain we had, then it dropped off after that.

one things for sure it was really cool.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

can u eat them raw or do u have to cook them


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

peple, cook them.
This is from http://americanmushrooms.com/morels.htm


> It is vital that morels be cooked thoroughly; eating raw morels consistently leads to sickness, as in the infamous case of a restaurant in the Pacific Northwest where, some years ago, an ignorant chef served raw morels and dozens of patrons took ill!


Hardwater, I _will_ try them that way!

My wife loves them breaded and fried, thats how her family made them when she was a kid. I prefer them sauted with wild leeks. Downside is it will give you weapons-grade bad breath :S 

I'm going to check my money spots a few more times, and I have a few new spots I want to try.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

ive looked around a bit and havent seen anything new coming up but this was in spots ive searched before. 

cant wait till next spring!!!!!  im hooked....

when i first started finding them this year i now beleive they were in full swing in some areas. the first ones i found were older, maybe about a week old. they were real small though.

very tough to find at first. you have to get an "eye" for them. the biggest surprise to me is that i always thought there has to be some secret thing that shroomers know about certain spots.

i can offer a beginner this: there are no secrets, they can be anywhere, you just have to look....literally scour the woods with your eyes. and be careful not to step on any. they are almost impossible to see even right in front of you until you have your mind set on what to look for. of course the timing has to be right, temps, moisture, etc.

dont get discouraged. it took me 3 years.

see you guys later and a big thank you to everyone for all the info, past members and present.


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