Mushroom Hunting 2013

[catfishrod69]

This is one of my passions. Hunting Morel mushrooms. They only come out once a year for about two weeks. Right now they are just starting to pop up. They taste extremely good when battered with flour/salt/pepper, and fried in butter. They will blow your mind. Its extremely peaceful hunting these too. So here are some pics of today's trip. This was my first day this year, and I plan to go next weekend again. Im always on the lookout for snakes, turtles, or anything else to photogragh, so its hard to say what pics will pop up in this thread. Here are todays pics!






Try and get these leaves wet


My favorite giant Beach tree was killed in the massive storm we had last fall


Can you spot the hen turkey?


---------- Post added 04-14-2013 at 03:54 PM ----------




First one of the year!




---------- Post added 04-14-2013 at 04:07 PM ----------






Total of 6 morels today.


---------- Post added 04-14-2013 at 04:10 PM ----------

 

[Meezerkoko]

I really wish you lived closer so I had someone to go with. I am planning on going this year and this will only be my second time. Any suggestions?

 

[poisoned]

Wow, nice pics, but this forest looks really messy. Doesn't anybody clean out the fallen trees over there?

 

[catfishrod69]

Yeah too bad. Best tips I can give, is hills that are facing north. They seem to like them. And never expect them to be where you think it looks like they will. I actually found one last year growing out of the crack of a rock! Good luck, and let me know how you do. I usually find about 200 each year.

I really wish you lived closer so I had someone to go with. I am planning on going this year and this will only be my second time. Any suggestions?

---------- Post added 04-14-2013 at 05:50 PM ----------

Thanks. Nope this is completely natural. I wouldn't have it any other way. If people were out there, that would mean I wouldn't want to be. I prefer to be in the deep woods by myself. The fallen trees eventually rot away, and add nutrients to the new growth.

Wow, nice pics, but this forest looks really messy. Doesn't anybody clean out the fallen trees over there?

 

[poisoned]

Thanks. Nope this is completely natural. I wouldn't have it any other way. If people were out there, that would mean I wouldn't want to be. I prefer to be in the deep woods by myself. The fallen trees eventually rot away, and add nutrients to the new growth.

I understand that, just seemed unusual to me, since forests over here are all cleaned up of any fallen trees and broken twigs quickly.

 

[Meezerkoko]

That doesn't sound like a very natural forest Poisoned. But hey at least whoever is doing it is keeping the forest clear which also means its likely free of people debris as well which is a plus.

At Catfishrod, I hope I have your luck. How was your bounty by the way?

 

[catfishrod69]

That is actually akward to me lol. I mean if someone owned it and lived there, then it would be different. But the places in the pictures are old strip pit mines. Its where they strip mined for coal years ago. There is some very nice largemouth bass in those ponds too. I prefer to be around places like that, which are completely untouched.

I understand that, just seemed unusual to me, since forests over here are all cleaned up of any fallen trees and broken twigs quickly.

---------- Post added 04-14-2013 at 07:01 PM ----------

You mean how much money I made? Or how many mushrooms I found today?

At Catfishrod, I hope I have your luck. How was your bounty by the way?

 

[Meezerkoko]

Didn't know you made money with them. I was referring to your delicious meal

 

[catfishrod69]

Only 6 that day. Going again this weekend. Supposed to rain here soon, I hope so. I have heard that these sell in NY for like $300 a 1/4 pound! I don't know how true it is, but they taste too good to go selling .

 

[poisoned]

That doesn't sound like a very natural forest Poisoned. But hey at least whoever is doing it is keeping the forest clear which also means its likely free of people debris as well which is a plus.

At Catfishrod, I hope I have your luck. How was your bounty by the way?

It still seems very natural, full of wildlife, because there are still smaller twigs lying around. Anything of bigger size gets blended and pressed into pellets, which are the most eco-friendly burning material.

Due to our sustainable forest management, forested area of Slovenia has grown from 30% to 60% in last hundred years without any massive artificial planting of trees.

 

[cj5y]

This is very cool. I want to hunt morels now. I hope Louisiana has them!

 

[catfishrod69]

I would bet they do. Maybe most of the US does, but im not sure. Look them up online so you know what your looking for. Don't want to accidentily mistake them for the wrong ones.

This is very cool. I want to hunt morels now. I hope Louisiana has them!

 

[Mike41793]

This is very cool but I'd be afraid that i'd accidentally collect poisonous ones lol.

 

[catfishrod69]

Well they don't really look like any other mushrooms. Basically a pine tree shape with pits everywhere.

This is very cool but I'd be afraid that i'd accidentally collect poisonous ones lol.

 

[nepenthes]

I think the best way to determine poisonous ones vs non poisoning is if the stems are hollow right? Other than a spore sample right?

 

[catfishrod69]

I wouldn't have a clue there. But the stems on these ones are hollow. But the stems on ones you buy at the store, or eat in a restaurant are not hollow.

I think the best way to determine poisonous ones vs non poisoning is if the stems are hollow right? Other than a spore sample right?

 

[Oreo]

Nice! Always heard you talking about these shrooms...do you ever eat em raw?

 

[nepenthes]

maybe its just one of those myths about collecting them in the wild. never had store bought so I wouldnt know. I do know their have been isolated cases of cultivating morels, which is hard to do, maybe im thinking of a different species of rare edible mushroom, not so much rare but sought after. Your lucky to have a nice isolated place to hunt catfish.

 

[jthorntonwillis]

Excellent pix!! thanx 4 sharing

 

[carlson]

Have you tried growing them yourself? Idk how difficult this species is but I've had luck growing many different types of mushrooms when I was younger. Not to difficult of a process, if their anything like the ones I had.