shroom picking

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neckdeep

I pick natural morels as high as 8000ft and burn morels even higher so you must live pretty darn high.

Unfortunately, no one has had any significant success cultivating mycorrhizal shrooms. If they could, truffles wouldn't cost their weight in gold. The commercially produced mushrooms are saprophytes, no tree hosts necessary. You can buy kits to grow your own wood rotters at home.

But, here's the thing. IMHO, saprophytes are low turd on the totem pole of mushroom flavor. The exchange of nutrients going on between mycorrhizal mushrooms and their host tree produces a fruit that just tastes better. A lot better. The mountain blonde morel (tridentina) is primarily a saprophyte or possibly its exclusively a saprophyte. In really wet years, its very abundant. I won't bend down to pick one. They taste like decay, more like mildew than a proper morel.

---

Thank you for your expertise. I have been successful with other types, and I love the taste and mouthfeel of a morel, but, I must resign myself to my geographic condition. Bummer on that front.

Some great info in this thread. Thanks. Headed to the shores of Lake Huron next week with hopes of morel picking. Last year was on the dry side and the pickings were a bit slim. Rain this weekend gives us hope. A buddy of mine got us hooked years ago and now we plan a trip around the foraging every year.Attachment 415994

Attachment 416017Attachment 416018Attachment 416019Attachment 416020Attachment 416021

This thread rocks; wish I knew more. A bunch of these came up in raised beds in my garden this spring...can anyone help identify them?
Attachment 416022
Attachment 416023
Attachment 416024

There’s been about 40ac of low intensity understory broadcast burns this winter in my pondo pine/black oak forest neighborhood to reduce understory fuels, including on my property. Generally, affecting surface fuels and duff. Anybody know if that may be enough heat for the morels to flush next spring?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bodywhomper

There’s been about 40ac of low intensity understory broadcast burns this winter in my pondo pine/black oak forest neighborhood to reduce understory fuels, including on my property. Generally, affecting surface fuels and duff. Anybody know if that may be enough heat for the morels to flush next spring?

---

There needs to be some significant tree mortality to stimulate a flush of fire morels. It's the loss of the host trees that causes the mycelium to go all in and expend all its resources into propagation. But not too much. Ideally, you want a "mosaic burn". Look for areas that have a mix of orange and green canopy with some adjacent blackened trees. Avoid zones that are nuked. Theres some morels in the stump holes and matchsticks but not like there is in partially burnt groves where theres only 40-60% tree mortality and lots of dead trees still holding orange needles.

Of course, that's all besides the point if the forest doesn't support the mycelium in the first place.

first year post burn
Attachment 416094

5th
Attachment 416093


Attachment 416096

Attachment 416097


Attachment 416105

Attachment 416106

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neckdeep

There needs to be some significant tree mortality to stimulate a flush of fire morels. It's the loss of the host trees that causes the mycelium to go all in and expend all its resources into propagation. But not to much. Ideally, you want a "mosaic burn". Look for areas that have a mix of orange and green canopy with some adjacent blackened trees. Avoid zones that are nuked. Theres some morels in the stump holes and matchsticks but not like there is in partially burnt groves where theres only 40-60% tree mortality and lots of dead trees still holding orange needles.

Of course, that's all besides the point if the forest doesn't support the mycelium in the first place.

---

Thanks!!

I have no interest in tree mortality from fire on my property or my neighbors’ properties :)

I’ve been seeing pictures of significant hauls below 5500 feet in the caldor fire perimeter. I missed the morel window from last summer’s fire that was closer to my home.

Attachment 4164952 hours of walking around in a prescribed burn in the rain.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bronco

Attachment 4164952 hours of walking around in a prescribed burn in the rain.

---

Nice. I got another 6 lbs this weekend and we are getting more rain so the haul will likely continue.

And it continues!! 10 lbs in 2 hours today but there are enough cars at my parking spot that I think my secret spot is going to be discovered.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e7ed73e1ce.jpg

Been getting into ones or twos but zero big patches. Still, found a few wall hangers.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b8246a1a9f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9066e2a910.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e68ee2184b.jpg

I shouldn't click on this thread. It's jaw dropping. But, I don't have to live with your weather, but god damn those morels.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

I shouldn't click on this thread. It's jaw dropping. But, I don't have to live with your weather, but god damn those morels.

---

Makers, Colorado has morels. You may need to drive down from that glacier you live on but if you are on the north slope of your home mountain range, you are already in the right zone.

Its work, bro. Picking is a lot of driving and hiking. I've got my eye on a burn and its 70 miles of highway, 30 miles of gravel plus a mile or more uphill on foot maybe 500-1000ft. Then its grubbing for hours on full alert because this area is well known for grizzly incidents during elk season. Then, the long drive back home and then, 3 hours of prep to get 5 gallons loaded into the dehydrators. Work.

https://www.foragecolorado.com/read

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

I shouldn't click on this thread. It's jaw dropping. But, I don't have to live with your weather, but god damn those morels.

---

JohnB lives in an area that’s likely drier and has better weather than a lot of CO.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

JohnB lives in an area that’s likely drier and has better weather than a lot of CO.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

---

True. But, that just means you need to be focused on pockets of microclimate. That can actually be helpful, in a way, as an experienced forager can quickly eliminate unproductive and marginal areas to focus on likely productive zones. In the Rockies, shrooms have adapted to the climate, just like their host trees. We have snow melt soaking into the ground for months and that changes the game up a bit. I'd say groundwater is just as important as timely rains because the zones without it may not have the mycelium present. When I scout a slope, the factor I consider is where on the slope could the mycelium survive a multiyear drought.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neckdeep

True. But, that just means you need to be focused on pockets of microclimate. That can actually be helpful, in a way, as an experienced forager can quickly eliminate unproductive and marginal areas to focus on likely productive zones. In the Rockies, shrooms have adapted to the climate, just like their host trees. We have snow melt soaking into the ground for months and that changes the game up a bit.

---

For sure. The convenience is that I'm picking 15 minutes from my house but I have absolutely learned what kind of terrain not to bother with. The vast majority of those mushrooms were from within 100 feet of a body of water. When I've gotten further away it turns into way less productive picking.

And MU I agree about the weather here but I just wish it was a little less burny. It's been some rough fire seasons the last few years.

Attachment 417616

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bronco

Attachment 417616

---

Morchella Exuberans. Formerly known as Morchella Capitata in north America but recent DNA studies confirm Capitata is a synonym for Exuberans, a globally widespread species.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John_B

For sure. The convenience is that I'm picking 15 minutes from my house but I have absolutely learned what kind of terrain not to bother with. The vast majority of those mushrooms were from within 100 feet of a body of water. When I've gotten further away it turns into way less productive picking.

And MU I agree about the weather here but I just wish it was a little less burny. It's been some rough fire seasons the last few years.

---

You guys had it rough last season. Wenatchee never got very bad last season


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

JohnB lives in an area that’s likely drier and has better weather than a lot of CO.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

---

Ugh.

It’s Washington, the evergreen state, it rains all the time, the weather sucks.

Attachment 417621

John, look carefully at this highlighted zone. These 3 acres produced 12 gallons, the riparian zones 300ft below didn't even produce 1 gallon. Snow transports up the dry slope and drops on the lee side. Yeah, its nowhere near a body of water but look at that slope erosion pattern under the highlighted area. There's so much water perched up there in the spring. There was still so much saturated soil up there in early August 2016 that a crown fire torching its way upslope hit that grove full blast and went out, leaving appx 50% dead trees and leaving the needles mostly intact. Water is more useful to us when it is soaked into the ground than it is as body of surface water.

This is better than the NSFW thread. Too bad I would need to shed 4k of elevation. I hunt elk, I know the struggle, but it is inverse.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neckdeep

Attachment 417621

John, look carefully at this highlighted zone. These 3 acres produced 12 gallons, the riparian zones 300ft below didn't even produce 1 gallon. Snow transports up the dry slope and drops on the lee side. Yeah, its nowhere near a body of water but look at that slope erosion pattern under the highlighted area. There's so much water perched up there in the spring. There was still so much saturated soil up there in early August 2016 that a crown fire torching its way upslope hit that grove full blast and went out, leaving appx 50% dead trees and leaving the needles mostly intact. Water is more useful to us when it is soaked into the ground than it is as body of surface water.

---

I'm following, thanks for the explanation. The water I've been picking around is a pond on a bench under a 1k vert slope so I think I'm finding a similar phenomenon. That does give me some ideas of other places to check out tomorrow and next weekend. My area is about picked out but I scrounged up another 8 lbs today. I'd post a photo but Makers might lose his mind......oh what the hell.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...00ab9ad169.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...839c458e12.jpg

2 seconds.

Benches are often golden. Ground water running downslope will get pushed to the surface when it hits that bedrock extending out below the slope.

I suck at morel picking and usually let the wife do her thing. However today after getting skunked on the fishing I went out with her. Nothing special but I found the 2nd(?) Biggest and maybe more than half of our harvest. Still snow here up high.Attachment 417922Attachment 417923

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using TGR Forums mobile app

Attachment 417931

Fantastic hauls everyone. Harvested a couple lbs from Dad’s lawn during the May long and half filed a gallon jar once dried; I leave the local wildfire morels to the Quebexicans, First Nations and the Queen to fight over. What a mess at some rec sites camps, private landowners pissed, jalopies w/o FS road channels dodging logtrucks unsuccessfully.
I do have a couple local spots to check after this weekend’s rains, but then it’s off to the coast for the annual seafood harvest. Keep the pics coming!

Attachment 418115

Brunnea

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...567af07e7d.jpg
Found most of these in a few minute span, after hours of finding nothing. PM Rontele for GPS coordinates.

Anyone able to identify these? Been growing in the backyard

Attachment 418801

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stapes

Anyone able to identify these? Been growing in the backyard

Attachment 418801

---

They are old but they look like agaricus sp, likely arvensis

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

Found these guys today. Any ideas?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ee5e0fc69c.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tgapp

They are old but they look like agaricus sp, likely arvensis

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

---

Thanks tgapp! Yea we had a day or 2 where temps shot up, before that they were more full/plump looking. I’ll see if anymore pop up.

Attachment 419890

Epic picking to be had in the Henry's lake area. If anyone is interested where, speak up because there are hundreds of thousands of morels out there getting old. Pretty much no one is on it. Saw two guys.

Attachment 420090

Game camera on my island caught this guy, I QRF’d out there in my boat and spoke to him. He was a mushroom picker. I gave him my cell phone and told him in the future I want a text from him asking permission. He was apologetic and said he would in the future.

Any maggot mushroom pickers are welcome on my island.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Thread drift - should I buy these? Also, anyone buy dehydrated morels from a store and like them?

Attachment 420408

Had to doubletake when spying these in one of the houseplants this morning.

"Plantpot Dapperlings"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucoc...ii?wprov=sfla1Attachment 421380



Hosed the plant roots bare and repotted, results tbd.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by muted reborn

Thread drift - should I buy these? Also, anyone buy dehydrated morels from a store and like them?

Attachment 420408

---

Japanese forest mushrooms from China?

Cantharellus roseocanus

Attachment 423633