Tips To An Enjoyable and Successful Morel Mushroom Hunt

Morel mushroom hunting tips from Jim Briggs:

Of all outdoor sports, morel mushroom hunting is one of the least expensive. You don't need any special equipment, and you won't need a hunting license. The only requirements are comfortable clothes and a bag in which to place your finds. However, there are some preparations you can make which will ensure that your morel hunting adventure is a safe and enjoyable experience. In this article you will learn what clothes you should wear, and what items you need to bring with you to ensure that you will stay safe and comfortable, and have the correct tools that are essential for a successful morel hunt.

It's best to wear old clothes in which you are comfortable, as they may get stained or ripped. Wearing long pants and sleeves will prevent direct contact with threatening plants such as poison ivy, brambles, etc. Wear an old t-shirt underneath in case you get hot and need to remove the long sleeved shirt. In early spring the weather can be unpredictable. It could be sunny, it could be raining or there could still be snow on the ground. Bring rain gear just in case. Why let rain ruin your hunting experience? Wear comfortable shoes. Wear glasses rather than contact lenses.

Protective eyewear can keep branches out of your eyes. Wear garden gloves to protect your hands and a hat to protect your head from the sun and tree branches and to keep off the ticks. Don't forget insect repellent as well as a small first aid kit. Remember the rule that if you don't bring it you will certainly need it. And if nature calls unexpectedly a small roll of toilet paper will be essential. Bring a small trowel to dig a hole and keep nature undisturbed.

An onion sack or mesh bag is ideal for storing morels. Special bags have been designed for morels that allow the spores to fall back to the ground after harvesting. The bag should allow air circulation and prevent moisture buildup which can damage the morels. Never place your find in a car trunk or glove box, where humidity and heat will lead to a rapid deterioration after picking. Bringing ice filled coolers with some sheets of cardboard to put between the morels and ice will ensure that your mushrooms stay cool and fresh as you transport them home.

A walking stick will help to clear paths and is ideal for poking around in the leaves and grasses that may be hiding these elusive mushrooms. Bring your camera to record your finds. A GPS unit is recommended to record the location of your find, as morels tend to reappear in the same area in subsequent seasons.

Use common sense safety procedures. It is wise to bring maps and a compass, and a whistle. Never go mushroom hunting alone. If you don't have a GPS unit, bring a notebook with pen to record the location of your finds. Bring a small pack with food and water. Plan your trip in advance, allowing ample time to return safely. Make sure that you have familiarized yourself with all legal regulations, that you have permission to enter the land where you will be searching for the mushrooms. Be sure to have enough gas in your gas tank. Spring trails can be dangerous. A rope or winch can help removing your vehicle from muddy roads that may become impassable.

A sharp knife or scissors will enable you to harvest without destroying the delicate roots of the morels. Do not disturb the mycelium by pulling the mushroom from the ground. Pinch the mushroom at the base of the stem and cut off carefully and cleanly. Brush off any dirt, and keep your harvest dry.

A general rule is that the ideal time to begin hunting for morels is when the daytime highs in your area have been in the 60's, the night time lows are in the 40's or above, and there has been some rain. For more information on finding morel mushrooms, dates for the season, morel maps, indicator trees, how to look, where to look and how to cook the mushrooms with links to hundreds of recipes, visit morelmushroom.info.

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Finding Morel Mushrooms - Tips on Where to Look For This Elusive Delicacy

How can something that exists in the hundreds of billions be considered a rarity, and how can something so prolific be so difficult to discover? The North American morel is an enigma. Prized as a delicacy comparable to the French truffle, the morel commands a royal ranking as the favourite American mushroom (although it really is not even a mushroom, but a fungus), more sought after than the common white button mushroom. Yet, surprisingly few of us have ever found and picked one, even though 'shroom hunting is a popular excursion for thousands of North Americans.

Morels are, without doubt, the easiest fungus to identify in the wild, and the hardest to confuse with poisonous or toxic cousins. Their unique shape and specific growing environment makes them distinctive, and one of the few mushrooms that almost all of us can eat with gastric confidence. Their Christmas-tree shape, their distinctive ridges and valleys, their common coloring all make the morel a unique target. But, morels have adapted an appearance and typical growing environment that confounds amateur and professional hunters alike.

Found across all of North America, the family of morels possess a camouflage ideally suited to their early spring woodland habits. Each year, thousands of mushroom hunters seek out the delicacy, unsuccessfully. Long-time gatherers will claim that the best places to locate morels is in recent burn sites, or adjacent to decaying elm and ash. Others will claim that these fungi are never located near evergreens. Yet, isolated varieties of morels grow in almost any setting, given the right moisture, light and season combinations.

The claim that morels thrive in recent burn sites has staying power. With the rush of potassium nutrients from ash, and the cleansing of other groundcover from these sites, morels are able, in the first year or two, to establish a firm hold on the site, briefly.

Morels that are found near downed ash and elm also receive a nutrient boost, and tend to be long-term residents of those sites.

Morels' unusual patterns of ridge and valley make them difficult to spot, wherever they grow. Their early spring appearance means that they are able to hide under the cover of last year's leaf growth, in patterns of wrinkled, mottled leaf beds. While the ground is dry, the fluffy layer of identical leaf pattern makes the morel almost invisible in the forest floor. But, immediately after a good rain, when the leaf bed, darkened by the moisture, is packed on the woodland floor, morels stand out.

You will also find that color shading of morels tends to match the color of dead leaf carpeting in their region, as will the color of soil surfaces.

Morels, like many fungi & mushrooms, flourish in early spring filtered light, when the ground is warmed but not hot, and moist but not saturated. With this specific growing environment, seasons are short, and progress depending on the longitude of your area. A dry spring will produce little growth, as will a late winter.

Given the versatile camouflage tactics of morels, their finicky growing habits, and their ability to "hide," even in plain view, it is understandable that they are considered a rarity, in spite of their abundance across almost all of North America.

Morel mushrooms have a rich, creamy flavor that is deliciously earthy, nutty, steak-like- and it's this awesome taste that makes the morel mushroom No.1 with wild mushroom hunters worldwide. Visit http://www.morelmushroom.info for tips on hunting, finding, and enjoying morels.

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