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First Sightings of the 2000 Season

Last update: 05/22/2000

Thanks to all reporters, we obviously couldn't do this without you. The success of the sightings page overwhelms us. Our purpose is to be educational and we're learning more than anyone! If there's anything we can do to improve it, let us know.

As a public service we post all reports of morels sightings that have been reported to us and leave them year-round as an unofficial, unscientific, undocumented study of the arrival of our favorite fungi. For now, please email reports, questions comments, or answers to morel@ocslink.com If usage warrants, we'll turn it into a bulletin board with instant posting. Currently messages are posted by state in the order we receive them. We don't post complete names or email addresses because we don't want you receiving unwanted email from some group sending junk email (or following you into the woods!

Please don't send you reports in ALL CAPS.

Also, without giving away your GPS coordinates, try to give us a hint of location within your state - for example: north, south, county, nearest city, etc.

FIRST SIGHTINGS REPORTED 3/9/00! - GEORGE OF PENNSYLVANIA REPORTS OF A SIGHTING IN VIRGINIA

Webdude's comments in green

Check out the Wisconsin listings for a link to a dead elm!!!

Jeff from Ohio sent in the following offer: Need Help!? Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 - Tom, You haven,t updated in awhile, I assume Your are to busy picking shrooms. If You would post Your GPS coordinates I am sure Everyone would come help You pick all those shrooms. Picking is good in Ohio. Jeff in Columbus. Jeff, Thanks for the offer, We apologize for not uploading the postings on a daily basis. We have been pickin' 'n agrinnin' but not as much as we'd like to. We are at mushroom festivals for the past two and the next three weekends. In addition, Our own festival is this coming weekend. We'll be taking 480 pickers to a very good patch. The logistics of such an event takes a lot of time and we appreciate your understanding. We should be more current next week. Tom & Vicky

*SPECIAL REQUEST* At the end of your season, send me an email rating the season in your state on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best, I will average the responses and place the number next to the state name. Again, not very scientific, but it may be fun to check from year to year. morel@ocslink.com

Alabama:

Morel Sighting: Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 - From north Alabama. I have found 7 black morels on March 18th. The previous early date that I have found them here was March 23rd. Appears that it will be a good year as it has cooled off and we have had some rains. These were found on mountain ridges. Dick C.

Sightings. Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 - This is a report from an ex Michigan native who now lives in Athens, Alabama. Found 132 white/yellow morels west of Athens and close to the Tenn. River on March 31, 2000. Ted

Season Report! Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 - I would rate the season here overall a 9. The black morels were scarce-only found 13. Have found over 100 in one spot. Suspect that 80 degree temps in Feb. is to blame. Overall count was around 200 which is excellant for this area as conditions have to be just right.Found the last one on April 18. I am orginally from southern Indiana but have been here in north Alabama since the late 1950's and have been gathering mushooms here since then. People that I met at Boyne were surprised that there were mushroomshere. Officially the central hardwood belt extends south to the Tenn. River and there are considerable stands of hardwoods farther south and pockets clear to the gulf coast. When I first moved here I got excited when I saw all the ash trees-haven't found a mushroom under an ash yet. The only tree that I can identify consistantly with morels is the hickory. I have never found a morel here on a south facing slope and only a couple on top of a mountain. I have never found the large white/grey/yellows in this area. Last week I gathered some 50 large whites and some of the largest greys that I ever saw just west of Cincinatti.Have sorta looked for morels all over the world but never have found any.Will be off to on May 17 to be a campground host at a couple of forest service camps in the Clearwater National Forest in Northern Idaho. Dick C.

Arkansas:

No morels yet, but found false morels in Arkansas Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000: From: Nolan. I wish to report the collection of 6 false morels, ~Gyromitra caroliniana~ at favorite morel site on 3-18 (Saturday) not far from central Arkansas. Will return to site next Saturday and report any new collections. fungal-mentally yours, Jay J.

Arkansas Morels. Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 - Found a dozen black morels at Arkansas Post today (3/25/000 and have had reports of black morels being found in the Ozarks for the past week. Poison ivy has leaves about a half inch long here. Jerry

Yellow Morels found in Arkansas. Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000. Saturday, (3-25-00) I found 4 false morels (~Gyromitra caroliniana~) and 3 yellow morels (~Morchella esculenta~ var ~crassipes~) at my morel site in the Arkansas river valley area. These morels were all young, suggesting that the next weekend will be better. My best, Jay J.

yellow morels.Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 - Found about 40 large yellow morels in the Mountain View, Arkansas area on 4/8-9/00 but dry weather seems to be slowing them down. Some were up and getting dry and others were just poking up through the leaves. Also found several around the Stuttgart area on last Thurs. Jerry

Arkansas morels! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 - A friend envited me along to the Fayetteville, AR area this past weekend, April 15,16, and we found about 150 nice yellow morels that tasted great!. I suspect they may be around for next (Easter) weekend at least. Few trees were leaved out in the areas we found them. Jerry L.

British Columbia, Canada:

British Columbia, Canada Frist Sighting. Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 - April 15 2000,sighted Morchella esculenta, in West Vancouver B.C. Canada beside Road dark brown three only , close together,has been spring like warmer weather for the last two weeks here,growing in soil gravel along with weeds,found and reported by Mackenzie, witness Carling.

Morel sighting! Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 - From: British Columbia, the City of Vernon in the Okanagan Valley. This is the first time either myself or my wife have seen a Morel Mushroom. This one, a Morchella Esculenta, is in our back yard in a gravel border. Our neighbour Joan , who has lived in the area all of her life has not seen any for over 20 years. What can I do to ensure that others grow here?? Will this single mushroom develop into a colony next year? Is there something that I can do to make this happen? As I enjoy the taste of mushrooms I am interested in having Morels in my backyard. No one around here has seen one for many years.Barry and Elaine La P. To answer the questions properly, I would need to know what caused the morels to grow there in the first place. Obviously, the conditions are condusive to morel growth. You may want to invest in a spore kit. Wish I could be more help.

Just wondering! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - I live in the Okanagan area of British Columbia , Canada. I was recently told that there is a poisonous type of morel mushroom. Could you please let me know if this is true. The mushroom in question looks much like a run of the mill morel except that the stem goes all the way to top of the cap, and the cap hangs from the stem like a bell. The stock is full of pulp, whereas in a normal morel as I know them, the stem is rather hollow. Thanks, Glenn Glenn, What you're describing is a Verpa Bohemica. It's not a morel at all, but similar in appearance. Go to our information page and read the article on false morels. Or visit Michael Kuo's page at http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfmfk1/mycology/morels.htm for more information. The verpa is not necessarily poisonous.

California: No Reports Yet!

Colorado: No reports yet

Connecticut:

Morels in Westport CT!! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - From: John S. My wife and I unexpectedly found a patch of about 1.5 dozen in our back yard in Westport CT. WE are not real "shroomers" yet but this fungi is intriguing!! Found Sunday 4/30 - looks like they have been there for a few weeks based on some smaller dried out ones among the larger, fresher ones. About 2-4" from base to tip! Wesport is located in Southern Fairfield County, CT - about 50 miles NE of NYC....

Florida: No Reports Yet!

Georgia:

Georgia sighting. Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000. From: Tom - I went and picked some today along the Broad River in Elbert County. Most were past their prime.

Idaho:

Mushrooms. Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 - Tom, Have found no other black morels since March 18th but a friend who is originally from Michigan hunts the flat ground along the Tenn. River and founda white morel on March 22. I won't see you at Boyne this year as I have committed to being a camp host at the Wendover and Whitehouse campgrounds along the Lolo Trail and the Lochsa River in Idaho. I will report there on May 20th. This is along the route that Lewis and Clark took and I quote from their journals.[June 18, 1806] One of the men found some black morel mushrooms, which Lewis "roasted and eat without salt, pepper or grease-truly and insipped taistless food". Thats all for now. Dick C. Good info! Thanks, Dick

Idaho Morels! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 - From: Barry P. Found about 75 along the Boise river. Most were yellows, about a dozen were blacks. The blacks were getting old. Most of the yellows were probably several days old, but a few were still grayish. Most of the blacks were in a single patch, with 3 yellows intermixed. I don't recall ever finding blacks and yellows growing so close together before. It's still about a month until prime hunting time in the mountains around McCall - that's about 5000 feet in elevation. We (my kids and I) normally expect to find 200-300 or more on a 3-4 hour mountain hunt in that area. I grew up hunting morels in central Illinois. The morel fruitings in the mountains here are much more reliable and abundant than in Ill.

Illinois:

Can't hardly stand it - Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 - Hello everyone, Debbie from Ill. I'm near St.Louis, sitting and waiting patiently, not really. Seen the snow here Saturday and was ready to cry. If the weather is nice Sunday might have to go take a small walk through the woods just for practice. Every year I have to go out earlier and earlier also. Looking forward to seeing Tenn. and Ind. first finds then I know I'm next.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SIGHTING - Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 They're up!I located my first black morel of the season today, a tiny, almost embryonic Morchella elata which was growing beneath the leaf litter in, well, you know, a certain spot in Williamson County. It's not much of a mushroom, granted. But it's the first one. How small was it? OK, it was ridiculously small. You could put five of them in a thimble. Four anyhow. It was so tiny, I couldn't hold it between my thumb and index finger for a photograph. That's how small. But, hey, the first morel is the first morel. Sure, I cheated. Since none was visible on the surface of the forest leaf litter yet, one might say the morels aren't up yet. I understand. But I wanted to document the first one for the sake of keeping notes. I keep notes every year about when and where morels fruit in Southern Illinois, and I became convinced there were a handful beginning to fruit in certain locations, based on previous year's notes. On the way home from work, I stopped at a known "hotspot" which has steadily produced over the years, brushed away a few leaves, and there it was. Numero uno. I feel like a king, for one day anyway. Joe M.

lucky 1 - Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 - hello fello shroomer reading shelbyville daily union and sterling r. of rural mode found 7 mushrooms on the 3/21/00 thought i would let u know thanks mike from decatur, il

They are up in central il. found 3 blacks. 3/23/00 more to follow. Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 - From, Dave(aka)Clam

Magnolia, Illinois Report: 3/23/00 Went for a walk in the woods today, Trilliums are open and about 3" in diameter. May Apples are still spikes about an inch tall at best. We did find two false morels (Gyromitra brunnea) and two giant puffballs that we missed last fall (Calvatia gigantea). Dutchman's Britches are out also. The weatherman is calling for rain tonight and tomorrow then three or four days of 65 degree weather. Morels can't be too far away. Tom

Just up - Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 - i would like to let you know i found 1 black 3/26/00 just north of herrick il. mike m from decatur, il

Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 - Hello everyone, found 2 last Thursday; but found 18 on Saturday; a few yesterday getting ready to go out today. One of my friends said she seen about 20 yesterday but was afraid they were to small to pick I laughed and we are going back there today. Debbie from Dupo

Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 - Got back last night from our exploratory trip to southern Illinois. Redbud is in flower on south facing slopes and just coming out in cooler areas. Dogwood not out yet. Magnolia is in later stages of bloom, spring beauty is out, mayapples just beginning to appear, poison ivy not leafing out yet, and light yellow green is appearing in trees in the distance across the Ohio river on the Kentucky side. Saw one water snake, heard spring peepers, and learned that the ticks are out, especially the tiny nymph or "seed" ticks that are so plentiful and pesky down there. There is adequate surface soil moisture now and there was a thunder storm with hail and high winds on Saturday night (March 25). Enough already, morels? Yes, we collected about 40 or 50 black morels at various locations. There were no morels found in some areas where we usually get several and I assume that in these areas, it's still too early. The areas where they were up, were south facing slopes which didn't have heavy leaf litter covering the ground, and presumably warmed more quickly. Areas of deeper leaf cover or facing the north were producing no morels yet, but it won't be long for these areas, especially after the rain and with more predicted for this week. The morels that we collected were mostly in the 1 1/2 to 4 inch size. All were black morels, no half-free morels seen this trip, though I imagine there are some "caps" out down there. Our collections were made on March 24, 25, and 26. Couldn't resist sampling the first fresh morels of the season and grilled some steaks, potatoes and onions, and fried some morels Saturday night....very tasty. There were not as many morels out as I expected, considering the several days of abnormally high temperatures that we had earlier. best wishes, Darrell

Southern Illinois sightings. 3-31-00 - From: Monte - I've been finding black morels since March 22, when I found my first 6.Since then I,ve found 405 more, all blacks.Its unusual here in Southern Illinois not to find some small gray morels mixed in with the blacks early in the season.Maybe today will be the day. I've got to go to the woods and start hunting. Good luck everyone.

Mushrooms. Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 - found three grays in washington il.sunday april 2 each one under a different tree. walt

Illinois Morel Sighting. Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 - Just returned from a morel-hunting trip in Southern Illinois with Joe M. Found over one hundred M. angusticeps in Williamson and Jackson Counties. Size was good, but not quite as plentiful as previous years. Also found 3M. semilibera. Just 2-3 more weeks and the M. esculenta will arrive in N. Illinois. Pray for more rain! Good luck and happy hunting, Jay D.

Hey,Hey!! Rat found some grays. Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 - Hello maniacs!! Found 50 grays and 2 blacks in LaSalle Co. close to Putnam Co. a/k/a Tom's turf. I still owe Tom 247 for being 2 hours late at Magnolia last year. So, I'm still hounding the hills. The Y2K morel maniac "Rat". Memo to Rat, Don't forget that we know where you live and what vehicle you drive. So if you get that feeling in the woods that someone is watching you, it's probably us. P.S. When you're ready to go home, give us a shout - we'll point you in the right direction or let you use the cell phone. Tom

found. Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 - Hi, I just found 18 nice size schrooms. I live near St. Louis in Illinois. I found them on my parents property this aftenoon and had them fordinner tonight. They were yummy, hope to find more soon. found april 5th 2000 the first of the year.... Thought you would like to know. Thanks, Matthew in Alton, Illinois

Mushroom. Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 - Streator, Illinois Date Thur. 06 Apr. 2000. I walked through the woods for the first time this year. It's quite dry out there. It seems like lately it rains north and south of us a lot, but we get very little rain. I looked where I find the first grays every year, but found nothing. I did find one black morel ( Morchella Elata ) about 2" tall on a south facing slope. Ken

more morels. Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 - From: ejjr. Belleville, Il., I've been finding morels since 4/2. Blacks are all but gone and the bigger greys and whites popping. I've found over 200 so far !

mushrooms. Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 - From: Kathy in Magnolia - Just thought you would like to know, Bob found about a dozen little greys this morning, somewhere in Putnam County. mmmmmm,mmmmmmm good!!!!

shrooming. Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 - Maryann and I went shrooming around Shelbyville in 3 timbers. A lot of good signs, but no morels. Flowers are in bloom. May apples up. Need rain and some ground warmth. Jim

Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 - Very early for our season. Found about 150 this weekend and 100 last Tuesday, we really need more rain in this area, butthe blacks are out all over, everything seems to be up high. Good Luck. Are you guys going to be at the Trail of Tears this weekend? If so see you there. Debbie from Dupo. Yes, we wouldn't miss it!

Shrooms! Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - I found five in Springfield today . Friend told me he found 1/2 pound in Riverton. They are comming here in Illinois. Les S.

found them on the 6th of april. Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 - From: Kenneth B. i found 4 little grays (pinky size) in the woods hehehe somewhere near peoria. but its getting cold again and there seems to be a lack of moisture. hopefully things will get better soon. would like here from others in this area. thanks.

Clinton IL. Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 - From: Bryan. Just a quick note need to get back in the woods. Went around the Clinton lake yesterday (4/15) found Yellows much to my surprise greys and Blacks...Most of them to be found on the outer part of the woods 50 yards in found a few in the deeper part as well. Total of 40..about 2 1/2 pounds. Came toward Bloomington and wasn't able to find one ? Really dry. See ya the 6th! Bryan. Bloomington

sightings! Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 - We went out yesterday evening about 5:00 pm around the Flora area. We found some on east facing hill. We noticed around the area of the mushrooms were: ash trees, walnut trees, white flowers, under vine like plants growing across the gound and the hill was very damp. We found about 40 mushrooms from about an inch to as big as 3 inches. Flora, IL. Lance C.

Peoria County Morel siting! Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 - Hi-Tom, Mike, Sally and the boys went out Sunday, April 2nd in Peoria County and found three little grays.

4/18/00 Mid-America Festival Report: It was great to see some familiar faces and all those mushrooms! I don't have a list of winners yet, but the mushrooms were plentiful. It started raining on Sunday at about noon so they should be even more plentiful this week. Ron, and Debbie Charles and Family do a tremendous job. The cooking demonstration on Saturday was the best!

prime time. Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 - This is Monte again. Yesterday,4-17, I found 532 greys and whites. I found 120 on the previous day. We finally got some much-needed rain here in Southern Illinois just in time for the peak mushroom hunting week of the season.My season total is 1,866 so far , with many more to come (hopefully).

SHROOMS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS! Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 - We found a ten Saturday the 15th of April but I found 99 greys and one half-attached for a total of 100 and my little brother found 49 greys today the 18th. Looks like it will be a great year up here. Hope we don't miss the best weekend when we are down there in Magnolia!! Good luck everybody!! I know it will be fun!! I haven't even taken my friend out who can smell them yet!! Ha Ha!! Stan Sean and Curt

Morels in the Varna, IL! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 -Hi Vicky, I just wanted to go on record and tell you readers I found 5 lbs of yellow morels on 4/17 & 4/18/2000 in my area. Good luck with your hunting this year!! Mike G., D.C.

Morels Near the Windy City - Illinois! Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - Bopper finely found relief from his bad case of morel deprivation on April 20th and 21st, finding about a pound and a half of grays. Between the reoccurring storms that were blowing through the area, morels were found in well drained traditional morel lairs - under dead elms, apple trees, and in burned prairie. Despite the lack of warm days, the soil temperature was warm enough to get them popping as the moisture level increased. Most shrooms were quite small and some warmer weather is anxiously awaited to get the larger yellows on the move!! My folks, visiting from Texas, will get a taste of a familiar Spring time treat that they have forgone to get away from cold Midwest Winters. I should be able to satisfy the inlaw's taste buds with an Easter Morel Hunt near Peoria on Sunday.

Illinois Sighting! Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 - From: Shroom fan. Found first grey last night -- ran out of daylight so didn't have time to continue checking favorite spots. I am near Rockford, Illinois. My neighbor found 30 greys yesterday, which caused me to nearly faint. You know the feeling. That someone else is finding your shrooms, or that they are drying up with no one to find them. My husband's co-worker brought in a bag-full this past week to work and he is near Monroe Center, Illinois. We've had good rain this week, but it is still getting cold of the evening. My work schedule prevents me from getting out daily, but now that I know they are up I will find the time!

Morel sightings! Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 - Sightings. Date: Sat, 22 April 2000 - This is a report from a very metropolitan area, where no one knows what gems are lurking just off the path in our busy forest preserve. Wheaton, Illinois in an unnamed park we found 51 Morchella Esculenta. What fun it was to find most of the morels only a few feet off the well maintained walking and jogging path. Every time a group walked by we started whistling and looking up into the trees. We must have looked rather funny because our kids were still in their soccer outfits from playing soccer just down the street. mmmmmmmm what a nice Saturday Brunch. Our Daughter's name is Trillia andof course she is the best spotter. Bill W.

Success! Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 - From: Schroomfan - Reporting from the Rockford, Illinois area. Yesterday went out for a couple hours and found 45 medium yellows and three small greys. Today in the cloudy wet conditions found another 30 yellows. Easy hunting since the undergrowth is small yet and the yellow can be spotted from several yards. These woods were logged last spring after a damaging tornado-type wind storm August of 98. It is good to see the plants are back and the damaged trees have been removed. It had looked like a war zone right after that storm. We've begun replanting trees for future generations. Finding these batches of morels is a relief -- nature has bounced back.

Cook County, Il. Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - In Cook County on Easter Sunday (4/24), we found 138 spikes (Morchella semilibera) and 4 yellows (Morchella esculenta) in three hours. Our first hunt of the season! Yum! Thanks for the site! -M & D

Sightings! Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - Illinois 4/24/00 Couldn't sleep at all last nite. The morels were making too much noise growing. Finally put in some ear plugs to cut down on all the racket. Went out back this morning and filled a pickup truck with schrooms in 15 minutes. Hopefully I'll be able to get some rest tonite. Dave, Marseilles

Morel Sighting Wed. April 26 N.Illinois! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - Just got back from finding 48 greys in northern LaSalle County. They seem to have popped in the last 24 hrs. A couple of them weren't completely unfolded yet. Jon A.

Found Morels 4-29-2000! Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 - My wife and I went Morel hunting today in a forest preserve in DuPage County, Illinois. We found 65 Morchella semiliberata, and 11 Morchella esculenta. All were found beneath dead elm saplings in dense undergrowth, many were also near Inky caps (Coprinus Micaceus), and mossy ground. Dave K. Dave, be careful in the Forest Preserves - It is illegal!! I know people hunt them all the time, but I would hate to hear about any readers to get arrested. Notice I didn't say don't do it, just be careful.

greetings from Bloomington--I need your help! Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 - From: Rebecca N. Hi--I just moved to Bloomington, IL and am a fish out of water here! I had several hunting spots along the Illinois River near Henry and DePue, but now I don't know where to look here in the flat lands. Do you know of any spots that I could check out? Any help would be appreciated. Good luck at the Magnolia event, wish I could be there. Thanks. Rebecca, anyplace that has timber, scrub brush, or dead elms should work. If you camp, some campgrounds have good areas. I would think the Lake Bloomington/Comlara Park area would be good, but I don't know if the County allows shrooming there.

My sighting! Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 - Hey just wanted to tell you my sighting made page 15 ( Outdoors ) State Journal (Illinois)Saturday. Les

Morels in Du Page County! Date: Thu, 04 May 2000 - Found an even 10 lbs. in Du Page County on 4/29/00!! Practically all were esculentas and were in all sizes and stages of growth. Returned to the area on 5/3/00 and many were in advanced stages of decay. The season wont last much longer with temperatures being what they are (lousy global warming). All in all, had a very good season with a total of 17 lbs. picked this year. I'd rate this season an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Probably won't get out picking any more, running a violin shop takes up most of my free time! Good picking to all (except those I catch in my mushroom patch)! Jay D.

Saturday's morel hunt. Date: Fri, 5 May 2000 - Hi Tom, Sorry that Mike and I can not attend the Morel Hunt. We have two First Communions this weekend for our great-nieces. We found mushrooms on April 2nd. Mike has found about 35 pounds of mushrooms. His brother found a 14 oz. mushroom last weekend! Let us know how the hunt goes......sally and mike

Indiana:

Sun, 12 Mar 2000: Anyone been out yet? This is my fourth season and as I am being self taught, every year I go out a little before reports start coming in... in hopes of being one of the first to have success. As weather has been unseasonably warm in Indiana, I thought that there might be a chance?! No luck, yet! I'll keep you posted. Ed

They're here! (Central Indiana) Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 - 03/23/00 Eight days earlier than the previous two years. The mayapples are about 2in. tall but not yet open . (Mayapples were not visible 03/20/00!) Found 1 Black 1.75in. that was so fresh it hadn't turned yet. Sending scanned photo attachment. Ed

Find in Southern Indiana (14 Black Morels) Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000. From: Donald. We have MORELS in southern Indiana. Found 14 blacks today. May apples are half open,and many flowers bloom.

Indiana Blacks. Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 - Central Indiana - Sun 3/26/00 Conditions look almost perfect. Found 3 blacks close to the top of ridge. Shame it's going to turn cold this week. Brad

Great site! Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 - I love this site. I am a morel fanatic, cancelling all appointments for weeks in the Spring to hit the woods. This site allows us to "watch" the morel line move north, although this season is already strange. I am in N. Indiana and usually hunt in Allen and Marshall Counties. Soil moisture is low, even scarry in my garden, so I am only guardedly optimistic about the morel season again this year. Keep up the good work! Tom

WE HAVE SHROOMS!!!!!!!!!!!! Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 - Been out almost everyday and found 17 blacks and 3 greys the blacks were about 2in tall and the greys were 1 1/2 inchs tall. Another two weeks and we'll be in heaven. RANDY FROM SOUTHERN IN

Central Indiana Blacks. Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 - There coming, I found 11 more blacks just south of Indianapolis. Brad and Stew. P.S I found more than my dad.

Just north of Terre Haute, IN. Tue, 4 Apr 2000 - From: Joyce. Strange things are happening around here. Mushrooms are being found now, not just a few, but by the pound. The season will be really short if we don't get some rain soon. Maybe if we get lots of rain the season will be really a long one.

shrooms!!! Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 - Read your page and some of your stories. I am an avid rooner from northern Indiana. What I'm really trying to find out is where to try to find more patches of black mushrooms. I have several patches now and they are reliable year after unlike grays and yellows. Plus with more land disappearing everyday and more people in the woods I would like to extend my season, if you will, and beat the crowds, if you know what I mean. Would appreaciate any info or resources you might have in helping me to locate more black areas. Thanx, Dave

Dave, I would pay close attention to the vegetation, trees, elevation, which direction the slope is facing, etc. where you find the black ones now and look for similar environment to find other sites. You may even want to try the soil type experiment as mentioned in http://www.ocslink.com/~morel/150198.html From what I've witnessed, black morels like to hang out near ash trees, maple trees, and in Michigan, they can be found near poppel trees. I personally have found them near Cottonwoods and Oaks. Remember too, black morels tend to surface a week or two before the grays, so you need to start loooking before you normally would. If anyone else can give Dave some pointers, we'll be glad to post them. Tom.

there-up-in northern ind--56-so-far-all-blacks-4-01-00. shroon-goon.Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2000

Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 - Found three little black morels Saturday, 4/1 in N. Indiana. Kinda cold. Soil was not very moist. Tom

nice mess of blacks. Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 - Tom, I just got back from Morgan-Monroe forestry/ between Bloomington and Martinsville, IN on highway 67 and found 50 nice fresh blacks on south facing hill sides. Most of the blacks were found around ash and poplar trees. We got a ton of rain on Friday and Saturday and with the sun today; this coming week should bring on the greys. Your spore bag is the berries. Are you guys going to be at Mansfield? take care, pete. Yes, see you there.

mushrooms around Howard County area. Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - hi .I've been out mushroom hunting and found some grays about 14.but no black date 4/9/00 if that could be helpful to all you mushroom hunters KOKOMO, INDIANA.I think they are coming real soon. BYE JUNE

White Morels in Southern Indiana. Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - From: Donald M. My son and I just came in from a hunt in Posey County. We found 50 white morels 3"-6" tall. We have been finding black morels for about two weeks but this is our first white find. Get out and find ya some!!!!

shrooms!!! Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - From: Barbara T. Just got back from Southern Indiana this weekend. We have friends down there and they said they had been finding some. So I had to make the trip!! We found about 200. Mostly blacks, about a dozen greys and 3 early yellows (or whites as they call them down there).Most of the big finds down there are blacks. They find most of them in poplar and pine (mixed) and also around wild grapevine and dogwoods. Here in northern Indiana we have totally different conditions. Although we do have lots of cottonwood and oaks as you mentioned. I seem to find more yellows around ash and maple. I generally do not find yellows where blacks grow and vice-versa. But I will try to study more of the surroundings to see if I can pattern anything. Incidentally, one of my best black patches is close to a couple of beech trees as well as an ash. Thanx gotta go The roons are being served even as we speak.

Morel's! Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - Hi, We live in Indiana and just wanted to let you know that we found 15 black morels in Morgan-Monroe State Forest on April 10th,2000. And a friend of ours found 10 yellows near Shelbyville.The season is underway so let's get Shroomin' ** John & Debbie** Greenwood Indiana

first mushrooms. Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 - indianapolis, IN - went to the woods for about an hour after work and found 6 morchella semilibera. checked a couple of my "old faithful" spots and found nothing. an

They are here! Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 - Went out in the woods behind our house yesterday and found 139 blacks. They were beauties. Some very large. They were all on sandy soil with some moss growing and were on a hill. Going back today. Good luck to everyone this season. I had trouble sleeping last night because of the excitement of finding them. I cleaned them and drove 60 miles to Indianapolis and took my two children a mess. LS in Muncie IN area

blacks & greys! Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 - Tom, On 4-14-00, my rooning buddy and I found about 120 mixed blacks & greys close to Coal City, IN [ about 1.5 hours west & south of Indy ]. They were around ash and tulip poplar trees. Vegetation not very far along. On 4-15-00, I found 10 small yellows about 3-5 " in a fence row around an elm that was shedding its bark, they were about 3 days old. Across the road in a row of very old pine trees; I found 8 more early yellows under 4 pine trees. The pine tree thing was an accident; because I was headed out of the woods walking down the tree line. There was no other type of tree or vegetation other than the pine trees. I found these yellows close to Seymour,IN [ about 1.5 hours due south of Indy ]. pete

would like to up date the Kokomo IN mushrooms! Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 - hi there are mushrooms everywhere in the Howard County area ..me and my son and daughter went Sunday 4/16/00and found 36 grays .and 3 yellows.2 Packer heads.wasn't out very long can't wait to take them again my sons first year he found 7.he got all excited.just want to lead people know they are in the ko komo indiana area good luck to everyone .. bye oscar

Morels in Cass County Indiana! Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 -From: J E R. After listening to coworkers for several days I decided to get out and scratch around for myself this AM. Made a decent finding of greys, mostly 3 to 4 inches in size and fresh. They totaled to 3.75 lbs on a laundry scale,what a charge! Looking forward to the Mansfield fest coming soon. Good hunting to all in this pleasurable pastime! bucko in Cass Co. Indiana.

Trespassers found some! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 - My wife and kids caught two trespassers in our woods today in SE Kosciusko County(NE Indiana). They each had a bag of 'shrooms. They were lucky I didn't catch them. I would have called the sheriff and taken back MY mushrooms! Get permission, then pick. JB.

Finding in Indiana! Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - We were going to go canoeing to hunt for mushrooms. When we went to get the canoes and morels (yellows?) were everywhere (30) around the outside of our barn and in the gravel drive. This is our second year here and did not see them last year. We live in between Fort Wayne & Indianapolis. B & S

Shrooms! Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - Just checking in to let everyone know that we found about 40 greys and 40 yellows and two peckerheads and a couple blacks on 4/21/00. A lot of mushrooms were beat up from the rain we had yesterday. Greys are popping up pretty. These were found a little south of Bargersville Indiana. And just to remind everyone that the Mansfield Mushroom Festival is the 29th and 30th of April. So if you haven't found your hearts desire of mushrooms go to the festival and buy some.**John&Debbie** Greenwood IN

sightings! Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - We are from Indiana and hadn't had much luck till yesterday 4/20/2000 and again today. The greys are up and plentiful between Kokomo, Marion and Peru (north-central). Found 126 yesterday and 144 today. We were only out two hours because of the bitter cold and gusty winds. Didn't get very far off the road into our 15 acres of woods. Had tried southern Illinois two weeks ago and Morgan-Monroe last week south of Indy. No luck. Hope to see everyone at Mansfield and Magnolia. Grandma and Grandpa Andy

findings! Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 - Great web site! I live in Indianapolis, Ind. went out last weekend and only found 1 gray and 2 snakeheads (semiliberas). The conditions have been good for rain but the temps at night still a little cold. I was rewarded this morning 04/22/00. I went to some of my old faithful spots around the Eagle Creek area and found about 35 grays, 50 snakeheads and 1 yellow in about 2 hours. I have to say this is the largest flush of snakeheads I can remember in a long time. Some were fresh most about a week old. The grays were mostly a few days old 1 - 3 inches tall, but did find 2 large ones we call these sponge in these parts. The mushrooms are certainly out in central Indiana. After a poor showing last year, I am thrilled. Happy hunting!!! UKlemm

Tis the season! Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - From: Chris F. - April 15: Four of us went out in Central Indiana and found about 7 pounds of grays and a few blacks. We've had three m-m-m-meals, breaded and the froze some. (I can taste them as I type this.) We also went out in Northern Indiana after the first thunderstorm, we found a few, but still waiting for some warmer weather in the north.

finds for 4-24-00. Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - From: Pete B. I found about 250 greys and small white roons near Rosedale, In. [just west of Mansfield ] today; my rooning bud found about 200. This year is running about 9.5 on your scale. Another friend found 5 lbs. of yellows on the northeast side of Indy. This should be a killer year at Mansfield, will see you guys there. The only down side to this year so far; is that we haven't gotten into any patches of the big boys. pete P.S. bring plenty of your spore bags

Update from IN. Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - This has been an unsual year for mushrooms. I have found them in places that I have not found them before. I found hundreds in my front and back yard. So far I have found 1800. Mostly blacks and really large ones. Found my first black one that was one and a half times the size of a coke can. What a thrill for an old lady nearly 70 years old. Just today I have started getting the big yellow ones and still some grays. I have trouble sleeping because I want to get right back out there and hunt more. I have had had fun giving a lot of them away to my friends. Good luck to all. LS in Albany, IN

Tue, 25 Apr 2000 - they are up in northern In. Steuben Co. April 24 2 grays and a hat full of peckerheads. Jeff

Indiana Reporting! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - Last Thursday went out around Connersville IN found about 100 grays and blacks came back to Richmond and within 1/2 mile of the house found over 400 grays, pecker heads. Had to go to Tennessee to a wedding over the weekend. Looked around down around Knoxville they have had some warm weather no luck. Came home Sunday and decided to mow and had to stop found about 40 yellows in the yard! Went out Monday afternoon found another 250 which about 40 were nice yellows. Been sharing with the family and friends and freezing a few for later. Great Year and I think the Yellows will be real good this next week or so. Been real cool nights though. Happy Hunting! .....Sam D.

morels in muncie, Indiana! Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 - 4-24-00 Muncie, Indiana. Scooter and I found over 500 morels. Most were 1-2 inch greys. We found 4 sponges that were over 10 inches. All that we found were found within 10 feet of old dead Elm trees. We also found some under shag bark hickory trees, I figured it would be too acidic under nut trees? The hunt for the big yellows is on . Pyle.

still finding mushrooms in muncie, IN. Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 - 5-5-00 We have been finding sponges for 4 weeks now. We found the first shrooms 4-6-00. Scooter and I found over 150 last night 5-5-00, some were older but the majority are fresh. It has been a very good year so far . I have 12 bags in the freezer. When I freeze shrooms, I first coat them with flour, cornmeal,and seasoning, I then fry them in Margerine for 5 minutes on a side, I cool them and vaccum back them. I eat them in the fall. Well I need to go stock the freezer. Pyle

Fri, 5 May 2000 - Hey...im from northern indiana and were having a fantastic season...i found a swamp with dead elms and an old apple orchard that yielded 25 gorgeously perfect yellow morels...blacks are done here but greys are still going strong some places. Im so completely stuffed from eating tonights bounty. Anyway...ive come home everynight this week with at least 50 mushrooms or so..and....on wed night i found an 8ft area under some mayapples that had at least 40 underneath...we were down on our hands and knees scooping them up in fistfuls!!!! everyone went into a frenzy....it was kind of a rush actually.....hope you are having much luck.....Jason.

Morels in Indiana. Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 - KENDALLVILLE, IN Until this past few days of Thunderstorms and muggy warm weather, we were having no luck. In the past few days my brother and I have found around 40. Mostly yellows. Some greys. My friends have told me they've found too many to count. Nearly 10 Lbs! (yellows greys and dogpeckers. even some blacks) Happy Shroomin! J-me

End of Season! Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 - On Saturday, after reading on the internet and hearing rumors of a few HUGE yellows out there, I went to my most reliable spots in Marshall County in N. Indiana. It was a beautiful walk in the woods, but not even a shriveled up morel. So the season ended. I really appreciated looking at your site during my plan periods at school. (I am a Middle School teacher, so all the more need for therapeutic walks in the woods!) I live in Allen County in Indiana, but hunt most in Marshall where I grew up. So, call the season ended before Mothers' Day this year and give it a 3 out of 10, 10 being the best years that I have ever seen. (Those came in '95 - '98, especially '97.) Keep up the good work. Someday, I'll go to one of those mushroom festivals. I've literally dreamed of them since I was a kid, but spring is a hard time to get away. And I also want to do a burn pick someday. I have read that it is strange, but awesome.Tom C. (Please do not post my last name. That would come close to red-flagging my spots for too many people.)

Central indiana rating! Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 - Tom, I would like to change my rating to 8 for central and southern Indiana, due to lack of getting into a patch of big yellers. pete

Iowa:

sighting in iowa. Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 - we have enjoyed your sight since we found it a year ago. we hunt around lake red rock in marion county. unfortunately i did not find the 1st mushroom this year. a gentleman at work and his family love the hunt as much as myself and my family. his family found the first mushroom sunday april 2. he brought it to work to show me and it was a little grey about the size of my little fingernail. they had found a total of 2. both were that small. he then said that his sister in law had found 3-4 that size on friday 3-31/ at least i know it will be soon for me and my family.

Morels! Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - Iowa has been very dry, been checking the Johnson County area for threeweeks. Finally on April 12th found greys pen cap size and smaller and yellows ping-pong ball sized and smaller. One more good rain should send them poppin. Brad in Iowa...

60 + Found. Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - My two buddys and I was able to find 63 mostly little yellows. They made me promies not to say where in Iowa because it's about 2 weeks earlyer then we fid them 4/12/00 T,B & S

MUSHROOMS!Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - IOWA, SE POLK COUNTY. Found 262 2"-3" yellow morel mushrooms today. Never found this many big mushrooms this early. JVS

To JVS in Iowa: Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - Hey, JVS in SE Polk County, Iowa, what kind of area did you find your 262 mushrooms in? Was it river bottoms, creek bottoms, hills, etc.? Sounds like you are having a good time. Just curious, Mushroom Annie from Missouri.

Sighting in Eastern Iowa! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - They're out in Linn County! Found about two pounds near North Liberty today. Not too big but plenty of them. They ranged in size from 4 inches to 1/2 inch.......Brett from Cedar Rapids

Kansas:

Kansas makes showin -- Morels. Date: Thursday, March 30, 2000 Seventy-one (71) morels in Southeastern Kansas. Actually it was in 160 acres of woodsland in Southeastern Kansas instead of the whole Southeast corner of Kansas. Some of 'em are in my frying pan now. All were gray and black except for one white one. Thirty (30) Morels found in Northeastern Oklahoma last night. I believe Morels have been in Southeastern Kansas for almost a week. Just didn't get to hunt in Kansas until tonight. Good luck all.... kent

Southeastern Kansas. Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 - April 2, 2000 Mid-day Sunday. We brought home 297 morels of all sizes off a couple sites in Southeastern Kansas. Pick'em in 1 hour and 45 minutes, sure was fun. However, 4 other sites have not produced yet. ....kent

Kansas City Area.....Kansas. Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 - Found two small greys today, gave them some water and marked the spot. Left them to grow. Temperatures prime, need rain....lots of good days left. Morel Marty

Kansas Sightings. Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - We hunted for an hour or so around Lake Perry Sunday afternoon, 4/9. The pickings were slim. We found only 4 small, very dry, gray morels. The weather is and has been very dry. Areas north and east of here have had more rain, and would probably be more productive. While the shrooms were scant the ticks were thick. Hopefully we'll get some moisture before the ground cover takes over. Will send update if conditions improve. Vyn

Morel Sighting! Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - From: Keith T. One morel near wichita in a known morel bed. There are many young ones starting, but if we dont get any rain they will dry up. Lots of luck !

Kentucky:

They're up in Ky! Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 . Just wanted to inform fellow hillbillies that they're up in Southeast Ky. My buddy found 16 yesterday on a high mountain ridge. Supposed to get rain this week so get ready. Steve

morels in western kentucky! Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 - stopped after work today (3-27-00) just to see if last nights rain helped----there here western kentucky!--founds five blacks 2-4 inches tall. John

up in Kentucky. Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 - I found about 50 morels in northwestern Kentucky Saturday March 25th. Mostly blacks and a few greys. A lot of them were growing right at the campsite! The others were hard to find. Another week should be easy picking. Lori

morels in ky. Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 - Hi, I found 68 nice blacks 4-01-00 Saturday in northeastern KY. Ed

SHROOMS. Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 - Hey, The Mushrooms are up and plentiful in east Kentucky. Found 60 blacks yesterday and about 30 today!!!!! Just wanted to tell you...BUT DON"T LET ME CATCH YOU IN MY PATCH!!!!

western kentucky. Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 - mmmmmm------morel soup, found 2 pounds today in western kentucky.(4-8-00). john

Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - FINALLY!!! Northern Kentucky Sprouts Shrooms...I went out last evening and found 40 blacks and greys. I have been looking off and on for about a week with no luck. Had big storms on Friday and temps dropped to freezing Fri night. It warmed up to high 50's on Sunday so off we went. The blacks were nice size and the greys were small but this week should be much better with the warmer weather moving in. The leaves are thick on the ground making it very hard to find the greys. Will eat them tonight..nothing better than fresh shrooms. Good Luck. I will keep you posted as the month rolls on. JUDY, DRY RIDGE, KENTUCKY

Look what i found. Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - KY here. I found on 3 hunts my self 32. My daughter Raesha found 11 I couldnt even find a 1 on that hunt. This was on april 11 2000 . I live in Ohio co. Gotta get out there and find some more Maybe it wont be raining today Ty. Diehard Mushorrm Hunter. Joy W.

WOW WEE! Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - Just got back with a total of49 today. Great hunting here in ky. See ya, JOY

Mushroom Report for Nothern Kentucky - Date: Sat, 15 Apr - The morels are up here in Northern Kentucky. My Dad and I found 60, mostly black, but a few greys mixed in. Most were small around 1-3" with a few around 6". A good sign though that things are just starting to heat up! The warm weather is here, now all we need is some rain, which should come in a few days. I'll let you know what happens on the next hunt, which hopefully will be in a few days. Happy hunting! From: Lester

More Morel's in Northern KY! Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 - Hey 'Shroom hunters! It's Lester again! My Dad & I went hunting after work again, and found 50 more. This time, they were a lot bigger!!!4-6" on average. Weather conditions here in KY are improving, and so are the 'Shrooms. Good luck to all!

Kentucky Morels! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 - 4/17-4/18. Hunted 2 favorite spots in the Mammoth Cave area. Found 50 the 1st day & 30 on the 2nd day. 4 blacks and the rest were yellows & greys. It rained heavy around 2:00 am on 4/17. We hunted that afternoon and most of the 50 were small.The next day I searched the same area and found only 3. Decided to search higher on the hillside and found 27 and most were considerably larger than the day before. All of the morels were found on a north facing hillside near tulip poplar trees. We had another heavy rain today so I'll be back out on Saturday for sure. RICK

Morels are in full swing in Northern KY! Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - My Dad & I went out hunting in the rain and 40 degree weather today, but had our best trip ever!!! We found over 200 'Shrooms this time! The size was outstanding too! Most were 6" are better!!! I highly suggest going out after or during a rain. Conditions here in Northern KY are awesome for 'Shroom hunting! Good luck to all! If you could brave the elements today was the day! Good luck, Lester!

Kentucky Rating. Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 - Hey Tom! This was my first time Morel Hunting here in Northern KY. My rating for this season is 7. I'm originally from Michigan, and up there the 'Shrooms run a lot better, but my Dad & I certainly did find the Numbers. Your website is great,and I'll certainly keep checking it often. I'll also be using it next year, too. Thanks a bunch! Happy Hunting to the rest of you guys as well! Time to concentrate on fishing for Walleyes now! I'm going up to Lake Erie this weekend! Bye for now! Lester

morchella. Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 - New to the Baltimore area from Michigan, looking for tips on where to look. Has taken years to figure Michigan schrooming out, and would greatly appreciate any tips on location (general) , or habitat . Blacks or whites??? I have not seen many elms or popular (aspen) that would get my attention @ home .Where to start.... The hardwood ridges in the Baltimore area hold interest as they seen to have some of the elements, like moist, well drained soil. Well, I could ramble on , but digress! Any tips on location of mycelium in the area(Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia) would be greatly appreciated. Steven

Finds! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 - Hello, They're popping in Maryland. Found a few in Montgomery County. A friend found 35 blacks in Randolph County West Virginia. - Pete

Massachusetts Morels! Date: 4 May 2000 - Hey, New England has morels, too. 5/4/00 Starting the first week of May, find an old, unused for at least 7 years, apple orchard and look carefully under the trees ( Good luck in actually finding an old orchard, as they are all rapidly being developed ); if you are dilligent enough,and have a high tolerence to poison ivy and rose thorn lashings you should find yellow morels. Dead elm trees sometimes sprout these tasty mushrooms too, but elm groves are even more elusive as old orchards, the blight took most elms out years ago. I have yet to locate a black morel round here, but rumour has it they can be found under pines in the western part of the state and in Vermont. So far this season, I have found but a few mature mushrooms. I have found quite a few small, gray buttons, but I prefer to leave them for a couple of days until they grow big and yellow, as their flavors intensify with age. Would love to hear from any other MA morelers, so please drop me a line. Peter B.

Michigan:

Sun, 12 Mar 2000: Can any one tell me how the ground water is looking this year near Grayling...Is it dry or is it looking like we will have a great year for the morels? Hope so,it has been a while..Thanks for the help and the great site..Keep up the great work..Mark/Lancaster,Ohio.

Tue, 21 Mar 2000 - We heard on a TV station a couple of weeks ago of morels being found, but when the snow and a cold snap hit, the reports stopped. We're staying up here in Hillman, MI and have searched with no results. We'll let you know if we find any in our regular places when we travel through Mid-Michigan next week. Charlie & Linda

Sightings. Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000. From: Chuck. On March 18th, I found 5 small blacks just south of Grand Rapids Michigan. They are growing at a nice pace and I have found a few more. Looks like it'll be at least another week or more before i start picking them. C'mon rain and sun!

Morels in Michigan. Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 - THERE HERE!!!!!! I found a nice mess of morels 3/30/00 in Mid Michigan. They were good sized,about 3", and dark black. This is the earliest I have ever found them previously was the 1st week in April! Who says you have to wait till Mothers day to find the most morels!! I was really surprised as we have had some real heavy frost the last couple of days but they showed no signs of being hit. We could definately use some rain though. Probably a couple of weeks before they really start to pop though. Good luck and happy hunting!! I know I have the fever!! P. Waldron

Mini-morels in mid-Michigan. Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 - We only found two small (1" tall) black morels in Mecosta County on our way down to Tennesssee on March 27. They should be doing better by the middle of April, which is still early for Michigan. We didn't have time to look for morels in Tennessee, darn it! Sounds like there was some good pickin's. Charlie and Linda

Pickin' and Grinin'. Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 - We found 41 morels in Mecosta County, Michigan in various stages of development from 1'4" to 4". We harvested the biggest ones and marked the rest for next weekend. There was one that was almost passed it's prime. We were surprised to find anything after that big snowstorm a couple of days ago and the chilly weather all this month! We'll be checking Montmorency County this week to see if they have started up here. Cross your fingers! Charlie & Linda

Northern Indiana/SW Lower Michigan Report! Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 - Hi all!! The morels have finally arrived in Northern Indiana/Southwest Lower Michigan. We went out middle of the week last week and found 86 blacks. Saturday we went out and found 90 blacks and 30 GREYS. The greys were very small since we haven't had enough rain yet. It rained last night and today so hopefully they will keep popping up. Any news on the Boyne City festival? Does it look like there are going to still be any mushrooms around? I see on one of the other message boards that they are already finding blacks in Gaylord. See you there (hopefully), Bill & Lori W.

Michigan Morels. Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 - Went to Mesick on 4-16-2000 and found 108 small blacks. Looks like better weather coming this week, Should be more up when we go this friday. I will give an update after the trip. Colin & Patti

First morels! Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 - From: keith. Finally, found five greys in monroe, mich. area. Have been looking for three weeks, these are the first and hopefully not the last

found mushroom in Michigan! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 - From: haskins. April 20 th my husband found one black Morel. Going out this weekend should find more we are getting the rain. Southeast Michig

Michigan Morels! Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 - Hi All: Went to the Mesick area the last two weekends and found 108 blacks on 4-16, and 404 on 4-22. They seem a little small, but we did find some that were 3-4 inches tall. we got rain in our area for the last 36 hours (60) miles from Mesick, but it seemed very dry there. we will be trying again on 4-28 and hope the size is better. I will post the next hunt also. Happy Hunting to all of you. Colin & Patti

morel sightings! Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 - Michigan- Montorency and Otsego Counties 4/23/00 I had been getting reports from my daughter that the morel mushrooms are up in the Atlanta area. So I decided that I should go upnorth and check for myself and found a bowl full to take home in the Vienna area. I checked up around Vanderbuilt in a few known hot spots but they were small yet so I left them behind for the next person when they are big enough. They should really be in full force in the next few days. Now that I have my daughter addicted to morels it makes it nice to get mushroom reports first hand. Judy (former resident of Otsego County)

Michigan (Mecosta County ) Morels! Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - Hi Tom & Vicky, We found 186 black morels and a ton of Verpa Bohemicas on Easter Sunday down in Mecosta County (Mid-Michigan). We'll have to let "Tree" know that the 7-year theory of the Verpa cycle might be a 5-year one instead! Charlie & Linda

More morels!! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - From: keith. Finally finding some decent shrooms. Three of us went Monday and found 40 good creams, two to four in. tall. We had a feast on Coho Salmon, Morels, and Walleye . Doesn't get any better than that. If we had wild asparagus we would be over the top. Southeast Mich, {Monroe, area} Shroom on!

northern michigan! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - Date: 05/01/00 . Traverse City, Michigan Found three dozen or so blacks (angusticeps) and a few half-frees (semi-liberas) on three different days last week. Recent rains should bring the esculentas out of hiding. Stop by All Outdoors.com and enter their morel contest. http://www.alloutdoors.com/aot/morel/ Scott Byers Editor, All Outdoors Today

Southeast Michigan findings! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - Saturday, April 29th southeast Michigan found 6 Black Morels and 3 half-free Morels. They were definitely not fresh. All mushrooms were found within the first 20 min of hunting the following several hrs turned up nothing and so it goes. The first 20 mins proved to be a great incintive. Today's rain should improve conditions. - JP

Little white beauties found in Oceana County! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - My mom and dad are up north at their beach house and found two whites growing in MY GARDEN. They immediately went to our shroom spot to find more but didn't see any. The previous four or five years have produced many mushrooms in these areas. I guess they have to wait for some warmer weather. Can't wait to get up there to walk the woods and find these delightful beauties. Ann from Ann Arbor

here is my rating! Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 - hello- here is my rating for the year 2000- 90 blacks,151 grays,95 spikes, and 117 yellows! total shrooms found-453not bad - I give the state of "michigan" a rating of 7- i would maybe go 8 but - the weather was weird again- i can really see room for a better year! hope you get alot of state ratings! cant wait to see the results peace/respect brent(low-michigan)

Wed, 17 May 2000 - From: Swatt. found around 100 blacks and whites near Wolvirene Mi. 5/16

Morels! Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 - From: Swatt. Found 35 blacks and 70 whites near Wolverine, Mi.

Minnesota:

I found Morels! Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - I, "THE MUSHROOM KING", found 20 black morels near Winona MN on April 23, 2000 near a dead elm tree. Leonard D.

morels! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - From: Rick K. I was wondering if you would know if the mushroom season in S.E. MN has been held up due to lack of rain or if there is someone you could refer me to. I'm in a smaller town named Red Wing about 50 miles south of St.Paul rightalong the river. We've been out for the last 2 weekends looking and searching(my wife,grandson,and I) without any luck at all. I just don't understand why. If you might be able to help out it would be great as we certainly have some fine private property to hunt as well as lots of state land. We would be forever indebted for if you can possibly help. Thank You!!!

Found Morels! Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 - Hey Tom. Just to report that on Friday April 28th I found two dozen yellow morels in Winona County, Minnesota. I would say this is a few weeks ahead of schedule. They were on south facing slopes in grassy areas. Happy hunting. Stan Tekiela, Outdoor Center Coordinator Naturalist. STekiela@edenprairie.org 612-949-8479

minnesota! Date: Thu, 04 May 2000 - Morels reportedly found in Brown Co. Haven't found any in Blue Earth Co. yet. Too dry I think. Will look again tonight after work. dj

First morels--Minnesota! Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 - From: Kevin L. I live in Mankato, south central Minnesota. I found 58 nice yellow morels tonight, in about twenty minutes worth of hunting, about a quarter mile from the Minnesota River. Everyone has been telling me it's too dry, but I've never had this kind of luck either. Red Wing, keep looking, seems like it would be even better over there. Happy hunting and happy eating

They're here!!! Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 - Hey Rick K., we're finding shrooms in the Lake City area, a few dozen yellows early last week in the hardwoods. Now that it's rained for a few days, I suggest trying the river beds-good luck. DD in LC, Minnesota.

Minnesota Morels! Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 - From: Andy 8. I can't believe it. After searching for the last 8 days I finally found my1st Minnesota morel of the season in Dakota County south of the Twin Cities. It's been really dry but rain this past weekend and forecast for today and tomorrow should really get things popping. Good hunting.

Missouri:

Missouri Morels. Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000. From: Lilly. I found my first false morels this year on 3/5/00. We call them beefsteaks. They were pretty small and there were only two, but it sure was fun. I found one more on 3/17. The earliest I have ever found these was 3/8 and that was back in 1992. I have not found any reports of the "real" morels, but I know there are some out there. We don't find very many black morels in this area, but the few patches I have of them, I just love to hunt. There's a great page on identifying true and false morels at http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfmfk1/mycology/morels.htm (with warnings!)

Black Morel. Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 - Well, I finally found my first black morel of the season here in Central Missouri. I found it on 3/23/00. It looked like it might have been up several days and there was only one. But it was a mushroom! The earliest I had found them before was 3/26 in 1995. I have been keeping a log since 1987 and it is a source of great information not only me, but my mushroom friends and partners. Mushroom Annie

The Real Thing. Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000. Boy what a day! We found 340 morels here in central Missouri. They were on sandy river bottom land. Total poundage was probably less than a pound, or less than a gallon in our local terms. They were pretty small. We found 63 around one tree and I believe those sixty would have fit in a coffee cup. We walked about five miles in the woods. But oh how exhilarating! Can't wait to get back out there! It would be great to do this for a living. Mushroom Annie

morels. Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 - Greetings: I have not had the chance to go hunting yet. I will over the next few days though. However one of my hunting buddies found 6 of what we call "little greys," on Tuesday March 28. I'm located in the suburbs of Kansas City, Mo. and these were found about 40 miles east of KC. The weather has been up and down over the course of March temp. wise, but not nearly enough rain. I am looking forward to "hitting the woods," and I'm glad I found this site. I will report all future sightings as soon as possible. KCDAVE

Missouri Morels. Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 - 4-3-2k Missouri Morels found in northern st.louis county. I was out today and found a withered small black Morel. It measured less than 1/3 of an inch, and was barely distinct enough to I.D. as a morel. To join a morel hunt in Missouri, check out my club on yahoo, missouri outdoors. I predict the peak day in my four "spots" (all public land) to fall on the 14th to the 18th. Public hunt on 4-18-2k. Jojo

Its time. Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 - GREETINGS. Due to work and time constraints, I only managed to hit one little spot on Sunday, Apr 2. I did find 5 greys with in about 30 minutes though. The season is just underway here in KC. Temps have been cooler the past couple of days, and still no rain. Predicted highs in the 80's the rest of the week though. This weekend should be a good time to fill a couple of sacks. KCDAVE

sightings. Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 - Another hunter near St.Louis. Found 160 greys and one tan, 7" tall and 10" around. It's a little dry but .....They're OUT !!

sighting. Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - Finally they're here in east central Missouri. Found a total of 160 blacks, 45 whites, and a few spikes during the weekend of April 8 & 9. Most were small though. See you all in the woods.......... Max

SIGHTING. Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 - From: NSB. This picture only shows half of what was found on public land in St. Louis county on 4-11-00 (approx. 400 total). Good days hunt!![Unable to display image]

MORELS EVERYWHERE. Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - dateline april 11th Y2K: Location: western hill on hole number 7, frisbee golf course. Hazelwood Recreation center, on Teson road, (or WHITE BIRCH PARK)Missouri HWY 270 to Macdonald Blvd. Go North.3 Miles later go west on Teson, 1/2 mile park is on the left. TODAY I FOUND 23 MORCHELLA's various stages and colors. Largest one was 7" and 2.5 ounces (kinda nice :-) The season is progressing nicely, and many many more will be growing soon. There is a nicer spot 2 Miles north, site of free hunt April 18th. With cold wheather through friday, then 70's and showers for the weekend and high 70's to low 80's through wednesday the 19th, I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THIS PARK WILL BE LOADED WITH SHROOMS ON TUESDAY, and have already gotten over forty on bad days so far. For a free tour, or to join the free hunt tuesday, goto the yahoo club, Missouri Outdoors. GOOD LUCK THIS SEASON!!!!!!!! link here... missouri outdoors Jojo.

Look what I found! Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - From: NSB. These were found 4-11-00 on public land in St. Louis county MO. The picture only shows half of what we found, AND, we couldn't get them all picked. Going back today to get more!! Sorry, I couldn't get the picture to load. We usually don't post pictures, but this one was enough to make us break our rule. The picture showed a table full if yellow morels. Most looked to be 3" to 5" tall.

morels found. Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 - Hey everyone!!!! Pete, Scott, Kathy found 148 shrooms on 4/15/00. Woods are very dry, but the mushrooms were bug free! Not sure how long they have been up. It was nice not running into anyone today in our spot! Maybe if we get some rain tomorrow we'll find the mother-load this year. Central Missouri

Rain! Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 - From: A.L. Kansas City is finally getting rain!!!!!!!!! Should feel the ground rumbling very soon here and Morels popping up.

Missouri! Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - From: Cinthia W. Warrenton, Missouri. We found 4 yellows on Easter, 4" - 6" tall. We found them on a ridgetop in "sticker" bushes.

season rating. Date: Fri, 5 May 2000 - This is Max from east central Missouri. I think this was about an average year for shroomin' in my area. I rank it around a 6. Found a lot of blacks, but they were mostly small, and only a few whites. Needed more rain!

year end report. Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 - Mark P. here from Missouri. Love the shroom stick I bought from you. The season here started two weeks early but got dry. no rain in Kansas city area for too long a spell. I did find mushrooms but had to look long and hard. I would rate this year as a 3 or 4 but I know lots of people who had a very bad year. I will always find some mushrooms because I will walk 15 miles if I have to. I am a fanatic I take my vacation every year to hunt mushrooms much to my wife's displeasure. Love your web site keep up the good work. one year I would like to hunt in one of your contests.

Montana:

morels Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 - We have picked only 32 morels so far this year growing in our front yard, our season in the NW Montana normaly starts around the first of May for naturals, and around the 15 of May for burn morels. K

Nebraska:

Morels in SW Nebraska. Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 - Hello-I just found my first morels of the season. We had some moisture several days ago but I was out of town - I returned today and had an opportunity to get out into the woods late this afternoon. Unfortunately, it is getting pretty dry again and they are also hard to spot late in the day when the sun is casting such shadows. I did find three very small shrooms which were around an inch and half tall (all in the same place- near the Republican River in SW Nebraska). They are out there - a good rain and some more warm weather and we will be set. I checked my post last year and the first mushrooms I found were on the 8th. Regards, Nathan

Morels in SW Nebraska - Republican River Valley! Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 - Hello- Last Friday it got up to 83 degrees and then cooled off over the weekend with some frost, slight moisture, and some 30 degree temps. This afternoon it was back up to 77 degrees (you gotta love Nebraska weather). I snuck out to the woods today for about 20 minutes and came up with a big sack full of morels (morchella esculenta). A number of them were quite big! It has been pretty dry for the last couple of weeks and I was beginning to become discouraged but now things have brightened up. If we can get some more moisture we should have some pretty decent picking. Any other Nebraska mushroom hunters out there?? Thanks for your website - enjoy it! Regards, Nathan

New Hampshire:

Sightings! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - I'm less than a novice at mushroom hunting, but I'm 99% certain a batch of morels just popped up in my side yard in the last three days. A couple big ones were actually sprouting in the crack in the driveway in front of the garage door. I've viewed the web sites, and they're certainly not false morels. So, unless there's another mushroom not listed on any of the web sites that looks just like a morel but isn't, then they are. I remember tromping through the woods fruitlessly for hours, when I lived in Kansas, looking for morels. Never dreamed it would be as easy as just walking around my house. Anyway, I noticed that not only are there no sightings listed for New Hampshire, but New Hampshire isn't even on your list of states yet. So, just wanted you to know, there here. Rod C.

New Jersey:

morels! Date: Wed, 03 May 2000 - Hi,Found 3 lbs yellow and black Morels today in northern NJ. With some rain we will have many more. Jeff

New York

morel sightings in n.y.state! Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 - dave, from the mid hudson valley here. love your site, especially during last season, when i could enjoy the reported finds of others while the spring drought caused fits for our entire club (mhma) here. (i was almost the only one to get more than a few, but it was many hard miles to get them) this year looks like it will be great, lots of rain, very moist and cool weather. was out today and found none in the old orchards that are their most common growing area here in apple country, but tomorrow, when i will have more time to search, i expect to write back with first reported finds of n.y.state.

n.y. state morels!!!! Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 - today for me was the opening of the season here in the mid hudson valley of new york. got a good bag of dark greys, light greys, and a few esculenta, maybe a hundred in all, and left a lot of small esculenta, which i hope the slugs don't enjoy overly much before i return for them on monday. should be a great season here from the look of the ground, and the numbers i found! can't wait to get the bacon frying!!!! good hunting, all. dave

What is it? Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 - Hi, I saw a cool thing today. It was about 7 inches high, on a stem. It looked like a waffle outside......... It was hollow inside. Ive seen a lot of mushrooms , fungi, and toadstools in my life, but this one takes the cake!!! I loved it and made everybody come and look at it.......I live on the East End Of Long Island, Southold. what is it??? Thanks, Terry

North Carolina:

Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 - First time viewing web page. While still a novice, have hunted and successfully cultivated mushrooms for several years. Living in the Piedmont of North Carolina (Raleigh) we were very suprised to find morels in our back yard (woods). Since our first sighting four years ago we have searched our favorite areas with diminishing results. However not to be discouraged we hunt every year documenting dates and results. Our first find this year was April 9th, the next find was on April 12th. We begin our search in March, finding the peak around Tax day. After 2 consecutive years of devastating hurricanes our harvests have lessened. Any advice to preserve, protect or increase the resources would be greatly appreciated. Jazz --Jazz, I would use a mesh bag. After harvesting I would carry the bag around the area to help spread the spores. There are conflicting viewpoints on whether this works or not, but it certainly won't hurt. In your case you may also want to leave one or two to allow them to spore (In case you're picking them before they've had a chance to release the spore.) Beyond that you may want to get a soil survey book to find out what kind of soil you have in that particular area, then find similar soil areas nearby. Beyond that, you join the rest of us at Mother Nature's mercy.

North Dakota

Morels in ND! Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 - Enderlin ND. Tues. May 2nd. Found 10 very small morels today. Was taking a short walk out back and happened to spot 3 little buggers in a close bunch. So walked to where I've found a few every year for the past 4-5 years and found more. Altogether I found 10 today. All very small, a couple with only part of their heads up, so I just left them alone. Bet you all can guess what my plans are for this weekend. Looks like things are right on time. Last year I found the first one on May 4th. The year before on May 10th. Seems like every year I find one sooner and smaller than the year before. Maybe my hunting abilities are improving. Cal

North Dakota Morels! Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 - Found my first morels of the season in the Turtle Mountains, 1/2 mile from Canadian Border. A little dry, but temperature has been in 70's and 80's. Bob U.

Morels in ND! Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 - Hi Ho from Cal in southeast North Dakota. The morels are just starting to show up here. A friend and I spent about 7hrs. hunting today and found just short of 6 lbs. Only took what we considered big enough to be pan size. Left lots and lots of little ones. We could use an inch or two of rain as it's been a dry spring here. If we would get some in the next few days this could be another good year here in ND. Very warm conditions this last week have gotten things started a bit earlier than most years. Happy Hunting Cal

Ohio:

Ohio Mushroom report Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000: I am sorry to report that there has been small blacks and (1) white morel mushrooms found...My brother-in-law found the white under his apple tree in the back yard...He then proceeded to his early season patch that most always produce early in the season...He found 30 - 1" - 1 1/2" blacks... This is not a good sign for a good year for the mushrooms in Ohio.. He lives in the Union Furnace area... :-{ I will keep you posted..I am going out Monday when it warms up again and check my early patches.. Mark/Lancaster

To Mark in Ohio, Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 - I was wondering two things. Why did you say it was going to be a bad year in Ohio if your brother-in-law found some already? And, Where do you go in Michigan. Advice would be helpful. From also in Ohio. Joann

Mark sent the following reply which I agree with completely: Ohio Joann. Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 - From: Mark - The reason that I feel that it will be a bad year for the morels are as follows...WAY to early..From past experience,when we get a early warm spell,the morels start to come up and then it gets cold again and shuts down the morels...Thus we get less than we normally would get if they started normally in mid-april... As for MI. I head for Grayling,MI if the weather helps out with the rain and sun..Looking forward to heading north for some great shrooming...

Mon, 20 Mar 2000 - From: Jeff. I have been impatiently waiting the arrival of the season. I have been out at least 2x already with no success. It has been pouring down rain here in Ohio for two days now with temperatures in the 50's. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 60's. The daffodils are in bloom and the forsythia is yellow. I know if the weather holds this week i'll find some on Saturday if I can wait that long.I just bought a camcorder and am anxious to try it out. Thanks, I'll keep You posted

Ohio Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 From: Bob. Live in West Central Ohio and have not been out as yet but looks like a pretty good year with the rain we've had. Will be early though as the temperatures are holding in the 50 & 60's during the day and 40's at night. Have a favorite spot I go to with my five grandkids ages 8, 6, 5, 4, and 2. They love it....Bob

Back in Blacks! Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000. From: Teena. Hello all! Yes, today I found Blacks! Just a few but it's a start. I think this year is off to a great start! I have never found shrooms this early in the year. Nice and meaty too! I'm about 45 minutes north of Columbus,Oh. and if you are south of me and haven't found any....you're not looking hard enough! LOL! (little shroom humor)

Morel Mushroom Sightings in Cincinnati Area. Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 - I live in the Cincinnati, OH area. Could someone let me know what the Morel's are ready for harvest, or when the best time would be to start looking. Thanks! Lester

Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000. From: melissa. i went morel hunting today in my favorite spots and found 11 !!! three were smaller than 1/2 inch,and 3 were about 3 inches high already....i marked them so i could come back later in the week ,,,, can anyone tell me how fast they grow ?......i am about 30 miles away and with the price of gas, i would like to go back once they are picking size, but i don't know how long i should wait .... the taller ones were in full sun near a gravel driveway.....i like to look for morels from the comfort of my car !!!! happy hunting 2000 !!! from Cincinnati, OH Melissa, How fast they grow depends on Mother Nature. If the weather gets warm with a little rain, they'll grow to full size very rapidly. If the weather stays cool with not much rain, the growth rate will be slower. See pictures and story at http://www.ocslink.com/~morel/200698.html Remember, they don't always grow.

Good first day out. Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 - 30 miles west of dayton, ohio. my first day out found 88 black from1 in. to 4in. real fresh ones, only hit one patch, ran out of daylight, hope to go out again tomorrow. good hunting Rob 3-30-00

South-sentral Oh. Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 - From: Webbre. I also fear that the black season may not be so good here in south central Oh. I have been 2x and found a total of 1and 1/2 lbs. Some are very dark, brittle and have large diameter bases indicating they have been up for awhile, but some appear lighter in color with small stems like they just came up. Also ihave found some very small horsetails (semilibra) which usually means the blacks are about over. I hunt mostly Tar Hollow State Park, about 12 mi NE of Chillicothe. It has some high ridges for here in Oh and some mature hardwoods which are also getting hard to find.

Morels in the snow. Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 - Well, I finally found some!! Yeah!! On Saturday 4/8/00 I found 31 greys in middle Ohio. They were all in one spot and mighty small, but my heart did flip-flops, they are finally here. It didn't help that I was picking them in the snow. Hopefully it will warm up and a few bigger little buddies will pop up. I'll let you know. Happy hunting. Joann

black morels. Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 - From: sundog. I am from sw Ohio. My cousin and I have found 85 black morels during the last 4 days. Have only found two small greys

Morels found In Ohio. Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 - A friend from the shop where I work and I found 30 blacks and 2 grays on April 14, 2000. We are 69 miles South of Cleveland, Ohio, near Mansfield. Good hunting to all and Thank You Tom for this wonderfull sight.Bob.

Ohio! Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 0- From: Bob W. Went out last night after having 1/2" of rain and found 50 blacks and 6 greys. May have more rain this weekend and temps in the 70's so I'll be going again. Located in West Central Ohio about 50 miles north of Dayton.

Ohio 'Shroomin' Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - Went out in our woods in Knox County, Ohio with family today. Went hunting through pines and heavily wooded areas. Came to one region that reeked of 'shrooms and earth. Walked five feet, and landed 30 spikes and ten black and grey. If we can make it to the warm weather and bypassing a near freeze, next week should be a full-blown mother-lode. Very tasty; smiles all around. Will update next week on findings. Happy 'Shroomin! Eric & Sis

where in the morel are they?? Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 - I have looked in all my normal spots and have only found one false. Is there anyone north of akron finding anything? The woods seem perfect for growth but i have yet to score. Can anyone help me??? LARRY Larry, One thing strange we've noticed this year and a few others have reported is that normally this early in the season we should be finding them on North facing slopes. The seven pounds we've found here in Central IL have for the most part been on South Facing Slopes! We've found one single black morel (the first black we've found within 9 miles of home) , 4 medium yellows, and the balance have been grays from 1" to 5". So you might want to look on the other side of the hill! Tom.

SHROOMS! Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 - From: SPUTNIK RICK. Since 4-20-00 we have harvested 3500+ yellows & greys from the south Dayton area.

the motherlode! Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 - From: doug from oh. We have found 719 greys and yellows in three days,17th 18th and 19th of April in southern muskingum county, Ohio. We found them all under the same dead cherry tree. What a blast!

Sun, 23 Apr 2000 - We found a lot of spikes 4-21-00. near Dayton Do the yellow sponge and gray's come out after the spikes or before? Thanks Karen Usually the order of appearance is: blacks, spikes, greys, yellows. The times overlap greatly and it is possible to find all varieties on the same day!

Ohio siting! Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - Our morel stalkers finally scored on April 21 here north of Akron - 5 to 6 dozen yellows near one elm on a south facing slope. We will be in high gear with high hopes for the next few weeks!! -Sandy's Scouts

Southeastern Ohio Mushroom Report! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - From: RONS. This Year it has not been very good for morels in southeastern ohio. I live in Athens County and I usually found a mushroom on every hunt, but not this year. The first 10 times I went out, I found nothing. I decided to go out for the last time and I had Excellant Success. On April 25, 2000, I found the biggest mushroom I have ever seen. Not only one big one, but four of them. They were white ones and the biggest was 11" Tall, it was awesome. The other three were around 9 to 10" tall.

Y2K Morel Season! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - From: Web. This season in So Central Oh was not very good. As I feared earlier, with the weather breaking in early March, followed by a brief dry spell, the blacks started but then ran out of gas. Horsetails wre average and the greys were a little better. I really don't hunt the big yellows here much as I don't have a good place for them and they don't seem to like any one spot as much as the others. Overall I'd give them a 5-. Better than last year but a bit below average.

YES YES YES! Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 - I finally stumbled acrossed the nicest patch i've seen. They are very fresh so i'm going to let them sprout a little more. there is a couple hundred blacks and greys.I found them right on the akron outskirts.Thanks for the input Tom! larry

North hillsides. Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - Have been having a great shroom season here in the Columbus area. I have also noticed that the nort facing hillsides are not producing many shrooms. We have not had any warm nights yet . We are getting the rain and some of the shrooms are moldy. I believe that as the nights begin to get warm and We get some hot sunny days the northern slopes will begin to produce. Wow a bonus extra long shroom season, that'll keep the wife mad. Anyone from Canton or Akron are You finding any up that way yet? I haven't seen a thing posted from that area. Jeff in Columbus

Oklahoma:

Thu, 9 Mar 2000: Leroy & Rodney & Sandy called me today from the timber, they were picking & grinning and I got to hear there excitement "here's one" "here's two more" "oh I stepped on one" 'We should leave some of these little ones until nest week ". Cell phones are pretty neat. They wanted me to make a report to you. They are picking in Oklahoma but are on their way to Texas.Leroy was fishing in Texas a week or so ago & met a gentleman who invited him to an 80 acre timber of his. This is the earliest for us. Judy/NMMHA

Oklahoma sighting. Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 - The season has begun!! Thirty small black morels were found in Northeastern Oklahoma mid-morning March 25, 2000. Good luck all .. kent

Northeastern Oklahoma -- Morels. Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 - Report from a fellow shroomer in Northeastern Oklahoma. He found around 300 Morels Sunday April 2, 2000 nice big thick ones and 38 big'ens after work Monday April 3, 2000. It's look'n like we may have a great season in Northeastern Oklahoma and Southeastern Kansas. Good Luck All.....kent

Morels in Oklahoma. Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 - We live about 40 miles west of  Tulsa, we have been finding morels since March 23.  We don't find great patches of them, but 3 to 4 in a spot.  Found some each weekend since- 30-40 of average size 4-6 inches.  It rained last nite, so plan to go later today or tomorrow.  Have no idea if they grow or just pop up!!!  We have been finding them for 20 plus years......but never enough. Love the site and the gift ideas. Bette

Ontario:

Sightings! - From Eva P. I've noticed you don't have any from Ontario (Canada)... we are about 30 minutes north of Toronto. On April 24 .. found about 30 black ones in the forested area between us & our neighors.. this is the earliest we have found them and the first time this close to our house .. bonus.. We have been hunting morels for about 6 years now in woods around our area.

Oregon:

Morels sighted in Central Oregon! Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 - From: Eric. Just thought I'd let you know they are just beginning to pop over here in the Cascade mountain range. We have had just a handfull of days where the temp hit 70 degrees in the lower altitudes. Most of Centeral Oregon is around the 3500 foot elevation, as you climb up into the mountains the highest peak is about 11,000 feet. Good hunting!

Pennsylvania:

From Bob in Ligonier: we picked two morels so far. The first was on Feb. 26 and the other was March 3. The earliest that we have ever found them. They were only an inch tall but they were there!.

mushrooms! Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 - I'm a newcomer to mushroom gathering and wonder if ther are any mycology classes, groups, or info in the Bucks and Northampton County areas along the Delaware River, 60 miles north of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.? Thanks for any help. P.Y. W. I'm not online as I type this, so I can't give you a link. Do a search for North American Mycological Association. They have clubs all over and are very willing to share information

Morels! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - Joe from Mercer County, Pennsylvania, 218 yellow & black morels, 20 ounces, April 26, 2000.

SIGHTINGS! Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 - PENNSYLVANIA - Pittsburgh, South Park--from Mac. Wed.4/26/00-- finally found a few after looking three times in the past two weeks, but they were already old. These were the bigger lighter colored ones that come up second. I guess I missed those early little black ones.

PA SIGHTINGS! Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 - Seems to be a late and poor year here in Upper Bucks County PA. Been finding just a handful in usually productive places beginning around April 15. Plus they are quite small. Stu

Morels in Pennsylvania! Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 - 05/02/00 Found 41 gray--11 white--7 black morels in the Meadville, Pa. area today. Found 36 white/gray mix on 5/1/00 and 38 white/gray mix on 4/30/00. Rains yesterday, and warm temps over the next few days, should mean even more morels in this area. Harry from Sandy Lake, Pa

Morel hunting in Pa. Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 - hi there, my husband and i have been out hunting for morels. not much luck. our weather has not beem good. all the good spots we have checked are only finding a few. husband says he will give it another week or so, but it isn't looking good. anyone else out there from Pa.? are you having any luck? would like to hear from someone. we would really like to go to one of the morel hunts they have around, we are going to try to make it a goal. have read alot about them on the computer. they sound like so much fun. our son is getting married this june so this year will be out. it would be so cool to find so many morels that they show on some of the sites. we have had a few good years, but i don't think any thing can compare to those in Michigan or Wisconsin. hope to hear from someone. thank you, lois & joe

End of season rating. Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 - From: Bet. Hi, just found your site and enjoyed it very much. I had no idea there are so many morel hunters across the land. I live in north western Pennsylvania and this year was very disappointing. I would rate it a 4.

South Carolina: No Reports Yet!

South Dakota No Reports Yet!

Tennessee:

Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 From: Charles R. The morels are rearing their ugly little heads in TN. :)

Mon, 20 Mar 2000 From: Red. I live in Tennessee and I wanted to let you know that it's mushroom time. On March17th I found the first ones of the season. I returned to one of my favorite hot spots on March 20th and I found a grand total of 70. My total so far is 100. I'm expecting to break my "1999" total of 600. Good luck and happy hunting to all !!! Red, Breck wants to email you direct. The subject is Help. Email morel@ocslink.com if interested and we'll give you Breck's address.

Tennessee Morels Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 From: Charlie & Linda, To Charles R. & Red of Tennessee, We are heading down to Madisonville, Tennessee next week to visit relatives. We have searched for morels for 6 years now, but must have been looking at the wrong time of year! Thank goodness for this web page. At what altitude and under what type of trees do you find black morels? We're used to aspen, elm, black ash, beech, birch, and the edges of red pine here in Michigan. We'll be checking our early "hot spot" in Mecosta Co., MI as we pass through.

I just returned from Nashville, TN today, 3/23 and there weren't too many people that knew about morels. I did get to scurry through a few woods, but had no luck finding anything. Can someone tell me what you find them around in that area? The trees and soil look completely different than here in central Missouri, Saline County, to be exact. Mushroom Annie

Where in Tennessee? Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 - Where do you live in Tennessee. I am north of Chattanooga (about an hour) haven't found any yet but have been looking every day in the usual spots. I am amazed at the lack of mushroom hunters in the area I have only met one other. Lots of root and plants hunters but mushroom hunters seem very rare. Let me know where you are. Thanks, Kris

HOT-DOG. Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 - Whoa Boys. Found them today. Yellows @ 4-5" tall. Already starting to turn color. Found right here in Madisonville, TN.. Knew it wouldn't be long for this Illinois boy would sniff them out. Found all just at the crest of N.E. facing hills on dead elms. Breck

Morel report (Tennessee) - Mon, 27 Mar 2000 -Thursday, March 23. Checked my favorite site along the Cumberland Plateau escarpment in middle Tennessee. Nothing! Thought they would be up with the warm, wet weather. I have found many hundreds here the past two years around April 1. I will check back next week. Here is a HINT for anyone searching for morels in the Cumberland Plateau region of Tennessee. Look for outcrops of Hartselle sandstone. This is where I find 99% of my TN morels. They are on top of and along the side of the "benches" formed by the sandstone outcrop. It is typically found 200-300 feet above the valley floors along the western escarpment, from just south of McMinnville northward all the way into Kentucky. I almost never find them in the limestones above and below. Hal

Report. Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 - March 29, 2000. Went out this morning and braved sleet and rain to check a new location 30 miles northwest of Nashville, TN. Found 14 nice yellows in the bottom of a sinkhole around a large Sycamore tree. Mayapples were about half-way up. Hal

Morels in Tennessee. Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000. From: Red - I'm having a hard time trying to give you my recent sightings. I've been hard at work since my first sighting. Yesterday I had really great luck. I found some nice whites. I'm planning on returning to the same site today.

Morels are here. From: Watfin - Saturday, March 23, 2000. Southern Middle Tennessee found about 100, mostly blacks and some small greys. We did find a few yellows. This is the earliest I have ever found them in this area. They were great and looking forward to a good season. Happy hunting everyone.

Morels in Tennessee. Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 - This is Red in Tennessee. As of April 3, 2000 I've found over 500 morels. Most have been black morels. However, over this past weekend I've found 4" white ones. After hunting yesterday for nearly 4hrs. I found 41 whites. I found them near a creek that flows into the Norris Lake. I found them under sycamore trees. The soil was rich with a little grass and wild onions. Happy Hunting shroooooooommms!!!! Good luck and keep your eyes wide open.

morchella esculenta for supper. Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 - I was turkey hunting today and ran acrosssome of these delicious mushrooms. we call them dry land fish. its rare that we find them where we live. (smith county. carthage, tn home of vp gore.) i had them for supper tonight. they are plentiful in neighboring counties north of us. just thought you'd like to know. i ran across your web page doing research on them. joe

Sightings in Tennessee. Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 -Tuesday April 4, 2000 Hey, this is Red back again. I went shrooming for a little while this afternoon. It was really chilly....with some snowflurries....a cold front is moving through TN. I returned my Hot spot, only to find 18 whites. The biggest ones were about 5 1/2" tall and as round as a soda can. Pretty good size !!!!! The weather is warming up for Thurs. and Fri. so I'll be shrooming again. I'd love to hear from Breck-is he killed over in a big pile of shroooms or what???????? Good luck to all.....__

Morel Sightings in Tennessee. Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 - Thurs. April 7, 2000 from Red in Tennessee. The weather has really warmed up since my last report. However, I've been really busy working and haven't gotten to shroom hunt much. I did look in my hot spot today......only to find 5 whites. From the looks of things, I think someone has been hunting in my spot. I seem to be the only one finding so many shrooms here. My brother has been so jealous that he has started trying to compete with me..... But he isn't even close to my total count. I've gotta work tomorrow...however, I planning on looking in a new spot I located today. Good luck to all!!!!!!

morel report. Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - April 12, checked the sight 30 miles northwest of Nashville again. Found 125 grey/white/yellows, a few decaying blacks, and a few fresh semi-liberas. The largest was about 7" tall under a large Sycamore. All the others were under Black Cherry and Tulip Poplar. I saw many, verysmall, young grey/whites starting to peek up through the leaves, so there should be many more after a few days of warm weather. Hal

Wed, 12 Apr 2000 - Wednesday, April 12, 2000 this is Red in Tennessee back again! Just wanted to let folks know that I'm still shrooming. Yesterday, I returned to one of my favorite hot spots to find 18 blacks. I also found that someone had been in my spot. It was rough hunting! Someone had used a stick to flip leaves up. It couldn't have been anyone who is a true shroomer!!! I was really frustrated after about a hour of hunting. I hoping to go shrooming this afternoon. I'll let ya know how if I have any luck. Good luck to all!!!

Finding morels! Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 - April 15, 2000. My husband and I went looking before the sleet and rain came. We went to our favorite spot and only found 11. Two of them were white and the others were black. He found one in our woods behind the house. Since that day of bad weather we have not found any since then. We are going to another spot at the end of this month and will let you know how many we have found. We found 462 last year. We are 20 miles North of Nashville. Believe it or not my husband found one yesterday the size of a coke can. Both round and in height. My husband and daughter found 22 just behind our house on the wood line. We live in a town called Goodlettsville. We are mainly in the country the best place to live. We went to our favorite spot just 10 miles north of White House, Tn.. A lot of people find them in those woods. We found 20 more. Though 6 of them were huge. My husband did take pictures and is going to try and send them to Brett. They have been cut up and ready to fry. YUMMIE, YUMMIE. We are going out of town next weekend to another favorite spot to hunt them also. Hopefully we will find more this year than we did last year. Janie and Danny

Morel report. Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 - I've been shrooming all weekend and again yesterday. During the weekend, I found 100 whites. Some were really great size. I returned to my favorite hot spot yesterday. I found 9 whites. It's raining today and cool. However, I'm going hunting later this afternoon. It's beginning to be difficult to hunt the undergrowth in the woods is really greening up. Good luck to all!!! Sincerely, Red in Tennessee.

Texas:

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 - Tom, I am going to be in Houston april 4 -8. I havn't seen anything posted from Texas and am wondering if they find morels in this area.Is the cimate or geography not favorable.I would appreciate it if You could pass on any knowledge of this area.Maybe I should take My fishing stick and leave My shroom stick behind. Thank- You. Jeffrey

Utah:

Found Some in Utah! Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 - My name is Tim S. I'm from Indiana and grew up finding them there with my parents. I am now in the Air Force and have been stationed at Hill AFB (near Odgen) since the Summer of 95'. I don't know why I never went looking before. I always thought it was too dry here. I did some web surfing about morels and found a web site for the Mushroom Society of Utah. I emailed them with questions and they did confirm that morels grow here in Utah, although not nearly as plentiful as in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, etc. Anyway, my daughter and myself found 42 black morels today (7 May 2000) in Layton, Utah. I'm not sure which exact variety they are. The caps are very dark, nearly black. The stems are generally quite a bit longer than the caps and are a white to yellow color. If you know the variety, please let me know. Thanks. Tim

Vermont:

Sighting! Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 - NorthWestern Vermont! Just a handful so far. In my garden of all places. I believe it must be due to the mulch (cedar?) My first morels ever! And they are black. I am now trying to decide should I wait or just eat 'em! J. L.

Virginia:

03/09/00: Hello all George of Pa. Have a confirmed picking of 5 Morchella conica. Picked yestaerday in the mountains of Lexington VA. Direct location not provided. 2-3 inches tall.Just got off the phone with my uncle who picked them. George of Pa.

found only 2 more. Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 From: George H. George H here, Just got back from VA. found only 2 more with tops the size of a quarter. Really cold nights there. They are hiding beneath the leaves for a while longer it seems.Best of luck to all.

Indicators! Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 - From: Clayton B. First, I am a big fan of your web site. Thanks for being there. I am a displaced Iowan in the military spending my first spring on the coast of Virginia. I am really "chomping at the bit". I have already accomplished the near impossible and found the mighty morel in an area where they are simply unknown! I have found very few, and only in the bottom lands which leads me to believe not only are they rare here, but that my season is about to end as well. What perplexes me is that I am still stumbling across "Early Spring Entolomas" and "Blackish Red Russula's" which are considered to be the first Spring ground fungi to show in these parts. I find it hard to believe that my season has yet to take off, when they are popping up as far North as Wisconsin. My question: Other than the related early showers (Black and Half-free), are there any other mushroom species that serve as indicators that not only will Morels soon begin to show, but also suggest that I've found a worthy piece of real estate to hunt on? I have done hours of homework on my trees, but what about other fungi? As I was chastised by a game warden about disrupting the turkey hunters, he told me to go to the mountains. Alot easier said than done! Thanks for any help. Clayton, The only time I hunted mushrooms in VA was in August and found two poisonous varieties that I had never seen in Illinois. Of course, no morels in August. Maybe some other readers could help.

Washington:

finding morel mushrooms. Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 - hello, my brother and i love morel mushrooms and the greats thing about them is hunting for them yourself. but the 2 places we used to pick at now have been turned into housing developments and now we're having a hard time finding them in the maple valley, wa. area and graham, wa area. does anyone know any place close by that will have morel mushrooms growing wild. these are the best mushrooms to zest up any meal and buying them is just the expensive i think the last price i've seen is $100.00 per lb. and their not the same as picking them yourself and it gives my brother and i time to spend together doing something we both love. please help!!!! thank you, april of auburn,wa

West Virginia:

MORELS!!!!!! Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 From: Bill B.: I was out last week and found none, but everything looks ripe for this weekend. The dogwoods are beginning to blossom and that means it's MUSHROOM TIME. Will let you next week how things went this weekend. GOOD HUNTING everyone!! Bill B.. WEST VIRGINIA

Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 - This is Weasel up in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia and the mushrooms are up!!!!!! Found over 200 between Friday and Sunday. 24 March - 26 March.

Found some. Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 - This is Curt in southern West Virginia. Finally got the chance to go out today for the first time, found about 15 whites in one of my favorite picking areas. Left about half a dozen because they were too small and because they're starting to thin out in that area. I found about 500 in that area 2 years ago. Only found about 200 last year. Think its time to find another favorite spot. Hopefully will get a chance to go out again this weekend. Happy Hunting everyone. PS Really enjoy your site. I have been telling everyone about it.

Morels. Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 - From: Jeffrey G. I have only recently found your site, and I must say its great. We own a 30 acre farm outside the capitol area in WestVirginia that we purchased 2 years ago, and I am happy to say that as of yesterday's trip into my front yard, which are woods of course, we have now harvested close to 200 Black and a few white morels in the last two years, this years average mushroom size is about 4 to 6 inches. We have been very fortunate that we have an abundance of Morels and we only pick a small portion of what is actually there.4/18/00

Huntington, WVa. Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 - From: W. Finally made it back to WVa after 2 yrs absence. Found total of 10 lbs near Huntington in Cabell Co. Mostly all blacks, my favorites. Some were very nice, a few were a bit too old. Sure was a joy to go thru the woods without a lot of competition. Not many of the locals hunt morels

Wisconsin:

Morels. Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000. I've been checking the "sightings" on a daily basis! Slowly but surely watching the shroom line reach to the north! Jason and I have been doing a little picture taking of a big ole dead elm in southwest Wisconsin since December. The link to the page is http://www.angelfire.com/wi/morelmaster/thetree.html Hopefully the first morel in Wisconsin will be pop up under this beauty! Ground conditions look very good in Wisconsin. A couple of warm weeks with lots of rain and we'll have shrooms by mid April. Brett

WISCONSIN SIGHTING! Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 - From: ddbw, Hello guys, Two bits of info for ya's.... Muscoda is planning on hosting the morel festival again this year! I will email a news article out of the Boscobel dial when it appears (hopefully end of this week.) Oh yeah, Jason found a morel APRIL 8th. The day after we received 3" of SNOW! We both went back today (April 9th) and found about a dozen or so. I took some pics that can be viewed at http://www.angelfire.com/wi/morelmaster/2000season.html They'll be ready to pick in 10 to 14 days!! Brett

It's kind of amazing, because we had snow flurries again...all day yesterday and it didn't seem to "harm" the morels. We had snow accumulation and frosty car windows this morning. I stopped and took a peek at them this morning and they were covered with snow, but not frost bit! These damn little things are pretty confusing? Brett

Sat, 15 Apr 2000 - http://muscoda.com/fest-mushroom.html Here is a link to information about the Muscoda festival in 2000. (I know you aren't going to be able to make it, but I thought you may be able to post the link or pass the information on.) I did get a chance to run around the woods this afternoon (while Jason is in Jonesboro). Found a total of 29 morels under 4 different elms (all facing dead south). I've updated my site with some pics. I have to say I am more excited this year than I was last season at this time. The ground conditions are very good! (Of course we could always use rain when promoting morel growth.) I am estimating Jason and I will harvest between 200 and 250 pounds of morels this year. Brett

sightings!! Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 - So.Central Wisconsin- Found first mushrooms of the season 4/16/00! We got about 61 small grey ones roughly 2#. It is only 50*out and still cool, cloudy. The season has started! Teri

Wi update. Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 - From: Teri R. After about 3 days of rain and cool weather, Sat 4/22 was hot and sunny. Sun was cool and rainy and we never made it out all weekend. We went to one of our early sites tonight and found 115 small to large grey ones. It was wonderful. Weatherman is predicting warm and sunny for the next few days, should be more to come. So.Central Wi is in season! Teri. PS, small typo from last report, actually it should be 2oz on the 61 small greys. Did I mention they were small? Happy hunting!

Morels of course! Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 - Hello Tom & Vicky - Thought I would let other Wisconsin hunters know to get off the couch and get in the woods. The hunting is pretty much limited to South facing slopes and open areas on East and West hills. I collected 15 pounds over the last three days which was April 24-26. Hoping for moisture tonight and tomorro. Things are getting pretty dry out there! I wish all hunters the best of luck. I hope the festival in Magnolia goes well too. Jason - Southwest WI.

Hunt till you drop! Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 - The weather has been confusing, a few warm sunny days and then a few really cool and cloudy ones. The nights have been cool all the way around, but we decided to go again Fri after some sunny days and I found my first motherlode of nice grey ones. So. central Wi is in full swing, the greys are med to large and we found 150 between the two of us. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We had a bit of rain fri and I think it helped. It still seems drier than normal. Did'nt weigh them, but we were ecstatic! Teri

Morchella Season! Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 - Hello Tom and Vicky,Just thought I'd give ya's my "personal" season rating in Southwest WI. (Of course Jason is going to continue to hunt ditch lines and stay low on Northern hillsides until May 12th, he won't find but a couple of pounds a day, but for the most part....season 2K done with.) I'd rate the season a "7" overall. The weather really was harsh on our morels the last week of April and first week of May. We had one little shower on April 30th, followed by 4 days the first week of May that were above 80F. I know the weather stunted growth and prevented a lot of morchella from coming up. We lost a good 4 or 5 days of hunting because of the weather. There were a lot of fresh dead elms in our territory we hunt and that is what enabled Jason and I to pick over 175 pounds this season. I took some pretty good notes in lots of places and we are going to have a fair amount of elm trees die over the summer months, which should make for a good season next year. Jason found a 14 ounce morel, the largest of the season thus far. (He'll probable find a bigger one at somepoint this week.) I'm not sure what Muscoda is going to do this season. By the time the 19th-21st rolles around, there is not going to even be a pile of "mush" in the woods. Jason called up their May 9th. They had bought only 2 pounds of morchella this season thus far. It will be interesting.... Well have a good day, Brett

More Morels! Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 - We had about a week of above normal weather, highs right around 80*, but no rain. Things were awfully dry but we were still finding some in excellent condition. Finally got 2 days of rain and today we found 3-1/4 pounds, for a total so far this year of 743 morels total to date for this year. Our best yet ever and we started finding the yellows today. Hope to up the count by quite a few this weekend, we are taking Fri off just to hunt! Good luck to the rest, some are reporting lower than average this year but we are finding ours. Teri

Wyoming No Reports Yet!

No State/Province Mentioned

This new state, otherwise known as confusion, is listed because the senders have good questions or stories but haven't mentioned where they're from

Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 - From: ADP. I have just begun to search and fing morels. I am enjoying the hunting greatly. Of the ones I have found I believe them all to be grays. A couple have had a very light blueish white textured surface on the inside of the morel. The others were more similar in color to the exterior. The surface was not the cotton stuffing as in a false morel, but an almost mold like looking surface. The feel was no different from the others. Also what are the little tiny bugs that are inside. Some morels are splotchy with brown spots from the critters. Can these bugs simply be washed off or do they distroy the morel? What is the prefered method of cooking? I gently fried some in garlic and butter, but they were rather tough and tastless. Perhaps I cooked them to long. Thanks. The bugs are probably "Springtails" and if they are on the morel too long, they speed up the deterioration of the mushroom. They sometime require soaking in salted water to be removed. The white textured surface was probably mold, but I can't be sure without looking at it. I ususally cut off the splotchy brown spots. I think you cooked the mushrooms too long.

The biggest morel! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - Hi, I would like to know the size of the biggest morel you have ever heard of? A friend of ours claims he found a three pounder and he says he took a picture of it which I can't wait to see of course and then he ate it. He said it was great. Well, let me know when you have time. Thanks! Debbie C. Debbie, The biggest mushroom I've ever seen weighed 1 lb. 4 oz. ( I filled a shoe box - a big shoebox) I've heard of two other 3 lb. morels. But I'm a doubting Thomas, I'm gonna have to see one and weigh it for myself to believe it.

Mushroom sighting! Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 - We have returned from the mountains and we found 436 this year. We found Brown, White, and Yellow ones. Our spot is booming with them. Someone had already picked some but they don't and probably won't get into the areas that we were. They missed a whole bunch of them. I found a spot that had 6 that were about 4 to 5 inches tall. They were brown. Before we left on Sunday we went hiking on a trail near Cades Cove. We found 80. We were shocked that they grew at that altitude. My daughters found 10 in one little area and my husband and his dad found 20 in a little spot. Thanks to Brett we can perserve them and enjoy them year round. Thanks Brett. We will be going back next year. Though we plan on moving up to Townsend next year. So we won't have to worry very much about traveling to other places to find some. Janie, Danny and Girls

END OF SEASON. Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 - HAD A CRAZY YEAR, THEY ALL CAME AND ENDED IN ABOUT A WEEK. I WOULD RATE THIS YEAR AT A -5-. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR INFO. JVS

First timer! Date: Sat, 13 May 2000 - From: Jeremafia D. I just all of the sudden got interested in morels, they were talking about them on the news, and I thought it would give me and my girlfriend a chance to do something.So we went out about 10-o clock in the morning. Not really knowing good from bad, she could tell the difference, she`s ate them before. I didnt really expect to find anything, but we ended up finding 7 good sized morels. The biggest one about 9 inches!! I think thats a pretty good one. Not really knowing what a elm tree looks like, I just went trapesing through the woods and got lucky. I guess I`m kind of late in the season but it`s been fun.

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