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Dead Elms, White Ash & Apple Trees. Where the morels grow.
Warm days and a warm rainy night is a morel hunters delight.
They grow where they grow...
That motherload just may be over that next hill. Don't give up!
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How I got Started (My Story)
I don't claim to be a Mycologist or an expert on Morels, but I have many years
experience. Hands on training in the woods and in the classroom learning about
this mysterious fungi. I would like to pass this information on
to whoever is dedicated into bringing in a mother-load of Morels each season.
Although I cannot guarantee your success on finding the Mother-Load, but I
believe that the information that is provided on this site will become an asset to your mushroom hunting adventures. Yes, I do admit, there are other web sites that are dedicated to the same objective as this site aims at and they do provide good information and I am making no claim that my information is any better than another's But what I will tell you is this...I will be speaking on behalf of my own experience as well as scientific theory and facts. I have also gathered information by conversing with some of the most reputable Morel Experts on the Internet. Put it this way, My first 3 years of hunting Morels was a very frustrating and disappointing experience. I was basically hunting with a blindfold on. That's about what maybe I should have done. All I knew was that morels grow in the woods during the springtime and the hunt can become very addicting and not to mention, Morels are a true delicacy and will add a perfect accent to just about any dinner. So I became very intrigued by this mysterious fungi called a morel. I have always loved mushrooms and I love being in the woods and would find any excuse to be in the woods no matter what time of year. I figured hey, now I have an excuse in the springtime rather than just the fall months (when I am deer hunting) to be in the woods. So I set out on my first morel expedition back in the spring of 1996. Not knowing all the tricks of the trade. I figured, "how hard can this be?" Well here is how I went about my first morel hunt. I drove around in my car and got on a two track and just randomly selected a patch of woods. Hmmm, this looks good. (Thinking to myself) I took a compass reading and set out. I walked into the woods with my onion sack and I walked and walked and walked. I spent at least 2 hours wondering around not knowing some of the most important facts on morel habitats and hosts. To make long sob story short, For the 3 years I hunted Morels like this not doing any research on the subject, I found a total of 4 small Black morels. YES...You read that correct. 4 Morels in 3 years of hunting. I then became very discouraged and frustrated. I became desperate!
I finally realized that if I really wanted to get serious and start finding at least enough morels to go with my
Venison steak, I had better do some research and start learning more about these mysterious shrooms. I'm sure you have seen those pictures on other web sites of onion sacks bulging or bathtubs filled with Morels or 5 gallon buckets filled to the top. I have always found myself thinking...How do they do that? After my 3rd disappointing year of endless hours in the woods, aching feet, torn clothes, scratched up arms and hands, and a bad case of poison ivy, not to mention total disappointment and the agony of defeat, I decided that during the winter I would dedicate myself into learning as much as I possibly could about these addicting woodland treasures before the next season. What did I find to my dismay? I did not realize there was so much one had to know how to be successful on Morel Mushroom Hunting. I spent lots of time all winter long searching for information. I would stay up late at night while the rest of the family was fast asleep searching, reading and studying to help improve my knowledge and my success. To make a long story short, the following season I have gained enough knowledge that during that season I went from finding 4 Morels in a total of 3 seasons to finding well over a couple hundred in one weekend. Luck? Perhaps. But I do believe that what I have learned has paid off because ever since that season in 1999, I have been very successful each season and it keeps getting better with every year.
In these pages on this web site I will share all I have learned so hopefully you can be successful in the same way.
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