Morel Mushroom basics
Morechella or "Morels" as they are commonly known, are a highly sought after, edible species of mushroom which are fairly easily identifiable by their honey comb shaped top. Morels are known throughout the world by many different names including "shrooms", yellers, sponges, dryland fish, and even to some folks as merkels.
No matter what you call them, morel hunting is always best enjoyed by the company of great friends. Though not known to contain any chemical that is addictive, ask anyone who hunts them every year, there's something about these spongy fungi that will have you taking time off of work in early spring to get out and find more!
Morels have been known to cause people to pull off of the road and jump out of cars racing through the woods towards what they thought they saw. Morels are also known to cause the serious hunters to have troubling dreams at night of finding the "motherload", and no bags to put them all in.
Morel mushroom hunting is a great outdoor activity that has been passed down throughout the generations. The season for morels (in Indiana) is early spring, generally just as the temperatures warm up enough for the trees to just begin budding. It generally runs from late March to early May.
Morel hunting is not for the faint of heart & requires some physical activity. While some morel hunters will spend days in the woods chasing down this fantastic fungi, others have found spots close to the roadside, or even in their own backyards. If you are a novice hunter, just be prepared to spend a little bit of time developing your spots & hunting habits. for more in depth conversation about morels, visit www.morelhunters.com
Morel Hunting basics
The best part of hunting morel mushrooms, is the time that you get to spend out in the woods during the spring. When hunting or looking for morels, one of the most important things that you can do is get to know your trees. There are four "main" trees that you should get to know (esp in the midwest) 1-Slippery Elm 2-Ash 3-Sycamore 4-Poplar. A great website for getting to know your trees, is www.treebarkid.com We would reccommend visiting the site & memorizing all of the details about each of these trees before you go on your first morel hunt.
As you probably already know, Morels are quite elusive! While we know many people who can find morels intheir back yard, most of us are not that lucky. I know hundreds of people who spend countless hours every spring as deep in the woods as they can possibly go. Always be prepared. Even the most experienced outdoorsmen can get get turned around or even lost in the woods. It's always good to bring along some extra water & snacks with you on your trip. We prefer camelbaks, as they are easy to carry on your back, have some storage space & your hands are free to climb, cut & harvest. Bring a compass or gps. This way you can find your way out of the woods, should you get lost while hunting for morels. Wear waterproof boots.
As a former infantryman, I know first hand, that if your feet get wet, you will be miserable! (I recommend some nice Merrell, or Keen Hiking boots) Don't go cheap on your feet, you get what you pay for when buying boots! (bring an extra pair of socks too) Bring a mesh bag with you. There is lots of debate on this issue, but definitely play it safe, to help spread the morel spores, and also to keep your morel mushrooms fresh. It would be a shame to spend all of those hours in the woods hunting, only to have them spoil from keeping them in plastic bags. Bring an extra bag to pick up trash! Unfortunately a lot of people who spend time in the woods do not respect it. The responsibility falls on us (the ones who do care) to clean up their mess. Morels do not like trash, and neither do we :) Cut or pinch the morel off at the stem. PLEASE do not just grab the morels and pull them out of the ground. If you'd like to find morels at the same spot next year, then be kind and leve the "root ball" behind. Bring a flashlight & a lighter. We mentioned that it is easy to get turned around in the woods, multiply that by 1,000 when it gets dark outside. Another great item to bring is a quality knife. It could be a swiss army style, or just a nice sharp folding blade. You never know when you night get into a pinch and need a nice knife while searching for morels. Make sure that your phone is charged before going on a morel hunt. If you're hunting with a group it is always best to stay in communication with your buddies. Shroom On!!!