Post by Seanstone on Apr 19, 2013 21:22:19 GMT -5
There are 2 ways I look for them. When I look early in the year, like now, I scan the ground for dark colors. When I find the dark color I then focus on it and see what it is....more often than not its a wet leaf or something. This way I dont strain my eyes all day and end up with a headache. The second technique is to look for texture. Morels have a texture somewhat to the shell of a walnut, after its lost its hull. (kinda wrinkly.) This is how I do it anyway.
Another tip, take your sons (sons friends), daughters, and maybe your wife and walk through the woods in lines at about 10 foot apart. Try to cover different elevations, we hunt hillsides, have the first person start downhill and then every other person 10 foot apart all the way up the hill. Once someone finds the first one, have everyone in the group try to find it.....but be careful they come up in groups. I rarely find 1 mushroom by itself. Having everyone spot the mushroom gets everyones eyes adjusted to finding mushrooms. It sounds dumb but it works. I'll go on streaks where I dont find a mushroom for 30 minutes or so, and I'll wait for someone else spot one and then I'll go try to find it before the pick it.
If the mushrooms are small try bending over and looking stopping for 2 or 3 minutes at a time. Sit down and see if you can find them. When they get larger you can typically find them walking at a good pace, but not this time of year.
Take a compass, most early mushrooms will grow on the south side of bushes, fallen trees, hillsides, etc. Alot of the ones we found today were right on the edge of multifloral rose bushes, thorns.
Good luck, Hope this helps.
