Bear poop morels

[mtnmushroom]

I cut the morels, it leaves some spores there like the porous sack would do, and keeps the dirt out of my shrooms. I also check for worms when I cut them. If i get wormy ones, I cut them up in pieces and spread them around in places they should grow and through my years of experience in wa cascades, a bigger patch will show up in later years. more spores = more mushrooms. This is my 11th yr of being addicted to morel hunting. can't wait for May...

[cusanusnicolas]

Pulling it out is okay, but it's nice to use a porous sack to carry it so the spores will get around...

[redbeardmn]

Thanks for posting the Morel videos!

I like the way you pan around and show were they're are found. We're flat-landers here in MN so no mtns. I'm going to key in on dead elms but now I won't be so narrow minded. I really love them lightly fried in butter on top of a grilled steak :-) only a couple weeks to go now!

[chickenofthewoods]

Thanks for the positive comment. I'm amazed that you guys have the patience to wait! I would think there were a few up in MN by now? In your area look for the dead elms, but don't neglect white ash and tulip poplar as well as populus spp. The habitat in the videos is vastly different. I walked down by a river today and got skunked... Good luck!

[redbeardmn]

Woke up to snow this morning this comes after rain and 60 degree temps during the week :-(

Ground temps still too cold but they're getting them in Iowa so they'll be here soon.

[stevenemartin]

Never pull a Morel out of the ground, dumbass. Always cut the stem with a knife!

[chickenofthewoods]

Jesus, you have the nerve to call me a Dumbass?

Have you ever read anything about the life cycle of Morchella? Do you have any inkling whatsoever as to how mushrooms reproduce? Have you bothered to research the very contentious and wel-researched phenomenon of which you speak?

You, sir, know not of which you speak. I'm sorry, but you are a dumbass for having the audacity to call me a dumbass.

[chickenofthewoods]

Pulling that mushroom out of the ground does ABSOLUTELY NO HARM to the organism, and IN FACT, encourages greater fruitbody production in MANY, MANY mycorrhizal species.

Morchella, however, are quite different. There are many different species which specialize in the colonization of different substrates from region to region. The most common habitat for morels is DISTURBED areas. Dead trees from blights, forest fires, clearcuts, blow-downs and lightning struck trees...

[chickenofthewoods]

the list goes on, but the common denominator in most situations is dead and dying trees.

The reason this matters is that Morels colonize the dead root matter from trees. The mycelium consumes its food below ground, and sends up the fruitbody to disperse spores when its food source is depleted.

Extensive studies have been done that show that cutting chanterelle stems with a knife was correlated with fewer fruits in subsequent years. The mushrooms which were pulled often fruited more

[chickenofthewoods]

prolifically in following years.

The reason proposed was that somehow the mushroom sensed its predation when the entire mushroom was removed, and responded with more abundant fruits the following season to offset this mycophagy. The plots where the mushrooms were cut fruited no more abundantly than before.

The real difference, though, is in understanding that morels are primary saprophytes with mycorrhizal affinities in some species. They eat dead roots. Dying elms. Fallen cottonwoods. They

[chickenofthewoods]

even fruit in woodchip mulch.

Pulling them does no harm.

I know you live in the midwest somewhere or whatever and think that pulling them is some grievous crime because the mushrooms won't fruit there again, but it simply is not true. They like your ashy, elmy woods, but that doesn't mean they don't fruit by the TONS in the cascades in beetle-kills, burns and logged forests.

Get a grip, watch your language, but most of all, TRY READING.

DUMBASS.

[thegetupkid7609]

well put. You put him in his place... Bravo!

[austinden611]

calm the hell down damn. If he wants to pull it up instead of cutting it then the world aint gonna end. What do you care anyhow

[madisonelectronic]

@stevenemartin Pull this, Popeye.