1st Morels of the season!

[jkcmj]

While on a work outing in Central Illinois last Tuesday, I spent my lunch hour in a local city park around Decature, IL checking for mushrooms. I picked my 1st hat full of the season around one tree. They appear to be in the peak of their season right now. They are also just starting to find quite a few in Central Iowa now as well. A couple of cell phone photos to wet your appetite for the season coming!

1st mushroom

1st hat full

A couple extras

[Acemac]

62.99 / lbs at lakewinds

[jkcmj]

They buy them near me at the Apple Orchard for $14/lb early season and usually goes down to $12 or $10 when things get going.

They retail the 2nds locally for $20 or $21 per pound and seem to sell a lot of them.

Most are shipped to Illinois to fill contracts for retail sale. I have seen them selling down there for $40/lbs in road stands, which makes to sense to me when dead elms seem to be very common there. I have found mushrooms quickly each time I checked, even not being familiar with the areas. Good old GPS "find place of interest near you" , then click on "state park/natural area" and it is morel city!

[jkcmj]

Found my 1st morels in SE MN today while turkey hunting. 27 little grays around one tree on a south slope on my way out of the timber.

[drewevans]

I Looked in my honey holes today that are also south faceing slopes with no prevail!! im glad you found some i will be a little more confident next time i check might look harder.

[tracker x-2]

I was out last weekend for a quick scan with no luck!

This makes me think I over looked some.

[TooTallTom]

jkcmj, I glanced at the photo and thought, "Geez, why doesn't he say anything about the turkey he shot? That was a good day!" then I looked at where the body joins the head and thought, "That's no turkey, that's an armadillo. He definitely should have said something about that!" Then I realized that it was a decoy...

I guess I'm not firing on all cylinders yet this morning.

[jkcmj]

While working down in Cedar Rapids, Iowa today I checked a local city park and came up with a couple of trees producing a bunch. That's a three state spread now! I will have to sneak up into WI for a few next! Sorry for the blurry photos, but I have misplaced my good digital and have to rely on the cell phone..

[snapcrackpop]

found a dry one at lunch today while on a quick walk.

Need rain...

[snapcrackpop]

If I can't find any is it too early or too late?

[jkcmj]

They are really heating up in SE MN right now. I picked 5-10 lbs today in just a few hours of walking. Many were already dried up in the open areas, while the north slopes were barely showing the little grays.

And a false morel...The top on this one looked exactly like a real morel, but the hood gave it away...

[tracker x-2]

The few spots i have that normally produce have not given me one yet.

I'm still hoping there just coming in late.

I was at rainbow this morning and noticed they are selling morels

for $15 AN OUNCE

[HANS76]

Is there a rainbow foods in kato?

[snapcrackpop]

Found 7 this afternoon!

[walleyehunter80]

yum mushrooms!

[tracker x-2]

No I'm back home for the summer. I go to school in kato

I was refering to the rainbow in lakeville.

[jkcmj]

The few spots i have that normally produce have not given me one yet.

I'm still hoping there just coming in late.

I was at rainbow this morning and noticed they are selling morels

for $15 AN OUNCE

I just sold a few pounds at the Orchard in Centerville, WI and they were paying $15 a pound. Most years it is a little less $14 to start, then $10 by seasons end. They said they are coming in very slowly now, but if you look enough, they are out there!

[dustin85]

We found a ton of them this weekend near akeley. I don't even eat fungus, but stumbled across a bunch of it, so we started picking. We filled a couple cargo boxes on the ATV's then got bored with it. We gave it all away to friends of ours that like to eat the stuff. If I knew where to sell them, I would have made a few bucks yesterday. It was all right along trails. We never ventured farther than 3 feet off the edge of the trails to pick them. There is still plenty more out there!

Dustin

[NELS-BELLS]

They are really heating up in SE MN right now. I picked 5-10 lbs today in just a few hours of walking. Many were already dried up in the open areas, while the north slopes were barely showing the little grays.

jkcmj,

I like the t-shirt your son is wearing in the photo. My son also wrestled in that tourny. 93 lbs. 5th/6th grade.

Nels

[jkcmj]

I think mine wrestled up one weight, same age group.

[jkcmj]

Just when I thought I was through finding shrooms for the season, I found over a pound of fresh big ones while fixing pasture fence this afternoon! What a treat!

[not_nuf_time]

Cool, think I'll give it another look today.