Funny Morel Story and a lesson for everyone.

[DTro]

With morel mushroom season upon us, thousands of hungry hunters will set off deep into the forests in search of the elusive, edible morel mushroom. Searching for the honeycomb-like fungi can be a fun, challenging activity for adults and kids alike, with the potential payoff a delicious, nutty, steak-like delectable worth its weight in gold, almost.

Morel mushrooms commonly sell for $40-$50/lb. While these prices have always attracted individuals and businesses looking to capitalize on its high-demand, it's largely an experience enjoyed by families and friends. But with only a fixed area of public land available, and more people joining the hunt, many long-time mushroom hunters have resorted to secrecy when it comes to their secret spots. This secrecy, it seems, has always worked well for the man in this story.

That is, until now.

Billy Renswald, a Missouri native, has hunted morel mushrooms since he can remember. "I love the morel mushroom and love the hunt. I've had the same spot for over 20 years…a spot I discovered and have kept very secretive, even from my own family," he says laughing. "I can't remember a season in 20-something years that I didn't find 10 pounds, maybe 15 pounds. This is a small, remote area in the middle of nowhere," Renswald adds.

So last week, armed with 3 mesh bags and his walking stick, Renswald once again set off to his secret spot. Upon arrival, in the same way he had done for over 20 years, Renswald walked several hundred yards into the trees, directly to the base of some old Elm trees. It was these same Elm trees, year after year, around which Renswald routinely fills his mesh bags with mushrooms. He even marked his special spot. "A long time ago I carved my initials into about a dozen Elms - these particular ones always had morels growing around them. It was automatic, every year."

But this year was different. To the surprise of Renswald, and for the first time since the late '80s, there were no morels by his old Elm trees. Not even a single, lonely morel mushroom.

"I was really shocked, and sad actually. Every year they are by those Elms," he said.

Frustrated, Renswald decided he would head home and try his spot again in a few days. Maybe it was just too early.

But as he walked away, slowly, he smelled something. Yes, Renswald claims to be able to actually smell the morel mushroom. "I was so happy. I knew exactly what I smelled," he stated with confidence.

So he decided to search more closely around his old Elm trees. To his own surprise even, Renswald was right; he did, in fact, smell morel mushrooms. There was one sitting just a few feet from him…or, at least, there was one sitting just a few feet from him. Unfortunately, for Renswald anyway, with exception of the very base of the morel mushroom -- it was gone, picked.

"I couldn't believe it. I knew right then and there somebody found my spot. They picked them. They picked them all."

What Renswald saw were the remains of a fresh morel mushroom, cut off at the base. Someone else had beat him to his spot, presumably only hours earlier. "I'm glad they cut it off at that base, rather than pull it out with its roots, so they will grow back again next year."

Renswald went on to find dozens more - all stems, all harvested. He counted the stems, totaling somewhere around 9-10 dozen morel mushrooms.

But who could have found Renswald's secret spot? After all, it was such a remote area, miles from the nearest city or farmhouse. Even if a person were to stumble upon it, getting to Renswald's favorite Elm trees was a challenge in itself, which included climbing over two barbed wire fences, crossing a creek and negotiating all sorts of fallen limbs and thick brush.

"They almost had to know precisely where they were going. It's like someone gave them a detailed map to my secret spot," Renswald jokes.

But strangely enough, as it turns out, someone did have a map.

Last Monday night, as he does a few times each week, Renswald logged onto Facebook. As he scrolled through the Facebook posts, Renswald noticed something oddly familiar, in a photo, posted by one of his neighbors.

"I about had a heart attack. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was furious."

What Renswald saw in the photo was a man, his neighbor actually, of 20 years, smiling for a photo under a large, old Elm tree. In his hands he held two large bags of morel mushrooms. But this particular Elm tree, Renswald realized, wasn't just any old Elm tree.

"I saw my initials in the tree. I saw BR, carved right into my Elm tree."

Renswald said although he was upset, he sat quietly, pondering his next move. After all, he realized, his neighbor had as much right to his sacred, secret spot as anyone. But still, he was angry, "I thought he followed me out there. I don't know how else he could have found it…I have never told a soul. I was so paranoid about the spot, I drove a different route each time I went out. I even parked a half mile away."

Renswald decided anyway to send an email to his neighbor.

………..

From: Billy Renswald

Date: April 28, 2011 12:24:11 PM CDT

To: *******

Subject: morel spot

Jason,

I was on Facebook the other day and noticed a photo of you holding two bags of morel mushrooms. I also noticed it was in the exact location I find them every year. Of course, you have every right to hunt that spot, but I have to ask, how long have you been following me out there?

Billy

…………

And the neighbor's reply...

………..

From: *********

Date: April 28, 2011 12:59:11 PM CDT

To: Billy Renswald

Subject: RE: morel spot

Hahaha are you mad? It's not what you think, I didn't follow you anywhere.

Last year you emailed me a photo of you holding 3 big bags of morels. You were telling people about how you have this secret spot and this and that, how nobody else knows where it is, how you eat on them for weeks.

Well, you should know something funny my friend. When you take photos with your phone, no matter where you are on this earth, within that photo is stored your exact latitude and longitude. It's called geotagging. All I did was downloaded your photo, found the latitude and longitude coordinates stored in the photo, and within a couple minutes I pulled up an aerial view of your location on the computer. It pinpointed your exact location within feet!!! Then I knew you would be going out soon so I had to beat you to it.

Sorry if you're mad though!!

…………

As frightening as it may sound, Jason is pretty much right. Geotagging does exist, and by default it's active on many smartphone devices. For Billy Renswald, he learned about geotagging the hard way. "I have it turned off now. It's a neat feature, but it cost be my favorite morel spot. Now I'll be spending the next 20 years trying to beat my neighbor to my spot."

Asked if he remained friends with his neighbor following this experience, Renswald replied, "No comment"

[NoWiser]

I'd never be able to look the guy in the eyes again. I would gladly give up every one of my fishing spots before my best mushroom spots. Just reading the story makes me sick to my stomach!

[TruthWalleyes]

Alright....Lets see some big fish pics

[DTro]

I know of a certain monster fish caught last year that I emailed the guy a satellite image of the exact spot he caught it after he posted a picture (based on the embedded GPS coordinates). LOL

[TigerBlood]

Alright....Lets see some big fish pics

HA! HA! Exactly! Great story though. I just don't think there are any secrets anymore in the age of the internet. Even on this site, I see a lot of guys mentioning spots/bites. I'm not saying they should or shouldn't do that. I'm just saying it's yet another way the word gets out along with Facebook, and the guys that can't wait to tell everyone at the bar how well they did. Bummer for the guy in the story though. You would think they could share vs. one guy taking them all.

[DARK30]

I hope they can't do that with videos!

[Loose]

Is there still a way to pull the info out of a photo with the Geo tracking set to off on the phone.

[IlliniWalli]

great story

I know of a certain monster fish caught last year that I emailed the guy a satellite image of the exact spot he caught it after he posted a picture (based on the embedded GPS coordinates). LOL

so, tell us how to do it, dtro.

i been looking for some new flathead spots.

[Keeter]

Who took the picture of him holding the bags? That person is the one that gave up the secret spot...not the geotags! I watch CSI too...

[DTro]

great story

so, tell us how to do it, dtro.

i been looking for some new flathead spots.

All you need to do is install a program to read EXIF data from photos that are geotagged. Some requires you to right click, other you can just hover the pointer over the picture and all the info shows up. Mostly depends on your browser and the software you use.

[trolloni]

good stuff to know, and another fact all mushroom hunters are liars! you better be real secretive about youre spots in this me first world!

[harvey lee]

I would never steal anothers spot that way.

Seems low to me. But, I guess some will do anything to findd anothers location instead of finding them themselves.

[flipper]

How about a fishing spot?

[RumRiverRat]

I constantly check the exif data on pictures posted here.

Love pming someone the exact location they caught their trophy fish at.

There are many ways to eliminate geotagging info.

With the EXIF viewer I have, all I have to do is scroll over the pic and the info pops up.

[nate larson]

RRR - One of these days you will have to show me how to get the GPS info!

[RumRiverRat]

Only works if they take the picture with their Smart Phone Nate.