Morels, 2015

[Stick in Mud]

I've had my best year so far.  Found a few little blacks up by Leech Lake, and then came home and found a nice pile of yellows. They sure are easy to see when they get this big. Funny thing is, all my spots from the past few years have had *nothing* in them.   And the spots I did find this year had already been picked, as there were lots of little white round stumps everywhere.  I'm guessing some fella will be mighty sore when he realizes ol' Stick in Mud has invaded his territory and stolen the ones he was letting grow. Still, I found enough for a few meals, and the remainder--pictured below--are going in the dehydrator.   

I'm also hoping a little *decent* alcohol, included for scale only, of course, might help civilize some folks around here, what with NoWiser's shameless Busch (League) photos from years past. Scored some nice chaga, too, which supposedly will help decrease the cancer risk I'm elevating by drinking that scotch.

(And yes, that is a bedpan in the upper right side of the photo.  The dog much, much prefers to drink out of the toilet, so that's the best thing we've come up with--short of closing the bathroom door or closing the lid on the toilet--to keep him from drinking out of the toilet).  

Crazily enough, I found a chicken today that was *past* prime.  I still haven't seen an oyster, though.  

[pushbutton]

Can't  attest to any of that fungus stuff.....but his dog does have issues 

[swamptiger]

The dog obviously has a different view than his master for appreciating the finer things in life.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

I think my season is done in the metro.  Went to one of my spots and the few I found were in bad shape.  Went to another spot and nothing new popped in the last week.  

[Stick in Mud]

Yep, Ollie is a simple creature. He's pretty content with walks in the woods and funnily flavored water, just like his owner.  

I went out last night and found about two dozen that were still edible.  A few were too old.  Things around St Cloud are winding down, too.  I'll head back out tonight to see if I can put a few more in the mesh bag, but it's looking like it's on to better things--like chickens.

Oh, and I *finally* found an oyster last night.  Alas, it was invaded by beetles and already mushy, so I left it to its decorate forest function. 

[NoWiser]

I don't care what you guys say, everything seems to taste better when you are enjoying a Busch Light with it!  Unless you are in Canada, of course.

Is the 12 on that bottle the price?  If so, I think I'll stick to Boone's Farm when I am having a fancy meal....

[pushbutton]

Looks like we are pretty much done as well. OK year for numbers, but the size ran good. Will leave 2015 with a trophy long arm try to hide the fingers shot ...  it's almost as big as his head 

[Stick in Mud]

 

 

Edited June 3, 2015 by Stick in Mud
What did I do?

[Stick in Mud]

I screwed that up.  Was trying to quote NoWiser but failed.  

Anyways, I can't imagine someone admitting to familiarity with *both* Busch and Boone's in one post.  We'd have been good friends when I was in college, back when I drank cheap beer and used Boone's to get the girls to talk to me.  Now I just drink cheap beer alone and use Boone's to add some flavor to those tasteless oysters that Deitz likes so much. 

I like the pic, Push.  Now I know how you got all those crappies to look like 13 inchers.  

[pushbutton]

Speaking of Dietz....honed the trophy shot from the bass guys. Nothing says 5 lbers like a 2 1/2  Speaking of cheap libations....just finished off an updated boones farm/ bud light crannberryritta.....8 % of 25 oz..... and doing quite well thank you.

[swamptiger]

Speaking of Dietz....honed the trophy shot from the bass guys. Nothing says 5 lbers like a 2 1/2  Speaking of cheap libations....just finished off an updated boones farm/ bud light crannberryritta.....8 % of 25 oz..... and doing quite well thank you.

​

Must be the formaldehyde.  You can get the same effect from sniffing glue..

[Deitz Dittrich]

Yikes.... can anyone reach all the knifes in my back?  

 

[NoWiser]

back when I drank cheap beer and used Boone's to get the girls to talk to me.

​We should have been friends, because it seemed that no matter how much Boone's I drank, it didn't make the girls want to talk to my anymore than usual.  There must have been some type of trick I was missing. Perhaps a pink shirt to hide the stains would have helped? Trying to teach them about fungus didn't seem to work too well, either.

 

Deitz, you'll be lucky to find someone back here that won't twist the knives, let alone pull them out for you.  Seems that nobody is safe in this forum   I think that's way I like it so much!

[JP Z]

NoWiser.......that was your mistake.....the Boones was for the FEMALES!

[Stick in Mud]

 

 Ugh, I don't know why it's doing this, but every time I hit "Reply to topic," it brings up a gray box that's quoting NoWiser.  Given his choice of libations and his inability to figure out who the Boone's is ACTUALLY for (did you also wear a skirt when you were younger?), he's the last guy I want to be quoting!      And now Push admits to drinking Cranberrita?  Gentlemen...have we no shame? 

[swamptiger]

 

Gentlemen...have we no shame? 

 

+1.

The discriminating mind needs to recognize the subtle differences between a means to an end, and the end itself.

[NoWiser]

NoWiser.......that was your mistake.....the Boones was for the FEMALES!

​Oh man, that makes SOOO much more sense.....

[NoWiser]

 Ugh, I don't know why it's doing this, but every time I hit "Reply to topic," it brings up a gray box that's quoting NoWiser.  

​I can't be certain, but Rick probably had the HSOforum designers do this intentionally in an attempt to help me spread my wisdom.  It's nice that it is finally recognized.

[Stick in Mud]

Maybe so.  Probably should head down to Silly Town, where they spread a lot of stuff.....though I don't know if it smells like wisdom.  

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Just wanted to add a few thoughts to this thread before it makes it's way to the bottom.  

I had a decent year in the metro.  I found small grays starting on May 1 and my last pick was on May 31.  Thirty days is a pretty good run. I've always been told to look in patches of sumac and this year I finally found them growing in sumac, away from dead elms.  I was lucky to find some new spots and enjoyed picking some old favorites.  My "go to" spot has really slowed down in the past two years and this year it only produced three morels.   Another interesting spot had a thick stand of buckthorn about 10'x10', next to an elm.  The morels in the middle of the stand were fresh and gray.  On the edge of the stand they were yellow and past prime.  Illustrates how much of a difference light and temperature can make when finding morels.  

That is it.  Just a few thoughts.  Miss the hunt, but not the ticks.  

[Stick in Mud]

Thanks for chiming in, MLR.  I honestly hadn't heard of looking in sumac.   Mental note!! 

[delcecchi]

Just wanted to add a few thoughts to this thread before it makes it's way to the bottom.  

I had a decent year in the metro.  I found small grays starting on May 1 and my last pick was on May 31.  Thirty days is a pretty good run. I've always been told to look in patches of sumac and this year I finally found them growing in sumac, away from dead elms.  I was lucky to find some new spots and enjoyed picking some old favorites.  My "go to" spot has really slowed down in the past two years and this year it only produced three morels.   Another interesting spot had a thick stand of buckthorn about 10'x10', next to an elm.  The morels in the middle of the stand were fresh and gray.  On the edge of the stand they were yellow and past prime.  Illustrates how much of a difference light and temperature can make when finding morels.  

That is it.  Just a few thoughts.  Miss the hunt, but not the ticks.  

As a tip about ticks, soak treating clothing with Permethrin helps.  Purchase the concentrate in the ag section of stores like fleet farm.  Directions on YouTube.