6 Expert Morel Hunting Tips You May Have Not Heard

Morel hunting is a passion of mine. Over the years, it has become a tradition for me and my boys to head out in the hopes of bringing home a feast. Morel hunting is for the hopeful, but here are a few tips on where to find morel mushrooms to help you when you head out to find these (sometimes) elusive prey:

Hunt territory, not mushrooms

Morels like what they like. And what they like are trees, particularity rotting ones. Look for elms, ashes and apple trees… I once found an amazing crop near an old orchard. It’s still one of my favorite places to start each spring.

Hunt spring temperatures

This last weekend’s snowfall was not ideal for the mushroom hunter. Morels like ground temperature of about 55 degrees. Ideally daytime highs around 60 to 70 degrees and night time temps that hover 40-50 plus.

Hunt for humidity

A good spring rain can bring on the morels. They like the humidity and the warm, moist air. When the sun pops after a fresh rain keep your eyes open they can pop out of nowhere.

Hunt disturbed ground

Last year’s forest fire can be this year’s hotbed of morels. Areas that have been logged, where the soil has been loosened or anyplace where the ground has been disturbed by activity is a great place to start.

Hunt for one

Morels like the company of other morels. So if you find one, you will likely find others. Pay attention to the details of the spot, the trees, the ground cover. These are all clues you will need to find more.

Don’t get stuck hunting same spots over and over exclusively. Canopies change, conditions change, lots of things change. I challenge myself to find 3 new spots every year! I just log them into my phone and Bing Bing Bing!

And here are two of my personal morel mushroom hunting tips:

From one morel mushroom hunter to another: carry a mesh bag for your mushrooms. As you walk, you will be leaving behind the spores that will mean more mushrooms for you next year. Secondly, leave one or two behind: if you clear them out, they cannot make more. And hunting, for me, is about managing the herd and making sure there is enough for everyone.

What do you do after you fill your morel bag? You clean them and cook them of course! In this video I’ll give you some pointers on how to do just that.

David Farbman

The only thing typical about my life is the non-typical nature that I appear to live in. I firmly believe in the natural order of the world, and I find that this belief helps to navigate me through life, business, and relationships, resonating with my soul. I am in flow with nature and the universe in this way. I blog in an effort to pass on a message about the connections between nature, hunting, and life. Within that realm lies an authentic, clearer path to universal connectivity that I try to live in. The answers to many of our desired outcomes can be found there. My desired outcome is to successfully pass on the ideas, wisdom, and karma that come to me because of my connection with nature and the universe. As this script unfolds in my life, I want to share and help others while adding to the greater good of the world. Many people claim this, but I truly mean it and I bring it into action every day I am on this earth--or at least I sure try. I learned to hike, camp, canoe, horseback ride, fish, and sling arrows at a very young age. A spiritual connection with the outdoors came to me as a little boy and the power of this connection has greatly increased over my lifetime. As a hyper-active person since birth, nature has always settled me down and focused me in while helping me tap into thoughts and ideas that exist within the ether. By thinking, feeling and then willing something to happen after first opening our minds and our vision in a neutral state, we can achieve that which is otherwise unthinkable. I turned 40 years old last October and this past year has served as my catalyst year to promote change. I am in a process of self-actualization as I try to live present in each moment of each day. As part of this process, certain feelings must be turned into actions and done so with complete authenticity. I often write thoughts that come to me and in turn help others--and I believe the greatest return in life is to successfully give. I founded Outdoor Hub in 2007 along with a talented bunch of people and together we created something special. For as long as I can remember I have dreamed of doing something that would help to grow the outdoors and grow hunting--earning it the respect it deserves amongst those who choose not to hunt. I am so excited to be on this journey and I invite you into the field, to climb up a tree, to crawl through the swamps and be one with nature together. Thank you for joining me, the hunt is on...