Find Those Morel Mushrooms!

Morel mushrooms, it's time to start the hunt! Knowing morel species and the special environments they likes is key to foraging success.
Filmed in May of 2020 to present to you just as morel season is starting in 2021.
Do morels grow in your area? Check out www.inaturalist.org/ and search their data maps to find out!
Interested in knowing more about the toxicology of Morchella, Verpa or Gyromitra? Check out these resources:
Neurological Effects of Morchella Species by Denis R Benjamin MD (Fungi Magazine):
www.fungimag.com/fall-2015-ar...
Short Essay on the Edibility of Verpa bohemica by Paolo Davoli and Nicola Sitta:
www.fungimag.com/spring-2015-a...
Gyromitra Toxin Article By Michael Beug: namyco.org/docs/MycophileMayJ...
A molecular phylogenetic assessment of the genus Gyromitra in North America by Andrew Methven (Scientific Paper)
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
Affiliate Links
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The books!
Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest - amzn.to/2RPKNRt
Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast - amzn.to/2B3NAB0
The Complete Mushroom Hunter - Gary Lincoff - amzn.to/2TbbWzW
If you want to catch up with my mushroom life more regularly, be sure to follow me on Instagram.
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Zach Zoller Instagram - thezoller
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Mushroom Foraging Fungi Yellow Elanor Mushroom Identification Chanterelle Fairy Club Vlog Pacific Northwest

[@stardogchampion96]

There is nothing more interesting than a really smart lady that speaks scientific upon mycelium. Good Heavens.

[@YellowElanor]

Thanks!

[@jlvandat69]

Holy Mother of all Morel Mushroom Masters, Batman! I have watched 4-5 KZbin videos trying to find good Morel hunting guidance and BOOM, finally hit the Mother Load. Thank you X 100 for this rich-in-content video masterpiece, delivered with superior palatability. I'm also in Washington and was concerned about Morel availability here. No more worries! I'll be baaaaaack.

[@goodmushroom]

Actually got addicted to mushroom hunting because of one of your earliest videos on Spring Porcini. Hands down the best mushroom content on KZbin

[@YellowElanor]

Ha! That's a great compliment! Thank you so much.

[@goodmushroom]

@@YellowElanor well deserved!

[@octopus_prime]

Of all the mushroom content, you create the best!

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you so much!

[@enjolim.4778]

This was so informative! Thank you, I really enjoyed your video and now I'm super excited to find some morels! I live in Detroit, Michigan but I camp a lot and take my dogs walking on a lot of trails. Last year I found a BUNCH of chicken and hen of the woods mushrooms! It was so exciting!

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! I love chicken of the woods, but we don't have hen of the woods out this way and I wish I could experience finding one! You're likely in a good area for morels too I bet.

[@jerrymatthews8968]

@@YellowElanor Thank you for the great video!

[@SandiHooper]

Thank you for this thorough Morel workshop for the PNW!

[@YellowElanor]

You're welcome!

[@lovethemack]

hard to say it all, but you and the videographer make such enjoyable content. And the personality in front of the camera is a joy to be taught by~

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you so much! My brother and I have a lot of fun putting these together, I'm glad it comes through in an enjoyable way.

[@philfort2]

@@YellowElanor You have such an ease talking in front of the camera. I like this format so much more than "scripted" videos :-)

[@meganmclaughlin9056]

she is obnoxious and spreading misinformation.

[@lovethemack]

@@meganmclaughlin9056 thanks megan for sharing your thoughts

[@cathrynsison5357]

@@meganmclaughlin9056 :þ maybe you just don't know enough about mushrooms to know

[@erichinkle5299]

I love channels that actually teach me something. Thank you for your channel.

[@cornholius]

if you haven't yet, try stuffing morels with your choice of cheese- slice bottom of stem, and keep them whole. Then batter and deep fry upside down. My favorite preparation! Also you're freaking gorgeous!!

[@dorenabellepetty2177]

I want to tell you that your excitement alone will keep me watching your videos!!! I've never been mushroom hunting, but I now want to😊

[@jTroutuorT7034]

I have researched KZbin for Morel mushroom information, for about one year now. Though there are plenty of them out there but your video trumps them all, in my opinion. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for all the pertinent information about morel!!! So informative and entertaining as well. I am a subscriber now. I will go through all your videos on other mushrooms as well... I haven't found any morels yet (A new Morel mushroom hunter) but this channel is a better find than the morel mushrooms!!

[@Adventurewithnhia]

i know how you feel, when you finally found a good spot and been going for years and someone also found your spot and leaving behind hints of pickings. always love your videos it's fun to watch.

[@sstills951]

Somebody found my hen of the woods spot. They were all cut down when I got there last autumn. The person didn't leave me anything!

[@DoubleADay]

I always say I'm not going to do the Mushroom Dance but it just happens when I find what I'm looking for. Glad to see I'm not the only one

[@joshfowler8360]

thats funny!

[@YellowElanor]

Mushroom Dance Yeah! So we filmed that last spring, and I totally forgot my brother had that on camera until reviewing the footage last week, ha! What a surprise, but it shows the authenticity of the moment that a lot of us foragers feel!

[@Highballshooter]

Wisconsin here..my brother( RIP) could find them as easy as tying his shoes..i just dont have the eye , or luck he did.

[@bagelguy3447]

Rest in paradise to your brother

[@Highballshooter]

@@bagelguy3447 thank you.

[@harleymays1736]

Rip dude I live northern canada and find black morels everywhere

[@Highballshooter]

@@harleymays1736 thanks for the rip and your a lucky dog finding those mushrooms

[@cathrynsison5357]

RIP

[@highlandmary33]

We had the black morels on the farm in Iowa… typically found en masse around the decaying oaks. Sooooo tasty! Our morels in Iowa were HUGE in comparison though!

[@dmast65]

I love your enthusiasm Eleanor! I totally concur! I wait all year for these lovelies!

[@sunslacker3955]

Omg I have autism so I kinda obsess over mushrooms. I am SO glad that I found your channel and I can’t wait to watch more videos!

[@AaronAlso]

Why not learn to grow them. It is a very fascinating hobby.

[@YellowElanor]

I'm happy the videos have been fun for you! Yay!

[@Naughtz]

She’s back!!!! Wooooo 🤙that morel happy dance had me rolling over here😂 It never loses it’s magic. Big score with that shed you found as well wow. Hope you and your bro keep these coming. Best educational mushroom vids out there. Thanks for making it fun and exciting for us your charisma is contagious. Happy foraging🍄🍄

[@YellowElanor]

Haha, yes the happy dance was fully caught on camera this time! And thank you, as much as we try to keep things coming we aren't the best at releasing a lot of content at once 😆

[@lynnmarie1943]

Wisconsin here....thanks for these wonderful teaching videos and your delightful enthusiasm and expertise!!

[@QuickandDirtyGardens]

Thank you so much for continuing to share this incredibly helpful information! I have learned so much from your videos & watch them more than once to refresh my memory.

[@apophispnw5717]

This channel is awesome. Every video I’ve seen I feel like I need to watch to the end.

[@LoveUrLife365]

This was every informative, entertaining and easy to watch. Well done!

[@TheSkinking]

The best and most informative info about morel mushrooms on KZbin! Thank you. I will be out looking once it warms up here in Saskatchewan.

[@jacobcharles6284]

Great video Rachel! I really appreciate your genuine love for mushrooms and your passion to learn more and teach what you know! You’re just as excited with the last one you found as you are with the first one, and that I can relate with! Although lately, I haven’t been hunting too much .... I recently moved to the west coast of British Columbia, from the interior:... the west coast has vastly different climate and forest type than what I’m used to... it Rains a lot here and the forests are crazy thick, black berries and ferns and moss everywhere ! all sorts of green stuff! I’m not used to so much green! And I don’t know where to look for morels! I’m use to a pretty temperate climate and I know just where to look I’m my home area, but out here I have had little luck... although I haven’t dedicated much time to searching for morels , mainly because I don’t know the areas and I’ve been doing more fishing instead, but I’ve also felt discouraged because I’m out of my element, but I really want to get back out there and feel the joy of finding the morels like you showed in this video. Took me years to find good producing morel spots in my home forests, out here seems like a lot harder hunting. Any advice?

[@kvetch23]

you're super chill! Thanks for sharing!!

[@kevinvieths3604]

SO HAPPY to see another video pop up from you. Thank you so much for your content. I am down in Portland and always on the look out for tips and trick from you. Great Work!

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! I'm glad you find things so helpful, all videos were shot pretty darn close to Portland!

[@NewMessage]

That 'eye calibration' thing works the same way with spring peepers. You hear them all around you.. but you can't see a single one... until you do. Then, you see them everywhere!

[@YellowElanor]

Yes!

[@seanweis9159]

I just walked in the door from finding pounds of them with my dad I'm stoked to see this!

[@YellowElanor]

Whoohoo!

[@trimbaker1893]

Hello Yellow, You are truly a joy to learn from. Thank you, George.

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you so much!

[@SkyfallLotus]

Clicked on this so fast - thank you for the really informational video! Hoping I can find my first morels around my area and this has been extremely helpful.

[@YellowElanor]

Thanks Anna! I hope you find some too! You seem like someone who would also do a happy dance if you find them ;)

[@matthewjfreeman75]

Wow what a wonderful video!!! You are clearly passionate about mushrooms and educating about them! This is a video that I will refer to all my friends who show literally any interest in mushrooms as I go on and on endlessely about how awesome foraging is 😄! What could be better than walk in the woods treasure hunting surrounded by nature?! You have definitely earned a subscribe from me and I look forward to checking out more of your videos🍄♥️ It's a bit early yet but I'm obsessed like many other mushroom hunters are and already getting excited about the spring 🍄 season...this was a perfect video to get the gears turning so thank you 🙌

[@connecticutaggie]

Great video, thanks. We live in Portland and I am exited to go look for Morels this Spring. I have not hunted for them since I was a kid living in Georgia.

[@BlitzMekanika]

Morel of the story. They’re hard to spot. Blend in very well.

[@compassionandwisdom4311]

Great video great energy and great info. Thank you best of success!

[@dixieoutlaw4x4]

Woah....super informative! Thank you!

[@kayla_sulak]

Yay! Love your videos. That was very informative. I can't wait for morels to start popping at my elevation! It's about that time!

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! Yes, get ready!

[@andrewwheat8939]

Oh my gosh!! You are such an angel rn!! I’ve literally spent the past 4 days in Montana and Idaho hunting these boys😩😩 imma go back out tmrw and Definitely get to it with this amazing new info👌 bless🙏🙏

[@YellowElanor]

I wish you luck! Seriously, look for true fir species--specifically Grand Fir...I'm pretty sure Idaho has a good Morchella snyderi season.

[@papalolobueno6125]

Also, helps to wear camo and sneak quietly; those deer just ahead of you are eating the best ones. Cheers from michigan!

[@enjolim.4778]

Yessss! Hi fellow Michigander! I found hen and chicken of the woods last year in parks around Southfield! Where are you in MI?

[@papalolobueno6125]

@@enjolim.4778 I'm in Kalamazoo; had an awesome year for hens, too! 28 pounds in one haul! Good luck out there

[@JR-playlists]

I -feel- taste your excitement! And... appreciate your advice. BTW you are a catch!

[@ehrlich_]

Great channel. Love the hunts. 🧡🖤🤎🤩 Thanx!!

[@whereisangie]

so excited for morel season! love your videos❤❤

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! Yes, so happy morels season is upon us.

[@hyloward-gh6vj]

U are the first person to harvest the moral correctly that I have watched on U tube.

[@myhandyman1]

Shout out from Chicago, I used to live on Whidby Island back in the early 80's Old cars and slugs.

[@NYPaulaS]

Another great video! I always look forward to your videos. I've been looking for morels here in NY nothing yet...but soon, alot of rain here the last few days.

[@YellowElanor]

Hopefully that rain did some good for you and the mushrooms!

[@NYPaulaS]

@@YellowElanor Hi! Yes the first 13 of morchella brunnea. 40 feet from my house. Harvested and eaten! Great video Rachel! I hope to see another one soon.

[@NYPaulaS]

Hi Rachel! Another great video! Keep them coming! I'm going Morel hunting today. Perfect timing for me to re watch this video! You coming back to NY anytime this year?

[@stacieislearning391]

I missed you guys! I love all your videos! Happy mushroom hunting ♥️

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you so much!

[@AlmostHomestead]

Great video. I'm up near Index WA and a friend just found Morels near Monroe. Time to start looking. Thank you.

[@Abophoto]

Thanks for such good information , always interesting to watch!

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! 😊

[@aadilkhnh5222]

You are the best.🥰 Thank you for this informative session 👍

[@YellowElanor]

You're welcome, and thank you so much!

[@lotusfollower]

So helpful and well done- thank you!

[@adolfreynolds]

Wow most detailed Morel 🍄 video ever. I'm hoping u will do a video on pscibocybon 🍄

[@highlandmary33]

The very reason when we were very young (ie - smaller), we kids found the morels faster than the full grown adults! As a tall adult now with a spine injury, I often wonder if I could train my dog to search specifically for morels, so I won’t have to bend down!

[@tylerkrug7719]

Great video! Great finds!

[@joet81]

I always find it hard to find morels until I've found one and gotten my eyes "calibrated," like you said!! Happy hunting!!

[@themajesticmanic2751]

So, it totally looked like you were digging around in "Poison Ivy" at one point. That might be a conversation worth having someday. P.S. I just got here and I'm totally digging it. ;-)

[@patrickmcgee1022]

Wow! You guys found the morel jackpot!

[@whatupplaya5179]

They are the coolest looking shroom🤗 and delicious! My son is a master at finding them👍🏼 happy hunting y’all from Minnesota ❤️

[@trevorhiscocks7920]

I love that they evolved a sinus to breath that fresh mtn air!

[@YellowElanor]

Such clever mushrooms 😊

[@dwighthuffman6599]

You are really good at describing the mushrooms and I love to see you get so excited when finding them I have a daughter that you remind me so much of. I do have one question do these mushrooms have to grow close to water if you could answer this for me it would help me a lot I haven’t been into mushroom hunting bee long

[@CR46029]

YE.......very informative video, a pleasure to watch and learn from! i'm only a few years into spring foraging, after over a decade of fall fungi. i've been fortunate to have friends take me to logged/thinned/burn morel locations over the past few years, but have yet to find 'naturals'. the trees/understory in this video look similar to where we find fall mushrooms, Westside of the Cascade range i presume? care to share general elevation? TIA and please keep the videos coming, i've subscribed! :)

[@wandapease-gi8yo]

We definitely see that the cameraman finds our lady as more photogenic than the mushroom or foliage! 😃

[@heartofdixieprepping4797]

Love your channel! Binge watching! We have so me huge webs and spiders. I carry a stick or limb/long twig. I go around waving the stick around in front of me to knock them down before I move through the trees. I'm sure I look pretty nutts!!

[@MegaRisenshine]

Cute!!! Love watching your videos.. going to try and find some in Washington don’t know where to go but it’ll be fun..

[@martinbattilana4249]

Just came across my first morels of the season here in Montana. M. brunnea, on a south facing slope of a mountain, at about 2,800 feet, growing in a stand of hemlock and red birch. That is really early for this part of the country. We usually don't start finding any until after the 1st week of May.

[@macmckulis7440]

The Quine of mushrooms finlay blessed us with her presence, good video.

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you :)

[@macmckulis7440]

@@YellowElanor I so enjoy your content, please give us more videos.

[@geoffstowe3049]

Great video! I think you taught me everything I need to know except I can't figure out if I missed the morel season here around Menomonee Falls (southeast Wisconsin) or it just hasn't happened yet

[@skim4me]

Thanks for your knowledge, I really love to pick and eat morels. They make my tongue tingle though.

[@somanyfountains]

Gyrometria brunnea and korfi are AMAZING here in Michigan, thanks for the explanation about toxicity and preparation

[@enjolim.4778]

I love seeing fellow Michiganders! I'm new to mushroom hunting and I found chicken and hen of the woods last year around Southfield! Where are you hunting from?

[@somanyfountains]

@@enjolim.4778 lansing area!

[@enjolim.4778]

@@somanyfountains oh nice! I used to live up there 😄

[@somanyfountains]

Look up the false morels demystified group on fb, the gyrometria are up before morels, nice early season ones to look for

[@enjolim.4778]

@@somanyfountains awesome, thank you!

[@catfishm.1361]

Very good info, thanks.

[@bouncerslabrealnature9143]

Yeppers ❤️, gotta love the Morel Mushrooms. I've been finding a few and made a Pennsylvania morel mushrooms video.

[@bouncerslabrealnature9143]

Good foraging everyone 👋❤️

[@YellowElanor]

Yay! Great!

[@lovingdeanthegodmachine5622]

@@bouncerslabrealnature9143 Also from Pennsylvania and found a few greys couple days ago. Hoping as it warms up again to find some more.

[@LuisSilva-jj1ky]

I was told not to pluck them out. But cut them so they can regrow the following year.

[@YellowElanor]

This is a common misconception, I actually have a video discussing cutting mushrooms vs plucking them. Overall, neither method seem to be more beneficial to the mushroom production. Ultimately, when a mushroom is cut, the part that is left behind simply rots away, it does not regrow. The mycelium--which is the underground root like structure of a fungi--is what continues to live all year and then produces new mushroom structures when the season is right.

[@stevegravatte4389]

I have enjoyed your Morel Hunting videos since deciding to forage this spring 2024 in Kentucky. Would you recommend a Mushroom Field Guide, Please? You've mentioned that some resources have conflicting published information. Thank you Elanor and please keep up the excellent content!!

[@bobloblaw420]

You're cool! Love your vibe 🙂🍄

[@nathanielanderson4898]

I have found almost every mushroom I have looked for. With the exception of Morel and the Pine Mushroom.

[@margaritaherrera3669]

Enjoyed and learned so much from your video. Thank you. I am in Washington State, Q: when is the best time of year to start looking for mushrooms

[@peshy6912]

That sound of the first cut!

[@YellowElanor]

So satisfying...

[@pfaffman100]

Found you're channel today, fantastic just subscribed. great knowledge.Heading out this week to a bush cabin belonging to a Friend could be a week- a month. Many thank you's. Let you know what I find.

[@Nrgheal]

Great informative & enthusiast video Rachael! I find these big, totally yellow even golden morels in OK that I believe are simply older specimens of the grey M Esculentoides, mostly in cedar mulch in OK; wondering if you have these up there? I sure want to visit a PNW burn this year! So lovely to see you in a new vid! Keep them coming💖

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! We do have a pure yellow species, but probably something different than what you've got in OK--but not sure on that!

[@Nrgheal]

@@YellowElanor Are you making any new vids in '22?

[@dannyzelaya]

loved the video. thank YOU!!!

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! Glad you loved it!

[@CJ-uq4yi]

wild woman who knows about mushrooms? subscribed. Thank you for your content!

[@alvinramosadante]

Nice video thanks for sharing watching here from Philippines.

[@kimyoung2748]

As a kid my dad, mom and brother went hunting together. One of the best things to do as a family. Finding the mushroom was exciting. Like finding gild. And dry them on thread or clean them and fry in butter. A soak in salt water helps get rid of bugs. So yummy fried in butter. S and P.

[@kimyoung2748]

And I remember picking paper grocery sacks full. And a red mushroom that looks like a brain.

[@nicecriminal6150]

this channel is dope.

[@breezyakanan7544]

Unfortunately, we no longer have Native Americans to teach us how they harvested and cooked mushrooms. Great video.

[@faisalalsweidi1252]

Awesome 👏🏼

[@reloader3086]

Love hunting! Mushrooms can be more challenging than hunting game fishing and trapping!

[@roberthankinson9491]

we don't have leaves really on our trees yet but I'm so excited to go mushroom hunting I've already been out nothing yet going to wait till it warms up a little bit here in Michigan

[@YellowElanor]

Just a little more patience!

[@stevemace1725]

Awesome an antler, time to go looking for morels

[@YellowElanor]

Thanks! Yes it is.

[@aaronray6691]

It would be great to see you make a burn morel specific video.

[@momsmushroomsjodyfoster5786]

Early morning light is my favorite to hunt in. Sometimes the afternoon light that drops dappled light onto the forest floor makes hunting very difficult for me.

[@rodneydionne1087]

its morel season here in Michigan or close to it... your the best

[@barnyfriends]

Love your videos.

[@YellowElanor]

Thank you! So glad you love them.

[@willrupee]

I got my season coming up in a month-ish so I have to get ready!

[@YellowElanor]

Time to start staring at photos of morels every night before bed!

[@angiejones3714]

@@YellowElanor this is totally unrelated, but I can't get the thought out of my head. It's that time of year when we watch and rewatch mushroom videos on a level that makes binge watching a quick distraction. Since it bothers you so much to say that you can use various mushrooms to die I was thinking of a way to say it differently. You can use them to color like dyeing cloth. It really appears to bother you so I wanted to help out. I'm in Washington state also. Us girls of the PNW gotta stick together after all.

[@Cococonutt]

I’m going to scout some areas in OR this weekend, found gyromitras in WA yesterday so morels will be here soon. Saw a huge flush of burn morels posted this week in the OR burn areas though.

[@YellowElanor]

Yeah the low elevation burns down that way have been doing well it seems. Some great signs of naturals popping up now too in WA!

[@Enoch333one]

Absolutely sublime perstine beauties ❤️🍄

[@YellowElanor]

Yes, we found some good ones!

[@marcelloplessi9299]

Great video! I'm going tomorrow in the woods looking for Morchella esculenta, hopefully I'll find some. We actually eat Verpa bohemica in Italy!

[@YellowElanor]

I hope you find some too! And that's great to know, I knew in some areas Verpa was pretty typical to consume, it's a bit of a controversy where I live still.

[@marcelloplessi9299]

@@YellowElanor Thank you! We make sure to boil verpas for at least 40 minutes and remove the water before consuming them. Morchellas as well. Mind you, in France they sell and eat Gyromytra gigas, and everything is labelled with caution signs! I know that mycotoxins levels change for the same species depending on the habitat and the latitude at which they grow, but consuming Gyromytras is considered dangerous where I live and I think it's quite extreme.

[@bobscott7779]

In Michigan I found my best luck in new growth popular or popple trees and I mean hundreds of them!!!

[@fairwitness7473]

"You can basically trip over them as you walk through the forest. Here's looking at you Minnesota, whose state mushroom is a Morel..." You sayyyy that, but the last time I tripped over morells, I was 9 years old... I even remember the location. Unfortunately, I live 2 hours away... le sigh. And yes, I live in Minnesota. 🙂

[@nathanielanderson4898]

If that was growing in an area I was searching , I would not be able to miss it.

[@msdawntreader]

Fabulous! Alas, very, very dry here. So hoping for some moisture.

[@YellowElanor]

Really dry here this year too! This was filmed last spring, I'm hoping the rain comes in so we can have another good season.