Morel Mushroom Hunting - Mistakes to Avoid and Tips for Success

Morel Mushroom Hunting - Mistakes to Avoid and Tips for Success. In this video I provide tips and advice for beginners on how to find morel mushrooms. We covered many miles and elevations to finally find morels fruiting below the snowline.
I show you where to look, what to look for, what other indicator species pop up at the same time as morels, tree identification, etc., in hopes these tips will help you find your own morels. These mushrooms grow throughout the PNW Cascades from April through May, are easy to identify and are amazingly delicious.
#dadventurernw #morels #mushroomhunting

[@yakventures9544]

Great video. Good info. Great for the folks trying to learn. Good on you.

[@DADventurerNW]

Thanks for your comment and your support. You also have some great content!

[@littleevil8982]

Another great video. Thank you for sharing!

[@DADventurerNW]

Thanks for watching and your comments.

[@cmatsushita8410]

Great tips! Where did you get your shroom bag?

[@DADventurerNW]

Thanks for watching and your question. I made the mushroom bag myself. I couldn't find anything like it on the internet so I decided to make a few on my own. It's not perfect but it works well for my needs. Thanks for your support.

[@joepodunk284]

Question, do you have to acquire a "mushroom permit" just for personal use? I have heard mixed answers about this. I have found a good amount camping in the Ochocco's in June and ate them in camp but haven't ever just headed up around Hood just for them. Really enjoy your videos! I like how you give elevation and general areas to hunt! Thank You.

[@DADventurerNW]

Permits are forest specific. Mount Hood does not require a permit. Gifford Pinchot does, but it’s free and online. Check with the forest service where you want to hunt. Thanks for your comments and support.

[@joepodunk284]

@@DADventurerNW That's where I've been confused because I heard you need a permit in National Forests but not in State Forest? Figured I'd stop by Zigzag or Estacada and check with them either way. Thank You again!

[@DADventurerNW]

@@joepodunk284 that’s a good idea. In the Mount Hopd National Forest, you only need a permit if you want to pick more than a gallon of mushrooms per day. Otherwise you are good, provided you aren’t picking in any off limits areas. The ranger station has mushroom maps.

[@sabbyjones2308]

Excellent 🤗 the only question I have is do you go to a state park and go down the trail and cut into the forest or on BLM land? Where do you park?

[@DADventurerNW]

Good question. I’m hunting in national forest land. It’s all public. Park where you like and walk into the forest.

[@mymorelmaddness83]

In Missouri and Iowa, the cedars go off.They don't do it every year.Where I go, but every once in a while.You can pick all the way around them

[@DADventurerNW]

That's crazy. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I avoid the Cedar forests, as I never find any mushrooms in there. Where you are, it's a very different kind of hunting with lots of different environments and trees. Some day I hope to hunt over your way. Thanks for watching and your comment.

[@connecticutaggie]

Great video. Great points. I really want to go this weekend. Maybe see you out there - that would be pretty funny. Regarding research, since it is a long trip and I don't have any local experience, I spent the winter doing research. One interesting thing I found is an online soil temperature map. I am really interested in seeing if I can match that with mushroom findings.

[@DADventurerNW]

That is interesting. The soil needs to get to 40 degrees for morels to pop. That may be important this weekend, if you are hunting near the snow line, but at 2,500-2800', the soil is well above that temp now. Let me know how that works out for you.

[@connecticutaggie]

@@DADventurerNW I went hunting Saturday - starting at Government Camp and working down from there. I wanted to go down NF-48 but it was blocked due to snow (I did not have an off road vehicle). After that I went down toward warm springs area. I heard from some locals where the commercial harvesters had been. I did end of finding a couple of Morels (my first Oregon Morels) but that was it. Regardless, it was a gorgeous day and I enjoyed breathing in the mountain air and enjoying the views. Regarding the ground temperature map, it was too low of resolution to be much help. I mostly worked off the trees, identifying species, and altitude.

[@DADventurerNW]

@@connecticutaggie Congrats on finding some morels! That's awesome. I know the area you are talking about. It's the right area, but might be a little early. I'd go back in another week and see if things warm up. Also keep an eye out for spring kings as that's an area they are known to pop up toward the end of May and into June.

[@connecticutaggie]

@@DADventurerNW Sent you an Instagram PM with more details and photos.

[@jordancc23]

Great video! We love to go look for morels but do not have much luck. This should help a ton!! Quick question… Is this info current about it being the second week at 2500 feet? We plan on going all day tomorrow to the east side of Hood.

[@DADventurerNW]

Thanks for watching and your question. I was out today and 2500 was still popping for the third week in a row. Good luck.

[@jordancc23]

Hey thanks for the help on this video. I found a whopping 3 last weekend on no planning. I did make a plan for our trip today and the first area was a bust, but my second area turned out to be great. Some were a little dried out but now we know the path to follow. 100% appreciative of your content!!

[@DADventurerNW]

Thanks for watching and your comments. Yes, morels and kings are popping at 2500’ and up to 3200’ according to some reports my friends have shared with me. I’d start low and move up. Good luck.

[@childofthesoftgrass2228]

Nice, but that is a doug fir cone, not a grand fir cone.

[@DADventurerNW]

Interesting. You are probably correct. Thank you for the coaching.

[@ruthepstein2931]

Grand fir cone has stacked layers, Doug fir has “mouse tails”.

[@DADventurerNW]

@@ruthepstein2931 thank you for that info. I appreciate the education. These were in a grand fir dominant forest with only a few Doug firs but I guess the Doug’s must drop a ton of cones that get blown around. Good to know. Thank you.

[@thatguy9051]

Cosmo's Cooking Show??

[@DADventurerNW]

That would be fun for sure. Some day, but I'd rather be out chasing morels than setting up a video shoot in my kitchen.