2021 Morel season

For black morels I focus primarily on woods that have a lot of tulip or yellow poplars. I find most of mine on east and north facing hillsides or near the crest of those ridges again facing east and north. I do find some near or around beech and pignut hickories but there are almost always poplar nearby also. If the woods are predominantly oak I don’t even bother to look. Most of my better black morels spots are in extremely hilly terrain. When you find one ALWAYS assume that there are others nearby. Get down at ground level and slowly scan that area 360 degrees. Early in the season the blacks are really good at hiding slightly covered by a leaf. As for the big yellows, creek bottoms are my #1 choice around elm and poplar. And those big yellows don’t hide like the blacks.

 

I learned another way to hunt for the black morels 20+ years ago while turkey hunting. More than a few times I would be hustling to set up on an early morning gobbling bird and as I would start climbing up the side of the ridge he was on, I would see morels on the hillside. I would mark them and proceed to set up on the bird. After the hunt I would go back to pick the hillside. I learned quickly that the black morels were much easier to see while ascending the hill as opposed to descending the hill. I used those lessons to start hunting new areas by starting the hunt for black morels at the base of east and north facing hills. It works even better if you try that with the early morning sun to your back which shines on the hillside in front of you.

 

The blacks will likely start popping later this week and definitely this coming weekend if this forecast holds true.