Been hunting in and around the New Canton Il. area now going on two weeks and have been picking tons of morels, but havent picked the big ones just yet, hoping by this weekend. Pike county has proved itself once again this year on prime hunting ground, hope everyone else is picking away as well.
Went with brother again this weekend in Pike Il. and hunted for 4 hours and found another 10 pounds of very nice fresh morels, also found tons of half free morels, still havent found the real big ones just yet, which is kinda weird being we've been picking now for over two weeks.
Been finding most of them on the hill sides, about 1/2 into the timber or so, alot growing around elms and ash trees, some just growing for no reason I think. I went today and found around 4 pounds hunting a fence row of hedge ball trees, all about 6inch yellows.
Well the year has finally come to a end here in Pike Il. as well as the Quincy area, I went for one last time today with my 6 year old daughter (her first time going) and found about 6-8 that looked like they had better days, but still worth eating. I started picking hedge ball trees and sycamore trees the first of the week, usually a sign of the end and always find big yellows around those, did well though this year, im guessing somewhere around 60-80 pounds for the year, most which were sold, hope everyone had a good year and to those who are just starting to pick in the northern states, good luck!
Has anyone else had luck by hedge ball trees? Is Osage orange another name for these trees? Really true, or am i going on a snipe hunt? Do the the trees need to be fresh dead or dying? I had heard of sycamores producing them, along with my personal favorite fresh dead or dying elms and cottonwoods too, but I had never heard of the hedge ball, putting them up. I may have a new place to look if this is the case! I know where a large stand of hedge apples or balls (what i know as Osage orange) are and I am excited!
Happy hunting!
I said the very samething when I was told about hunting hedgeball trees, I was like ya right your crazy, but little did I know it was true. I usually always start picking around them 3-4 days before the sycamore trees are ready, they usaully grow pretty close around the trees and grow mostly under live trees but I have found some under dying or already dead trees, I have one spot where there are probley 30-40 trees and always pick around 5-10 pounds in there, all yellows and good size. Also, yes these are the same trees your talking about, we just call them hedgeball here where I live.
Well I'm going to try the hedge ball trees here near me by DeKalb County IL then. Thanks for the tip! It has not been a bumper crop so far around here. I've done alright, don't get me wrong, but I have sure put a lot of miles on for the several pounds that I have picked! I'm sure the exercise has not hurt me a bit! It's just great to get back into the woods! I think this cool weather we are having will prolong my mushrooming adventures this year, still picking after Mothers day is an odd treat around here, the season is usually done here about now, and it looks like I will be picking for at least another week, maybe 2 ! YIPPEE!!! I love it!
Kudos for you for getting your youngster started on mushrooming!
Happy hunting.
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