58 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2017
by spring rains followed by warm,
sunny days. When the air and soil
temperatures are right, and there
is precipitation, plan to look for
mushrooms the following day. But
while too little rain is not good for
morels, too much rain can negatively
affect harvest as well. Last year, I
had to pass on many morels that were
so saturated with water that they
"melted." I've also observed that the
extra moisture seems to speed up
molding.
It's hard to say when you should
begin and stop looking for morels,
but keep your eyes and ears open.
Refer to the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission's Morel
Mushroom Report for clues from other
mushrooms hunters around the state:
Outdoornebraska.org/morel.
Where to Look
My first morel mushroom hunting
experience was with Mark Davis, a
former Omaha World-Herald journalist
who was also an avid mushroom
hunter. Davis had a keen eye for
mushrooms, as well as a system that he
and his friends developed for hunting
in groups. Every time a hunter finds
a mushroom, he or she will make a
unique whooping sound. This allows
companions to keep track of one other
in the woods, as well as raise the stakes
for friendly competition.
While I haven't successfully adopted
Davis's system of producing strange
bird noises in the woods, I did find
and pick my first morel mushrooms
that day – a thrilling experience, and
I learned a lot. Davis told me that the
A mesh bag will allow mushroom
spores to redistribute throughout an
area as you hike.
The growth of woodland violet coincides with the emergence of morel mushrooms in
northeastern Nebraska near the Missouri River.
