# Fire Morels?



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

Has anyone had any luck finding morels in areas that had a wildfire the previous year?

I've read about commercial pickers that will move from burn site to burn site over a season, but I haven't met anybody who has done it. Finding scattered morels on old burn sites is pretty common, but supposedly, the year after a big burn can produce a very dense flush.

Here is a short article on the topic:
http://www.fungusfun.com/mushroom-hunting/85-the-fire-morel-and-fire-morel-hunting.html

We had a number of decent size fires in our area last year so I am hoping to find some time to go hunting. I'm not interested in picking them in quantities for sale, but it would be nice to bring home a few dozen pounds for home use!


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

If the spores are there, first year after a fire seems to cause them to explode with production. Father-in-law logged off a hillside of maples. It was then just one big mass of brush. All that was burned the next summer and the following spring had morels everywhere. Next year there were just a few and then gone forever.

Martin


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

Thanks Martin. Sounds like I may have a good shot at finding a good crop this spring.


----------



## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I've read a lot from Alaska wild fires producing outrageous amount of morel from one to three years after a burn. No experiences though.

Wade


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I've never heard of fires producing morels. Thanks for the tip.


----------



## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

fishhead said:


> I've never heard of fires producing morels. Thanks for the tip.


My understanding is that the fire makes them easier to see,darkens the ground allowing more heat absorb-ion, eliminates competition,raises the available "potash" in the soil and promotes larger growth.II could be wrong.

Wade


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

Could be. I'm not sure if it is known what makes the conditions more favorable for the morel flush the first year after a fire. Could be a temporary boost in pH, a change in the mycelium due to the heat from the fire, or less competition from other roots/fungi.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

The Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980 is said to have produced morels in "legendary quantities" the following year. In years past, forests in France and Germany were burned to produce morels the next year. 

Martin


----------



## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

We had a bad fire nearby the year before. Last year was a fantastic year for morels there.

Morels also like disturbed soil.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I think I need to contact the county and ask if any land burned last year.


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

I'm getting more and more excited about the coming season. We've had warm weather the past few weeks (highs in the 50-70 range) and rain is coming over the next 5 days... may be time to go scouting next weekend!


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I was dreaming of morels on Friday as I drove home from work past burns and logged areas. Logging stirs up the earth and produces incredible morels the next year. Most serious morel hunters here follow the loggers and their burn piles. A lot of burning recently though, I'm not sure what the best timing for the burn is. I keep meaning to ask a few locals as we've only been up here 2 years. Last year was a weird weather year for morels, I'm hoping for much better this year!


----------



## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Vosey said:


> I was dreaming of morels on Friday as I drove home from work past burns and logged areas. Logging stirs up the earth and produces incredible morels the next year. Most serious morel hunters here follow the loggers and their burn piles. A lot of burning recently though, I'm not sure what the best timing for the burn is. I keep meaning to ask a few locals as we've only been up here 2 years. Last year was a weird weather year for morels, I'm hoping for much better this year!


I have always read and thought that morels prefer "undisturbed " soil. I wander if the growth behind "logging" is from disturbing or just from letting more light in to the forest floor.


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

Small flushes of morels have come up in part of my orchard the past couple years. The hugelkultur swales were installed and planted in 2011, so it does seem to be associated with the disturbed earth. White chanterelles have also come up in the same swale.

Made me think about the mycorrhizal vs saprotrophic questions for morels.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Last year we had morels in the disturbed dirt from where we'd had a fence put in the year before. None in the rest of forest floor there. But with logging I suspect letting the light in plays a role as well. 

We just had a lot of madrones cut around our house for fire protection and some were right in the spot where we have a small morel patch. I suspect the disturbance this year may mean no morels, but hopefully next year even more? It has definitely opened up some light. We'll see. 

Sorry, K.B., don't know about mycorrhizal vs saprotrophic questions...


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Do morels prefer light? I always picture them growing in the woods.


----------



## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

fishhead said:


> Do morels prefer light? I always picture them growing in the woods.


we find the yellows (the biggest we have here) in woods or field. Usually around dead elm or live ash,popular,cedar or apple trees.Also creek bottoms in the open. Don't know why but I can'y wait to chase them again.

Wade


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Morels grow where they want to grow. I've found them in total shade and where there's not a tree for a hundred yards. It's what is under the ground that counts. They live on the dying or dead roots of trees. Elm is the main tree around here for morels but apple and walnut groves also can produce them. 

Martin


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

There seems to be more to it than them just living on the dying/dead roots. I think it is interesting that morels have been found to have both mycorrhizal and saprotrophic characteristics. There is still a lot to learn about the various species of morels.

I came across an article reporting a study on the emergence of morels in burned areas:

http://www.mycologia.org/content/102/4/766.full

I hadn't realized that the pixie cup mushrooms were also found so often in the same habitat as morels. If I had a morel for every pixie cup at our place, I'd be swimming in them!


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

1shotwade said:


> Don't know why but I can'y wait to chase them again.
> 
> Wade


Because finding them is like opening presents at Christmas! And around here they tease you. You'll find 1, 2, 3 and then spend hours convinced you're just not seeing them until you think you're losing your mind and go home dejected....and then go out and do it all over again! But those few times where you hit pay dirt makes it all worthwhile.


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

The BLM page below offers a link to a nice map showing the locations of fires in OR/WA over the past decade or so, color coded by year:
http://www.blm.gov/or/nwcc/

Took me a bit to figure out the navigation/layers, but it looks like there are several options in Jackson/Josephine/Douglas counties for burn sites that were on public land last year.

I will try and check one out this weekend. I saw a post on a morel-hunter forum from a person in Roseburg showing a handfull of morels found a few weeks ago!


----------



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Well heck, now we're all going to be pyromaniacs! 

I've had black morels come up on my place after burning brush, leaves, etc. but since they were black, I just thought they had absorbed the black ashes and didn't think they would be good to eat. I would pick a one or two, examine it and then throw it down.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

It's definitely pretty warm here, but I don't think warm enough for us at elevation. Think we'll go walk the dogs down at the lake tomorrow and check soil temps! I always look too early. 

I know a couple of old timers who used to run big mushroom operations, back in the day. Keep meaning to ask about fire. I think it's more than a year after fire that is optimal.


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

Managed to go check out a burn area from 2013 today. Nice hike, beautiful area and great weather. No morels, though. 

The pixie/fairy cup mushrooms were just starting to come up, so I think I will visit again in a couple weeks!


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Find them here

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIyixC9NsLI[/ame]

big rockpile


----------



## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Oldcountryboy said:


> Well heck, now we're all going to be pyromaniacs!
> 
> I've had black morels come up on my place after burning brush, leaves, etc. but since they were black, I just thought they had absorbed the black ashes and didn't think they would be good to eat. I would pick a one or two, examine it and then throw it down.



Black are just another type morel. They are the first up here,and fine food.The color Has nothing to do with the fire.


wade


----------



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

1shotwade said:


> Black are just another type morel. They are the first up here,and fine food.The color Has nothing to do with the fire.
> 
> 
> wade


Yep we have what some people call black ones too. They're the first to come up and I usually find them around hickory trees while later I will find the white ones around sycamores, white oaks, and various other trees. But the black ones I have found where I have been burning stuff were a lot bigger then the black ones near hickory trees. They looked like a white morel that had absorbed the black ashes it grew up through, and they was mostly black on top but still had white stems. The black ones found near hickory trees would be all black or really dark gray in color. So I believe there is a difference between the two black morels.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Can't resist going out to look today in some burned warm spots at a little lower elevation. We've had very warm weather this past week and some rain, still think it's a bit early as nights have been cold here. Anyone find any yet?


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

good luck! Planning to go out again next weekend to do some looking around in another burn area from last year.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Nothing yet, soil on a sunny SE slope at about 2000 ft was 52 degrees. It was a controlled burn area last fall. But the Rogue Valley is popping. Facebook friends in the Gold Hill area are finding lots. 

We'll go out next weekend, but I'll bet it'll be yet another week, and then I'm on vacation at home, hopefully that will be prime hunting time!


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Talked to the mushroom guru yesterday, he used to run a big crew in the '80's mushroom hunting around here. This was pre-internet days so they'd hire small planes to fly them around looking for burns. He said the best time is if the burn to have happened within the year. You can tell if the fire was too hot by the trees and rocks. If the trees are burnt through (not just the bark) or the rocks are white, then it was too hot, move on. For logging burns, look out from the burn spots, the pile burns too hot, but the roughing up of the ground from the logging and dragging brush is great for morels. 

Going out this weekend, he said someone just found some at 2500 feet. But we don't have the mushroom buyers here yet. When their trucks are set up, you know the season is jamming!


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

great info, thank you!

Hoping I can make it out again this weekend...


----------



## JerryPathfinder (Apr 2, 2014)

For those of you that are interested, I put up a story a couple years ago about hunting for 'burn' morels. There is also a short video and a fair bit of info about the kinds of habitats they grow in.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

We're getting another snow storm so I guess it will be a while.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

They are finally beginning to pop here! But still just a sprinkle. Haven't gotten out to the burns yet as they are a little higher elevation.


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

you are doing better than I am, Vosey! Finally got time to go back and check out the Worthington burn from last year again and still didn't have any luck finding morels. The kids still had fun playing on the boulders, though 

Still plenty of time to keep scouting burns at higher elevations...


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

We've had great success in past years at higher elevation late in the spring. Life does tend to get in the way! The really successful hunters, that's all they do, all day for weeks to months. I poked around a few areas quickly yesterday, nothing, but we saw pickers swarming a logged and burnt area off of Butte Falls Highway on Sunday.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Finally got out last Saturday early, found a little over a pound in a 2 year old cutting. All were in the skidder swales. No burn. Might have found more, but other pickers started coming in as we could be seen from the road. Still seemed sparse, that was over 3 hours of looking. 

Saw my 'old duffer' yesterday, he thinks the morels are being over picked which is why they are much smaller and harder to find. He's been picking wild asparagus in the valley orchards, says the season is almost over. He offered to take me asparagus hunting next year. I've never seen wild asparagus.


----------



## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

There is some wild asparagus along Foothill rd on the east side of Medford near the orchards. If you drive along that area in the fall, you'll see the red "berries" on the old ferns.

Glad you are at least finding SOME morels. I'm having a terrible year, so far... There is a person offering them for $20/lb on CL.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Wild asparagus is pretty common around here but I've never seen it in more than a few stalks in one place.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I saw morels on CL too, but the guy had pulled them up instead of cutting them! 

DH walked our dogs along part of the Rogue River trail today, nothing. I hope to get out again this weekend, but it's been a pretty warm, dry week.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

fishhead said:


> Wild asparagus is pretty common around here but I've never seen it in more than a few stalks in one place.


I think I've seen it in the woods here, not realizing it was asparagus! And it is pretty sparse. I read on here last year of people cutting lots of it in ditches and along streams in the midwest.


----------

