First Time Hunting Yellow Morels in the Missouri Ozarks

Over 20 years of my life were spent in close contact with the nature of Missouri, but I barely noticed that wild mushrooms existed.  They are nowhere in my memories of the Missouri forest floor.  My parents had advised my sister and I not to touch any wild mushroom, and I never questioned it since I had the rest of the forest to interact with.  They taught us edible and medicinal plants which we would forage, and I respected the fact that some things were poisonous.  We spent much of our time flipping logs looking for cool snakes to catch and play with, and we confidently knew how to identify which were poisonous, and which were not. 

A couple decades later, the call of the mushroom has finally come through to the Vogeler family, and I have finally just experienced my first ever Missouri Morel hunt!  I have hunted Morels in the Rocky Mountains, but it is a different ball game depending on what region you’re in, and which species of Morels are present.  Here are my observations and tips for anyone interested in learning more about hunting Yellow Morels in the Missouri Ozarks.  (Basic Morel hunting 101 will be covered in a future article, including ethics, gear, and identification info.)

When? 

Based on various Morel observation maps around the internet, Missouri Morels typically fruit late March to May, when the soil temps have warmed to ~50F and sufficient rainfall has occurred.  This warmup usually occurs in the lower elevations first.  I was hunting in the elevated Ozark Mountains, ~1,000ft, during April 16-21, 2021, and the Morels were fresh and young.  On 4/20 we were hit with two frosty nights below 30F and several inches of heavy snow.  The Morels were clearly succumbing to bacteria and bugs after the snow.  If warmer conditions stabilize, they may continue fruiting for a few weeks, or they may not.  Many macro and micro environmental factors are at play and every year will be different. 

Environmental Signals

It is beneficial to look around and learn cues from the forest.  Many trees and plants were flowering at the same time I found Morels popping… Red buds, Dogwood, Trillium, Spring Beauty.  Mayapples were in various stages of sprouting and some were budding.  Fern fiddleheads were emerging.  I remember spending so many springs in Missouri observing these blooms and harvesting edible plants.  How did I never notice these weird Morel mushrooms hiding among them?!

Where? 

All I know is from my small window of observation with Yellow Morels at 1,000ft elevation, so this is not exclusive.  I found them in leaf littered creek bottoms and along rocky ravines, facing south and east.  They were in diverse mixed forests, so it was hard to identify which tree species were their partner/host.  Oak, Hickory, Sycamore, and Eastern Red Cedar were usually nearby.  And strange to me, these trees seemed healthy and alive, whereas in Colorado I would only find Morels around dead and dying trees.  Here I did have good luck in areas where vines were climbing through the trees, perhaps the beginning of a slow death.  But many of the Morel patches gave me no rhyme or reason as to why here and not over there.  I found most growing solitary (sometimes they grow in clusters), usually with other singles fruiting within 10 feet.

Local look-alikes

Learn how to identify “False Morels”.  I found an impressive giant specimen which I believe is Gyromitra caroliniana.  There are several toxic Gyromitra species and I do not recommend eating them, even though some people do.  They have wrinkled caps, without deep pits and distinct ridges that characterize “true” Morels.  They come in a variety of colors, as do the Morels.

Other edible fungi

While Jelly Mushrooms are not my first-choice edibles, they are edible and plentiful.  I noticed Witch’s Butter and Wood Ear growing on many dead logs.  See my previous blog post about being lost in Oregon and eating raw Witch’s Butter.

• 

• 

Missouri forest safety

Missouri is full of uncomfortable obstacles… ticks, chiggers, poison ivy, and poisonous snakes are emerging in the spring.  I personally don’t like to use bug spray on my body, so I bank on protective clothing.  High boots, long pants, long sleeves, and a hat will help minimize contact.  Be aware of where you put your hands, and you may want to use a walking stick to poke around.  Snakes can hide under the leaves as easily as a Morel can.  We saw one poisonous Copperhead snake this week, luckily before the dogs did.  If you have a canine companion, keep them safe too with some sort of tick/flea collar or repellant made for dogs.  It’s a good idea to rinse yourself and your dog in a creek at the end of the day to minimize ticks, chiggers, and poison ivy oils being brought into the house, car, or tent.

Eating your bounty

Always cook your Morels, do not eat them raw.  I am not a fancy cook, so have fun experimenting with recipes.  I usually slice my mushrooms and sauté with veggies, and/or scramble with eggs, served with quinoa or rice.  If I know of other edible plants around, I love to throw them into the mix.  This week I also harvested Watercress greens, Fern fiddleheads, and Spring Beauty roots.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Good luck and happy hunting!  I hope this article can help lead you to Yellow Morels in the Missouri Ozarks. If you don’t find any Morels, remember that it’s about the journey, not the destination.  You’ll never learn where and when if you don’t get out and look.  Enjoy your time in nature!