Hunt with experienced 1st. How?

[Frank]

Almost all mushroom site give the advice to Hunt with someone experienced the first few times.

Well, a new member opened my eyes to the fact that we don't tell them how to find that experienced hunter in the 1st place. And then when they ask, it seems to them that we are jumping all over them, when we tell them they just can't expect someone to offer right away. We don't mean it that way, but it seems to come across that way.

So I'm in a dilemma.
I need some good advice from some of you.
Not on where, how, trees and the like, but HOW to find a veteran willing to take a 1st time novice to the woods and help them learn first hand.

It's a Catch 22 thing. If they already knew an experienced hunter, they wouldn't be asking in here for someone to show them where and how.

So assuming that a person has never, ever hunted any kind of mushrooms at all, and was going to start with Morels.

What advice can we give them to find someone to hunt with their 1st time?
_____________________________
Please. No Jokes or sarcasm in this thread.
Serious replies only.
I just want some good ideas so that I can put something together for them.

Thanks Gang.
I know you'll come through for me.

[shroom vaccuum]

That's a tough one Frank. I've always been willing to take newbies out hunting with me to show them the ropes. Still will as long as they aare willing to be blindfolded and hog tied first. Once bitten twice shy!

[miker]

Frank, I can help, but under my terms, they have to drive here, I'm working 7 days a week, so my time is limited, when I say it is time to go, its time to go, no waiting for stragglers, a couple other experienced people would also help if it is a large group,mike

[kamp]

A great way to learn to hunt is to check out the michigan mushroom hunter club (MMHC). It is $15 per year per family. Tons of experienced hunters and lots of guided hunts. The club has a web site. I believe Frank has a link to it. We joined. Have learned lots. Also, we did our very first morel hunt with Rocky Clark - Frank has a link to his web site too. He was great.

[kamp]

and.... there's a guided hunt Friday, 5:30 of the Boyne Mushroom Festival

[Mushroom Jack]

I agree with kamp. (Karen ) I've been a member of the MMHC since the early 80's when Alexander H. Smith, Larry ( Tree ) Lonik and Nancy Smith Weber were involved. ( all mushroom book authors ) Alexander and Larry have since passed away, but Nancy pops in on occasion. There are many other mushroom experts that attend the hunts too. The last two Sat. they had morel hunts in Lapeer. There is an up-comming hunt in Lewiston , but I think it will be to early for whites. If you want to learn beyond the morel, that's the way to go. You'll meet some more great people and learn some fantastic recipes too.

[Cretin]

As a hunter of maybe 3-4 years (but little experience-short seasons!) I invited someone to land I had access to so they could show me what to look for. I would never expect someone to take me to a spot of theirs but since I made otherwise private land accessable to them-even for the day, I was sucessful in getting some advice and mentoring.

State land or their own private land-is a good way to go.

BTW Thanks to all here that have answered my dumb questions over the last couple of seasons!!

[ohiotrucker]

I use pictures of morels, including the false morels, 'toadstools' and other nonedible mushrooms. The nonedibles are marked with an 'x' in red marker. Sometimes the newbie will have a place to hunt and I will go with them. If it is a good spot, it is theirs to keep. I never step on toes, and expect the same from people that hunt with me. That is the first lesson learned. Even my adult son has his own places and we don't bird dog each others hot spots. We have to be willing to teach or the tradition of morel hunting will fade away.

[BikerDude]

I think I have seen our local nature center(chipewa Nat. Ctr.) advertise a guided hunt for morels & other edibles, by a resident naturalist.

Check w/ your local nature centers, I'll bet they offer something similar.

[Bachflock]

GREAT questions Frank.

Thinking back to when I first joined a resource that would have been nice to find is a side bar, or something similar, that had a list of mycological clubs in the state. For that matter, I don't know how many there are and someone else already mentioned one but I know they are out there. Something to consider anyway. The more I explore this site the more I realize and remember how many resources are already here. Those truly serious will explore and hunt around a little more (on this site and others) to gather more info in my opinion

My "Beyond the 'Question'" answer...

Ultimately I think you're looking to maintain that "family" feel here and I think there are people here willing to help. However, much of the responsiblity ultimately falls back onto the budding mushroom hunter. To begin with, I hold to something I heard a professor (thank you Dr. Sutton!) say in a class back during my college days, "There are far more mushrooms out there that are non-poisonous than truly poisonous. However, the human being has an uncanny ability of seeking out the posionous ones first." Right or wrong he was refering to the uneducated/under-educated/over confident individual trying to find edible mushrooms. If someone, anyone, of any experience, is cavalier when picking mushrooms it very well could end poorly for them. Anyone seeking to pick any fungi, including morels, must educate themselves despite having anyone willing to take them into the woods. There is a TON of good advice placed on this board. However, who's to say there isn't one or two who are overnight experts, the "I'm not a mycological expert or even experienced but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night..." type. People have to be smart enough to protect themselves and research sites such as Mushroom Expert.com (http://mushroomexpert.com). Above all, you can't beat time in the woods, collecting specimens, and spending time truly trying to identify something. To many people nowadays are caught up in the RIGHT NOW attitude - no patience to truly learn about what they want to find. Hey, I'm a member of the Sesame St generation - I want everything RIGHT NOW as well. If someone asks for help its up to whomever is willing to speak up but the person asking has to be willing to learn beyond just finding a good spot. A cold shoulder won't make friends but guidence to the willing will make family.

My 2 cents...

[Frank]

An excellent, well thought out and written post Vance. :thumbup:
Thank you.


Wish I could write that well. :lol:

[fasthunter]

I think on just about any property you can find morels. I agree that if someone invited a good shroomer to there area and showed them the ropes it could be really rewarding. Like John said. Eventually it clicks and I know that the knowldedge others shared with me helped quite abit with a ton of different shrooms. This has been my best year ever for morels as well. I walked and walked all kinds of property and scouted well before the shrooming season started. It's helped and paid off TREMENDOUSLY!! However, without that knowledge I wouldn't have been able to have it click. I'm sure myself and others would be more than willing to help on neutral grounds. Not our honeyholes we worked for, but when you know what trees to look for it saves alot of time, and almost always comes up with success. I've been picking morels off of new spots and honeyholes everyday now. I truly believe knowing you're trees and in what conditions is the ticket.

[miker]

My best advice and which I always stand by if looking beyond the morel,find and identify the poisonous ones, this way you can walk by it an say, Amanita, nasty jack or something of that nature, and know not to pick it, I've just about finished the Tertiary Shrooms an extension of the post An Essay on Toxic Mushrooms, about 4 years in the writing,and will go into a deep analysis on why learning the poisonous ones at this stage is critical if not potentially fatal,mike

[joe pohl]

For myself i have taken a few newbie's on there first hunt .. Where i live up here in manistee there is alot of national forest .. So i just look for new grounds and show them the ropes on trees and what to look for ..and i go to one of my spots and ask them to keep it to themselves ..where i know were going to find a few of the good and bad ones.. The few that have asked me to take them from this site we had a good time and hunts.... I just tell them they buy the gas and lunch.. And we can hunt all day ..i have made a few good friends that way.. And anyone that wants to message me if i w can work it out i will take you out ..just send me a message .. I don't mind at all . For i get to find some new spots myself this way .. So i am kinda offering my sevice to some newbies .. Pohlcat