4 Tips to Find the Super Secretive Morel Mushroom in Minnesota

If you see people walking around with bags or containers in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Illinois, and acting a bit suspicious, don't worry.  They are probably trying to ditch you so they can get to their secret spot for morels mushrooms.  Yes, morels are back and people are on the hunt!

Where to find morel mushrooms in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois

Most people who have a "secret" morel spot won't tell you about them because, well, they want to grab those precious mushrooms for themselves.  But, I know of several places that have them and today I am going to spill the beans and also give you a few tips on how to find them yourself.

Tip #1 - Go out for a hike in the woods!

• Go out for a hike.  Check with park rules first before you go hunting for morels but one that I know has people hunting is Beaver Creek Valley State Park in Minnesota.

Tip #2 -Know what trees to look for!

• According to outdoorlife.com, there are a few specific trees that morels tend to love more than others.  Those are sycamore, hickory, ash, elm, and fruit trees.

Tip #3 - Look for 50 on the temperature gauge

• Spring has been a bit colder but we are slowly starting to see temps show up in the 50's again on a more consistent basis.  Once these show up that is a huge sign that morels are growing and it is time to go hunting.

Tip #4 - Morels like it where it tends to be damp...so look there first

• Checking under leaves, in areas that are shaded more, and damp are the best place to start looking.

My Secret Spot for Finding Morel Mushrooms in Rochester, Minnesota

A few years ago, I took my dog for a walk on our property in Rochester.  We've got a few acres and there are a ton of trees and a huge chunk of them are Elm.  Honestly, there are quite a few that are dead and have fallen down in the forest and need to be cleared out.  It is a work in progress!

While I was out on our little hike, I noticed something poking through the ground in the middle of our property.  I never saw this item before and it was really weird looking and had wavy lines on it.  Google was my friend and I learned that the pile of things in my yard poking up through the ground were morel mushrooms!

Turns out, my neighborhood is one of those "secret spot" locations and many of us have buckets full of morel mushrooms every spring.

Am I going to tell you where I live?  Nope.  It's a secret.

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11 Gross and Nasty Things in the Spring that People in Minnesota Hate

If you own a dog, right now in your yard are piles of squishy turds that have thawed out and you really don't want to scoop them up.  (If you enjoy this, please come to my house...I have a Saint Bernard.  #EnoughSaid). Picking up squishy dog poop is one of the things we truly hate doing in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois as spring temps warm up our frozen state.  And just like an infomercial...but wait, there's more!  Yeah, dog poop isn't the only thing we are hating on.  See the rest of the list below.