MOREL ALERT

 

Get your Morel license here

It seems this year is going to a very dangerous year for morels. My lab partner and I found 40 of these dangerous fungi last night. This is way too early for edible morels. We are currently testing these samples for toxicity and will diligently continue to test as the season progresses. Please remember that this testing is not for amateurs. We are professionals and ready to selflessly serve you. New photos to follow;

    This year, in partnership with Purdue University Mycological Department, I am trying to educate my fellow morel hunters about a dangerous species of mushrooms that have begun to show up in the area.

    It seems that a new species of morels (Morchella esculenta) has begun to invade our area. While they look exactly like the edible variety, they are deadly!  Please do not take any chances because there is currently no known antidote. Purdue is working on a serum to counteract this poison but needs our help by supplying them with as many samples as possible. 

    If you find any morels this year, do not eat them. Call me and I will come pick them up from you. Please let me know exactly where you found them (a map would be helpful) so that I can get the rest and forward them for testing.  I suggest you send this page to everyone you know in order to keep everyone safe and healthy this year.

    Here are some photos of the poisonous varieties I have found already. Notice they are impossible to distinguish from the edible ones.

Only a highly trained dog can tell the good ones from the bad ones.

Notice how this new species will even grow thru rocks!

The deadly Morels stand out as if to entice an unwary picker.

How many do you see?

Some of the poisonous ones are easier to spot than others.

Here, we prepare samples to test for toxicity.

Woops! Time to get a new Morel Dog...