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Mushroom Dogs

Gern186

Gern186

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Sorry if this topic has ever been brought up before, but after spending several hours last week looking for mushrooms with very little success, I got to thinking about how to locate mushrooms. I got to thinking that there has to be a way to train a dog to sniff out mushrooms...after all, they can smell pheasants, deer antlers, cocaine, blood and all kinds of other things.

What do you guys think? Has anybody ever thought of this or am I just crazy? It seems that it wouldn't be too hard to train a certain type of dog to locate mushrooms by scent.
 
brock ratcliff

brock ratcliff

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You may be crazy, but I've thought the same thing myself. It usually occurs to me what a great idea that would be during years when mushrooms are particularly hard to find.
 
Gern186

Gern186

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brock ratcliff said:
You may be crazy, but I've thought the same thing myself. It usually occurs to me what a great idea that would be during years when mushrooms are particularly hard to find.
Click to expand...

They are always hard to find it seems....though I am not very experienced at looking for them. How cool would it be to walk with your dog through the woods and all of a sudden he goes on point right next to a dead elm tree?
 
JOHNROHIO

JOHNROHIO

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We were just talking about this at work today. So no your not the only one. I just would not know how to do it.
 
brock ratcliff

brock ratcliff

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I would think if it were doable, it would have been done. I mean there are blood lines specific for most every critter available as it is, you would think people would have already developed a breed if it worked. But heck, when I'm in a good patch, I can smell 'em. Dogs have to be able to.
 
Jackalope

Jackalope

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I did a little research on it a couple years ago. The problem you're going to run in to is the availability of fresh mushrooms for consistent training. The growing season is so short. You can dehydrate them but they smell different. You're basically going to have to get a dog that picks up on it quickly. And do some refresher training every season. The best method is clean coffee cans. Place a mushroom under 1 of 6 cans. Point at each one and make the dog smell it. If he reacts on the right one give him a treat. same way they train drug dogs.
 
M

mrex

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When my boys were little, I would flag over hanging branches with mushrooms below and then we'd go hunting. When we were close to the shrooms I'd stop and say..."wait, you guys smell that?" For years they were convinced that Dad could smell them before he could see them. I think the idea of a dog is a good one. I have a couple friends with shed dogs that are f'in unbelievable. I'm not sure why the mushroom would have to be fresh?

I was out listening to birds on the roost this morning and stumbled into this B&C yellow. I think these recent rains may have partially restarted the process.

 
Jackalope

Jackalope

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mrex said:
When my boys were little, I would flag over hanging branches with mushrooms below and then we'd go hunting. When we were close to the shrooms I'd stop and say..."wait, you guys smell that?" For years they were convinced that Dad could smell them before he could see them. I think the idea of a dog is a good one. I have a couple friends with shed dogs that are f'in unbelievable. I'm not sure why the mushroom would have to be fresh?

I was out listening to birds on the roost this morning and stumbled into this B&C yellow. I think these recent rains may have partially restarted the process.

Click to expand...


I dried some last year and noticed they smell completely different once dried.. I don't mean a little different I mean like 100% different. Like the difference between Onions and Garlic.. Just thinking that training your dog to find dried mushrooms might not lend to many successful hunts.
 
M

mrex

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Jackalope said:
I dried some last year and noticed they smell completely different once dried.. I don't mean a little different I mean like 100% different. Like the difference between Onions and Garlic.. Just thinking that training your dog to find dried mushrooms might not lend to many successful hunts.
Click to expand...

I wonder what would happen if you re-hydrated them? I've never intentionally dried one but I have picked some dried ones in the field and have found that covering them with a wet paper towel in the fridge brings them back good as new. I know freezing a fresh morel doesn't work. The only way I've found to preserve them has been to 1/2 bake them and then freeze.
 
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