Morels in May?

OK, so it isn't quite May yet, but it's only a few hours away. It has been a long time since I've hunted morels in May. In past years, the Missouri heat would pick up at the end of April sending soil temps too high for more flushes. The hot weather would also contribute to the mold and rot that start attacking morels late in the season. But this year seems different, more like the six week long seasons when I was a in high school and an undergrad.

Speaking of school, I have been finishing up a master's thesis, so I have not been able to get out and hunt since last Saturday. But I turned in my final draft today and just needed some stress relief, so I left work an hour early to hit the woods. I had my bike loaded up so I could save some time and bike out a ways from where other hunters on foot had already been searching.

I got to a likely spot and went to hide my bike behind some bushes when I looked down and saw a nice pair. It didn't take long before I was getting out a second sack. I hunt with small bags so I don't squash the mushrooms by placing too many on top. Don't get me started on the myths of mesh bags, but in my opinion they have a tendency to shred the mushrooms. Plastic is alright for rainy days, but DO NOT store morels in plastic bags as the bags trap a gas that makes the mushrooms break down and rot. So I prefer paper. I find the small paper freeze bags that grocery stores use for ice cream are perfect. Not too big and extra thick paper to resist tears from stray branches and thorns. Here are a few photos from the ones today.

Here is a seven inch yellow. It is showing a few signs of age but was still fresh and meaty.
Do you see the one lurking in the background?

Here is the lurker. He was attempting to hide under a few leaves, but it is hard to hide when you're larger than a coke can.

How many?

The morel triangle. There is a little elm sapling in the middle, coincidence?

I left a few that were dried up and rotting, but many that I found were still very fresh despite the recent dry spell. The soil was very moist still so that must be helping them stay fresh.

The itch weed is getting tall, as seen behind this perfect specimen. I hate that stuff.

The bottoms are about over but the hills are still hiding a few and with more cool wet weather on the way, it may be worth hunting for the next week maybe even two.

I'll be camping near Jeff city this weekend and I think things may be over there so I am not expecting to do any hunting. It looks like I won't be able to get back out again until next Monday. I do hope the weather holds off the heat. There is a lot of woods that still need to be walked. Be sure to get out there and get them before they are gone.

Finally a Half Free

I was only able to get out mushroom hunting yesterday. Things are starting to wind down here but there are still plenty to be had. Found 100 on Saturday in about 3 hours.

Here is a nice cluster I found near the base of an uprooted cottonwood.
No others were around, just this lucky patch of seven.

Another angle

Like I said, they are getting big. Another week and and this one will be as big as the bottle, I have found them that big before and the cold weather will keep them from rotting.

This one wasn't too fat, but it was tall. Cap was 4 inches and so was the stem. It had to grow a ways to poke through the thick leaves.

I was unable to go hunting today because of another hobby of mine, and had to assist in a wild cave tour at the local state park. As we pulled into the parking lot and headed for the cave, I must admit I was bit jealous when I saw a couple of people off in the distance combing the forest floor with sacks in hand. But I was content, I'm well over 1000 and have plenty dried and a good ten batches cleaned, floured, pre-sauted and frozen for good eating until next spring.

As we neared the end of our hike and headed down the steps leading down the steep, moss-draped banks into the mouth of the cavern, I paused to wait for the people in front of me to move on. I happened to look to my left and noticed there, growing on an 80 degree slope in the middle of ferns and moss, was a nice little half free. Having never seen one in the wild, I was delighted. It made me think of all the posts about people finding a heck of a lot more half frees than in a normal year. They surely are growing everywhere it seems, even at the mouth of a cave clinging to the walls. I didn't have my camera, so I'll have to go back out and see if I can find a few to photograph, but it really made my day to check that little bugger off my list.

So Many Mushrooms, So Little Time

I didn't get time to do much hunting yesterday but I did get out to a spot in town at lunch and found five 2" to 3" yellows, nice and fresh. Talked to some hunters returning from the woods and they had done well but nothing too big. So the hills are starting to produce. The bottoms are about done. Getting really big there and easy pickings.

Went out with a buddy and found 150 today in two hours. Large yellows and greys some the size of coke cans. I split them with my buddy and when I got home mine weighed 2 1/2 pounds so I can only assume we got about 5 pounds together. It was another good day, especially since I had to work and could only hunt for a few hours.

I only took a few photos because most were getting big and yellowing, and although very tasty , they aren't really that photogenic anymore.

Here is an example of a cluster of yellows with my backpack behind them. I always hunt with a backpack so I can haul water, my camera, etc and haul out the extra full bags on days like these. There are three in this cluster if you notice the one hiding around back.

After filling our bags and since we were in the area, I figured I would check a spot that had produced some nice ones late last year, so I knew my fellows hunters tended to overlook it. I didn't expect much, anticipating that this late in the season and right on the edge of section that really gets picked early and often, we would have no luck. But, oh boy, was I surprised. We picked between 30 to 40 nice fat and meaty 4" to 6" greys. Here are a few of the beauties.




I was amazed because they were mainly right out in the open with very little cover and they were so big. I still do not know why people don't hunt this spot when they hunt trees only 50 feet away. Just shows you that you always need to check the whole area, even that last little bit because that is where these were waiting.

One final note, if you do your research on morels you'll learn that there are only two types of morels: yellows and blacks. The color variation of yellows from white to grey to yellow can vary greatly and can be due to age, environment, weather conditions, all sorts of things. No matter how they look, they are the same general type of morel. They rarely come out yellow which is why everyone reports finding greys first. If left alone greys will become nice yellows or they may keep their grey color like the ones pictured above. I didn't leave any of these because I didn't plan on returning, but I bet, if I would have left a 6 inch grey behind, I might have come back to find a 10 inch yellow in a few more days. But who has that kind of patience especially considering, in my own humble opinion, that a fellow hunter from Indiana always claims "greys are the best."

Check your old spots

I am starting to figure a few things out about this season. Thanks in part to tips from other hunters. You know, many hunters are very stingy with information, but I know a few who openly share info on terrain and areas that are hitting and I do the same. We rarely hunt the same areas at the same time, but use the info to tune into potential hot spots in the area we are working.

Anyway, after looking at my own spots and checking tips from others, I am going to say that the rules of 2005 seem to be applying. Meaning I am finding morels in places and around types of trees that were last productive three years ago. So if you have an old spot that hasn't been productive in years, get out and check it. You may be surprised at what you find.

That's what I did today. I checked a spot that had been hot in 2005. I did so based on a tip to the habitat from another hunter. I entered the spot and didn't walk but twenty feet and there they were. I found 77 in about an hour and a half. They are getting big and weighed in at two and a half pounds. So check those old spots soon.

Here are a few photos from today's hunt. The light was perfect and I was able to capture to great images.


Many people find morels in moss, however, where I hunt there is little moss. This is the only one this season I have found growing out of moss.

A weathered pair I found growing on a western facing slope.

These beauties were all found around a blown down cottonwood. can you see the third one poking up in the background?

These were also found around the same cottonwood. I found a total of twelve around it that by themselves weighed 3/4 of a pound. It was a great day.

Did I say get out there and get hunting...

I tell you, the ones in my spots are starting to really get big. Its a good time to get out and hunt because they are easy to spot. If you are in Mid-MO with exception of those along the northern part, get out now. If they are not up in your normal spots look elsewhere because they are here and it is a very good year. In some spots (not my usual) they are everywhere. You just walk the woods and hope you hit a lucky strike.

I am helping a photojournalism student out with a project on morel hunting, so I took him out to the woods with me again today not really expecting to find too many, but just hoping to find a few so he could get some good footage. So, I went back to a spot that I had picked a few at over the weekend. While there on Saturday, the place was heavily hit. I saw no less than 15 pickups and met several groups of hunters in the woods.

Today there were only around ten pickups (a sure sign that a spot is hitting good) and so we headed into the woods. I quickly found a few I had missed around one tree. One was a nice long 5 inch yellow. He was hiding under a sycamore leaf which explains why I didn't see him before. The small ones also hang out under the leaves and then with a few days of warm weather grow extremely fast, giving the impression that they just pop up. After checking a few more spots I came across a patch of woods I had never bothered to hunt before but from the tracks and stumps it looked like many people had been through this weekend.

When I picked at my first tree, I noted how the stumps I left behind from Saturday had grown and colored with age. I now could use this info as I found stumps to determine that people had been picking from this area both Sunday, Saturday and even prior to that. I walked this 200 foot by 100 foot section and picked 35 that were missed. I am pretty sure that with so many hunters in the last few days that many morels can be missed. So I have to assume that these grew or popped to a more easier to spot size in the last 24 hours. Especially when it has been so warm.

In the end I found another 54 in about 2 hours including driving time, much better than I expected.

Back to temps, when it gets hot (above 80 and doesn't drop below 60 at night) it can often mark the end to the season as no new flushes will occur and all the ones that are up will get to their intended size and start to fall over and rot. That being said, this is usually because a lot of additional warm weather follows and we are forecasted to get back into the 60s the next few weeks. I think that if you are finding big yellows in a spot now, that spot will no longer flush this year, so pick them while you can. However, if you are only seeing small grays, like they are in the hills around here, the season could continue in these spots for a while. Of course this is all just guess work and theorizing. That's one of the things I love most about morel hunting, all of the speculation. What I reckon to a Midwestern modern day prospecting that takes no more than a tank of gas, a grocery sack, and a good pair of boots. Oh yeah, and if your like me you wouldn't go out in the woods without your lucky walking stick.

500 plus and Counting

I did real good over the weekend. Finding 182 on Saturday and Sunday. Found exactly 100 yesterday in two different areas. I got up early and hit a prime area and picked the last bit of unwalked terrain clean before running into large gropups of hunters coming from in front of me and behind me. So I met up with some hunting buddies from K.C and hit another spot, pulling in about 70 between us. They have been showing up big since the rain on Friday. Most are 2-3 inchers with a few 4 or 5" nice ones here and there. Getting a lot easier to spot that's for sure.

Thinking it was on I finally was able to get up to one of my more northern areas for the first time today. I walked through one of my good areas only to find small yellows and grays. I soon knew why when I found a tramped down circle and plenty of boot prints around a prime spot. I did find five they missed but I was disappointed and kept moving through. I picked another 15 or 20 ones that were overlooked and was thinking it would be a slow day.

I soon crossed into a different zone that I normally walk through to get to other areas. But as I ducked under a branch a sight to behold came into view. About 20 morels around one tree. Here is a shot of the largest a nice fat five incher.


I picked everything around this patch and just kept walking. I soon started to see these nice 3-4 inch whites poking out here...

and there.


Before I knew it, I had a nice sackful. On my way back to the car, I walked back through that area but about 200 feet away and found a cottonwood tree with some very nice clusters like this.
It added another 15 to my sack and really topped off a fine day. It seems like they are big in the early locals and just starting to really flush elsewhere. The morels are not as prolific in my usual honey holes. They are producing but only moderately. I am finding my mother lode scores in completely new places, sometimes merely wandering fast but keeping an eye out as I go and stumbling across them. Remember when you find one, look for others, there are bound to be more.

So, if you are seeing reports of morel finds in your area and you are not having any luck in your usual spots start strolling and in other places nearby that haven't produced in a while. Perhaps luck will send you down the right path.

A Real Beauty...



Every now and then I find a patch of morels that look different from the others. They have very dark pits with contrasting white ridges. They seem a little meatier and thicker. Not sure if it is just a color variation or a different species of morel but they sure are pretty.

Here is a shot of some others from this patch.

Time to hit the woods

First off reports are going to be shorter these next few weeks. I have a lot going on and will be spending most of the rest of the time that I can out hunting. I am taking pictures but just don't have time to post them. Will try to do so this weekend if I get a chance.

I thought things were still early based on what I saw in St. Louis the other day but after returning home and checking out a few spots this afternoon. I am ready to say it is on in Mid-MO. I was finding mainly 2-3 inchers today with a few up to 4 inches and nice and fat. Came out with 75 nice ones coming in at about two pounds. nice to see some weight in the bag. I'd bet the little greys will show up in the hills after these warm days/nights and the oncoming rain. This weekend should be prime.

I didn't use my camera today because the hunt was being documented in a different manner. But here are some photos from over the weekend.

A nice little cluster with my walking stick (which my son marked with green crayon which obviously is good luck).

This photo shows you why you should always very carefully cut all the morels you harvest. If you look very closely at the stem of the larger one you can see a teeny tiny morel just staring out. Pulling or pinching would damage these little guys and you couldn't come back and get them later.

Some people call this a gray but it is really a young yellow morel. Contrary to what some hunters claim, morels do grow. If left alone and conditions stay cool and damp this guy could easily become beer can size in a few weeks.

This one would often be called a white but it really a yellow too.

Reporters, Reputations, and Urban Hunting


As I mentioned earlier, I am in St. Louis for work attending a two-day training course. Normally I would welcome such a diversion, but in the middle of the season it takes me far away from my honey holes. However, I had been here before in winter and saw a very promising section of woods that I wanted to check in spring. I have never hunted for morels in St. Louis before but I figured what the heck.

Normally this would just have been a scouting trip in a new area, hoping that my general rules that work at home send me looking in the right spots here. However, this hunt had a little more added pressure.

Every year, I get a few requests to do interviews about mushroom, especially morel, hunting. Sometimes I turn them down, but I often I accept and take the reporter out to areas I don't usually hunt but know to produce to see if we can scare up a few so they can eat some and truly understand why we hunt these little devils. This year, a journalist from St. Louis contacted me and asked for an interview. Since I was already planning to be up here for work and even planning to go out and hunt a little while in town, I invited her to come along. It wasn't until the next day, that I realized my potential mistake. It is one thing to take someone to a known area and find a morel, it is an entirely different thing to do so in a brand new area. It was added pressure for sure, but, I had done it to myself.

With the pressure mounting, I did a drive by in the morning before my business engagement just to see if, one, the land was public (thankfully it was as I was so happy when I saw the yellow MDC signs) and second I had to find access to it. The trail I had scoped out in winter was blocked by a flooded creek (there's a bit of flooding in St. Louis right now). But using some ingenuity I found a way to access it and went to work.

After work I met with the journalist and headed to park. I will not divulge the location, but I will say it was the first time I have covered parking when morel hunting. Chalk up one advantage to urban hunting.

So here I am with reporter in tow, heading into uncharted waters. Sorry for the metaphor, I have been watching too much Deadliest Catch recently. Has anyone else noticed how much crab fishing is similar to morel hunting. But I digress, and that sounds like a topic for a future blog entry.

Anyway as we were walking in I told her, there are three things to consider when hunting a new area: Is the habitat right? Is the timing right? and has anyone beat you to them? I knew we were looking good on the first two; but, this being the city, I was very wary of the third. As we got into the woods I began to see tell-tale signs of other hunters. The one thing I did notice is that the circles of footprints where in the places I expected them to be, so it seemed that my rules might works here.

As we found a habitat that looked similar to where I had found mine over the weekend in Columbia, the footprints and signs of previous hunters became more evident. And yet there was hope as ti didn't take long before I was able to spot one lone fellow sitting there near a tree.

Whew, at least we didn't get skunked I thought to myself as I breathed a sigh of relief. We continued to hunt while she quizzed me about all kinds of mushroom hunting fact and lore. The finding was slow at first. I think we had only found two after the first 30 minutes, but soon we found an area that had been overlooked and the story hound became a mushroom hunter and found her first. She found a few more along the way and held her own. On the way back to the car she impressed me by spotting one that I was walking right past. I also have to give her credit for staying out the two or so hours it took. Most reporters just go out for 20-30 minutes and then run off to write their stories, so I have to respect her for that.

In the end, we came out with 21 one to two-and-a-half inch grays/yellows. So, even in the middle of the urban jungle, after lord knows how many hunters had been doing the morel waltz the previous weekend, you can still scrounge enough for a meal. And best of all, my reputation is safe, at least for today.

Hunting in St. Louis

I spent yesterday hunting a southern spot in Mid-Missouri and came home with 57 nice young yellows/grays. Made for some good eating. There are up and starting to really come on in force. I'll provide some pictures and more details when I get back to my computer at home.

Currently, I am in St. Louis for work, but I do hope to give a promising section of woods a good walking after I finish my business. Always fun walking a new area. I never expect to find anything and am always doubly thrilled if I do manage to turn some up. You'll never know unless you look.

A Quick Reminder

Youth turkey season is this weekend, so if you are out in woods be sure to wear some hunter's safety orange so you are not mistaken for a morel hunting gobbler.

Today's Adventure or the Hunt for Water Morels

I had the pleasure of hunting with Camoshroomer this morning. (Thanks again for the invite there Camo, I always enjoy hunting with you and swapping mushroom tales and knowledge.)
He hunts to the south of me and had been having pretty good finds the last few days, so I headed down to see what was poking up.

All of the recent rain had flooding on my mind. I had to cross a small spot where flood water was rushing across the road to get to where we were finally headed. It didn't take long before we found a few. He pointed out a little fellow he had left behind to show me. It was the first time I had seen a morel growing under a cedar tree, but there it was poking up through the cedar needles (or whatever you call those itchy things). We looked around for a few hours and I ended up with 15 which wasn't bad for early in the season. Also Camoshroomer had pulled out a good 50 or so the day before. I didn't ask him how many he found, but I think it was around ten. The last one we found he spotted growing just a short distance from the parking lot. It was a nice 3 incher and the biggest of the morning. Here is a nice cluster I found.

Camoshroomer spotted a patch of tiny ones just starting out but they were on the edge of a scour hole that was quickly filling with flood water. I took this picture...

And waited a minute or so and it was under water. I asked camoshroomer to check back on these guys and let me know how they do.

On my way home, I decided to hit one of my southern most spots. It didn't take me long before I started seeing one or two here and there.

They were far and few between and after walking for about two hours. I only had 13 in my bag. I had walked all of my spots from last year and even though there were only a few here and there, I was happy to see them as these spots had been under water for a good month last summer.

I resigned to the fact that it was still early and the major flushes hadn't happened yet and so I began the long walk back to the car. I was only about 5 mins from the car when to my surprise I spotted a perfect specimen sitting mere inches from the trail. I couldn't believe my eyes, I mean I had just walked right by this one. I took a photo or two and as I looked around I saw 4 more right there within 6 inches of the trail.

I decided to check a spot that I didn't check earlier because I been focused on hitting more productive spots further in. As I approached my spot, I noticed water slowly creeping toward it from a flooding creek. I quickly checked it out and saw no signs of morels. I now noticed that my way back to the car was blocked by about a six foot wide slowly moving stream of flood water creeping through the woods in an ever-expanding nature. It wasn't but a few inches deep so I picked a spot to wade across. Halfway across I stopped literally in mid-stream. There surrounded by water was a perfect 2 inch morel. I crossed the water and started seeing them everywhere. I picked about 20 that were sitting in 1-3 inches of water. I left many small ones here as well and I am not sure how long they will be underwater. Here are a few photos of some of the bigger ones growing in the water but near the edge.

And finally my finds for the day. The ones at the bottom are from this morning. I know what I'll be eating for breakfast tomorrow - a good mess of morels and eggs.

I have to head to St. Louis tomorrow for other affairs, but if anyone in Columbia is up for a hunt on Sunday, email me.

Flooding and morels

Someone pointed out an article from the St. Louis Post on morels and flooding. Here is the MDC news release that sparked the Post's article:

Floods might reduce morel crop in some areas

A poor crop this year could pay dividends in 2009.

JEFFERSON CITY-As if the immediate damage from flooding were not enough, recent wet weather could reduce the number of morels Missourians find this spring. Those who are inclined to look for a silver lining will cheerfully note that a poor morel crop this year probably would boost next year’s production.

Resource Scientist Bruce Moltzan is the Missouri Department of Conservation’s resident mushroom expert. He said morels are the fruiting bodies of a larger plant, just as apples are the fruiting structures of an apple tree.

Morel fungi emerge each spring from wintering bodies known as sclerotia. When warm, moist weather arrives, sclerotia invest their stored nutrients in two ways. One is to produce root-like structures to draw water and nutrients from the soil and decaying plant tissue. The other is to grow “primordia,” the familiar, sponge-like cone that is the holy grail of mushroom fanatics.

Moltzan said morels need the right combination of nutrients, humidity, carbon dioxide and temperature to form mushrooms.

“Morel sclerotia are amazing survival structures,” he said, “so flooding should not kill them. However, if during the formation time sclerotia are sitting in flooded areas, it is likely they won’t form primordia this year, and mushrooms will be more abundant next year.”

All this applies only to flooded areas. Morel sclerotia growing on higher ground can still produce normal crops of mushrooms under good conditions.

One way to identify good morel hunting spots is related to how morels make their living. Moltzan said morels have a mutually beneficial relationship with trees. The roots of trees intertwine with those of morels, known as mycorrhizae. The fungi get sugars from the trees’ roots, and the trees benefit from an effective expansion of their root systems, increasing their ability to draw water and nutrients from the soil. Some evidence suggests that morel mycorrhizae also provide protection from other organisms that damage tree roots.

Mushroom hunters have long known that the death of a tree can trigger a flush of morel fruiting. Moltzan said this is because morels’ underground, vegetative parts sense a decrease in their sugar lifeline and react by sending up spore-producing fruits to perpetuate the species when food runs out.

“That is why mushroom hunters who notice a dead slippery elm one year may find a bonanza of morels the next spring,” he said.

That provides insight into where morels will grow, but Moltzan said the question of when they will emerge is a deep mystery.

“Predicting the timing of morels is very complicated,” he said. “To quote a prominent mycologist, ‘The thrill of the hunt is what makes morelling so exciting ... and often so frustrating.’”

Moltzan said that all things being equal (which they seldom are), late April is a prime time for morel hunting.

“I start hitting the trails about the middle of April in mid-Missouri. Production continues for about two weeks. In general, this window is earlier in the south and later in the north. The key is getting out and looking.”

-Jim Low-

Source: http://mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/news/news_search.cgi?item=1207326769,69354,


Jim has some good advice there. You definitely won't find anything unless you get out there and start looking.

Weekend Update

Well I haven't been blogging because I have been spending any extra time I have scouting out spots trying to figure out what is going to produce this year. Saturday I had other obligations but Sunday I headed out and checked several spots along the river. I will only state my observations and let you make of them what you will. There seems to be enough speculation so I try not to jump to conclusions, especially so early in the season.

I did find morels in several spots, BUT they were all too small to pick for a meal. I did not find any up in the hills yet (even south and east facing). I only found them in the bottoms which is usual.

What was not usual is that I only found them in spots that were above the high water mark from last year's flooding. You can easily tell where this mark is by the discolored bottom trunks to all the trees. Also, you can tell from the undergrowth. Most of the flooded area has little to no undergrowth yet, while the small patches you can find that were spared are greening up well. I had several spots that have produced well the last five years, I did not find a single morel in them, except for tiny parts like the tops of embankments and earthen mounds that were above the waterline.

I fear that the four to six weeks many places spent underwater had a bad effect on the mycelium and production there this year. This was reported the seasons following the floods of 93 and 95. I hope that the areas that flooded are just a little behind and haven't flushed yet. So, who knows.

If anyone is hunting the river bottoms and has found morels in the areas flooded last summer, please let me know. I would love to hear some better news.

They're Here

Now don't get too excited, they are here but they are still very small. Of the nine I found today only one was big enough to take home, and I would have left it but I needed one for a photo with the daily newspaper when I got home. I really did not expect them to be out so soon but by gum there they were. I checked three spots today and saw nothing in the first two, but low and behold the third one held the first herald of Spring.

I probably would have never seen them if not for the big one here (and by big I mean about an inch). I picked the one on the back left.

When I took this photo I only saw the two but now that I look at it, I think I see another one peeking up.



I moved some leaves to put my hand down for a photo and found this itsy bitsy little pair.

And finally the photo for any doubters and the reason I had to bring one home. I didn't really expect to find them so I wasn't carrying the paper with me.

Training the eyes...


I thought I would post a few photos I took from past hunts to help everyone get those eyes warmed up and ready to go.


First, here is a photo of a common false morel. This is what many are referring to when they say they found "reds." These are Gyromitra Carolinana . These contain toxins found in rocket fuel and though many people eat them and there are no known poisonings from them, I do not eat them nor recommend eating them. They can get quite massive and I have found ones that easily weighed a pound by themselves. They usually show up a week or two before regular morels and continue to fruit during the season.

A loner late in the season right next to a farm road

A nice yellow

A nice cluster of all sizes

A small loner?

This one had a liking for things from further north.

another shot of a morel growing next to an old Clearly Canadian bottle

A perfect triangle

A nice cluster found the morning after the first night of the late hard freeze that hit in the middle of the 2007 season. These were frozen solid and went soggy and limp when thawed, but they fried up just fine.

A majestic white

A beautiful sight

And this is what you really want to see...

These are so big the stems could no longer support them and they fell over

I found these 8 morels late in the 2005 season. They weighed in just over one and a half pounds.

A big haul from a day in 2006