Mushroom hunting

[69_500]

Does anyone else on here hunt for Morel mushrooms? And if so how are you guys/gals doing this year?

We just bought a few acres last fall with about half of it being wooded. We have went out 2 times in the woods in the past week and have found probably about 75 mushrooms so far. Most of them being the gray/black morels, and then today we found 42 of the yellow morels.

I'm sure that others on the board here like them. Just curious how you have been doing this year. In the past we had always had to wait until we went into a friends woods to look for them. Its kind of nice to just go 30 feet from the back of the house and find them.

What is the biggest that someone has found? Single mushroom and a patch? There was a patch in the yard that we found today that was about 30 mushrooms in a 10' radius. My mother in law found a black morel that was about the size of a 20 oz soda bottle.

[TK73]

Only into eatin shrooms.

Fried, stuffed, on pizza, burgers...   

[Todd Wilson]

I havent had any of those shrooms in years and years.   A friend of mines folks used to have a secret spot they would go to out in the country every year and get em. They wouldnt tell anyone where the spot was.  I'd get to come over when the would have the shroom fry and that was good eating.   I wish I knew what I was looking for and I would go out and see if I could find any.  Its been really dry here in Kansas this year so I wonder if its been poor hunting around here.


Todd

[Charger-Bodie]

I like to go mushroom hunting,but I love eating them.

[TruckDriver]

I love mushrooms, but I never still had a Morel mushroom. I wanna try one though

[twodko]

 Mushrooms really add a lot to many dishes, never had a Morel though..............had a Mormon once back in the day.

[Tilar]

I love those things.

The biggest screwup people do when hunting mushrooms is they use a breadsack or plastic bag to hold the mushrooms. People need to use something like an onion or potato sack that is made of mesh. Then shake the bag around where you found the mushrooms so the spores can get back to the ground. That way you have mushrooms again next year.  

[bobs66440]

I never knew there was such a thing as mushroom hunting...

[69_500]

I'm thinking that while the kids are all out looking for easter Eggs tomorrow that I"ll just go back into the woods and see if I can come back out with another bag full. They are yummy. I just wish I could find some of the groups that others I have talked to have found. Saw some pictures from a buddy of mine today that in the one picture you could see about 40 mushrooms in a 10' radius. Every time I find a cluster of them they are small ones not huge ones like in his picture.

[tricky lugnuts]

Morels are pretty darn tasty. Been having some luck here in Indiana - found a few dozen so far. Pretty good sauteed in some butter.

If you find one, look around, there's usually more. I've been finding them on the tops of hills and ridges, and think they'll move down lower into the valleys and ravines as the season progresses.

Agree that people should always leave a few behind and carry their mushrooms in something that will still let spores escape.

Ever tried Chicken of the Woods? It can be found in the late summer, fall - bright yellow shelf-type fungus (hence its other name, Sulphur Shelf) with orange splotches, impossible to confuse with anything else.

You just trim some slices off the edges of the fungus. Sauteed in butter, it tastes EXACTLY like chicken, kind of a new play on the what came first question, the chicken or the fungus.

[TK73]

I never knew there was such a thing as mushroom hunting...

Can't use anything above a .22 or they're wasted... 

[bobs66440]

I never knew there was such a thing as mushroom hunting...

Can't use anything above a .22 or they're wasted... 

I was thinking along those lines but I didn't want to insult anyone 

[elacruze]

I don't eat them but I know the ol' secret spots by us in MI were old apple orchards, morels love rotting apple stumps.

[doctor4766]

Morels are pretty darn tasty. Been having some luck here in Indiana - found a few dozen so far. Pretty good sauteed in some butter.
If you find one, look around, there's usually more. I've been finding them on the tops of hills and ridges, and think they'll move down lower into the valleys and ravines as the season progresses.
Agree that people should always leave a few behind and carry their mushrooms in something that will still let spores escape.
Ever tried Chicken of the Woods? It can be found in the late summer, fall - bright yellow shelf-type fungus (hence its other name, Sulphur Shelf) with orange splotches, impossible to confuse with anything else.
You just trim some slices off the edges of the fungus. Sauteed in butter, it tastes EXACTLY like chicken, kind of a new play on the what came first question, the chicken or the fungus.

OMG I love mushrooms but don't think I could eat any that look like those.
We get wild mushrooms in places here but not being sure if they're mushrooms or toadstools I think I'd rather buy them at the store or grow some in those kits you can buy,grow and harvest yourself.

[twodko]

Every year up here on NorCal people die eating mushrooms they have harvested and "believe" are safe. You really have to know what you'redoing.

[nvrbdn]

we have done pretty good this year. fried up a couple pounds friday night. didnt find any huge ones this year, but 4"-7" were pretty common. my dad loved getting a bag from me also. that was worth it just for his smile.

[ACUDANUT]

April is the Month to find them.  Unfortunately It's been too muddy for me to want to go hunting for them.