Hunting the Ultimate Mushroom

Morel mushrooms are worth the hunt. They can often be found near dead elm trees. Generally, the tree needs to be dead at least 6 months from my experience but yet not past the point where they are missing all of their bark. If they are missing all of their bark, they are generally past their mushroom bearing days. Other trees that you could stand a chance of finding morels under or by are the sycamore, cottonwoods, and old apple trees. Best bet is under trees that drop their leaves in the fall but I have on occasion found a few under pine trees. I am not sure if at one point the location I found these particular mushrooms had suffered a timber fire, which also is a good indication that morel mushrooms may be present.

I have hunted morels in Illinois and Wisconsin and have to admit the find was easier here in Wisconsin. A good rule of thumb is, early in the season, look on south edge of the timber because the sun warms that area first, then as the season goes; follow the sun!

I have heard it said that the morels are found in a sequence going from black morels, to white, gray and yellow morels. I have seen this often not the case and have witnessed quite a bit of overlapping both ways.

One has to be careful when hunting for mushrooms because there are many poisonous types out there. Cross cutting a poisonous mushroom with an edible one could prove to be very dangerous for the person who ingest the edible one, so make sure you know what you are cutting before you cut!

Morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw and one should thoroughly wash their hands after handling. Even though they only contain a small amount of toxin in them, they could prove to be very dangerous. It has been reported that even after cooking morels, if consumed while drinking alcohol can result in mild poisoning.

Before going mushroom hunting one should familiarize themselves with the many different mushrooms of your area. Know which ones are edible and which are poisonous. If you are unsure, you should never handle a poisonous mushroom. If bringing children with you mushroom hunting, arm them all with pictures of which mushrooms are safe to pick and which ones not to touch. Either inform them that if they are unsure to ask an adult with them or just do not pick or touch it.

A good site to learn more about morel is http://americanmushrooms.com/morels.htm

This is a great family outing, educational and great exercise. Pack up a lunch and head to the woods to experience what all nature has to offer.