Fall mushroom hunting

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

Well, after years of wondering about it, I finally took the plunge and got serious about hunting mushrooms, Just started 3 weeks ago, and the girlfriend is stoked maybe more than I am for it.

We were met with instant success and found an 8 pound Hen of the Woods on Sept. 17. Unbelievably delicious and some reading this already know this fact. On Sept. 30 we scored again just 25 minutes into our 2nd hunt, this time a 12 pound Hen. I don't expect we will be this lucky all the time - the last two trips proved this as we were skunked. This is going to be a yearly dedication, and we still have about 1 month remaining to find good ones here in the Hudson Valley.

Another outdoor persuit for my resume, and the best eating food imaginable. Let's hear your stories. 

Who o this site is also finding fall mushrooms, in particular HOTW or Chicken mushrooms ? Let'r

[missoulafish]

Pics?? ?? ?

[Iceshanty]

 Button mushrooms were popping early this year in September. We haven’t even had a frost yet!

[missoulafish]

I’ve seen a few starting to pop up while elk hunting. Unless they are Morels I’m afraid to pick them😜

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I am too lazy to put pictures up. There are tons of pics of Hens all over the 'net. What can you score for mushrooms in Montana ?

[missoulafish]

Morels for sure in the spring... they will be everywhere next year since the entire state burned. I’ve eaten Coral mushrooms and a couple others friends have picked but I’m not sure what they were called. My friend across the street usually comes back with several varieties.... I’m drawing a blank on what they were though... oh we get a lot of Shaggy Manes too!

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I’ve seen a few starting to pop up while elk hunting. Unless they are Morels I’m afraid to pick them😜

I used to be in your exact situation, with Morels being the only ones I trusted eating. The problem is I never found any of those after my father found some in 1990 and fried them up. I don't think Hens ( also known as the Maitake or sheep's head ) can be found that far west, but if so, they are very easy to identify, and there are no poisonous look-alikes. Absolutely heavenly eating 

[DR.SPECKLER]

the only shrooms I can identify positively are morels,shaggy manes,chicken and hen of the woods.and magic mushrooms too when I was a lot younger.haha

[chilly-willy]

Check fb there is s morel and mushroom hunters page on it..  they love pictures just don't give locations.. they like to find them on their cause mushroom grow back usally  .. their a replenishING resource lol's ..

[missoulafish]

Made a video of Morel hunting in Montana  this last spring...
MUSHROOMS

[captain54]

Found one small hen in early September,then no rain for 20 some days. Where getting plenty of rain now,hens should be plentiful real soon. I know 50 some trees/ stumps that produce those tasty delights every year. Love wild mushrooms. I picked hens,sulphur shell chickens,oysters,honey buttons,bluwits,field buttons,morels,shaggy manes, chantrels, slippery jacks, cauliflower,and a few others.

[Raquettedacker]

Had a good week of getting Giant Puff Balls..
Six in total and took three home....

[captain54]

Puff balls aren't bad but lack flavor to me. Breaded and fried,not bad.

[matzilla]

I've got some pheasant backs and buttons that keep in the woods behind my house...I never pick them, the deer eat them eventually

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

My girlfriend is the hen whisperer, she found another 10 pounder yesterday, went out alone. She has found 3 in just 5 trips all at < 1 hour. Two while with me and the one yesterday. We are making a registry of all the trees and will go back next year to check, as others say they do .

[chilly-willy]

My girlfriend is the hen whisperer, she found another 10 pounder yesterday, went out alone. She has found 3 in just 5 trips all at < 1 hour. Two while with me and the one yesterday. We are making a registry of all the trees and will go back next year to check, as others say they do .

Might be two to three years for hens or next year not sure??   but sure don't say morel spots!! They reproduce every spring and fall so much I worry about losing my gps!!

[missoulafish]

You find morels in the fall?

[captain54]

Ice warrior,check the same trees or stumps that your girlfriend found them on again this year,more may come out. I check the same trees every year and get multiple sheephead off the same trees and stumps. Always cut them with a knife,you was to leave the root of the mushroom attack to the wood or ground. To date my trees will produce 52 a year give or take a couple. I found one yesterday that was dried out and old.

[chilly-willy]

You find morels in the fall?

Heard about it plenty of times..  but it's a false tail!!  cause ground has to be cold enough for morels.. better off looking for puff balls and hen and chicken mushrooms maybe oyster mushrooms too??   

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

We walked 8 miles though the woods in a couple of places on the weekend and found 11 hens .......... ALL WERE ROTTEN 

I think the hot weather and lack of rain for the entire first half of October may have confused the specimens and caused premature death. On a positive  note, we have added all those trees to our registry, and now we have a bunch of trees that we will walk straight to next fall to harvest. I love this hobby a whole bunch.

I will not learn more than a few edibles because I am afraid to make a call on the ones that have poisonous look-alikes, Fortunately, the hens are so big and easy to find they provide all the mushroom eating you could want. It doesn't hurt that they are one of the choice edbles as well. 

[ByteN2it]

Haven’t harvested any wild mushrooms for a while. Used to go with mom after a rain around our cabin in the Colorado mountains and gather shaggy manes, boletus, puff balls, etc. it was always a race to get them before the critters or worms got into them. What we couldn’t eat mom would slice thin & dry on screens in the sun on the deck and kept the dried ones in nylons or cheesecloth hanging in the cabin pantry. Just add water and soak ‘em for a while & they were great in omlets, spegetti sauce, and the like.

[river_scum]

didnt upload any pics from this year but here some from last.

[Light liner]

Foraging mushrooms is something I've always wanted to do.
I sugar,pick fiddleheads and leaks.
Just not knowing how to know what is what makes me nervous.
Any good books out there that make it easier?
That you guys recomend?

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

Find a mushroom hunting group in your area and try to join in their hunt. Or, learn from internet videos what the foolproof edibles ones are. The Hen, Chicken and morels are pretty easy, that is my entire list of ones I trust to identify.

[Raquettedacker]

Foraging mushrooms is something I've always wanted to do.
I sugar,pick fiddleheads and leaks.
Just not knowing how to know what is what makes me nervous.
Any good books out there that make it easier?
That you guys recomend?

  If You have a community college near by check with them they sometimes have classes..

[matzilla]

I had some very nice puffballs pop up in the last week with the wet weather - gave them to my sister to fry up

[river_scum]

puffballs poppin all over here now. pulled seven nice fresh ones the other day.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I have now added Oyster mushrooms to my list. Harvested about 3 pounds on Saturday. Very good eating.

[esox_xtm]

  If You have a community college near by check with them they sometimes have classes..

Or find the Russians and make friends. No kidding. In fall in northern WI resorts fill with Russians that have little else on their minds than foraging fungi.