Any good (mushroom) finds lately?

[Stick in Mud]

I was out 'shrooming today for a few hours....found a few pounds of oysters but that was about it. If I had been out last week, I probably would've had 20 or 30 pounds of them, but the vast, vast majority were past expiration date.

No other edible mushrooms, as far as I can tell. I *think* I found a destroying angel today--stem sack, annulus, fruity taste--but we'll see how I'm feeling in a few hours.

[pikestabber]

I was wondering the same thing...I am just trying to expand my list and I'm really itching to start this weekend (northern part of the state), but I am not sure what's popping up around here that's worth going after? I know it varies from year to year, and this has been an odd year, but does anyone have a list of what edibles they go for and what general months they do it in?

e.g.

April-May: Morels, Fiddleheads, Ramps, other?

June: ?

July: ?

August: ?

September: ?

I would love to get on some early lobsters, chickens, and hens, but don't know when to start...

[Matt Breuer]

I have been absolutely swamped with work and guiding, but I did sneak out on Sunday for about 2 hours including driving time. Found a pile of oysters, all past their prime. Picked about 1/2lb. of crown-tipped coral, and checked a couple of early chicken spots, but nothing doing yet. Also picked some asparagus, but the season is basically over. I expect chickens to be out, but I haven't been able to check my best spots due to total lack of time...

April-May: Morels, fiddles, ramps, oysters...

June: Oysters, asparagus, coral, chicken of the woods...

July (late): Chanterelles, lobsters, chickens, hedgehogs, trumpets...

August: Same as July, with some boletes...

September: Chicken of the woods, lobsters...

October: Hens (my nemesis)...

[pikestabber]

Thanks, Matt. That's handy information. I'll be on the chicken hunt this weekend and post back if I get into anything.

[jerkin'm]

I have hit my best chicken spots twice in the last week and got my first small, buggy, soggy, stunted one this morning-plenty of coral, jellies, what I think are slippery jacks,and possibly meadow mushrooms today as well- it's a buggy steam bath in the woods so it should get popping pretty soon-

[NoWiser]

Matt's information is really good. He knows what he is talking about. The only difference is in my area, by October, the hens are pretty much done. Seems like Sept. 10-20 is prime time for them. Right when I'll be elk hunting this year. Oysters can pop just about anytime. My best find ever was in the middle of July. Seems like cool, wet weather spurs them.

The next couple of weeks are kind of tough for shroomers. I'll look for chickens a few times, but probably won't hit it too hard huntil mid-July when the chants will hopefully be making their first appearance. Late summer is my favorite time of year for shrooming! Never really know what you are going to stumble across.

[Matt Breuer]

Can't forget about giant puffballs in August either!!

NoWiser, last year was my first hen. Probably trying to late, as it was dried out. Pretty tough to get me to walk a stand of oaks in the fall... not many grouse in them woods...

And oysters, yes, they will pop whenever co2, temp, moisture, etc... are all right. I've had them popping non-stop since the middle of morel season on my logs and bags. June is just prime, as they are most abundant.

[NoWiser]

Can't forget about giant puffballs in August either!!

He said any GOOD mushrooms!!

I try puffballs once very couple years just to verify that I still can't stand eating them. I'm about due this year, but not sure if I'm ready. Too bad because I sure stumble across a lot of them. I'd love to hear any tips on cooking them.

[jerkin'm]

NoWiser....I am surprised you are fussy about which shrooms you eat...I recall a certain picture with a nearly undrinkable branded beer in it....

[Matt Breuer]

NoWiser....I am surprised you are fussy about which shrooms you eat...I recall a certain picture with a nearly undrinkable branded beer in it....

Boom.

Giant puffs are the true tofu of mushrooms. They take on the taste of anything you make them in! I typically fry them in a bit of butter and onion, and then toss them in scrambled eggs. Also made puffball french toast once. That was pretty solid. Slice them like bread, egg wash, cinnamon and sugar, then butter and powdered sugar. Yummy! Kids LOVE picking them, so we have taken to them.

[NoWiser]

NoWiser....I am surprised you are fussy about which shrooms you eat...I recall a certain picture with a nearly undrinkable branded beer in it....

Chicks dig a man with good taste in beer!! Hmm.....Matt says puffballs take on the taste of whatever you cook them in. Between the two of your replies, I've got an idea!

Have a good weekend, fellas!

[redhooks]

Found a few huge morels in ely yesterday, cooked em up w Shorelunch. Hoping to find a few more before its all over.

[Stick in Mud]

Nice find. I haven't been out much in the last week or so, and I won't be able to get out around home until July 15th or so (gonna be on a canoe trip up in Canada).

I'll keep my eyes peeled on the portage trails, though!!

[Stick in Mud]

*Bump*

Anyone been having any luck? I've tried getting out a few times, but between sparse pickings and hordes of deer flies, I haven't really given it a whole lot of time. I'm hoping someone out there has some good finds to report...

[jerkin'm]

Finally hit some gold today- found the motherload of boletes- they were all either too far gone or full of worms-

[NoWiser]

I had a great weekend of shrooming. Found some absolutely perfect chickens, and tons of chants. Seriously, the entire woods glowed from them. I left literally hundreds to grow. Here is just a bit of what I found. Tonight will be spent preserving them, and I'll be back out in a couple days for more. What a fun time of the year to be out in the woods!

[JP Z]

That looks Awesome NoWiser! I think I need to take a trip in the woods this week.....yep I definitely do!

[Stick in Mud]

Wow, awesome finds!

I think I know what I'm doing after work....

[Stick in Mud]

Well it didn't take long for me to find more chickens than I could carry out of the woods....and I even brought two bags with me. I was getting a bit disheartened because I found three or four spots where they were long, long expired, but in one little hollow I found enough to force me to go back tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the time--about an hour--looking for chants. Didn't find one.

I did find a destroying angel and another amanita, though...time to have the in-laws over for dinner.

[pushbutton]

Hey everybody! Been working too much, making pretty colors go boom in the sky, and playing taxi for the kid, so have not really gotten out much this summer. Was such a fun forum last year. Anyway, did happen to go fishing the week after the fourth and hit up some woods near the lake. Did not find any chants, but did get a few of these

A whole bunch of this.

A lot of that has actually been growing in the yard all summer

Absolutely no clue what this is but just thought it was cool. Hard to see the color in the not so good cell phone pic, but it was purple black with this lizard type scaly stuff all over......

[jerkin'm]

Good to see everyone is still at it this year- pushbutton, I think I found the same shaggy purpley boletey shroom this weekend- (I know Matt likes my scientific names)

[pushbutton]

Too funny...figures you snapped a pic of it too. Yeah, wonder what the professor has to say about it?

[Stick in Mud]

Is that a king bolete in your first photo, Chad?

And the other one looks like an Old Man of the Woods...

[pushbutton]

Yep....well pretty sure. Saw a bunch of big bulbous based mushy ones in the vicinity that were shot. Think there are two different types that look very similar, but the mentioned bulb shape vs just a thick stocky base is kind of the tell tale. Either way they are good eats.

Would think for sure the other one is some kind of bolete, Jerkin'm's(your the teacher is a double apostrophe appropriate ?) photo shows the bottom to be. Briefly had thought about old man of the woods, but too lazy to look up until now. His looks to be.... mine very possible.

[Stick in Mud]

Good to see you're still around, Push. Hadn't seen you around for a while, and figured you might've been blown up in a pyrotechnic accident.

Lemme know when you want to get out fishing/'shrooming....I know some oak woods that might hold some hens in a month or so.