Chickens Have Hatched Up North

[pikestabber]

I found a nice, juicy 3lb. cluster that came home with me, and also a 4lb. cluster on the same oak stump that the slugs and bugs beat me to. No complaints, though! Thanks Matt, Pushbutton, et al., for your starter advice. COMPLETELY hooked now.

Having trouble uploading a pic...Here is an external link.

[Stick in Mud]

Welcome to the club.

How's the hunting been recently? Around my parts (of the state, I mean), the majority of the chickens have been long past good. I'm just waiting for the next big batch to fruit.

Oh, and I was also down in SE Minnesota all weekend, and I didn't see a chicken that was anywhere near edible. Let's hope we don't have to wait until fall.

[pikestabber]

Thanks, Stick. Yeah, very addictive business here!

Finally found some decent Lobsters last night (posted in a thread above) and some WAY over the hill Chants. Found a half dozen or so Giant Puffballs, but everything else has been hard to come by. Just trying to figure out some spots that might produce and keep checking back. More bug bites than 'shrooms, but I am starting to think that's a big part of the process . Sure is exciting when you connect on some edibles, though. For chickens, are they are more prevalent in the fall?

[Stick in Mud]

I do know the COW will definitely be fruiting in the fall, but they should keep on popping throughout the summer, too. Chickens are my favorite of any edible--I like them more than morels, hedgehogs, lobsters, chants, etc. etc. (I've never had a trumpet or a wild porcini, though)--and my hunting this year has been pretty frustrating because I need to find 9 dead ones before finding anything that's edible.

Got this one (the cincinnatus variety (the one with the white pore surface, not yellow)) two days ago. (Note to self: Don't forget the knife on the next foray...it had engulfed most of those leaves, along with some sticks and grass, and removing them in the field without my knife would've required removing large portions of the shroom).

[pikestabber]

Wow! That's a heckuva cluster! Nicely done.

Is there any taste difference between the ones with the white pore surface vs. the yellow?

[Stick in Mud]

I can't tell the difference, but I also can't tell the difference between Coors Light and Miller Light, so I don't think my taste buds are all that discerning.

In my experience, the difference when it comes to edibility is that the cincinnatus (white pored) stays edible for longer...they don't tend to get as corky as quickly.

[Matt Breuer]

They don't get as "corky" because of their lack of several bases. They flush like a flower, and have such a small central contact point that nearly the entire thing is edible, and will turn to mush before it gets hard. I think they taste much better.

[jerkin'm]

It seems strange as all of them I have found except for one this year have been popping up out of the ground instead of on wood. I have only found a couple of the ground dwellers in the past years. If they are usually the first ones to go that could be why as I usually don't start looking until later in the summer/early fall...Good finds everyone!! Good to see Matt back on board to enlighten us simpletons...

[TruthWalleyes]

Good gravy that's a big shroom.

[Matt Breuer]

jerkin... jerk this.