When is mushroom hunting season

Morels will not grow if the soil is too warm or cold. They also tend to like moist soil, so snowy winters and rainy springs are ideal. Morels commonly appear when topsoil temperatures reach about 55 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

This often corresponds with daytime highs in the 60s and nighttime lows of 40 degrees or warmer. They typically begin sprouting in Indiana in mid-to-late April and can usually be found throughout most of May. Early-season morel hunters to focus on southward and westward slopes. They will have the warmest, early season soil. Morel hunters tend to find them near certain kinds of trees.

Experts say sycamore, hickory, ash, and elm are four to focus on first and then fruit trees like an apple tree. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources notes that beech-maple forests make fertile morel-hunting grounds. Large burn sites in forested areas are ideal for morel mushroom hunting, especially in burned areas where jack, white or red pine once grew. Grassy and other non forest areas are not as likely to produce morels. We have put together a map of large burn areas that occurred within the past couple years.

Zoom in close to see the type of ground cover in a particular area conifer, wetlands, grass, etc. Please note, we cannot guarantee the presence of morels at these locations! This application contains a complex map. Open the Mi-morels map ».

Browsers that can not handle javascript will not be able to access some features of this site. These massive white basketball-sized mushrooms are found in late summer and fall in meadows, fields, and forests. There is an eastern version C. Their appearance is slightly different, with the eastern puffball being completely smooth and the western puffball looking like it is covered in warts.

Only eat these if the flesh inside is completely white. A distinctive, yet difficult to find edible, the black trumpet shows itself in late summer and early fall. Some locations in the PNW report finding these mushrooms as late as November. This is the mushroom that will test your eyesight and diligence, for sure, as they blend right into the forest duff.

These delicious meaty mushrooms fruit in late summer through fall. Hedgehogs are resistant to rotting, which is nice because that means even older finds are often still edible.

To start foraging mushrooms in your area, do some research first as to typical emergence times for each species. An experienced mushroom forager will be able to tell you how the current season is looking even before the first fungi of spring fruit.

Online forums, like local foraging groups on Facebook, are a great place to see what other foragers in your area are finding, so you know what is currently out there. Getting out in the woods at the right time will increase the success of your foraging forays! When Is Mushroom Foraging Season? Morels Morchella sp. Oysters Pleurotus sp. Chanterelles Cantharellus sp.

Chicken of the Woods Laetiporous sp. Hen of the Woods Grifola frondosa A late-fall specimen, hen of the woods is the last big mushroom fruiting of the year in most regions.

Lobsters Hypomyces lactifluorum A parasitic mushroom that attacks Lactarius and Russula species, the vivid orange-red lobster mushroom is hard to miss. Giant Puffballs Calvatia sp These massive white basketball-sized mushrooms are found in late summer and fall in meadows, fields, and forests. Black Trumpets Craterellus cornucopioides A distinctive, yet difficult to find edible, the black trumpet shows itself in late summer and early fall.