Up North Adventures: Morel Mushroom Hunting

On Sunday, along with what seemed like half of our fellow Presque Isle residents, we ventured off in search of the elusive morel mushroom.  While nobody gives up the exact location of their coveted hunting grounds, you may be able to get a few tips from local experts.

Here are some general tips for finding the tiny, tasty mushrooms:

*  Look for rich, black soil without lots of debris, leaves, and too many other plants on top.

*  Morels are often found near thick stands of hardwood trees such as ash, oak, poplar, birch, or maple.  The acidic soil found in pine and cedar forests is not conducive to morel growth.

*  Moisture and shade are also key. 

*  Areas where a mild to moderate forest fire has recently taken place tend to be good morel habitats.

If you can find a habitat with these conditions, you're likely to find some morels (but only for a very limited time, usually in May!) On some advice gathered at the Portage Store, we decided to try Thompson's Harbor State Park for our first hunt of the season.  There were several cars parked near one particular trail, so we decided to try that one first. 

It didn't take long to figure out we'd probably chosen the wrong hunting ground!  Though there are large stands of ash trees in the area, they are spaced too far apart and there are lots of dead leaves littering the soil, not to mention little to no shade.  Still, we decided to keep going, if only for the sake of some fresh air.

Off the beaten path, we found lots of interesting types of other fungi, plants, birds, and other things. We walked around for over two hours, about to give up...when finally...

We found one!  Yes, just one...but it was better than being skunked!  We both agreed that although our hunt was mostly fruitless, the opportunity to walk through a pristine untouched forest with the sun on our faces and the roar of Lake Huron in the distance, all in our own backyard, was well worth it.  Hopefully our next hunt will be a little more prosperous!