INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana is home to a wide variety of edible mushrooms, including one of the most aggressively sought after mushroom: The morel.
Morels are probably the best known of the edible mushroom groups, not only because they’re delicious, but because they can also sell for anywhere between $15 and $30 per pound.
Each year, people across the country spend hours in the woods searching for the fungi, which can be anywhere from the size of a dime to the size of your hand.
The window for gathering morels can be short. The mushrooms tend to only pop up for about a month each year, which is part of what makes hunting them so enticing.
PHOTOS | Hoosiers morel mushroom hauls from 2017
Hunting mushrooms on someone else's land without permission is illegal, but if you don't have your own land and want to find them legally, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says it is legal to collect mushrooms on state property, as long as you’re doing it for personal use.
Below are some tips for finding the best (and biggest) morels:
- Dress appropriately: The weather may be warm, but you'll likely be searching through the woods and you never know what you'll come across. Long pants and a long sleeve shirt as well as comfortable shoes are a must!
- Don't forget your bag/container and a large stick: The stick to push back the weeds and the container to store your loot.
- Search wooded areas with a variety of trees: Especially poplar, elm and ash trees, morels tend to grow near those trees most often.
- Keep your eyes peeled: Morels are tricky little things and can be hard to spot if you're not an avid hunter, especially the small ones.
- Don't give up: If you're searching an area you know usually has morels, don't limit your hunt to just one day. Sometimes morels can pop up randomly days after they have in other areas.
Whether you’re collecting for yourself or a family member, DNR officers ask everyone to be careful when collecting mushrooms and make sure you only consume the ones you know are absolutely safe.
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