Usually by the third week of April, I’d be contemplating looking for an early mess of morels. By now, there would still be a few snakehead mushrooms and the smaller black and gray morels. Perfect time except for one thing….THERE’S 2 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND! You can’t see the ground much less find some mushrooms.

Mother Nature reacts to radical change and the snowstorm weather fluke might be just what is called for to produce a bonanza year for morels. The weatherman is already forecasting temperatures in the high 70s or maybe even 80 degrees by the end of the week. The extreme weather and temperature “whiplash” might trigger the mushrooms’ mycelium to produce.

It is always good to be prepared in case you stumble across a bonanza of mushrooms after the snow melts and the heat comes back on with a vengeance.

Should you encounter the proverbial Motherlode of Mushrooms and have more than you can eat, they can be saved for future use. Simply split the mushrooms from top to bottom and soak in a salt water solution (2 tablespoons of salt to 1 quart of water) in the refrigerator overnight. Rinse, pat dry and spread out the mushroom pieces in a single layer on wax paper on a cookie sheet, and put the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the individual mushroom pieces are frozen, stack them in layers separated by wax paper in a storage container and keep frozen.

To use your frozen morels, preheat your cooking oil and prepare a thin, wet batter. Quickly take a frozen mushroom, dip in the batter and drop into the hot oil. Work quickly; put the remaining frozen mushrooms back in the freezer. I have successfully kept mushrooms up to four years using the method with very little loss of quality.

For the novice fungi forager just getting started: There are an untold amount of videos on YouTube that give some insight on harvesting mushrooms. The library is another source of great information with guidebooks specifically for mushroom hunters. But, there is no better way of learning than the “hands on” approach. I suggest asking relatives and fellow outdoor lovers to find a veteran mushroom hunter willing to show a new guy the ropes. Getting a willing volunteer may take some begging, pleading or bribing as most mushroom hunters are usually reluctant to show or share their hunting spots.

Biologists recommend mushroom foragers use a fine open-mesh bag to carry their mushrooms. An open weave bag allows mushroom spores to escape as the forager walks through the woods and helps ensure future reproduction.

Morels are one of the easiest mushrooms to identify. They are bulbous with honey-comb like ridges and have pits in the cap. Stem attachment is at the base of the cap, and is completely attached along the bottom ridge. Morels are always hollow from the bottom of the stem to the tip of the cap.

Good luck… I just hope we don’t need a snow shovel.

Flora field day at Monroe Lake

Want to work on your flora identification skills? Practice with a naturalist. The May 4th field day’s emphasis is on the proper use and application of an ID key, which opens the door to identifying thousands of species. The naturalist will work with each attendee based on the attendee’s prior experience. If you’ve never worked with flower ID before, it is a great way to learn. If you have prior experience, the program is a fun way to practice your skills. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at The Fairfax SRA. Registration is required by May 2 at bit.ly/florafieldmay2021.

Glendale FWA weed wrangle

Join the Daviess-Martin Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) and the DNR for a weed wrangle on May 15 at Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area (FWA).

Invasive plants such as amur honeysuckle bush threaten FWAs by choking out Indiana’s native vegetation and degrading wildlife habitat. During the event, volunteers will learn how to identify and remove amur honeysuckle and other invasive plants while helping to improve habitat quality.

The weed wrangle will take place 10 a.m.-noon ET. Volunteers will meet at the Maintenance Shop just north of the Glendale FWA office on 600 South. Please bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, water and a face mask. Masks will be needed when volunteers are gathered together and may be removed while working. Hand tools will be provided for pulling and cutting shrubs, but volunteers may also bring their own loppers or hand saws.

Advance registration is encouraged for the event. To register, see bit.ly/3dJSfdo, or contact Glendale FWA at 812-674-0168 or GlendaleFWA@dnr.IN.gov.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail to jackspaulding@hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best of Spaulding Outdoors,” and his latest, “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com.