Del Ray Outdoors: Hunting the Elusive Dryland Fish

Anticipation starts in late March or early April. I know they’ll be out soon. Some call them Merkels or land fish, others know them as hickory chicken. At this time of year I become hyper-sensitive to just the right combination of emergence indicators. Heavy rain, the first warm spell, green buds bursting on tulip poplars, fiddle-heads unfurling, flowering Dutchman’s Britches, trillium… all are harbingers of the season’s first morels.

Morel hunting is not like hunting for other mushrooms. First, they have a singularly unique and hearty flavor, not unlike a fried oyster without the “fish.” Second, they are only out for a fleeting period in mid-April to early May, and then they are gone for the rest of the year. Unlike other mushrooms, they are nearly impossible to cultivate, so fresh morels are only around for a month or two in early spring—after that we must settle for dried morels. Third, they look so bizarre—like an alien brain on a creamy white neck.

Morels are also mystical. On one April day in 2009, my father-in-law and I went for a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains. I knew it was prime morel season—it was low 70s, raining and all the right wildflowers were out. We hiked three miles up the side of a mountain and although I scoured every patch of earth, even getting down on my hands and knees. At the top, I gave up. Some mystical factor prevented them from coming out that day.

Having conceded defeat, we headed down the same path, my eyes now looking for birds and wildflowers. In the first 10 feet, I nearly stepped on a massive morel in the middle of the trail I had just walked up not 10 minutes before. On the way down that trail, I found more than 30 morels that had mystically appeared where they were not before.

Finding morels takes keen eyes, focus, and patience. The first morel is always the hardest to find. Morels look a lot like decaying leaves left from last fall. After the first one though, your brain has a visual template that will guide you. It also helps that when you find one, there are almost always others nearby and you know that the time and conditions are right.

Most morel hunters are extremely secretive and will not give up their favorite hunting grounds. But I’ve found that they are pretty much anywhere when the conditions are right. Several species of morel exist, but all fall into the genus Morchella. You may find black morels (the earliest and most pungent), blond/yellow morels (M. deliciosa—the best), grey morels, or half-free morels. Be cautious of false morels or other look-alikes and never eat a mushroom for which you are not absolutely certain about its edibility. Oh, and don't eat them raw. One important way to check for a true morel is to cut it in half. All morels are hollow inside. This cavity also makes a nice insect hiding place, so it is good to do this before eating them anyway.

Here are a few key factors to know that you are looking in the right place, at the right time:

• Recent rain and/or moist soils
• Warm, but not hot, early spring temperatures (some studies say that the soil must be in the 50s)
• Key plants present: ferns, Jack-in-the-pulpit, trillium, Dutchman’s britches, wild ginger, may apple
• Look under certain trees: tulip poplars, ash, hickory, paw paw, and sometimes white pine
• Indicators: redbud blooms, bright green poplar shoots, blooming violets

Finally, practice morel hunting etiquette. Follow local laws and regulations. Don’t trespass on other’s property. Cut morel stalks with a knife or pinch them off with your finger—don’t pull them out by the roots. Leave older ones to reproduce for next year. Dogs scare away morels. Happy hunting.