POTTER OUTDOORS: Morel of story is to be alert hunting mushrooms

Morel hunters heed this paraphrasing of Robert Herrick's poem, "Gather ye morels while ye may, because old time is still a flying."

In other words, don't wait any longer to seek those wonderful fungi that have been popping locally since St. Patrick's Day.

According to most mushroom mavens, this is the weirdest year in modern history to find a mess of morels. The super warm winter translated into a speedy spring, causing all the morel types to pop up at once.

By the end of March, many veteran hunters had conceded the season with a "better luck next year attitude." However, Bill Casburn of Allendale, Ill., laughed at the idea the season was over so soon.

Casburn anticipates morel season with the giddy glee of a 5-year-old waiting for Santa. This year he started looking in early March. As usual, he found some.

"I picked 26 black morels (the earliest type) on St. Patrick's Day. Some were already drying up, so I knew I was already late," he said.

He's since scanned his log book and hit every patch of timber he has permission to hunt in trying to stay ahead of the fast-growing fungi. Each trip he records daily air temperatures, amount of forest floor foliage, site changes (such as downed trees or invasive plant species), amounts of water and other notes.

He's got eagle eyes that spot morels so tiny most others easily overlook them. He's so into morel hunting he made a lightweight camouflage suit that has markings similar to the spore cavities found in the gray morel.

"I made my morel suits to be slipovers. They're breathable and the two layers of reverse camo provide extra tick protection, especially if you spray the suit with Duranon insect spray an hour before you go into the woods."

Like all wise and experienced woods walkers, Casburn carries a morel "gun" — a twisted stick that he has carved a very lifelike morel on the top. It's a useful marker he can jam into the ground when he finds a few morels and wants to keep his bearings while he continues searching.

"Find one morel and generally there are others. When the woods green up as quickly as it has this year you need to stay on track. Morels are anything but plentiful, and according to various reports they're selling high — like over $80 a pound."

Casburn thinks a couple of good rains will perk up the pick for the last flush of giant yellow (Morchella morchella) morels. He said that if current temperatures hold, they'll start to pop before mid-April.

But heed his advice: ticks are rampant, poison ivy is verdant and snakes are out. Morel seekers are apt to come across copperheads and timber rattlers, so be careful out there.

Mushroom chat with Casburn or check out his morel finds and camouflage products at www.morelcam.cam. Meanwhile, the peak picking that usually occurs around April 15 already may have passed.