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How Do I Hunt Morel Mushrooms in Oregon?

Morel mushrooms are small, delicate, edible delights. These mushrooms are usually pricey if purchased in a market, but you can hunt for your own if you live in or are visiting Oregon. Not only can you save yourself some money, you can make it a family event by spending a morning or afternoon traipsing through the woodlands of Oregon. However, make sure you get a personal use permit from the particular national forest office where you want to hunt.

Identifying the Morel
- Make sure you know just what you are picking. Morels can be confused with a similar verpa cap mushroom. In order to identify a morel, purchase a book on mushrooms or go along with an experienced mycologist to help you identify. Morels range from 2 to 4 inches tall, with a sponge-like bulb at the top. The cap is attached to the stem in one piece, and if you cut the stem lengthwise, it should be hollow, with no cotton-like substance. The color of the cap ranges from yellow to deep brown and the stalks are pale---cream, sand or yellowish.
When to Hunt
- Morel mushroom hunting can be an annual family event.
  
  While you can find mushrooms from spring through fall, the bumper crop of morels can be found in late spring through early July, when the soil warms, yet before it dries out. The dampness of the melted snow and Northwest spring rains help to decay forest matter and provide nutrients for the mushroom growth. This time of year provides the warmth of the daylight sun and dew at night, needed for spore growth.
Where to Hunt
- The Oregonian forests and climate produce an abundance of mushrooms. The rains create the wetness necessary for fungi growth. Morels can be found just below the snow line of the mountain forests. Search the ground beneath forests of fir and pine. Because the root system spreads and fans out quite far, large masses can often be located within one area at a time. Burned forest areas due to wildfires create the perfect environment for morel growth and make fruitful search areas.
Hunting Events
- Join a mushroom enthusiasts club and learn about morels and the best places to hunt them. Coordinate a member's hunt and make it a social event. Start a family tradition of morel mushroom hunting and finish the day with a family-prepared meal using your pickings. Combine a camping or get-away weekend with your search and spend your hours within a national forest of the Oregon wilderness.

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