Mushroom Hunting in Michigan

Spring Mushrooms

• Morels are the most sought-after mushroom in the spring, and Michigan has many kinds of morels. To simplify mushroom hunting for beginners, morels are usually divided into two groups: black morels and white morels. Black morels emerge a few weeks before white morels, usually the last two weeks in April. The best time to hunt for black morels is the first two weeks in May while the best time to hunt for white morels is the second and third week in May. Morels grow in areas with rich, sandy soil that get a lot of winter snow and spring rain.

Summer and Fall Mushrooms

• Michigan has thousands of different types of mushrooms that grow in the late summer and early fall, and a field guide or experienced hunter likely will be necessary for identifying most of them. A few mushrooms are readily recognizable. The chanterelle is yellow with a fruity smell like apricots. It is found in large groups, sometimes called fairy rings. Cream colored oyster mushrooms are a kind of shelf fungi that grows from logs, stumps or tree trunks. Beefsteak mushrooms resemble a pink, marbled slice of beef steak on the inside. Puffballs grow under pine or spruce trees and maitake mushrooms grow under red oak trees.

Activities

• Michigan has many mushroom hunts led by experienced mushroom hunters who can help identify different species. Mushroom festivals are held in many Michigan communities in the spring and fall, including the Boyne City and Mesick mushroom festivals in May and the Fall Mushroom Mania that takes place in Charlevoix County over several weeks in the fall.

Warning

• Mushrooms are so plentiful in Michigan that you're likely to find poisonous mushrooms that resemble edible ones. Don't rely entirely on pictures or descriptions before tasting, as there are 12 kinds of mushrooms that can be fatal and many others that can cause ill effects. Ask a skilled mushroom hunter and always cook mushrooms.

Mushroom Hunting Gear

• The Michigan Mushroom Hunters Club (MMHC) recommends mushroom hunters wear sturdy shoes, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Take a map of the area, compass, bug spray, a basket or bag to put mushrooms in and a cell phone or whistle in case you get lost. You will need a small knife to cut the mushroom so others can continue to grow. Orange clothing should be worn to protect you during hunting season. The MMHC has set up a system of communication that uses whistles. One long whistle means "Here I am," two whistles mean "Come this way" and three whistles signify an emergency.