An annual tradition: Finding fungi in Southern Illinois

T.J. Cowell, Alestle Sports Reporter

by T.J. Cowell, Alestle Sports Reporter

The other day it became Facebook official, I am now a fan of The Morel Mushroom.

Morel season is something that every spring for two or three weeks becomes somewhat of an obsession at the Cowell ranch. For a month prior and weeks after, going mushroom hunting is something my dad will not stop talking about. He is crazier about crawling around briar patches with the intent of finding fungi that I am. Even fishing takes a backseat when the middle of April comes around.

Morel Mushroom

That being said, I am still my dad’s son. So over time, mushroom hunting was going to become a passion for me whether I wanted it to or not.

On a more positive note, just the pure fact of walking around in the woods for a while getting away from school and work is something that I look forward to. Nevertheless, mushroom season is like having a three-week holiday to a lot of people.

The Illinois State Morel Mushroom Hunting Championship used to be held just a stone’s throw away from my hometown. Yes, there used to be a competitive state championship event held for hunting morel mushrooms. Since the tournament used to be so close, I have even participated in it before.

And for what is normally looked at as a recreational experience, there were some hunters who used to compete to win. Mushroom hunting is serious to some people. Yet kind of like fishing, my dad told me at a young age that mushroom hunting is about having fun. If you aren’t going to have a good time then don’t go.

There are a keen list of websites to check out if you are an avid ‘shroomer or even just curious to know more about morels. One of my favorites is www.morelmania.com, a website that I check daily nowadays to see where people are starting to find mushrooms. Earlier today while looking at the website I noticed there have been people picking morels here on campus. So they aren’t far away people. But good luck trying spots to hunt. Most people are smart enough to keep quiet about where they find morels.

I could go on all day about morel mushroom hunting, especially at this time of year. But I will cut my story short here.

While it is still a little early up north where I am from three hours away from SIUE, Southern Illinois should be starting to get into the thick of things here soon when it comes to finding morels. Best of luck to those who plan to spend the next few weeks finding morels!