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!

SIUE outdoorsmen should take a trip to Cougar Lake

T.J. Cowell, Alestle Sports Reporter

by T.J. Cowell, Alestle Sports Reporter

Between the Vadalabene Center and Cougar Village awaits a piece of  paradise for avid outdoorsmen. It is called Cougar Lake, and it is an unnoticed part of campus that should be utilized more.

Even the name, “Cougar Lake”, gives the impression that it is an overlooked, underused part of campus. Don’t get me wrong, the folks at Campus Recreation do more than their fair share of getting students involved. Whether it is promotions or hosting events, out of any of the colleges I have seen, SIUE is one of the best at trying to get their students involved.

This past fall I started to use Cougar Lake and what it offers more. Whenever I was out there, it would be just my buddies and I. In a way it was kind of peaceful, reminding me of the simplicities of the country, where I grew up. But in another light it was weird to go out there two or three times a week and see nobody fishing out there but a few of us.

I know not everybody is interested in the outdoors, but for those who are, Cougar Lake is about as good as it gets for a college campus. When you are at Cougar Lake, one would never guess that on the other side of those trees and brush, there is a “premier metropolitan university.”

On the other hand, I believe there are some things that are being done well, or rules that should be keep. For example, swimming is not allowed in Cougar Lake. If swimming was allowed, there would be too much liability and lawsuits waiting to happen. This rule needs to be kept.

Another thing, Cougar Lake allows no boat motors, or a “no wake” policy. This too gets a thumbs up from me. However, trolling motors (at least for the Club Bass Fishing team) are permitted. With the atmosphere we are dealing with, anything bigger than a trolling motor will affect Cougar Lake in a negative way.

The size of Cougar Lake is just about perfect if you want to rent one of the canoes, row boats or paddle boats that are offered by Campus Rec. In order to use watercraft on Cougar Lake, they must be owned by the university and used during sponsored events or approved rentals only.

Yet according to the website, Cougar Lake Marina is only open from April 10 to May 2. While it is almost impossible to make everybody happy, it is tough for those of us who would actually want to go out and enjoy what Cougar Lake has to offer in just a three week span, especially when that tenure is so close to final exams.

Even if fishing isn’t your thing, Cougar Lake has a pavilion that is available for rent, perfect for barbeques and get-togethers. The pavilion also has picnic tables, a water hydrant, a grass volleyball court and horseshoe pits surrounding it. There is also a low ropes course close by that offers a variety of programs over the course of a semester. But again just like Cougar Lake in general, the low ropes course needs to be advertised better.

Perhaps the best advertised and most utilized part of Cougar Lake is the outdoor pool (another reason why we don’t need to be swimming in the lake itself). When open, access to the outdoor pool is free for students. Over the summer, students not taking summer classes can buy a season pass for $20, which is dirt cheap.

Overall, with the collaborative of the good folks over at Campus Rec, Cougar Lake is headed in the right direction with a good variety programs and activities being offered. They just need to be utilized more by students. A good place to start would be to have a Bass Fishing Tournament in the spring as well.

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” -Henry David Thoreau