Mushroom ID Book

[loomisfun]

Can anyone recommend a good mushroom identification book or guide? I am interested in looking for Fall mushrooms. Also, are the Chickens and Hens common throughout Michigan or is there an area that is better suited than others. Most of my Fall walks occur in the Midland through Mio stretch of the state. This is the book that I was considering http://americanmushrooms.com/ewmona.htm Does anybody have experience with this one in particular?

Thanks--Loomisfun

[fasthunter]

Can anyone recommend a good mushroom identification book or guide? I am interested in looking for Fall mushrooms. Also, are the Chickens and Hens common throughout Michigan or is there an area that is better suited than others. Most of my Fall walks occur in the Midland through Mio stretch of the state. This is the book that I was considering http://americanmushrooms.com/ewmona.htm Does anybody have experience with this one in particular?

Thanks--Loomisfun
I don't know about the book, but the chicken of the woods and Hens are VERY common in Michigan. What's funny is I've noticed REALLY good habitat for those shrooms in Southern MI. Send me a PM. I'm still new, at shrooming, but I do know a really good state land habitat to search for those down here in the fall if you want to try it.:) I won't give you direct grids or anything, however I can point you to one specific area that I found by dumb luck that is good. (The public land name...it's all good for those.;)) Learn to identify them and if you put in enough walking at the right time of year there. You'll find them.

P.S- If you have to stay up there. There's ONE key tree.......OAKS!!!!

[Rupestris]

This is the one I use:
http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Schusters-Guide-Mushrooms-Nature/dp/0671428497/ref=pd_bbs_sr_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208979471&sr=8-8

[Michigan Mike]

Hello LF
That looks like a great book but most folks I know reccomend the Audubon
as a good first book. One is never enough imo.
http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-American-Mushrooms/dp/0394519922

As FS mentioned big oaks are the main host for both types of chicken of the woods and the hen of the woods.
Although I find both types of chicken on Black Cherrys and the occasional hen on beech.

good luck
Mike

[hardwaterfan]

i like this field guide, great pictures.

http://www.amazon.com/North-American-Mushrooms-Inedible-Falconguide/dp/0762731095/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209041915&sr=1-1

this one also, great book for those who want to go beyond the morel, especially for beginner types such as myself, because it lists the mushrooms in order of difficulty, the easiest to ID (including chickens and hens) are listed first. but this book is not a field guide.

http://www.amazon.com/100-Edible-Mushrooms-Michael-Kuo/dp/0472031260/ref=pd_sim_b_title_4

[loomisfun]

Thanks for the info. I will definitely pick one (to start with) up. One of the areas that I grouse hunt has a lot of oaks in it. I will check there this Fall. Will the mushrooms grow on live trees or should I be looking for fallen or dead trees?

Do they really taste as good as I am hearing?????

[fasthunter]

Thanks for the info. I will definitely pick one (to start with) up. One of the areas that I grouse hunt has a lot of oaks in it. I will check there this Fall. Will the mushrooms grow on live trees or should I be looking for fallen or dead trees?

Do they really taste as good as I am hearing?????
I find them on oaks that are still living. Actually, yes they do taste as good as you hear too!!:corkysm55:corkysm55 The hens will be on the ground right next to the oak or near it. The Chickens will be growing on stumps, and live trees. Honestly, I like morel hunting however I feel that I do better on the fall shrooms. It seems like there's a great abundance then. I'm still learning other shrooms to hunt. This year I plan on looking for chanterelles, hens, chickens, morels, shaggy manes, various puffballs, oysters, honey mushrooms, and the short footed suillius. There's alot of other mushrooms out there too. Just when you learn about a mushroom be EXTREMELY careful, get a 100% for sure ID, and know the lookalikes. A couple of the ones I said do have lookalikes that ARE poisonous. This stuff gets fun. I only looked for Hens, Chickens, puffballs and morels last year. This year I'm broadening quite a bit. Good luck and have fun!:D

[fasthunter]

Here's an example of a dangerous lookalike. If you eat this mushroom you will die without a liver transplant. It looks similar to a honey mushroom, however the spore print is a different color. I just posted this so you know to do your homework first. For all mushrooms.:)

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/may2003.html

[hardwaterfan]

no one ever told me this, i kind of just figured this on my own, but in my opinion any beginner type (myself included) should avoid ANY gilled mushroom. i figure (for now) if i avoid any/all gilled mushrooms, my chances of getting killed are reduced 99%. although i was ready to try the "parasol" (beautiful mushroom!) last summer but no more came up after i learned about them. but theres SO many non-gilled mushrooms that are good to eat. (morels, hens, chickens, hericium, black trumpets, etc....)

mushroom hunting is one of the best hobbies ive ever had. have fun with it.

[loomisfun]

I just ordered a couple of books. I plan on looking for fall mushrooms in conjunction with bird hunting. At this point I will be perfectly content with looking for and finding hens, chickens, and puffballs. I can really see this taking over more of my time especially with less competition in the woods as compared to morel hunting.

Fasthunter--Thanks for the offer to point me in the right direction in S Michigan. I likely won't make it down but do appreciate the offer. How early can I start looking for hens and chickens? Is there a peak time for them like there is for morels?

[hardwaterfan]

chickens can be found usually from june onwards through the fall. better frutings usually come later in the season. especially after a few days of rain to soak the logs (or standing trees). hens are usually very late august, and especially september, and into october. around here (im from twinsburg ohio, near cleveland) the climate is a lot like michigans and i usually start looking the first week of september. by the 20th they are always up. pretty reliable shroom and if you find a tree that fruits hens it is usually good and reliable for years from what ive seen. once you get a few good cold nights, it seems to me that it will trigger some hens.

[CL-Lewiston]

The Mushroom Hunters Field Guide-Alexander H Smith-U of M press. Ours is a 1969 model-bet there is a newer one out there. Shows how to do 'spore print" and the way mushrooms grow and lots of color plates.

[fasthunter]

no one ever told me this, i kind of just figured this on my own, but in my opinion any beginner type (myself included) should avoid ANY gilled mushroom. i figure (for now) if i avoid any/all gilled mushrooms, my chances of getting killed are reduced 99%. although i was ready to try the "parasol" (beautiful mushroom!) last summer but no more came up after i learned about them. but theres SO many non-gilled mushrooms that are good to eat. (morels, hens, chickens, hericium, black trumpets, etc....)

mushroom hunting is one of the best hobbies ive ever had. have fun with it.
I'm going to try a couple of the gilled ones, but I'm going to be EXTREMELY cautious with every single one. Only takes being lazy on one to get in trouble. I think my first time IDing those types I'm going to have an experienced person help me with it on the side. (With the exception of the Shaggy Mane that ones an easy one, also don't drink after eating that one for a day or so.)Better safe than sorry.

[fasthunter]

I just ordered a couple of books. I plan on looking for fall mushrooms in conjunction with bird hunting. At this point I will be perfectly content with looking for and finding hens, chickens, and puffballs. I can really see this taking over more of my time especially with less competition in the woods as compared to morel hunting.

Fasthunter--Thanks for the offer to point me in the right direction in S Michigan. I likely won't make it down but do appreciate the offer. How early can I start looking for hens and chickens? Is there a peak time for them like there is for morels?
When you find a puffball be sure to slice every single one open to look on the inside. The death angel (It's a mushroom I see quite a bit as well.) before it pops open can look like a little puffball and that one can kill you. If you see no gills in the middle after you cut it and it's like a soft marshmallow in the middle your good.:) Also, I noticed I see most of the those types of mushrooms in Sept. There's a ton of them around the squirrel season opener. Good luck and have fun.:)