Arrival of morel mushrooms in Michigan sparks thrill of the hunt

NORTHERN MICHIGAN (WPBN/WGTU) -- Spring flowers are not the only thing in full bloom.

Spring weather means morel mushrooms are back.

Morel mushrooms are a passion for many in Michigan. Not only because of their taste, but for the thrill of the hunt.

These seasonal mushrooms start to show up seemingly at random this time of year due to wet conditions.

• Michigan DNR: Know the difference between a real morel and an imposter

"It really varies throughout the season. It's dependent on this rain, it is really helpful. Depending on warmth, the ground temperature needs to be around 42 degrees in order for things to really start fruiting. And so that's happened last few weeks here,” Co-Owner of Great Lakes Treats Aaron Grenchik said. “Typically, we don't have morels until like the last week of April, first week in May. But this year we're a couple of weeks early."

Finding them can be tricky, but good hunters advise getting a lay of the land and trying new locations.

• Everything you need: Morel mushroom hunting treasure map

"A good mushroom hunter is somebody that just gets out there and tries to find their own spots,” Grenchik said. "I do a lot of mapping and cross-referencing with my maps and then a lot of it is tree associated. Morels are not always mycorrhizal, but a lot of times they have a relationship with the trees that they're growing near. I do mapping associated with the trees and the age elevation."

Grenchik reminds us to look out for fake morels that sometimes are hard to spot.

"First, I'd like to show you the true morel, which is the blonde morale. And you're going to see that it's completely hollow. And you can also note that the bottom of the cap is attached to the stipe right there, the stem, it's fused. And it's not separated like a teepee,” Grenchik said. "This example here, you're going to see somewhat of like a tent where I have like an umbrella attachment. You're also going to note that it's not hollow. So if I sliced this particular mushroom, they call this one the verpa bohemica, and this is what we also know is the false morale."

And whether or not you come up with the prize, Grenchik says it’s all about the thrill of the hunt and spending time with nature.

"The real pleasure is just getting out there. I have to remind myself of that because I struck out a couple times this week where I just got some great exercise. And I didn't even get the consolation prize which is the pheasants back mushroom,” Grenchik said. But regardless, it's rewarding to commune with nature and be out and have respect for the land and just be more attentive and start to really look and see what's around you and your surroundings."

Some hunters keep their sacred morel spots to themselves, but the DNR has released an interactive map as a guide so you know where to look.