Mushroom hunting can be rewarding but hazardous

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Finding a large morel mushroom is pretty simple, really.

"If you do run across a small morel, if you come back in a day or two it may be a big morel," said Jim Veselenak, associate professor of clinical laboratory science at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

But Veselenak also knows human nature.

"People have a tendency to swoop down and pick them," he said.

Outside of being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, the formula for finding large and plentiful morels is not an exact science. According to Veselenak, "it's a combination of soil temperature, humidity, soil wetness, and who knows what else."

John Rath Jr. of Springfield tasted success early in this spring's morel hunting season in Illinois. His bigfoot morel, found in early May at a spot in Sangamon County, was 11 3/4 inches long and weighed seven ounces.

"This is like hitting the lottery," Rath said, adding he would not sell the morel despite the prices some people would pay. "I wish I could mount it."

Veselenak said those who take to the woods in spring should not let their enthusiasm cloud their judgment when separating morels from other, potentially dangerous mushrooms.

Veselenak said about 10 percent of the people who eat what are known as "false morels" will become ill, and "you don't know if you're part of the 10 percent or not."

False morels -- which contain a compound called monomethylhydrazine -- encompass a number of different species bearing varying degrees of physical similarity to the true morels.

"The first time you taste or eat any wild mushroom, you should eat just a little bit of it and wait to see if you have any reaction," Veselenak said. "We think the morels are the universal edible, but there are some people who react to them."

And it's difficult to identify a species of mushroom accurately over the telephone or through pictures.

"I try to get people to bring them in," Veselenak said. "You don't want to make a mistake."

While identification may sometimes be difficult, the diversity of species present in the spring woods is nothing near the number of varieties that appear in the fall, when such favorites as chanterelles are harvested.

"There are lots of different varieties, but also the deadly ones," said Veselenak.

Veselenak studied mushrooms as a graduate student and has been hunting them for more than 30 years.

For spring morel hunters, he had this advice: the smaller black morels come up first, then the gray ones, and finally the gold-colored bigfoot variety.

Rath said he started hunting mushrooms as a 10-year-old, accompanied by his father.

"I hope that more families will take their kids out and enjoy the good things in life," he said.