BRAINERD, MINN. — Last week, while poking about in the outdoors, I discovered not just one but four hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. My foray afield was initially intended to be a deer-scouting effort. More precisely, I was monitoring the local bur oaks to see if the acorns were ripe and dropping to the ground. As most deer hunters know, acorns are a favorite food of whitetails. During late August and early September, one need only to find newly fallen acorns and eventually deer will show up. So will bears, turkeys, squirrels and other woodland wildlife.
When I spotted the first hen-of-the-woods, I was initially surprised. Then I realized I had, in the past, found the big mushrooms in late August, and in fact under the very same bur oak tree.
Unfortunately, my newly discovered prize had nearly dried up and some parts were covered by what appeared to be mold. My finding though, prompted me to look further.
After a bit of searching I located two more hens-of-the-woods. Although the brownish colored fungi are well-camouflaged against the forest floor, virtually every hen-of-the-woods I have found was growing at the base of a mature bur oak. So, during my deer scouting-turned-to-mushroom-hunt, I simply ambled from bur oak to bur oak, which greatly narrowed down the search area.
The second and third hens-of-the-woods I spotted were also too old and dried to pick. But the fourth grew in a shady area, and although it was past its prime I managed to salvage a dozen or so of the spoon-shaped petals.
Once home, I washed the mushroom pieces under cold water and stored them in the refrigerator. Mourning dove hunting season was just a day away, and I envisioned a meal of dove breasts on the grill with a side of sautéed hen-of-the-woods mushrooms.
Hen-of-the-woods are regarded as one of the most preferred mushrooms. They commonly grow in late August, September and October in most of eastern and central United States. The large mushrooms taste wonderful and can be cooked a variety of ways. If you find a hen-of-the-woods, note the spot because they often grow in the same location year after year.
Now is the time to look for hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. In Minnesota, they can be found from late August through October. I've never found them in November, but some people have. Cool days following heavy precipitation are the best times to look for "hens." Bur oak savannahs are prime locations.
