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.

The hen-of-the-woods is reasonably easy to identify. To me (and obviously to others), the mushrooms resemble a brown or tan hen chicken sitting on a nest. Thus the name. Some people call the mushrooms "ram's heads" because -- with some imagination -- the fungi do look like a brown, woolly sheep's head.

Generally the overall shape of hens-of-the-woods is oval. The mushrooms, unlike toadstools, have many overlapping brown-colored, spoon-shaped caps. The interior flesh is white, and the bottoms of the caps are covered with tiny pores instead of gills. The caps grow on short stems, and each stem originates from one common, heavy stalk. Although some hens-of-the-woods appear to be attached to the lower trunk of a tree, they actually sprout from the trees' root system.

"Hens" are large mushrooms. The biggest I have found weighed 8 pounds, but some top 40 or 50 pounds. Most are about the size of a dinner plate.

Luckily, because of their giant size, hens-of-the-woods can be easily stored. They can be cut into pieces and frozen without par-boiling, or dried.

As with all mushrooms, it is advisable to try a small portion first, then wait a day or so to see whether you experience an allergic reaction.

Hens-of-the-woods can be prepared in a variety of ways. Methods are limited only by your imagination. They can be used in a recipe in which other mushrooms are used. Many recipes can be found on the Web, as can identifying photos.

On Wednesday evening, I flopped on the grill several mourning dove breasts that had been marinating in mix of a bit of this and a bit of that. I sliced a large handful of "hen" caps, tossed them into a frying pan with butter and a bit of seasoning and sautéed them so the outsides were just a tad crispy.

A bit later, with an empty plate in front of me, I reasoned that was a good way to begin the fall season.

Bill Marchel, an outdoors photographer and columnist, lives near Brainerd.