It’s our second season here in Missouri, and I’m starting to feel like I’m getting a handle on shrooming here. First, it’s mushroom heaven, they grow everywhere. Second, the summer mushroom season is surprisingly similar to the one on Northern New England. Morels of course are a month or 6 weeks earlier, however boletes and chanterelles start and stop at almost the same times. Finally, we checked a out a new place to take the dogs back in February, and ID’ed it correctly as a prime chanterelle spot.
Flickr says that we found three chanterelles on June 27 last year, and got a decent haul on July 4. This year, I found boletes our land, and boletes and chanterelles in the new spot on the 7th. There was nothing on the land behind us, and only boletes, no chanterelles at last years prime spot. Today I found boletes on the land behind us, still no chants. We’ll try other places over the weekend again. It should be noted that the land behind us is a north slope, while our land and the new place slope south. The old place slopes eastward. I was surprised that the slope of the land made that much difference in July.
Edited to add, chanterelles just starting at last year’s place on 7/14. Many are still too small to pick. Will return on the 16th.
Returned to the end of the road on 7/15. Good haul of chanterelles in the area surrounding last week’s find.
No joy behind us on 7/18. Did find a few Pluteus watchamacallit. Sauteed one up and put them in ‘for stock’ bag in the freezer. Still, it’s one more thing to gather, even if only for stock.