# Fall Mushrooms 2016 -- Hens, Chickens and the like



## clwstl

This is a thread to post your fall 2016 finds--Maitake (hen of the woods), Sulphur shelf (chicken of the woods), and the rest.

I'll start.

I went out over the weekend and found a couple of puffball mushrooms (calvatia species). Very tasty.

I went to a reliable spot and found a massive oak tree with two large maitakes at the bottom--unfortunately they were too old and also waterlogged from the rain.

They would either have to have been last year's or have come up in August/very early September. Is this even possible?

Please share your finds!


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## ckorte

Could they have been Berkeley polypores or black staining polypores? They are similar and could already have been up for a while.


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## jmerx

I agree ckorte I haven't see even a small hen yet!


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## jasonl

me three....the bsp's (black stainer's) have been up for a while...and have gotten rotten....but....IT very well could have been hens ...a pic would help next time


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## jasonl

what happened to the "other edibles" post...? its gone


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## jean marie

I was wondering the same think Jason. I even made a post of how fast chickens grow and it's gone also?


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## jasonl

well....sorry I missed that Jean.........weird that its gone ...when so many had contributed


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## jasonl

well CLWSTL....I found this hen today and it was pretty toasted........it had spored and was melting down in the 91 degree temps




not sure I wanna get to vested in any more threads that disappear mysteriously


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## jasonl

but I did finda bunch of other nice shit today .....by the way....lets just imagine I posted a bunch of photo's


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## clwstl

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I am just getting back to it, I didn't get an email telling me there were posts.

They could absolutely be Berkeley's or black stainers, I think that is very probable. They were pretty rotten so I couldn't tell. Next time I will try to take photos.

I found another big puffball today. 

Anyone find any chickens?


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## jean marie

I have!


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## jean marie

I found some more in a different location the same day I found these. Both locations near a creek. Let me tell you chickens grow FAST! 

After only 2 days growth


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## jean marie

After 6 days growth on the right, the one on the left wasn't even up 6 days before in the same location.


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## jack

Quit a variety out there now.

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## jean marie

Nice collection Jack


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## jack

Found all these while scouting for a deer stand. The gray ones are Graylings.

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## Old Elm

Loads of goodies up around here too. Jack, what are those chubby white ones on the cutting board called. Buddy put me onto those last year &amp; there plenty of em again this year.


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## jean marie

Aborted entoloma


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## clwstl

Jean Marie and Jack, great photos!


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## jack

More Entoloma abortivum from my yard
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These are Non - aborted, Entoloma abortivum, and they taste really great. Now what to make with them, maybe Shrimp Scampy, with the Aborted ones.

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## jean marie

Awesome! You really have to know how to prepare them to get the best flavor. Roasted or sautéed nice and slow. Great find Jack! The woods are so dry here. Your photos made my mouth water. Enjoy!


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## jack

Aborted & non - aborted, Entoloma abortivum

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## jack

Entoloma abortivum and Chickens found by my deer stand.


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## jean marie

Awesome photos Jack!


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## Old Elm

Dad, fall of 2015, sure do miss hunting with him ]//i.imgur.com/pTAFCTU.jpg[/img]


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## mushroomsarah

Celebrating our first wedding anniversary the best way I know how, mushroom hunting in the woods!


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## jmerx

A friend found these I thought they might be jack o lanterns what do u think?


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## jmerx




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## jmerx




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## jmerx

Sry for the double picks


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## jmerx




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## jean marie

Look like jacks to me.. 
Beautiful chicken. Congratulations on your 1st year anniversary Sarah! Such a great way to celebrate it!


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## jmerx

tasty chicken one of the best I've had


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## jean marie

Looks tasty, asparagus looks yummy too.


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## Old Elm

]//i.imgur.com/KlTfifH.jpg[/img]


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## jmerx

We're r all the hen pics ? Is anyone else having trouble finding them?


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## jmerx

Nice pic elm haven't seen them before!


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## jack

Blewets, Brick Caps and more Entoloma abortivum, aborted & non-aborted.

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## jmerx

Nice jack I haven't been out alot this year was alittle dry in my area for sometime. But it isn't bad now just I don't have the time .


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## clwstl

I found a hen yesterday in a St Louis couny park that was just popping up. I will check again Wednesday. I also found three small greyish one around a tree, they were small but already dried. I might use them for soup stock.


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## jmerx

Hey clwstl do u ever get out to jef county? I do some looking in stl county! We should do a walk together sometime


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## jmerx

Babbler ,lone elk, and hwy r my favorite parks to go to.


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## jmerx

Hawn*


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## clwstl

Jmerx I would be down for that. Babler is great for mushrooms if I recall. I don't do lone elk because I got chiggers there one time, I had over a hundred bites, and they took weeks to heal. Seriously! I've never been to Hawn.

I've been looking in all my hen spots but nothing yet. I saw a huge flush of chickens on a tree on private property off Ladue road, but even if I was inclined to tresspass, there was nowhere to park and it was fenced in.


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## mmh

First year hunting fall mushrooms, found some hens and today found Blewits. I didn't know what they were so left them, will go back and get them tomorrow. What kind of flavor do they have?


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## jmerx

Not sure I never had then myself!


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## jean marie

Strong flavor, one that is pleasing.


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## jasonl

I've been finding lots of hens...in the last week.........they are just starting a bit late.....


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## lilion

I found my first ever Hen this Saturday. Got lost in the woods for two hours...because my sense of direction SUCKS! Note to self, never go mushrooming alone again. What makes it worse is - I was in a park - not even real forest! LOL My Hen was tiny - maybe 8" across - but tasty! I've never had them before. I may have a new favorite mushroom.


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## jean marie

No hens yet but lots of others Ischnoderma resinosum

Fistulina hepatica

Polyporus squamosus

Hydnum repandum

Lycoperdon pyriforme

And about 25+ lbs of chickens


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## jean marie

Laetiporus cincinnatus


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## cwlake

Thanks for the great pics! Don't know what I'd do with all them chickens. The one on the left looks like about a 12 lber.


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## jean marie

You're welcome. I don't know what I'm going to do with them all either. I'll give some to few friends. It has been a great year for chickens in my area. All the photos of chickens I've posted are within a 1/4 mile radius. Maybe hens will be the same? I've heard people say that hens grow around oaks that are 3-4' + in circumference but some of you-tube videos I've seen show much smaller oaks. What has been some of you alls experiences? I've only found hen once and that was a of couple years ago. Unfortunately I didn't mark the location and haven't been able to relocate the tree. Any data you all could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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## cwlake

Jean, I've been picking hens since Sept. 13 and have more than enough. But they are still popping up. you should be finding soon. I have found them around white, black, and red oaks all this year. So make sure to know the leaf patterns. Also have found some on the smaller oaks maybe 12" diam. The best places for me are not in woods but in old city parks with oak groves. But you have to get them before the squirrels.


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## jean marie

Thank you. I haven't been to any parks But I will this coming Friday. I hope I'm not to late. Thank you again!


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## clwstl

Ringless honeys came up in my yard two days ago, but we had a lot of rain the last two days in the STL so I don't know if they're still good. On the plus side, the wet and cooler temperatures mean I may finally find some hens!


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## jasonl

I agree with the city parks....and the squirrels........I do have spots that are old farm area's with large oaks...and typically I find the tree's on the fence line are the hen producers.....the middle of the woods rarely have hen tree's.....I am thinking that the spore has a hard time penetrating the canopy ..also red and black oaks are best ......just my thoughts


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## jasonl

you really need to go look for remnants at the end of the season.....you gotta find the tree;s....then next year you just check the tree's.......just looking for hens rarely ever paid off for me.....people ask me if I have been hunting hens....I say no....I have been checking my tree's


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## cwlake

as for the remnants, If you look closely, you can see the little black crusties from the prior year that didn't get picked.


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## lilion

<blockquote>I find the tree’s on the fence line are the hen producers…..the middle of the woods rarely have hen tree’s…..I am thinking that the spore has a hard time penetrating the canopy </blockquote>

Good to know. Maybe now I won't get lost! The one I found was at the edge of a trail. Going through the woods, I never saw anything! 

...and now I have more reason to hate squirrels. I didn't actually think I could hate them more.


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## jean marie

Hericium Coralloides


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## jasonl

also look for tree's that show weakness...or damage........dropped limbs.....holey trunks.....just signs that a fungus has moved in.....I was told to look up more than down to spot the right tree's.....then look in that area for more. 
The maitake like's the heart wood of a tree ...which is essentially dead wood anyway..... so it doesn't necessarily kill the tree, but does open the door to other fungi that will. 

My best tree is a dead snag that's 20 foot tall with no limbs


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## lilion

Today's haul wasn't huge but we're happy. About 4 lbs of Hens and some Hericium Coralloides to try. Have never had that before. They're a little worse for the wear because my husband took a tumble and fell on Them!


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## lilion

A question...is this the remains of a Hen? If so, do I ever have a tree to keep my eye on next year. There were five of there around it.


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## jasonl

not a hen IMO,...ringless honey perhaps


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## lilion

One more try at a friend'so house. Only found one, but it was a doozy.


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## jasonl




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## jasonl

and bam....the air dried out and its over....13 hens went poof....lol

I certainly got plenty and am a happy camper..........and am ready to move on to blewits and oysters


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## jasonl

my post never showed up...hmmm


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## clwstl

Found all of these hens around one oak tree today. Some were fresh enough to cook or freeze, others will be for drying. Some of the ones that were a little dry actually perked up with washing. Probably about 15-20 lbs total.

I don't think the season is done in St. Louis, it's been unseasonably warm. We just got more rain so I will try again this weeked.


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