End of Season 2016
I think it is safe to say that prolonged pleasant Fall temperatures are now behind us. South-Western Ontario is starting to look and feel like winter. The foliage is complitely gone and woods are starting to get dusting of snow that will soon become permanent layer.
This certainly does not imply stopping my trail visits, but as far as mushrooms are concerned it marks the end of season.
The absence of greenery force wild life to turn to mushroom nibbling. Evidence can be spotted everywhere. Remember, the animal consumption of certain mushroom is not proof that it is edible!
My prediction of second Blewit wave did not materialize. Generally I find a lot more Blewits in coniferous than in deciduous woods (spotting mushrooms in the needle layer is easier than digging through thick leaf debris), but this year it was not the case.
As usual, one of the main Fall mushrooms, Velvet Foot, was quite rare in my area. I found only several small growths.
The Oysters were complete disappointment, not only in the Fall, but during the whole 2016. I did not find a single gregarious flush, only small growths.
The Late Fall Oyster was, and still is normally present. At this time I find them frozen solid. That does not affect taste or quality, but usually changes color from deep green to yellow-brown tones.
The winter environment is quite good for hunting Chaga mushroom. When everything around is white, it is quite easy to spot dark growths even from afar. All this does not apply if the temperatures go into the deep freeze like last year. I don't think that it is fun to walk in the woods when it is -25°C.
This certainly does not imply stopping my trail visits, but as far as mushrooms are concerned it marks the end of season.
The absence of greenery force wild life to turn to mushroom nibbling. Evidence can be spotted everywhere. Remember, the animal consumption of certain mushroom is not proof that it is edible!
My prediction of second Blewit wave did not materialize. Generally I find a lot more Blewits in coniferous than in deciduous woods (spotting mushrooms in the needle layer is easier than digging through thick leaf debris), but this year it was not the case.
As usual, one of the main Fall mushrooms, Velvet Foot, was quite rare in my area. I found only several small growths.
The Oysters were complete disappointment, not only in the Fall, but during the whole 2016. I did not find a single gregarious flush, only small growths.
The Late Fall Oyster was, and still is normally present. At this time I find them frozen solid. That does not affect taste or quality, but usually changes color from deep green to yellow-brown tones.
The winter environment is quite good for hunting Chaga mushroom. When everything around is white, it is quite easy to spot dark growths even from afar. All this does not apply if the temperatures go into the deep freeze like last year. I don't think that it is fun to walk in the woods when it is -25°C.
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