It's time to look for morel mushrooms in the Tri-State. Just don't share your favorite spots.

EVANSVILLE − While they might not look all that appetizing, the lengths people will go to forage for tasty morel mushrooms in spring can seem obsessive to those who have never tried them.

Finding them inspires more woodsy lore and secretive ways than just about any other wild food source, perhaps because they are only available for a short time in spring.

The Indiana morel season typically starts in mid-April, depending on spring temperatures, and can last well into May, according to many sources. However, in Southern Indiana they often begin showing above ground earlier.

While some look to folkways such as the blooming of may apples or even the sound of turkeys gobbling to know when morel season starts, others look to more scientific indicators such as weather conditions.

According to the sciencing.com website, morels usually appear when daytime temperatures are in the 60s and nighttime temperatures stay in the 40s or warmer – with topsoil temperatures in the mid-50s. That is why early in morel season the mushrooms are often found in southern-facing locations.

Mushroom hunters hone their foraging skills and jealously guard their secret spots to maximize their hauls. In online forums and Facebook groups, it is common to find heated debates on whether it is best to pick them small or wait for them to grow, risking someone else finding them in the meantime.

No matter what your level of interest in morels may be, there are plenty of internet resources available. These include organizations such as the Hoosier Mushroom Society, state agencies (the Indiana Department of Health registers wild mushroom identification experts) and Facebook groups such as Indiana Morel Mushroom Progression.

“A lot of it is just common sense,” Dave Hazlett said.

The longtime morel hunter and foraging expert - “You can have mushrooms all year long” – has looked for them all over the Tri-State.

Hazlett said he grew up learning how to hunt morels with his parents from the time he was a boy.

While there are many varieties of morels, the most commonly sought out are black morels and yellow morels.

“Morchella elata, the Black Morel, starts mid-March-mid-April in our area,” he said. “I like those the best.”

With a degree in forestry and wildlife conservation and lifetime of experience, Hazlett shares his knowledge through his Morel Dawg website and Facebook page and leading guided mushroom hunting trips.

Nothing compares to personal experience when it comes to finding mushrooms, he said.

“The best way to find mushrooms is to get out in the woods and just walk and look where you walk,” he said.

Once a spot of mushrooms is located, Hazlett said more can be learned by just observing them – how they are growing, what the conditions are. He often leaves a few.

“I will go to a spot about three times, but three to five days apart. It is a lot like a garden, taking care of it. I’m a believer that if you take care of nature, it will take care of you,” he said.

Typically, starting in late March, Hazlett will pick for himself first, enjoying some and preserving the rest for later use.

“I picked over four pounds of black morels today,” he said.

Often described as having an earthy, woodsy, even nutty flavor, Hazlett said he finds it hard to describe the flavor referencing anything familiar.

“I don’t compare them to any store-bought mushrooms, that’s for sure,” he said.

He likes them sauteed in olive oil, butter or even bacon grease rather than deep fried, maybe with a little garlic. However, his favorite way to eat them is on a grilled cheese with bacon.

Hazlett says he always cooks any mushrooms from the woods. When trying any variety of wild mushroom for the first time, he also recommends sampling a small piece and waiting a while to make sure there are no allergies, before eating all of it.

“Always keep an uncooked sample so that if something does happen you can show it to the ER doctor,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Where can you find morel mushrooms in Indiana?