A Taste of the Woods: Morel Hunting

Finding a morel is unpredictable. The season is brief, and many factors influence when and where they appear: ground and air temperature, sunlight, humidity. They like wetness but also drainage areas. Some say they appear near dying trees—in particular elms—or in orchards—in particular apple.

"You also go by how the land feels under your feet," Soda says. "You want spongy, but not too much." Each morel hunter has a strategy, but, Soda says, "just when you think you figure them out, they fool ya." Because the morel is tricky to find, hunters rarely disclose the whereabouts of successful patches.