# Are these Hens?



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

Are these hens? I've never ate them. I think there is 3 layers growing.. Good sized.


----------



## chuckinduck (May 28, 2003)

Pheasant back. Edible for most people when small. Way to early for hens. Unfortunately.


----------



## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

I assume what you are calling "hens" would be Grifola frondosa, hen of the woods, or maitake in Japanese.


----------



## ReallyBigFish (May 8, 2014)

Pheasant backs aren't bad when they're small those would be too tough to eat.


----------



## jeffm (Sep 20, 2008)

petronius said:


> I assume what you are calling "hens" would be Grifola frondosa, hen of the woods, or maitake in Japanese.


Yum petronius, those are on my bucket list for a road trip someday to Southern michigan as soon as I hear it's a good fruiting of them unlike 2017 was.


----------



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

petronius said:


> I assume what you are calling "hens" would be Grifola frondosa, hen of the woods, or maitake in Japanese.


If those are hen of the woods, then I had the name mixed up with pheasant backs. I thought they may be too old.


----------



## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

CHASINEYES said:


> If those are hen of the woods, then I had the name mixed up with pheasant backs. I thought they may be too old.


Here's another one for you. Another poultry fungus.
Laetiporus sulphureus, also known as chicken of the woods and sulphur shelf.


----------



## wallyg (Dec 31, 2010)

No, they are not!


----------



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

petronius said:


> Here's another one for you. Another poultry fungus.
> Laetiporus sulphureus, also known as chicken of the woods and sulphur shelf.


Doesn't look like something I want to eat.


----------



## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

CHASINEYES said:


> Doesn't look like something I want to eat.


Well, if you find any, please PM me the GPS coordinates


----------



## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

Real hens are good. Little tedious in cleaning them, but one big hen can produce alot.
My parents called then hen of woods.. but oddly they called them "cows face" too.

I like to parboil them a bit, then drain and sautee with butter garlic and salt/pepper.

But as others said, that's not a hen of woods...gotta wait till fall for them.


----------



## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

CHASINEYES said:


> Doesn't look like something I want to eat.


Try this recipe.

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/chicken-and-rice.299601/


----------



## MrJosePetes (Feb 8, 2013)

jeffm said:


> Yum petronius, those are on my bucket list for a road trip someday to Southern michigan as soon as I hear it's a good fruiting of them unlike 2017 was.


If it’s any good this year I can help you find some


----------



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

petronius said:


> Try this recipe.
> 
> https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/chicken-and-rice.299601/


That's quite the recipe. You could make shoe leather taste good with that one.


----------



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

CHASINEYES said:


> Are these hens? I've never ate them. I think there is 3 layers growing.. Good sized.
> View attachment 313325
> View attachment 313327


Hens are late summer and early fall. By early-mid September they should be out by big black oak trees.

After 3 poor black morel seasons and a hen season that produced ZERO last year, I don't know what to think. Logging and the weather has tore up the morel seasons, and weather did in last season's hen harvest. Honeys and chickens were around though.

It's enough to drive a guy crazy. I want to find the golden chants now, at least I rate them in the same class as morels. I have to fill in the void somehow!


----------



## jeffm (Sep 20, 2008)

Oldgrandman said:


> It's enough to drive a guy crazy. I want to find the golden chants now, at least I rate them in the same class as morels. I have to fill in the void somehow!


I'm ready for some golden chants too OGM, my eyes and brain hurt from straining to find morels. Can't wait and there so purty.


----------



## MrJosePetes (Feb 8, 2013)

Oldgrandman said:


> Hens are late summer and early fall. By early-mid September they should be out by big black oak trees.
> 
> After 3 poor black morel seasons and a hen season that produced ZERO last year, I don't know what to think. Logging and the weather has tore up the morel seasons, and weather did in last season's hen harvest. Honeys and chickens were around though.
> 
> It's enough to drive a guy crazy. I want to find the golden chants now, at least I rate them in the same class as morels. I have to fill in the void somehow!


Hope you didn’t give up on this morel season yet. Just got going decent in my spots.


----------



## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

Oldgrandman said:


> Hens are late summer and early fall. By early-mid September they should be out by big black oak trees.
> 
> After 3 poor black morel seasons and a hen season that produced ZERO last year, I don't know what to think. Logging and the weather has tore up the morel seasons, and weather did in last season's hen harvest. Honeys and chickens were around though.
> 
> It's enough to drive a guy crazy. I want to find the golden chants now, at least I rate them in the same class as morels. I have to fill in the void somehow!


If you need hens...I can help you this fall..we pass up way more than we can handle cleaning, but have a couple spots that produce several each year.
Remind me this fall...and I'll see if I can help ya out.


----------



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

Oldgrandman said:


> Hens are late summer and early fall. By early-mid September they should be out by big black oak trees.
> 
> After 3 poor black morel seasons and a hen season that produced ZERO last year, I don't know what to think. Logging and the weather has tore up the morel seasons, and weather did in last season's hen harvest. Honeys and chickens were around though.
> 
> It's enough to drive a guy crazy. I want to find the golden chants now, at least I rate them in the same class as morels. I have to fill in the void somehow!


Might be a good idea to change up areas.. Hope you get on the chants.


----------



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

What do you think guys? I know the yellows well. Are the others edible? My wife and youngest picked these. I could do without but they want to try them. I'm leary of anything that grows on wood.


----------



## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

CHASINEYES said:


> What do you think guys? I know the yellows well. Are the others edible? My wife and youngest picked these. I could do without but they want to try them. I'm leary of anything that grows on wood.
> View attachment 313461


The pheasant's backs on the left look ok. What I have done is washed them off and took a large spoon to scrape the underside pore area. I just scraped that area off before slicing and frying.
That one "morel" on the very bottom and center looks a little "funny". I would slice that open and take a look at how the cap attaches and is the stem hollow and clean.


----------



## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

I have pheasant backs all over the place barley any morels. I’ve never ate PB. I’ve heard mixed reports on them.


----------



## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Guy63 said:


> I have pheasant backs all over the place barley any morels. I’ve never ate PB. I’ve heard mixed reports on them.


I know of a couple of spots that are loaded with pheasant's backs. If there was a market for them, I could make a lot of money.


----------



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

petronius said:


> The pheasant's backs on the left look ok. What I have done is washed them off and took a large spoon to scrape the underside pore area. I just scraped that area off before slicing and frying.
> That one "morel" on the very bottom and center looks a little "funny". I would slice that open and take a look at how the cap attaches and is the stem hollow and clean.


The yellow at bottom center was pinned down by moss distorting its shape.


----------



## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

My wifes friend stopped while I was changing oil on the boat. She had two quart bags full of yellows. Her and her husband are afraid to try them. Lol
I told her these are one of the easiest to I.D. or not mix up with something else. After hunting for two years, they were just happy to find some. Hunting morels has been a good activity for getting her Autism son outside..


----------



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

growninmi said:


> If you need hens...I can help you this fall..we pass up way more than we can handle cleaning, but have a couple spots that produce several each year.
> Remind me this fall...and I'll see if I can help ya out.


Normally I don't have a hen issue but this whole area had many people come up empty handed last season. Not just me.

The weather was just too eff-ed up around here. I had a fractured ankle I was nursing last fall too so I could only hit the easiest of spots anyway. Thanks for the offer though!


----------



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

MrJosePetes said:


> Hope you didn’t give up on this morel season yet. Just got going decent in my spots.


Sadly I don't have available time anymore with work and other stuff to do. I took off all that I could already. So life goes on.....


----------



## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Dryad saddles, or Pheasant backs are pretty good. Just use the outer soft rim. The closer to the stump, the tougher they get. Cut in some strips, med heat in a pan to boil the water out, drain, then add a little BBQ sauce. You'll be amazed how good they are. They can be tough if they're too big. I've found them the size of garbage can lids. Best size is about hand size.


----------



## Uncle Boopoo (Sep 15, 2008)

I tried pheasants back for the first time last year and they were pretty good. If they’re tough to cut with a knife, then they’re too mature to eat. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## MrJosePetes (Feb 8, 2013)

Oldgrandman said:


> Sadly I don't have available time anymore with work and other stuff to do. I took off all that I could already. So life goes on.....


Hey I’m with ya there as far as taking my time off at the wrong time, but I’m going when I can. An hour yesterday was better than 0 hours. Good luck all


----------

