As a chef, Zigich has a variety of morel mushroom recipes. “I incorporate them into a garnish for pork chops, use them in sauces and soups, and stuff them whole and roast them,” he said.

Like most morel mushroom hunters, Zigich won’t reveal his spots. “I’ve been scouting areas since March and tracking where I’ve been finding them from last year to this year. There are certain little spots I like to go.”

This year, Zigich said, he found the mother lode, about 8 pounds of morels in one spot.

Aaron Klocker, another Minnesota State University student, said the secret to finding morels is to go slow. “You usually find them around dead elm tees,” he said.

He also bends down to look under brush. Because morels blend in so well with fallen leaves, it is possible to find a mushroom after several other hunters have passed by one, Klocker said.

Although he wasn’t lucky enough to find as many as Zigich in one spot, Klocker said he has found several pounds, enough for a few good meals.

Unfortunately, most of the mushrooms have either been picked or are too old to eat. The season for morels roughly corresponds to when lilacs are in bloom.

Beginning hunters should be careful to avoid false or poisonous morel mushrooms. Edible morels have a hollow stem and the cap is attached to the stem.

Morels are rare because of their short season, the difficulty in finding them and the inability to grow them commercially. And for those who haven’t had any luck finding their own, Starrett recommends eBay, where they have been selling for about $40 a pound.