Paul Smiths, NY, May 27, 2011 — Those who love edible wild mushrooms, cousins of the grocery store variety, also enjoy the annual spring hunt for one of the most elusive -- the morel. May is morel month in the North Country.

Todd Moe joined an outing of mushroom collectors at Paul Smiths College earlier this month. The group held a friendly contest to see who could find and pick the largest quantity of morels. By the end of the hunt it was clear you don't have to have to go out looking for morels with a meal in mind. Just learning to identify each mycological species is a challenge.

A reminder about looking for edible mushrooms: even distinctive yellow morels have look-a-likes that are poisonous. The slightest doubt about a mushroom is warning enough not to eat it.