It’s all over for the majority of wild mushroom hunters in Illinois. That’s because the only wild mushroom most people trust and recognize—the morel—has now faded from the forests of Illinois.

Morels are spring mushrooms. But they’re finally finished for the year, and already morel hunters have wandered off to their different pursuits, none of which ever matters as much as the pursuit of morels. Morel hunters are now playing golf or maybe signing up for summer softball leagues. Some go fishing. Others are gardeners, preparing to grab weeds all summer. Still, ask any morel hunter and everyone will agree nothing compares to the hunt for wild mushrooms.

The thing is, all of those recent morel hunters honestly believe mushroom hunting is finished for the year simply because the only mushroom they know—the morel—is now history. For the record, I am perfectly happy to walk alone in the woods. I’ll hike in solitude for many months after morel season, quietly hunting for mushrooms nobody else picks, even in December. If nobody else realizes there are fresh wild mushrooms available nearly all year—some of those mushrooms better than morels—I am happy to appreciate them alone.

I’ve always believed a person ought to spend some time alone in the woods anyway, just to be out there.

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Joe McFarland is a staff writer for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources magazine Outdoor Illinois and co-author of the new book Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States.