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Morel mushroom picking takes off in Montana

Posted at 3:46 PM, May 25, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-25 17:46:40-04

MISSOULA – The US Forest Service and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office are teaming up this weekend, and not just to keep people safe during the Memorial Day holiday.

Morel mushroom picking season is upon us and they are expecting large amounts of traffic around local campgrounds where mushrooms can be found.

According to the Forest Service in 2017, the Northern Region saw approximately 700,000 acres burned by wildfires. One of the positive outcome of those fires is an abundance of morels.

They expect several thousand people to come harvest morels, including both commercial and personal-use mushroom pickers.

MCSO Spokesperson Brenda Bassett said they will have extra patrols out in order to assist the Forest Service during this time.

"Whether you’re a commercial picker or you’re up there picking for personal reasons, to just be respectful of one another and if you have people-related crime questions or reports that you’d like to file you can call the sheriff’s office and if you have resource-related crimes or any questions about permits you need to call the Forest Service," Bassett said.

Because of flooding, above average snowfall, and other factors some campgrounds are remaining closed while others are opening up this Memorial Day weekend.

Click here for more information on campground availability.