I'm always scanning for mushrooms and there it was! I knew almost certainly that it was a 'Hen of the Woods' from the photos I'd seen. I went back to the house jubilantly crowing about it. The books showed exactly that mushroom: Grifola Frondosa It's not like any other mushroom, except that if it's yellow/gold it's called Chicken of the Woods. Both are edible and good.
Usually they grow on Oaks, but this dead tree looks to be a tulip poplar. Hopefully it will follow the book and re-sprout on that tree multiple times.
I took it to the church fish fry and showed it to the guys who hunt so they will know to use it and told the local hunters who came to vote when I was a Poll Officer on Tuesday.
I cleaned it and only got about 2 cups of inedible stuff. I estimate it was about 6 lbs.
I cut it across the grain and sauteed it in butter, a bit of broth, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of boullion powder, then stirred in some sour cream. It was good served over rice.
