Stalking Whatever
Mushrooms or fossils, Birds or returnables, you are likely forage sucessfuly in the Ithaca area if you keep in mind some general principles we have developed over years of hunting and gathering activities.
Rule One.

Go when you can and take what you can get.

This will avoid many a failed expedition. If, fo instance, you go to early to find Morel mushrooms, you may be consouled and even warmed by the early showing Skunk cabbage which, though it isn't much aas food, doesn't smell all that bad, is extremely beautiful when nothing much else is, and blooms in weather too cold for other plants, by virtue of its unique heat producing capacity
Rule 2

Try to get over the compulsion to bring home abslutely everythng you bend over to pick up.

 Rule 3

Especiallly in the case of mushrooms, and particularly with the more fairy like varieties like Morels, you will more likely find what you are looking for in the corners of your vision, and you should avoid looking directily at the first one you find, or you are not likely to find another, since the critters are easily alarmed and sensitive to human staring .

Rule Five

Some cooking may be necesssary
4th Rule of Foraging

That a species is edible, does not necessarily mean tht it is delicious or nutritious