Hey M
you probably have them around you..i would look ..don't pull them out..cut them off..and let the root there
first you pull them apart and rinse them off under running water.(or a sink full if you are conservative) and toss the pieces onto a paper towel to drain as you go
then put a tiny amount of butter in a deep skillet and toss in the mushroom pieces..cover and cook with medium heat till there is a lot of water in the skillet..remove the cover and cook the water off..then add a tiny bit more butter, pepper and salt to taste and chow down...
they are a bit crunchy and have a nutty flavor..very good with almost anything
i had to do the link below cause i thought i had mis-speeled it above..and of course i had..it's the fat fingers.. 
i hope you find some and en~joy..but it might be worth it to find someone who knows what they are picking..just to be safe.. a lot of the polypores look similiar
en~joy 
Grifola frondosa
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Maitake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Polyporales
Family: Meripilaceae
Genus: Grifola
Species: G. frondosa
Binomial name
Grifola frondosa
(Dicks.) Gray
Grifola frondosa
Mycological characteristics
pores on hymenium
cap is offset or indistinct
hymenium is decurrent
lacks a stipe
spore print is white
ecology is parasitic
edibility: edible
Grifola frondosa is a polypore mushroom that grows in clusters at the base of trees, particularly oaks. The mushroom is commonly known among English speakers as Sheep’s Head, Ram’s Head and Hen of the Woods. In the United State's supplement market, as well as in Asian grocery stores, the mushroom is known by its Japanese name "Maitake," which means "dancing mushroom." G. frondosa should not be confused with Laetiporus sulphureus, another edible bracket fungus that is commonly called chicken of the woods or "sulphur shelf."
The fungus is native to the northeastern part of Japan and North America, and is prized in traditional Chinese and Japanese herbology as a medicinal mushroom, an aid to balance out altered body systems to a normal level. Most Japanese people find its taste and texture enormously appealing, though the mushroom has been alleged to cause allergic reactions in rare cases.
Description
Like the sulphur shelf mushroom, G. frondosa is a perennial fungus that often grows in the same place for a number of years in succession. It occurs most prolifically in the northeastern regions of the United States, but has been found as far west as Idaho.
G. frondosa grows from an underground tuber-like structure, about the size of a potato. The fruiting body, occurring as large as 60 cm, is a cluster consisting of multiple grayish-brown caps which are often curled or spoon-shaped, with wavy margins and 2-7 cm broad. The undersurface of each cap bears approximately one to three pores per millimeter, with the tubes rarely deeper than 3 mm. The milky-white stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure and becomes tough as the mushroom matures.
In Japan, the Maitake can grow to more than 50 pounds (20 kilograms), earning this giant mushroom the title "King of Mushrooms." Maitake is one of the major culinary mushrooms used in Japan, the others being shiitake, shimeji and enoki. They are used in a wide variety of dishes, often being a key ingredient in nabe or cooked in foil with butter.
Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:03 pm
