Tinder Fungus!

[Swamp]

While deer hunting this past week, I came across a huge piece of tinder fungus growing on a birch tree. The large piece is 12" X 6" X 6". A good find for sure!

[Riley/MN]

Good find!

[Roaddog]

You are a lucky ole' cus. I look and look for it and so far no luck and we have a lot of birch around here. Good on you Swamp.

[2 Locks]

For four days sitting in my deer blind, I was sure that I was staring at a large tinder fungus on a birch log.  After I got my deer, I went back the next day to get the tinder...  well, lets just say that staring at something in the forest from only a single angle (and a little too much unjustified confidence) can be really deceiving.

[rickevans]

Well dang Dave, what were you a starin' at?

[2 Locks]

Nothin' - literally.

Apparently when it fell the log separated about a foot from itself.  I was staring at the empty space & somehow the leaves in the background looked like fungus in the foreground.

[rickevans]

Ha! No there's a story.  Swamp, I found several fungus trees on the in-laws property up by the Ocqueoc River. We need to have a fungus fire starting seminar soon.

[pathfinder]

I recently had a freind over and he saw my large box of tinder fungus and he told me that the stuff is a type of cancer on birch tree's and it's transferable to human's! NEVER heard of such a thing.

 Anyone hear this too?

[biliff]

I recently had a freind over and he saw my large box of tinder fungus and he told me that the stuff is a type of cancer on birch tree's and it's transferable to human's! NEVER heard of such a thing.

 Anyone hear this too?

Sounds like a good story to keep other people away from HIS tinder fungus!

[R.M.]

I recently had a freind over and he saw my large box of tinder fungus and he told me that the stuff is a type of cancer on birch tree's and it's transferable to human's! NEVER heard of such a thing.
Anyone hear this too?

Yup, sounds like a big load of road apples to me.  

[Snapper]

I have read that the tinder fungus is a type of cancer on the tree itself but nothing about it being able to be transferred to a human being.  I kind of think that latter part is at best an old wive's tale.

That's all for now.  Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper

[MeatStick]

We always called it Brack Fungus, it's actually called Bracket Fungus and will provide nutrient to a dieing tree. I usually find it on locust trees and prepare it like char cloth to carry with my fire fixens. Around here you can't swing a dead cat around and not hit one.

[greggholmes]

my wife got me a book published in 1905, called "The Field and Forest Handy Book. In the section on fire it says  "Charred cotton rags, raw cotton, paper soaked in a solution of black gunpowder and water, baked rotten wood and baked Fungus , When perfectly dry, make good punk and should be kept in tightly corked bottles or horns"

[Bigsmoke]

I recently had a freind over and he saw my large box of tinder fungus and he told me that the stuff is a type of cancer on birch tree's and it's transferable to human's! NEVER heard of such a thing.

 Anyone hear this too?

I don't think you cold get cancer from that anymore than you could get Dutch elm disease from chewing on a toothpick.

[Loyalist Dave]

Well if cancer was contagious, it would be cause for rejoicing, for we could discover the cause and come up with a cure...,

As for a pathogen going from a plant to a human...., not likely at all.  From a primate to a human, sure, from other mamals to humans, possible, and from warm blooded animals to humans, occasional, but not from trees.  

LD