It is one of the four really safe wild mushrooms in the Northwest. If it looks anything like a Morel it is a Morel and good to eat. Throw away the very bottom where the dirt starts then slice it and fry it in butter.

alot of places here in Indiana are getting $40/lb for those

Thanks everyone, fantastic replies.
Here is a good article found on the false morel.
http://thegreatmorel.com/falsemorel.html

It will not be hard to tell the difference, given this info.
My husband just asked a question, can you eat the morel raw? I'd think so.
Sounds much more delicious to saute in butter though.

This is cool, I love mushrooms! But I have never gone mushroom hunting before. I hope I can find some more of these. Last fall our neighbor asked if he could go hunting for Chanterelles, he said he did find a few.
Last year I found out you can eat the tops of fiddlehead ferns, before they open up.
We also get all kinds of berries at our place, besides blackberries I have also seen thimbleberries, salmonberries, and black raspberries.

I've got spring fever really bad!!

last year after reading this post on berries I planted LOTS of berry plants (raspberries, blue berries and strawberries). I cannot WAIT til spring and they start sprouting green things!!

this weekend I planted my tomato and pepper seeds. more green sprouts! can't wait!!

go spring:)

you can eat that?!? we've got that on our property too!! what does it taste like (please don't say 'chicken')!

yes, hen of the woods are yummy. get the fischer book... so much good info. GREAT recipes, too. HOTW mushrooms are great... but I prefer the young growth, less woody. I'm also cultivating oyster mushrooms. you can buy 2 pounds of Oyster mush at store, walk through your woods with a cordless drill and a 1/2" bit and drill rotting oak logs and pack a pinch of oyster mush into hundreds of holes...
just find logs that are shaded and in a moist place. I have some by my creek that come spring time, could actually become money making...
mmm... oyster mushrooms with butter and garlic....

they've got them at our local grocery store. Right next to the shiitake's. Most good grocery stores that carry mushrooms should. They're not very expensive, b/c they're so EASY to cultivate :)