Howdy folks! I actually own the site that the comparison pic above came from, and am an active contributor to the Texas and OK rooms here, though I also forage in the Ozarks as well when I can.
My site has a
good primer on identifying chanties. They grow prolifically all over Arkansas, starting in about early June and running through fall. July is prime season, especially if it has been very wet. They grow beneath oaks and are the easiest edible to find in abundance in Arkansas. They love hot humid weather. They look like bright orange or yellowish flowers. (The tiny bright red cinnabar chanterelles are also common, but it takes a long time to gather enough for a serving, and they virtually disappear when you cook them.)
Their only common poisonous lookalike, as already stated, are jack o lanterns, which are easily identified because they have true gills and orange flesh. Chanterelles have ridges, rather than paper thin gills, and their flesh is white/cream under the orange outer layer. The false chanterelle, uncommon in Arkansas, is eaten by many people, but causes mild gastrointestinal upset in some.
Of all the wild mushrooms, chanterelles are my absolute favorite. They have a deep, rich, steak flavor...a wonderful, dense texture, and in a good season, you can gather several pounds easily and quickly in any oak Forest.
The photo in the original post for this thread is a sulfur shelf, usually grouped with Chicken Mushrooms (also called Chicken of the Woods) and is a delicious edible with no poisonous look alikes.
