Shrooms growing all over bark???

What does it mean when mushrooms start to grow on a standing tree. It is a very tall black birch. The trunk up to about 10 ft is covered with mushrooms. My woods are very wet and many trees die or fall over. I try not to cut any living trees down but this one looks to be dieing. I get enough wood from trees that fall over. Its a widowmaker for sure so I'll cut it half way through and let the wind do the rest. Thanks

I wouldn't lean too hard on it, any of the birch trees here with fungi growing on them are dead, ready to fall over. In fact, watch your head because the tops often blow off first. Usually soft, but after a good soaking rain they can be heavy and/or frozen ice hurts. I usually carefully push any that I find over if I can.

How do you keep track of the half-cut stuff if the wind hasn't taken it down? What if you are half-cut when you go in the bush?

They burn just fine. Just do like Clinton and don't inhale the smoke............

You can probably get some good $$$ if you shave those mushrooms off the trunk, place them into a sammich baggie, and head down to your local High School or College campus...

My observation is that white birch with shrooms on it is on the way out- I would guess the same for black. Healthy trees normall have a chemical that resists fungal growth. In fact, if innoculating fresh cut trees to grow mushrooms, you normally wait a couple weeks forthat chemical to dissipate.

Fungus is always a sign of decay.