Stalking the elusive morel mushroom proved inspirational for three Southern Illinois men eager to start their own business.

"We're just three old mushroom hunters who bumped our heads together and came up with the idea for a new camo(uflage) pattern," said Bill Casburn. "We looked at the morel and talked about what a good job they do of camouflaging themselves in the woods and forests."

Shortly after, the three - Casburn, his brother Tim and their friend Royce Bringwald - founded Twisted Stick Inc., a company that sells its own line of morel-patterned camouflage wear, Morel Camo, for hunters and others who spend time outdoors.

The company offers a small selection of camo goods including hats, balaclavas (similar to ski masks), jackets and pants. The reversible uniforms have an "open country" pattern on one side and a "wooded" camo print on the other, Casburn said.

The lightweight gear is all-season, he said, and can be worn over heavy clothing during cold weather.

"Our camo is unique," he said. "We use Mother Nature's best kept secret. It does the job it's supposed to do."

Casburn, who worked in oil fields for more than 20 years, said he wanted "something more solid under my feet than oil. I was laid off a couple of times and there wasn't a whole lot around here to do. I figured camo has been around for at least 60 years and would be good for another 60. I think it will give me more security for the future."

After 29 years with Union Pacific railroad, Bringwald said he hopes Morel Camo will grant him an early retirement.

"This is kind of a hobby, sort of mixing business with pleasure," he said. "I'm hoping it will help sustain a new lifestyle pretty soon."

The company name came from the walking sticks made by Casburn, Bringwald said. "Bill carves these sticks we use when we're out mushroom hunting," Bringwald said. "We figured that was just a good a name as any and also fit pretty well with what we wanted to do."

The two were at a recent Connect SI conference that featured the businesses that make Southern Illinois unique. Both Casburn and Bringwald said they are happy to see initiatives like Connect SI bring members of different communities together to work for the betterment of the region.

"We were thankful to a part of the Connect SI event. We made a lot of contacts with other people and got a lot of good ideas. It's great to see so many people working together," Bringwald said.

Casburn said the business has a Web presence at www.morelcamo.com and hopes to increase the amount of business they conduct online.

"We're already gotten online orders from all over the country and hope we can generate more interest in the future," he said.

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