There are at least 16 mushroom species reported as growing in the winter woods of New England. Perhaps the easiest one to recognize is the Red-Belted Polypore (or Red-Belted Conk), shown here. There’s a debate as to whether these are edible, which means to me don’t take a bite.
Red-Belts (Fomitopsis pinicola) are good tinder for fire-starting. They also reportedly were used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, especially as a styptic to clot blood in wounds. Other reported medicinal uses include as an antihistamine and digestive tonic.
Notwithstanding their history and some questionable recommended recipes on the Internet, leaving these fungi alone to digest dead wood seems to me to be our best option. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on January 9, 2023.)