7 tips for mushroom hunters

7 tips for mushroom hunters

Mushroom hunting is a fun hobby, it can be hard but it is worth it. Over time you will start to notice them everywhere. The more you look, the more you will find. The more you find, the more you want to know.

Here are a few thing that might help you on your way:

1.)  Mushrooms thrive in moist dark places.  Look under bushes, trees 
      and fallen logs. Be safe keep an eye out for spiders and snakes.

2.) Use either paper or mesh bags to collect. Plastic will make the
     mushrooms mush up.

3.) Get to know the local trees in your area, some trees form
     symbiotic relationships with mushrooms so that is a good place 
     to start.

4.) Mushrooms respond to stress in the environment.  They are
     natural healers you may find mushrooms in burned areas, or that
     were once flooded, or where there is ground disturbed by human 
     activity such as logging.  

5.) Unless you are an expert NEVER eat or even touch the mushrooms
     you find. Unless you are absolutely positively sure of what they 
     are.  There are many species that look almost exactly the same, its 
     better to be safe.

6.) If you do take mushrooms, don't take ever single mushroom. You
     need mushrooms to spread spores, this way you will find more in 
     the future.

7.) Be careful where you look and what you touch! Watch out for 
     ticks and poison oak. I experienced my first case of poison oak ever 
     because I was trying to get a picture of a mushroom. 


Once you have found your mushrooms, take some time to learn about  them. I created a cheat sheet you can fill out in the field. I like to fill them out then try to figure out what mushrooms I have found.

You can download it here --> Mushroom Guide






Resources:
A Field Guide to Mushrooms: North America (Peterson Field Guides) [Kent H. McKnight, Vera B. McKnight] 

Morel Mushroom hunting: http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/morel-mushroom-hunting-tips.html