The air was crisp and dewey from a recent rain, the leaves a golden yellow with rays of sun peeking their way through the trees to meet the moss-covered ground. We went our separate ways as soon as we entered the forest, each with the same mission. We would scour the forest floor for almost an hour with no success and make our way to two different locations before it finally happened. Two hours into our treasure hunt, a yelp rang through the woods and a childlike excitement ran through me. “I found one!” I ran over to my partner, who was pointing at the ground only to find exactly what we had been looking for. A beautiful and bright orange-roofed chanterelle mushroom nestled at the base of a tree trunk.
This trip marked my third season of foraging for fungi in Portland, OR and surrounding areas. To this day, the liberation that comes with finding these enchanting little jewels is unparalleled. Each year, I try to bring at least one new friend with me to join in on this hunting-and-gathering experience. Honestly, walking through the woods with people and getting to show off some of my amateur wilderness skills is one of my favorite fall activities. While the idea of playing hide and seek with fungi can be slightly overwhelming, I decided to throw together a quick beginner’s guide based on my novice experience to help you, the RANGE fam, get acquainted with quick tips and tools to going ‘shroomin.
Know Before You Go
Foraging for mushrooms takes research and the willingness to get dirty. Every region has its own ecosystem, and in turn, its own species of mushrooms. Being able to identify edible mushrooms and imposters–a.k.a. lookalike edible mushrooms or even poisonous mushrooms–is key. When taking your first foraging trip, start with something that is easily identifiable. Get familiar with distinctive shapes and colors of the mushrooms you are hunting. Assume that you will not have service when you are out in the field. There are plenty of guide books to check out and bring with you on your trips. A PNW favorite is the All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms by David Arora. Lastly, when in doubt, leave any questionable mushrooms behind and let nature do its thing. I like to take pictures of mushrooms that I’m not familiar with to investigate further when I get home.
Locals Only
Let’s talk about location. Not unlike surfing culture, mushroom hunters like to guard their favorite foraging spots and you won’t find a treasure map or a Google map leading you to the ultimate mushroom spot. Take an old fashioned approach, ask around and get acquainted with local foragers. Maybe even team up with your local Mycological Society to join in on a mushroom hunting workshop to help navigate mushroom locations in your region.
Pay Attention to Your Surroundings
So you’ve teamed up with an OG forager and are ready to embark on your first foraging mission. You get in there, your nose is to the ground and you’re replaying the distinctive features in your head over and over. You’re stoked and nothing beats being surrounded by nature. It is important, however, to remember to look up every once in a while and take note of where you are. Getting lost while mushroom hunting actually happens. You also want to take note of any private property that might be around to avoid trespassing. Additionally, it’s worthy to note that some regions do require permits for hunting certain mushrooms. Refer to my first tip and “know before you go.”
What to Bring
The great thing about ‘shrooming is that you only need a few key items to partake in the activity. Grab your jacket, favorite pack, a simple pocket knife and some waterproof boots, and you’ve got yourself a nice little foraging kit. Some of my favorite go-to mushroom kit essentials include the Opinel Foraging Pocket Knife, Women’s Puffer Hoodie by Topo Designs, Arrowood Lux Mid Waterproof Boots by Teva and the Woven Leather Tote from Beam & Anchor.
How to Harvest Mushrooms
There are a lot of things to consider when harvesting fungi and even some heated debates around harvesting techniques. Personally, I try to take a sustainable approach to harvesting mushrooms–chanterelles in particular–and use a cutting technique. It is said that leaving 20% of the mushroom allows for the mushroom to grow back the following season. Please note that some regions do have legal regulations around quantity and size requirements for certain mushrooms as well.
Enjoy Your Harvest (No Matter the Size)
Each hunting excursion yields a different haul. Some trips will have you leaving with more mushrooms than you can handle. I love sharing mushrooms with friends or neighbors if I’m lucky enough to find “the motherload.” Maybe you only find a couple mushrooms to top your Friday night pizza, or maybe you won’t find any mushrooms at all depending on the season’s growing conditions or if other people have picked through your secret location. But no matter the size of the haul, you’ll always have a nice stroll through the outdoors to look forward to.
Images by Lisa Dougherty.
xx Lisa