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Post by rudderless on Dec 5, 2017 10:27:03 GMT -8
Any wild mushroom hunters on the forum. I'm just getting started and could use any advice you might have. thanks
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crawford
Trail Wise!
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
Posts: 1,775
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Post by crawford on Dec 5, 2017 12:38:14 GMT -8
Just starting to do this myself, so my first advice is take no advice from me. My second advice is to look around where you live to see if any community colleges offer non-credit courses on this. Ours does and they start in a classroom and then go into game lands near us to physically see differences in mushrooms and the types of locations where they can be found. They also spent time on the 2/5 or 3/5 idea, meaning it is safe to harvest 2/5 of the mushrooms you might find in a cluster (like a cluster of morels) but don't take more than 3/5 or the following year you might not find them in the area again. Responsible harvest means you can come back again and again to enjoy them.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 12:46:47 GMT -8
I been trying, for a number of years, to find that big patch of Morels. Last year, I found one. Yuppers, a mushroom that is supposed to grow in bunches and I found one. I'll try again next year.
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crawford
Trail Wise!
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
Posts: 1,775
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Post by crawford on Dec 5, 2017 12:49:47 GMT -8
Mark the spot, remember it. So long as it wasn't eaten it should yield more next year...good luck.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 12:54:44 GMT -8
I marked the location in my GPS, as I am hoping, that next year, there would be many more popping their heads up for my pickings.
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Post by rudderless on Dec 7, 2017 12:07:48 GMT -8
Thanks for that tip Crawford. Local community college didn't think of that.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Dec 7, 2017 19:31:26 GMT -8
Local knowledge is key. Rules for one region may not apply in others. If you can't find any local classes in your area, see if there is a local mycological society. Know what you're picking. A lot of poisonous mushrooms look very similar to edible ones.
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Post by trinity on Dec 8, 2017 11:49:59 GMT -8
Definitely. I used to do a fair amount of mushroom gathering, but my knowledge is very specific to central Texas, I would not try to harvest mushrooms elsewhere. And I stick to the more obvious ones--boletes, puffballs, morels, chanterelles. Depending on where you live, there may be a good field guide available, which was very helpful to me when I was getting started.
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Post by ecocentric on Dec 13, 2017 12:46:54 GMT -8
Identification skills can be sharpened by learning the descriptive vocabulary for mycology. Photos and drawings are helpful, but using a key and understanding a written description will go a long ways to getting the identification right. The Mushroom Book Has excellent illustrations for this purpose. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi / Edition 2 is the most comprehensive book on the subject. Foraging is probably best learned by finding someone that is knowledgeable to tag along with.
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Post by Coolkat on Dec 13, 2017 19:27:22 GMT -8
Mushroom hunting! Now that brings back pleasant memories. Many many moons ago every spring about mother's day we'd head north 5 hours and spend a few days hunting Morels...
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Post by rudderless on Dec 15, 2017 12:28:53 GMT -8
I have a lot of research to do before I touch one let alone eat it. I am very leery of them in the wild they are interesting bits of nature. I see there are some mushroom identifying apps on google play anybody try one yet?
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Post by ecocentric on Dec 15, 2017 13:31:19 GMT -8
I touch one let alone eat it. The good news is that even the most toxic mushrooms are not poisonous to the touch, you have to ingest them. You can learn a lot about them by studying their construction, the different structures that distinguish one kind from another. I take pictures for future reference and to aid in ID. Spore prints are fun for adults and kids. So is hunting for them in the woods. Where are you looking for mushrooms now? What kind of habitats?
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 17, 2017 19:17:52 GMT -8
even the most toxic mushrooms are not poisonous to the touch, you have to ingest them. I was wondering about touching then your finger ends up in your mouth, or handling your food...no idea how much of some of those things you need to ingest to do serious damage.
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Post by ecocentric on Dec 18, 2017 7:37:04 GMT -8
I was wondering about touching then your finger ends up in your mouth, or handling your food...no idea how much of some of those things you need to ingest to do serious damage. It's a good idea to be mindful of what you do with your hands and fingers. Experience with preparing chile peppers has been educational for me, you have to be careful what you do with those fingers. Foraging involves touching lots of things including the ground. Being careless with poison ivy can ruin a dinner for someone that is sensitive. I don't harvest mushrooms that are growing close to poison ivy. I am not sensitive to it at all, but being careless after a walk in the woods, I have hugged someone that was. The toxins in mushrooms are not that potent. There are parasites carried by snails and raccoons that you wouldn't want to put into your mouth.
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Post by kathryn on Dec 24, 2017 9:54:31 GMT -8
That's a lot of useful information. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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