Pacific Northwest mushroom hunting

[Mezmerik]

Hi, I live in Seattle, Washington. My friends and I are about to embark on an urban mushroom hunt (literally in like 30 minutes). Yet I realized that we are hopelessly ignorant of how to find mushrooms, haha! I have read that they grow in cow poop, as well as in garden areas with lots of moisture and mulch. I have also read it is ideal to look for them after it has rained.

Does anyone have any more specific info about finding mushrooms in the pacific northwest? In cities and/or outside the city?

If anything we'll have a fun romp around the neighborhood, but next time I want to be a little bit more knowledgeable. Thanks!

 

[Mezmerik]

Thanks for the response!

I live in Fremont. My plan was to search Lower Woodland and the Greeklake area. Carkeek also sounds good, thanks for the advice.

Do you think it is sufficient to just visually identify them, or is spore testing also advisable?

 

[ophiuchus]

take pictures of what you find! (make sure to clearly photograph 1. the whole mushroom. 2.underside, where the gills meet the stem. 3.and the base of the mushroom, where it touched the ground. (for a solid ID to be possible)) mycotopia.net awa shroomery.org have tons of people fairly well qualified in ID'ing mushrooms for people. just ask them if you are unsure. so far they've never let me down!

 

[Cultosaurus]

This question belongs in another section, it has absolutely nothing to do with mushrooms.

Where can my dad and i go small game hunting with 2 Pellet guns in CA? My dad and i have been wanting to go small game hunting we bought to pellet guns and would like to hunt birds, rabbits etc. We would like to know what we need any permits and what not and where. And do we have to pay to hunt the animals?

I'm not from CA, but it should be the same as everywhere, find the local authority. For licensing information, you have to contact the Department of Fish and Game : http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/ . I just Googled it, it's pretty easy. There are bound to be local hunting groups that can tell you where you can go. Commonly, you may be able to find a piece of land and ask the land owner if you can hunt there. That's all that really happens here. The Dept of F&G would be able to advise if you can hunt in state parks there.

Pellet guns, at least the kind I'm familiar with, may be good for small birds, but not powerful enough for rabbits or squirrels. Small birds shouldn't be hunted anyway, they're usually song birds, and do not provide enough meat to be worth the senseless killing.

 

[keithdages]

This is a pretty scary subject. Not sure if you were just trying to find them or wanted to find them to eat them. Mushrooms are a fungus and even though they may not kill you they could make you very sick or cause an allergic reaction.

dakine gloves

 

[H2O2]

And good luck at the emergency room.
Most ER staff have no sympathy whatsoever for 'drug' overdoses.