We had reached the dead end of the closed-off road in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest without finding any of our target species — Grouse and wild mushrooms. There had always been birds and shaggy mane mushrooms here when the September weather was wet.
Disappointed, we began to walk back. We had come across the leavings of a deer’s meal of lobster mushrooms on the way up. Most of the mushrooms on the trail were well chewed, but we knew that where there were a few, there were more to be found.
When we got back to site of the deer’s snack, we split up and began circling outward through the forest.
It wasn’t long before my son Jeff called out that he had found some chanterelles. I joined him to pick the bounty, and then we began, once again, to circle outward.
The forest was mostly Douglas fir, and the floor was covered with a thin layer of Oregon grape, a perfect combination for finding chanterelles.
We found more chanterelles and plenty of lobster mushrooms, too. Most were just emerging from the duff of the forest floor, but they were easy to spot. The bright mushrooms stuck out like a sore thumb.
There were enough that we could be choosy, so we took only the ones that were the cleanest and in the best shape, and left the smaller ones to grow.
By the time we reached the truck we were well satisfied with our quest.
Northwest mushroom hunters have had to endure some poor, dry mushrooms seasons recently, so this wet September has been a blessing. Wild mushrooms are popping up across Southwest Washington in a glorious abundance that can make a person forget the last few frugal falls.
Camden McMahon of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s Trout Lake Ranger Station reported that this year there is a lot more mushroom gathering happening than the last couple autumns.
“There are lots of people coming out for personal use picking,” said McMahon, “as well as commercial pickers looking to harvest off the forest.”
“Most of our areas are open to mushroom picking, except the wilderness areas.”
She reported that most hunters are after the chanterelles.
“However, we have a lot of variety here,” McMahon added.
She noted that mushroom hunters do not need to visit a ranger station to obtain a free permit.
“We have free mushroom permits on our Gifford Pinchot website. On the home page there is a link where you can get your permit.”
Recreational harvesters must possess the permit while picking. Two gallons per day per person are allowed, and gatherers must fill out and date the permit when they are finished harvesting.
You must have a commercial license to sell any mushrooms collected on the national forest.
While conditions have been good this year, a recent early freeze and snow have hindered mushrooming at the higher elevations. If you can find good places to search below 2,500 feet, you may do better.
Safety first
It can be daunting getting started mushroom hunting. Many species of wild mushrooms can make you sick, and others are deadly. It’s always a good idea for newcomers to go out with an experienced mushroom hunter first.
Carry a good mushroom identification book, but never eat any mushroom without having an experienced mushroom hunter check it first.
Most national forest ranger stations can help with mushroom identification, and there are plenty of mushroom clubs that are happy to help newcomers get started.
The Southwest Washington Mycological Society is always looking for members, and allows non-members to attend their meetings: http://swmushrooms.org/home.
The Portland Mushroom Hunters are also active in southwest Washington: https://www.meetup.com/Columbia-River-mushroom-hunters/
Another great way to learn about mushrooms is to attend a mushroom festival. There are several in the local area, and there is a celebration of all things mycological in Long Beach this month as well. For a list of events, check out their mushrooming website: http://wildmushroomcelebration.com/events/
What you need: Clothing to suit the weather, a mushroom identification pocket guide, a brush to clean the mushrooms, a knife for cutting them, and a basket to carry your treasure.
An excellent mushroom pocket guide is “All that the Rain Promises, and More,” by David Arora, (Ten Speed Press, 1991).
It is also always a good idea to wear some blaze orange or at least bright colors when hunting mushrooms during the big game hunting seasons.
Getting started is not as tough as you might think. You do not need to know all the dangerous mushrooms. What is most important is to be able to competently identify the ones that are edible.
Once you have a few “hunts” under your belt, you will soon be searching the woods with confidence, and enjoying what these tasty morsels have to offer on the table.
