Fabulous Fungi

It takes a keen eye to spot the distinct yellow freckling among the cluttered forest floor. With a small knife in one hand and mesh bag hanging from the other fist, an eager mushroom hunter maneuvers over fallen logs and around sticky brambles. As they approach closer, the vague golden blotches poking out of the ground take shape into convex wavy funnels. After thorough examination, the mushrooms are determined to be a patch of chanterelles, one of the most popular edible mushroom species found in the Pacific Northwest.

Autumn marks peak season for mushroom hunting in the Pacific Northwest. While some mushrooms can be found earlier, most don’t make an appearance until after the first good rainfall following summer, typically in September, and last until the first hard freeze. Chanterelles are only one of over 30 edible mushrooms found regionally in the wild.

Other popular edible species include oyster mushrooms, morels, matsutakes, chicken of the woods, lobster and cauliflower mushrooms, common puffballs, and more. However, identifying can be a difficult process with potentially fatal results as the area is also home to some of the deadliest mushrooms.

Fortunately, resources exist to help teach newcomers about the basics of fungi hunting.

Educational Resources

Begin the journey to identify mushrooms with online classes, videos, websites and guidebooks. Or, better yet, learn from the experts – local folks who’ve spent years searching for forest fungi.

The Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society (KPMS) is a non-profit group based in Bremerton. The organization is home to hundreds of members, from Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula.

Membership requires no special expertise. In fact, KPMS is geared mostly toward beginners.

About a decade ago, David Ansley had a sudden fervor to spend more time out in the woods, and he found mushrooms to be the perfect excuse. He immediately joined KPMS. Now, he’s in his second year as president of the organization.

“You get to see a lot of backcountry that nobody else has any reason to look at,” Ansley said. “It’s a great way to get into the more natural and native parts of the forest here.”

Currently, the club is trying to expand their offerings to cater toward the wide breadth of interests people have in mycology. When KPMS first formed, they were primarily focused on educating people about edible mushrooms, but that’s changed greatly over the last few years.

“The members we now have are as interested in using mushrooms to dye wool [as they are] in psychedelic uses, habitat [research], ecosystem interactions, or the spirituality of understanding how fungi relate to the rest of life,” Ansley said.

A few times each year, the club hosts mushroom “forays” into the woods for its members. The forays place a heavy emphasis on learning about habitat, identification techniques and the individual mushrooms that are found in the region. Additional membership benefits include subscription to the club’s monthly newsletter, use of the members-only online forums, access to the lending library, and invitations to potlucks and monthly educational events. The price for yearly membership is $25 per household.

On November 5, KPMS will be hosting their annual Wild Mushroom Show at Olympic College in Bremerton from 1 – 5 PM. It’s the organization’s largest annual public event. Admission and parking are free.

Over 150 species of local mushrooms will be on display. The event will also include a speaker series from mycological experts, explanatory materials, cooking demonstrations and samples, a book and field guide sale, a chance to assemble your own home mushroom growing kit, and a children's area.

Corals, often in the genera

Ramaria or Clavulina, are characterized by being highly branched, with tips that point upward. Ramaria species often grow in fairy rings).

Photo courtesy of David Ansley

Members will also offer their expertise to identify mushrooms that anyone brings in. Typically, hundreds of attendees flock to the event, according to Ansley. “Broadly, it’s our big chance to show the entire community what we love about mushrooming and mushrooms and try to answer every single question [the community] brings in,” Ansley said.

Mushroom Hunting Regulations

Mushroom harvesting regulations in Washington can be complicated. Each public land agency has its own rules about harvesting mushrooms for personal use. The amount of mushrooms that can be harvested for personal use varies anywhere from one quart to three gallons. Before setting out, it’s best to check with the individual agency whose land you plan to visit. Always make sure to respect private property.

Mushroom Harvesting Techniques

Avoid using destructive methods like rakes, dogs or pigs to harvest mushrooms. Instead, either cut at the base of the mushroom with a pocketknife or gently yank it from the ground.

Although there is debate over which method is better, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that pulling mushrooms causes any major damage to the rest of the organism below the ground. However, Ansley noted that to properly identify some mushrooms, every bit must be analyzed, including the size and shape of the base of the mushroom. Only pick two thirds the number of mushrooms you find, leaving the rest for spore distribution and wildlife.

Use a small brush to remove excess dirt from mushrooms before storing them in a container. When choosing a container, opt for a mesh bag or wicker basket. Both options will allow airflow to travel across the mushrooms, which promotes drying and prevents rotting. The small openings in the containers will also allow spores to drop from the mushrooms onto the forest floor to help ensure repopulation. Make sure to avoid using plastic containers as some mushroom species can chemically react with the plastic, causing them to deteriorate.

Using Mushrooms

Don’t ever munch on a hunch! Always properly identify any mushroom before consuming it. If you have any doubts about the identity of a mushroom, throw it out.

“Honestly, one of the best ways of knowing a mushroom is safe is to have it handed to you by an old mushroom hunter who is still alive,” Ansley said. Keep in mind that it is possible to be allergic to certain mushrooms. Additionally, when some varieties are consumed alongside alcohol, adverse effects can occur.

Regional Mushrooms Clubs:

Kitsap Peninsula Mycology Society, Bremerton kitsapmushrooms.org

South Sound Mushroom Club, Olympia southsoundmushroomclub.com

Puget Sound Mycological Society, Seattle | psms.org

Southwestern Washington Mycological Society, Chehalis swmushrooms.org

Further reading:

“All That the Rain Promises and More” and “Mushrooms

Demystified,” David Arora

“Mushroom,” Nicholas Money

“The Mushroom Cultivator,” Paul Stamets

“Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms,” Eugenia Bone

“The Mushrooms Hunters,” Langdon Cook

“A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest,” Daniel Winkler

Experts recommend cooking mushrooms well, save for a few exceptions, and only eating a small amount while first trying them to minimize the chance of experiencing any adverse reactions. Once you’ve properly identified edible mushrooms, there are countless ways to cook them, whether you keep it simple with a pan fry (a little butter and garlic) or use them as an ingredient in a more elaborate recipe. Depending on the species, mushrooms may be used fresh, frozen, or dried.

While fun and rewarding, the entire process of foraging for mushrooms, from finding to identifying to cooking them, can be tricky and full potential missteps.

Ansley isn’t ashamed to admit he’s experienced his fair share of close calls while attempting to identify mushrooms. He recalls harvesting a “luscious and huge” mushroom he hoped was the elusive matsutake species. He was halfway down a hill when the prized mushroom broke apart in his basket.“I looked at it and said, ‘wait a minute.’ I had never picked a matsutake before, but every single one that I had seen, the cap and the base are a single unit — they don’t break like that,” Ansley explained.

Once Ansley got back to his car, he consulted a fungi identification book. The beautiful mushroom he had harvested was not a matsutake. It was a poisonous and dangerous look-alike. “You learn the hard way,” Ansley said.

Elk Lakes

Distance: 4.5 miles roundtrip Elevation Gain: 700 feet

High Point: 1200 feet

Difficulty: moderate

Snow free: year round Trailhead Pass Needed: None

Notes: Road to Lower Trailhead (Elk Branch) is extremely rough requiring a high clearance vehicle.

GPS waypoints: Lower Trailhead: N47 34.759 W123 07.222

Main Trailhead: N47 34.267 W123 08.008

Features: kid-friendly, dog friendly, old-growth, rhododendrons, bird-watching, fishing