Mountain Mushrooms

[Raghorn_Reaper]

The last 2 years i elk hunted in archery season in CO, I did not take full advantage of identifying and eating the numerous mushrooms that were available. Even though I did not positively identify them, I did eat some. I was later told that you should remove the gills before eating. Do any of you eat mushrooms you find while hunting? Do they grow as well in colorado as Idaho or Montana? I'm hoping i can find ones that dont mess me up!

[foxvalley]

Yes i take full advantage of the mushrooms in ID.mostly when I am spring bear hunting is when I find most of them. Calf brains,and chicken of the woods,laymans terms for the two that I find mostly. The calf brains are by far my favorite....yum.

[Raghorn_Reaper]

Wow, they say that chicken of the woods can produce up to 50# on a single tree. I just loaded a mushroom ID app on my phone. Hopefully this helps...but if you see some crazy dude walking around the mountains talking to the wapiti gods then you will know what happened.

[foxvalley]

Wow, they say that chicken of the woods can produce up to 50# on a single tree. I just loaded a mushroom ID app on my phone. Hopefully this helps...but if you see some crazy dude walking around the mountains talking to the wapiti gods then you will know what happened.

LOL, Just remember...... shoot the one in the middle......

[Huntrgathr]

Raghorn, buddy, you can't eat mushrooms you haven't positively identified. That's worse odds than Russian roulette. Not to mention its about one of the worst ways to die. I pick mushrooms for a living, been doing so for a lot of years and I don't touch any mushroom that I'm not 110 % sure about.

That being said, finding a pile of morels, boletes or chanterelles can turn your camp meal into an unforgettable experience. Just make dang sure you know what you're eating...

[Raghorn_Reaper]

I definitely agree with you. A couple of good apps I have found are Fungitron and iMushroom guide. The Fungitron helps you to identify based on different characteristics of the mushroom. Of course not all are listed and I will only be messing with those that i can indeed positively identify.

[Lefty]

I was a big mushroom eater living in Minnesota, Morels and inky caps
I haven't learned to ID eatables since moving west, I see plenty but stay away from the risk of making a mistake

I need to spend some time with Huntrgathr

[one_elk]

So Huntrgathr would be very interested in hearing what Mushrooms id books or apps that you would suggest. thanks much

[Elkduds]

Heard those red ones w white spots will send you through the looking glass

[Huntrgathr]

Sorry, can't let this thread go to the bottom without throwing in some shroom pics first...

Heard those red ones w white spots will send you through the looking glass

" Did you see the size a that chicken !? " - young guns

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[Huntrgathr]

So Huntrgathr would be very interested in hearing what Mushrooms id books or apps that you would suggest. thanks much

I highly recommend you don't eat a mushroom until you've gone out with someone that knows what they're doing first. Most areas have a " Mycological association" or mushroom club that offers group forays. I don't really use books or apps anymore because I focus on about 15 varieties of wild mushrooms and that's it. That's part of the key to safety - learn a few common varieties that are easy to identify and stick with those. The guys that go out in the woods and try to identify every mushroom they come across as edible or not are the people who get killed. There are millions if pounds of wild mushrooms harvested in the US every year and no one gets sick. It's the hobby foragers with a "field guide"...

For example If you reverse the colors on this edible bolete ( red sponge, yellow stem - it turns from edible to poisonous ( Satan's Bolete).

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Spring bear and turkey hunters should be on the lookout for morels and oyster mushrooms. In the scouting months of July and August King Boletes ( Boletus Edulis) are in season in many areas. And in the fall you can find all kinds of stuff from Chanterelles to Lobster Mushroom, Hedgehogs, Black Trumpets... There's only about 1-2 months out of the year when wild mushrooms aren't abundant somewhere - at some elevation...

[WapitiTalk1]

Heard those red ones w white spots will send you through the looking glass

Wait, what?