Types and Identification

• Three popular types of mushrooms grow in western Oregon each year: the chanterelle, the morel and the American matsutake. However, matsutakes grow in the spring rather than in the fall, so if you're hunting for mushrooms in the fall, you'll want to look for chanterelles and morels. Chanterelles are a golden orange color with a flat top and a sturdy base. Morels are brown, cone shaped and look spongelike with a white stalk.
  
  

Where to Look

• Moist soil around trees in forested areas offer the best mushroom habitat. Mushrooms sometimes grow under other plants or halfway in the soil, so look thoroughly and carefully. Sometimes chanterelles grow in groups and you can find a bunch in one place, but for the most part you'll need to cover a wide area.
  
  

Permission

• Many parks and public areas allow for wild mushroom picking. Siuslaw National Forest allows individuals to pick up to one gallon of wild mushrooms per day without a permit. Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest allows individuals to pick up to 5 gallons per day without a permit. Other places, like the Willamette National Forest and the Olympic National Forest, require a permit to pick mushrooms. To pick mushrooms for commercial use, a permit is always required. The Cascade Mycological Society can provide more information on permits (see Resources).
  
  

Considerations

• Be sure to consider where the mushrooms grow and their environment. If you know fertilizers or other chemicals have been used in the area, you might not want to eat mushrooms growing there. Also, if you're unfamiliar with chanterelles, morels or other edible mushrooms, be sure to examine some before going out to pick them. (You can find them in many grocery stores.) Consider bringing an expert friend who has gone mushroom hunting before if it's your first time.
  
  

Warnings

• Mushrooms that look like chanterelles, morels and other edible species can be toxic. Be sure you've correctly identified a mushroom before eating it. Also, if you're eating a wild mushroom for the first time, test it by eating a couple teaspoons of cooked mushrooms and then waiting 24 hours to be sure you don't have an allergic reaction. Always cook the mushrooms; do not consume raw mushrooms.