#fungushuntress

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I caught my first taste of Bear’s Head!! Last week I found a tiny specimen and hoped I’d find more on this weekend’s forage with @wildcraftstudio I earned myself a slice of this beauty. Boy howdy do I feel like a true fungus huntress. I really didn’t think anyone would be able to get this down, at least in one piece. And I really didn’t think I’d catch it, and I thought even if I did catch it, it would burst into a million pieces. Props to these dudes Tyler and Nick for not dropping that branch on my head (you can hear me thanking them for saving my life 🙏🙏🙏 I would not recommended trying this at home, that branch could’ve ruined my day if it had landed on me). This specimen was spotted by a fellow forager not pictured. And filmed by.. dang it I didn’t get your name!! Who are you, mystery videographer?! Show yourself!! 🍄 Sometimes we face an opportunity that seems too good to be true. So good that we don’t even try to conquer it, because really... what are the chances? Well the chances were slim on this day. But these guys were determined. I think that little green orb in the video may have had something to do with it. Either way, I’m so glad we tried! ✨💚✨🍄 #bearshead #hericiumcoralloides #hericium #village #teamwork #womeninoutdoorwork #foraging #catch #goodcatch #popfly #homerun #magic #omg #perfect #allthemushroomhashtags #fungushuntress #mushroomsofinstagram #wildcraftstudioschool #nofilter #🤯 #🍄 (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4IPOEfACVL/?igshid=12zwjx02aiatd

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Put on your party hats and celebrate with me!🥳 I landed an apprenticeship with @wildcraftstudio to become a mycology teacher! @yellowelanor will take me under her wing and show me how to lead forages and teach people about mushrooms. Eventually I'll be leading my own forages! ⠀⠀ I’m stoked about this opportunity. When I first started studying mycology one year ago, I thought it would be a phase, like so many other fun hobbies. Little did I know, I was falling down the deepest rabbit hole of my life. I only wanted to identify a few cool specimens I found, and spend time in the forest. I never thought I'd get confident enough to eat any mushrooms I find.. and now I've eaten about a dozen wild species, most of which I identified myself (after much help from books, internet research, and of course many of you lovely folks). ⠀⠀ In the last year, I've spent about 40 weekends in the forest, getting to know mushrooms and their habitat. I have over 1,000 photos of mushrooms on my phone that I haven't even posted yet, or am still trying to identify. I have a library of spore prints and even a microscope that's technically broken, but I'm determined to learn how to use and repair microscopes. So this isn't just a phase. I've been working really hard to study mushrooms, and it's been ridiculously satisfying. ⠀⠀ Special thanks to all of you mycophiles who have connected with me here in some way. I appreciate those of you who post information about mycology, and I appreciate those of you who have helped me identify species or even simply said an encouraging word. The mycology community here has been a huge inspiration. ✨🙏 ⠀⠀ P.S. @mikah_j_fox Look at the size of this Russula!! 🤩 ⠀⠀ #apprentiship #womenwhoworkoutdoors #fungushuntress #celebrate #partyhat #allthattherainpromisesandmore #russula #russulabrevipes #mushroomhat #giantmushroom #mushroomcap #pnwmushroom #mushroomsofthepnw #mushroomsofinstagram #allthemushroomhashtags #nofilter #fungusamongus #mycology #teaching #foraging #mushroomhunting #nature #passion #goals #wildcraftstudio #🍄 (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3il3bCg1eh/?igshid=kekw90qkmde

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Fall brings lobster season! It also brings hunting season. Mushrooms are so smart, it’s like they’re trying to remind us to wear our orange vests.🧡 I love how fall mushrooms have a tendency to be those typical fall colors. The orange lobsters and chanterelles, red russulas and brown boletes.. They blend in with the fall leaves and are more challenging (and therefore satisfying) to find. I used to know a lady who said she could spot mushrooms on the side of the road while driving in the dark. I assumed this was a superpower of hers. Now I’m one year into my mycological journey and I’m spotting mushrooms on the side of the road every day. Occasionally I can immediately identify it and I pull over to grab dinner! I actually found my first lobsters in the dark, with just my headlights shining on them. The lobsters I have in this photo are some that I spotted while driving down the mountain. #fungushuntress I think I’ll get an orange hat, too. I found this vest at Goodwill for $4. I keep it in my car, and in addition to wearing it during hunting season, I put it on when I’m pulling over and running across the road or whatever to grab mushrooms. I’ve decided I’d like to be an OLD mushroom hunter, not a BOLD mushroom hunter. 😉 Oh and check out that last pic of a lobster in its younger stage, at least I think? It looks like an albino lobster, but it seems to be trying to turn orange. Have any of you ever seen a lobster this white? #beseenbesafe #huntingseason #orangevest #huntingvest #lobstermushrooms #lobsterseason #mushroomseason #safehunting #happyhunting #mushroomhunting #pullover #pnw #pnwmushrooms #mushroomsofthepnw #mushroomsofinstagram #nofilter #allthemushroomhashtags #🧡 #🦞 #🦞🍄 (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Uqr7rAZkm/?igshid=rxmrvrkiwpg8

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I’m pretty sure this is Amanita porphyria. Purple/brown Amanita. The gray patches on the stipe, big round volva, and free white gills lead me to believe so. It wasn’t very purple, but from what I’ve read, it’s common to not actually have much purple, or to be more brown than purple. That veil was so silky 😍 #amanita #amanitaporphyria #mushroomidentification #mysterymushroom #pnwmushrooms #mushroomsofthepnw #pnw #mushrooms #mushroomsofinstagram #allthemushroomhashtags #fungusamongus #thefriendlyfungus #nofilter #feelincute #fungushuntress #forestfloor #justlookdown #🍄 #1up (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3GqQggAjTO/?igshid=u0r4xv1kym42

[fungushuntress-blog]

Fungus Huntress-ing. I got so excited about the King Boletes that I tried taking off my backpack while it was still buckled. Thanks best friend @mikah_j_fox for catching me in action. 🧡 #fungushuntress #🍄 #mushrooms #mushroomhunting #mushroomhunter #foraging #amanita #boletus #hiking #mountainmushrooms #forestfloor #justlookdown #fungusamongus #thefriendlyfungus #nofilter #spreadthespores #allthemushroomhashtags #mushroomsofinstagram #memories (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B28PvoVgEia/?igshid=167dfcoh27f98

[fungushuntress-blog]

Trichia decipiens. A slime mold, so not technically a fungus, but a decomposer nonetheless! #trichia #trichiadecipiens #slimemold #orangeslimemold #orangeslime #orangemold #orange #forestfloor #justlookdown #nofilter #allthemushroomhashtags #mushroomsofinstagram #slimemoldsofinstagram #thefriendlyfungus #fungusamongus #🧡 #tiny #fungushuntress #wishihadabettercamera (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B25zClYAFUN/?igshid=o2dnlzp3frb7

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What a day. This was a spectacular find, and right off trail in a National Park. I’m so proud of every hiker who’s resisted the urge to break or take these. They were way past their prime, and must’ve lived a good life. #fungushuntress #chickenofthewoods #laetiporus #laetiporussulphureus #washingtonfungi #westcoastfungi #pnwfungi #fungusamongus #thefriendlyfungus #nofilter #nationalparks #freenationalparkday #2019 #🍄 #🐓 https://www.instagram.com/p/B1o4s2yABjv/?igshid=ar4p6h0m86sq

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I’ve never hiked so hard. #worthit Most of the kings I found were too old and buggy, but I still managed to bring home a few good ones. I was so excited to find this one, I marched uphill for two hours in the rain, and was greeted by it, exactly where I expected to find it. I feel like I’m proving my worth to the mushrooms. #fungushuntress #kingbolete #kingboletes #porchini #porchinimushrooms #rainydaymushrooms #allthattherainpromisesandmore #hike #forage #freefood #washingtonmushrooms #westcoastmushrooms #pnwmushrooms #mushroomsofinstagram #mushrooms #fungi #fungus #fungusamongus #thefriendlyfungus #nofilter #smile #🍄 #mushroomhunting #mushroomspotting #boletusedulis #bolete #boletus #bigolbolete (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1NsI11ASMh/?igshid=19y7hx3m3ypr8

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Don’t you just wanna pour some maple syrup on this thing? 🥞 I spent 3 days in the mountains and found 1 mushroom: the biggest bolete I’ve ever seen! I saw it from the car as we were driving. Around 6,000 ft elevation. I busted it open and it was brimming with maggots 🥴 🤓 #bolete #boletus #bigolbolete #bigmushroom #hugemushroom #pancakemushroom #🥞🍄 #mushroomidentification #washingtonmushrooms #westcoastmushrooms #pnwmushrooms #pnw #pnwmountains #mountainmushrooms #fungushuntress #fungusamongus #thefriendlyfungus #nofilter #allthemushroomhashtags #keenshoes (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0hmxagAGe-/?igshid=1npdisojmekrj

[fungushuntress-blog]

An umbrella of a fomitopsis. I was standing on a log that was right next to this tree. 🤩#fomitopsis #polypore #polyporefungus #shelffungus #washingtonfungi #westcoastfungi #pnwfungi #pnw #pnwlife #forest #thegreatdecomposers #fungusamongus #thefriendlyfungus #nofilter #fungushuntress #allthemushroomhashtags #🤩 (at Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzqth6Kgi87/?igshid=187dn8vkk8v8y