Good Mushroom Foraging Safety

Foraging has been part of the human experience for thousands of years. While the need for foraging all but came to an end during the emergence of agriculture, people continue to forage as a hobby, and there are still those that view it as a way of life. Hunting for mushrooms is a rewarding experience, but if not prepared, one can get lost, potentially leading to a life or death situation. Being prepared when going into the wilderness to forage, or partaking in any other wilderness related activity, is the most important decision a person can make. We’ll take a general overview of some of the best practices when foraging and how to keep yourself safe.

Advice from the Experts

First responders with SAR Teams (Search and Rescue) consistently caution people with the following advice. Researching the area where you’re going is a great place to start. If you don’t understand the dynamics of the wilderness you are heading into, it is difficult to know what to expect and how to prepare. Interestingly, first responders note that it is often the case that the people who become lost and need rescuing are very familiar with the area they are scouting, but become complacent. Even in the most familiar of areas, people find themselves lost due to a number of factors.

Always Know Where You Are

A lot of mushroom varieties are found growing near the ground, which necessitates hunters looking at the ground while spending hours moving slowly. This can become disorienting, and after walking hundreds of yards, or in some cases miles, a person can lose their bearings and easily become lost. This is especially the case if weather conditions change quickly, thereby altering the view of the landscape. Solid practices to help avoid this include knowing the weather conditions and the likelihood of them changing, continually looking up at the horizon to find landmarks to identify along the way, and bringing trail markers to tie to trees at eye level, marking your path as you go.

Properly Prepare for Anything

Packing the right supplies for your mushroom hunt is critical for your safety. Along with the tools that help gather the mushrooms you find, such as a mushroom knife, foraging bag, and mushroom identification guide, you will also want to pack essential supplies for your safety. A typical pack or backpack of supplies would include the following:

• Drinking water & snacks
• Fire kit
• Emergency blanket
• Whistle
• Pocket/Utility knife
• Headlamp
• Map
• Compass
• Trail flagging tape
• Weather appropriate clothing, including good shoes/boots

Other items to consider packing include a water filtration system, dehydrated meals, a small stove with fuel, and an In-Reach Mini satellite communication device or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). Should you become lost, and need to provide for yourself longer than you had planned for, all of these supplies can greatly increase your chance of survival.

Getting Lost and it’s Impact

The obvious impact of getting lost in the wilderness is your personal safety. It is also worth noting that the outside world feels the impact every time someone loses their way and finds themselves in danger. SAR teams are often volunteers within a local community, overseen by the sheriff’s department, that are in place to aid in the search and rescue process. The utilization of their services has grown with the increased interest and number of mushroom foragers in the United States.

Over the past several years thousands of missions by SAR teams have taken place throughout the United States alone, resulting in saving the lives of lost individuals. Sadly, these teams are responsible for recovering the bodies of those who perished as well. There are a great deal of resources utilized in these missions, including the highly trained members of the teams risking their own lives to answer the call. Thousands of dollars are spent deploying volunteers, search dogs, horses, helicopters, airplanes, FLIR Thermal Camera technology, and off-road vehicles. This does not include the time involved for training these teams and facilitating the 24/7 readiness of SAR volunteers 365 days of the year.

Crawl Before You Walk – Walk Before You Run

The importance of being knowledgeable and safe when venturing into the wild is very evident. Equally important is to know what you are foraging for and not running the risk of ruining your experience by consuming the wrong mushroom. Some basic best-practices to follow when finding wild mushrooms include:

• Know what edible/safe mushrooms grow in your area
• Journal your findings and take pictures for positive identification
• Accurately identify every mushroom you plan to eat
• Only collect and eat fresh mushrooms
• Do not eat raw mushrooms
• Collect only what you need
• Obtain required permits as needed
• Know your physical limits

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