Shroom Hunter 101: How to Identify Magic Mushrooms in the Wild

The “ShroomHunter 101” video provides viewers with tips on identifying psilocybin containing mushrooms (aka Magic Mushrooms) through observation, making spore prints, and using field guides. Mushroom hunters are encouraged to be cautious in the identification process, as some species are poisonous and potentially deadly. The video emphasizes the importance of paying close attention during mushroom hunting and running spore prints to avoid accidental ingestion of deadly fungi. Mushroom hunters are also advised to continue educating themselves on the various types of mushrooms and to always be diligent and objective while hunting.

At 00:00:00 we learn about Shroom Hunter 101, the first part of a mushroom hunting video series designed to help people replace ignorance with knowledge and fear with favor when it comes to mushroom hunting. Shroom Hunter 101 focuses on the process of collecting mushrooms, making observations, and identifying the genus of a mushroom, which is enough to keep a hunter safe. The three W’s of a mushroom’s environment are identified, and hunters learn to make a note of how the mushroom is growing and to pick the whole mushroom for identification purposes, keeping in mind that in some US states, it is illegal to pick certain kinds of mushrooms without checking local laws.

At 00:05:00 the video discusses the importance of spore prints in identifying mushrooms. Spore prints provide a reliable marker for identifying the genus of a mushroom, although they are not always adequate for distinguishing between different species within that genus. The video advises mushroom hunters to take spore prints by placing the cap on a sheet of paper and observing the color of the spores that fall on it. However, the video emphasizes that mushroom hunting is not risk-free, as some species are poisonous and potentially deadly. Therefore, mushroom hunters must be patient, observant, and cautious in their approach to identification.

At 00:10:00 of the video, the speaker discusses the genus Psilocybe and its basic visual and tactile markers. Psilocybes are small brownish guild mushrooms that can be found in lawns or disturbed soil and often contain psychoactive alkaloids like psilocybin. They thrive in areas of high annual rainfall and relatively high humidity, and can be found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the world. The lab in this video will focus on urban-dwelling temperate varieties, which flourish in regions with cooler, wetter winters and can be found in disturbed habitats like lawns and wood chips.

At 00:15:00 the video describes the process of identifying psilocybin mushrooms in different regions using visual markers and mushroom field guides. The narrator gives specific examples of finding and identifying Psilocybe Stuntzii in Portland, Oregon, and in Vancouver, British Columbia. The video highlights the importance of using caution when identifying wild mushrooms and always verifying with an expert or using reliable sources to avoid potential harm.

At 00:20:00 a mushroom hunter describes two instances of identifying wild magic mushrooms and the process of using a field guide to match mushroom characteristics. In the first scenario, the hunter finds a small greyish-brown mushroom with gills, growing in the grass with a hygrophinous cap, a thin and flimsy striate margin, a whitish stem, and a distinct blueing reaction. The hunter determines it to be a grass dwelling Psilocybe Asystus species, which doesn’t look like the pictures in field guides because of its tendency to grow in lawns. In the second example, a Psilocybe Cyanescence species with a deep caramel-colored hygrophonous cap, wavy striated margin, and clustered growth habit growing in wood mulch is identified.

At 00:25:00 of the video, the importance of paying close attention during mushroom hunting is emphasized, as well as the potential dangers of misidentifying mushrooms. The video also provides a list of poisonous mushrooms that may be mistaken for psilocybes, highlighting the importance of running a spore print to avoid accidentally ingesting deadly fungi. Viewers are reminded to continue educating themselves on the various types of mushrooms and to always be diligent and objective while hunting.

Odysee Video