Mushroom hunting

Mushroom hunting, mushrooming, mushroom picking, mushroom foraging, and similar terms describe the activity of gathering mushrooms in the wild. This is typically done for culinary purposes, although medicinal and psychotropic uses are also known. Expert analysis is required to distinguish between useful and poisonous species.
The practice is popular throughout most of Eurasia and Australia, as well as in temperate regions of North America.
Numerous field guides on mushrooms are available to help distinguish between safe, edible mushrooms (or medicinal or psychotropic fungi) and the many poisonous or inedible species. Morphological characteristics of the caps, gills, and stems of mushrooms are often essential for correct visual mushroom identification. Microscopy is sometimes needed to eliminate lookalikes.
A common identification technique is the spore print, in which a mushroom is placed on a surface and spores are allowed to fall underneath. This technique is often used by mycologists and mushroom hunters distinguish identify the genus or species of a specimen and differentiate between similar-looking taxa.
Knowing where and when to search for mushrooms is an important identification skill that takes practice. Most mushroom species require specific conditions. For example, some species only grow at the base of a certain type of tree. Finding a desired species known to grow in a certain particular region can be challenging.
The term little brown mushroom (LBM) refers to any of a large number of small, dull-coloured agaric species, with few uniquely distinguishing macromorphological characteristics. As a result, LBMs typically range from difficult to impossible for mushroom hunters to identify. Experienced mushroom hunters may discern more subtle identifying traits that help narrow the mushroom down to a particular genus or group of species, but exact identification of LBMs often requires close examination of microscopic characteristics plus a certain degree of familiarity or specialization in that particular group.
Additionally, boring ubiquitous mushroom (BUM) describes groups of difficult to identify larger agarics, many of which are in the genus Hebeloma. Just another Russula (JAR) can refer to any species of Russula that is common or difficult to identify. Yet another Mycena (YAM) describes any of the many Mycena species that are common, nondescript, or difficult to identify.
Although some individual species do not preserve well, many do with proper care. Mycologist David Arora recommends the use of a firm container such as a basket, with lighter specimens stored above heavier ones and species being separated using waxed paper (not plastic bags, which trap moisture and cause rot); as the negative gravitropism of fungi tends to orient the gills downward, taller mushrooms must be stored upright.
Mushroom hunting is popular throughout most of Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as in temperate regions of Canada and the United States.
Nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl disaster is an important issue concerning mushroom picking in Europe. Due to the wide spread of their mycelium, mushrooms tend to accumulate more radioactive caesium-137 than surrounding soil and other organisms. State agencies (e.g. Bellesrad in Belarus) monitor and analyze the degree of radionuclide accumulation in various wild species of plants and animals. In particular, Bellesrad claims that Svinushka (Paxillus ssp.), Maslenok (Suillus ssp.), Mohovik (Xerocomus ssp.), and Horkushka (Lactarius rufus) are the worst ones in this respect. The safest one is Opyonok Osyenniy (Armillaria mellea). This is an issue not only in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia: the fallout also reached western Europe, and until recently the German government discouraged people gathering certain mushrooms.