My son starts 8th grade tomorrow so we took a little trip into the boonies to look for mushrooms and, of course, whatever else we might find. This was a spot where I hunted Blue grouse for years until a few years ago (7 or 8) when I stopped seeing them. It has been fairly wet here lately, so I expected to see lots of mushrooms. The trick is finding some that you can actually consume safely.





This is cat country after all, so an M31L 20 was good company. Didn't look for too long before this one showed up. A non-blue staining bolete!



On the way out, right where I used to park, Voila! I believe they are now called Dusky grouse. I know where I'll be early September 1st.

Very cool. Beautiful country! I avoid all mushrooms, because what looks to me like a solid side is in fact gills. I'd be dead in a minute. Bon appetit!

Lloyd nice pics I like that Model 31 with alloy frame had 16ga once I picked up at Clark Bros. in Northern Va. Thanks for the inspiration thanks to you today I'm going after some goldstacks.

This is activity for the ones that are familiar with mushrooms. You could have tasty meal, get very sick or die. That up there could be Granulated Bolete or toxic Bitter Bolete. Very hard to tell the difference by looking.

I'll be chasing Grouse on Sept. 1st as well but only for a few days. I have a Muzzleloader Elk tag so that will be my main focus next month. Pretty country.

I was looking for the easy ones, you know, lobsters, hedgehogs, King Boletes, but most of what I saw were LBFMs (litle brown f...... mushrooms) which could be just about anything. I certainly wouldn't eat them. It seems to be a bit early for some of the better ones here. I did see lots of little puffballs which I am fairly certain about. That particular bolete has what I believe is called a scaberous stock, so I brought it home to do further research. No consumption here until I'm absolutely certain about what it is.



The Blues were a pleasant surprise. First ones I've seen in a very long time. Too-many people on the Front Range anymore.

Lloyd, neat little Remington with the reputation of being the slickest action made in a pump.
I have limited my mushroom collection for consumption into three groups for ease of identification: 1)chanterelles 2)chanterelles and 3)chanterelles.

Gil,
Me too. 1) Morels 2) Morels, and 3) Morels.

I have friends that are members of the MMS (MN Micological Society) and, I am convinced from speaking with them, and attending a few meetings, mushroom identification and eating is not an amatuer sport.

I buy some sort of 'shrooms at the store, also, but, have no clue as to what they are.

Best,
Ted

Great photos, and I'm not good enough at mushroom ID to risk them. Will be in Summit County for most of September. Any guidance to that area for someone who has never chased blues? I know better than to beg for honey holes... maybe a recommended guide? Thanks!

This is an interesting website about the "sport" of experimental eating of wild mushrooms. The blog goes back a number of years and is informative...Geo

<http://eatmoretoadstools.com/>

I'm like Gil: only chanterelles. Lucky they're plentiful. Others scare me to look at them.

Mr. O'Neill:

Never hunted 'em in Summit. Look for birdy and go from there.

Thanks, will try to give it a whirl. Need something to get me off the trout streams.

That can be a challenge. Good Trico hatch on the South Platte last Thursday.

Mr. Newbern: Thank you for that interesting webpage. "Experimental eating" and "wild mushrooms" shouldn't ever be used in the same sentence but the more I read the better.

Lloyd, you sure those are tricos and not an early snow fall? I would love to be there for the spinner fall. Gil

Gil: a thunderstorm blew in and wrecked it this time, but before 2003 you could set your watch to it.

Lucy the wonder Spaniel flushed a covey of about 8 birds on the evening walk in a piece of Forest I have never seen them on before. The young guy Tucker was right behind her but I was able to call him off before the flush. Kind of surprised me really, I figured she was messing around with a rabbit. added some excitement to the walk that is for sure. Birds would have been an easy shot too. It gets my hopes up for the grouse. Seems like an early fall, saw the first leaves turning last week, about 3 weeks ahead of time.

I won't be there but my dog will be. She's on the truck and will be at "Grouse Camp" training near Beaver Creek for several weeks hunting every day. Wish I could be there at least part of the time but it's just going to be a no-go this year. Hope she gets plenty of flushes up there. She'll be doing puppy trials after that for a while.