by Bill White

There has been some discussion and concern about the apparent habits some people have before and during our forays. With the help of Ms Mushroom and others, here are some suggestions and gentle reminders for proper foray and mushroom hunting etiquette.

First think of group forays as a time and opportunity to share; everything with everybody. - [one of the most delightful forays I've been on was a morel hunt down to the Big Sur area. About a dozen people participated. Hunting was hard, the terrain was very steep and rugged. After our day of foraging we met back in the parking area; we laid all the morels out and gathered around them in a circle. Each person picked one at a time until we all has an equal booty. That was true sharing and everybody felt great afterwards].
Not everybody found mushrooms that day but everybody did take some home. It was as if the group hunted as a whole, and all members were taken care of. I sometimes forget this foray and the impression it left on me. Here are some pearls (or is it oysters?) of wisdom from Maggie Rodgers, who is a coordinating editor for Mushroom: The Journal of Wild Mushrooming.

PART 1

1. Do your homework: go to society meetings and read up on mushrooms.
2. Review the purpose of the foray and review how to get there.
3. BE THERE ON TIME.
4. Listen carefully as your trip leader gives instructions.
5. Find a foray buddy - someone to hunt near or with.
6. Respect your partner's areas as you foray. DON'T BE A PIG!!
7. Return to the rendezvous area on time. Don't hold up the rest of the group. If you are a driver, account for all your passengers before you drive on to the next spot.

PART 2

1. Let the foray leader know you are a member of the group. Introduce any members of your family or guests and make sure the leader has their names.
2. If you plan to leave early, let the leader know, or leave a note on one of the cars, so he /she won't think you are lost.
3. Find out what time the leader plans to stop for lunch and where. If you know the area and strike out on your own, make a point of being back at the meeting place on time.
4. If someone is offering you a ride, be sure to specify where you will be picked up and be there ahead of time. But don't panic if your driver is held up in traffic and is a few minutes late. It is customary to give the driver something towards the cost of gas. If you are the driver, do not leave the foray site before making sure none of your passengers are stranded.
5. If you find any exceptionally good specimens or some that are rare or unusual, wrap them carefully in wax paper and give them to a member who can have them identified and recorded by a professional mycologist.
6. You should not start picking until the foray leader has arrived. In fact, you should not pick at the foray location for at least a week before the foray.
7. Do not pick more than you can use and never pick every mushroom in an area. If pickings are particularly good at a location and you wish to gather more for storage, do so later in the day or at another time.

Some of these points have been made before, some are new. All are good to keep in mind. Again I want to stress that the forays are organized for the group, not any one person. The intention of these suggestions is so that the Fungus Federation is successful in our hunting, everyone has a good time, and is safe. Please consider them, thank you.