There are still some mushrooms around Southern Ontario and still some people out picking them. For me, though, I think the season is about over. There are so many leaves on the ground, it’s about impossible to see anything fruiting, except on the odd lawn. The season for most of the mushrooms I like to chase is long over.
This has been just my second year learning about mushrooms and picking them for the table, and it’s been a good one. I’ve found a few choice spots for chanterelles and hedgehogs and lobsters in particular, as well as some pretty good spots for summer boletes.
I’ve enjoyed a steady supply of fresh wild mushrooms for the table and I’ve dried plenty for winter. The dogs and I have wandered through lots of different forests and even made a trip north to Muskoka. Moreover, I’ve learned a lot. I can now identify several more species based on my experience. I’ve taken a quick look at some forests I want to explore next season. It’s been fun for me and for the dogs and good exercise too.
Another good thing is that my knee is better. Last season I was somewhat limited by a very sore knee, but thanks to a good doctor who figured out what the problem was and showed me how to fix it, my knee is remarkably back to 100%. Sometimes I even forget which one it was that caused me all that grief.
One of my winter projects will be to document some notes and pictures of fungi I identified this season. I started that last year. As I learn more and more species, I want to build my own little field guide based on my own knowledge and experience, as incomplete as that might be. If I continue to learn a few more species each year, in a few years, my notes will be an interesting record of Southern Ontario fungi.
27th Street 
Making your own field guide is a great idea!
We’ve still got lots of chanterelles showing up here, poking through the moss near the hemlock trees.
Most recently we found some Zeller’s boletes, which were initially hard to spot because they are as black as the soil they grow in, but once we spotted one we were able to see them everywhere. Unfortunately, the ones we did bring home were full of maggots. Ugh. Maybe next year we’ll search for them earlier.
Yumm yumm! It’s a bit sad to see the season closing. I actually had a moment of panic thinking of the frost! What will I do for hours everyday now?
Even though my knowledge of mushrooms begins and ends with “store them in a paper bag”, I’ve really enjoyed your mushroom adventures. I love the idea of compiling a field guide. With your beautiful photography and perhaps even a few of your recipes, you might want to consider publishing it at some point.