In this video, I primarily focus on a species of golden and pinkish chanterelles called Cantharellus velutinus. I also share info on where it's legal to hunt mushrooms, how to find mushroom-rich beech groves, and how enjoy eating or studying what you find.

Special thanks to Kenny Rupert and Jay Justice for sharing their Cantharellus and knowledge with me. Though I've talked about Cantharellus velutinus on the channel before, I am armed with new details thanks to these two gentleman mycologists.

Mushroom species discussed:
1. Cantharellus velutinus. I show two forms of this velvety, finely hairy chanterelle species - one orangey-yellow, and one pinky-peach. The pink form of Cantharellus velutinus sometimes gets this mushroom mixed up with Cantharellus persicinus, a smaller species that is extremely pink and has a somewhat flossy cap and thin stem. I also discuss orange and rusty pigments that stain various chanterelles, including Cantharellus velutinus.

2. Cantharellus cinnabarinus, the cinnabar chanterelle or red chanterelle. This small, poppy-red chanterelle often grows in moss on creek beds, which makes it a terrific mushroom for photography. I also mention 2 chanterelle species that look nearly identical to cinnabar chanterelles - Cantharellus texensis and Cantharellus corallinus.

3. Peppery milky cap, Lactifluus piperatus. This white mushroom has attractive gills that are tightly packed and bleed a white juice when damaged. The milk is searingly-spicy, earning this mushroom the common name peppery milky cap.

4. Wolfina aurantiopsis. A friend of mine found a rare mushroom in a state park, so naturally I brag about it (even though we weren't allowed to collect it).

Other topics:
1. Where mushroom hunting is allowed: I share the guidelines for foraging in national forests, state game lands, state parks, and national parks. I pay special attention to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which permits mushroom gathering (unlike other national parks).

2. Which forests to visit: I show how to ID beech trees (Fagus grandifolia) because beech partners with many mushroom species, including popular edibles like chanterelles (Cantharellus genus), hedgehogs (Hydnum genus), and a host of tasty boletes.

3. Harvesting and studying mushrooms responsibly (more or less): I explain how to collect unknown mushrooms for identification and share my own foraging practices (TL;DR, I'm too lazy to handle more than ~3 days worth of gourmet mushrooms at a time).

4. Documentation and scientific literature: I give advice on how to take good mushroom pictures, log observations on iNaturalist, and discuss the merits of reading scientific literature when you find something remarkable.