It’s hunting season in Italy. As a result, hunters are donning their camouflage and sneaking out at night in pursuit of their quarry. However, these hunters aren’t toting rifles to land deer and elk, they’re carrying buckets and are looking to land mushrooms. It’s mushroom season, and unfortunately, this mushroom season is shaping up to be the deadliest on record as well-meaning fungus-hunters are donning camo and sneaking out in the middle of the night in an attempt to protect their mushroom hordes from other potential hunters and accidentally getting themselves killed.
Hot weather and rain means mushroom conditions are perfect, and greedy hunters are getting hurt due to their avarice. A total of 18 people are dead or missing in 9 days worth of mushroom hunting; 6 people died in less than 48 hours as a result of falling off the slick slopes near Valle di Fassa in Northwest Italy. “There is too much carelessness. Too many people don’t give a darn about the right rules and unfortunately this is the result,” said Alpine rescue service chief, Gino Comelli.
Tags: mushroom hunter massacre, mushroom hunters dying in record numbers, 18 mushroom hunters dead in Northern Italy, 18 mushroom hunters dead in 9 days, Gino Comelli, Valle di Fassa, Italy, mushroom hunting accidents