The Hunter Gatherer Society: Foraging, Primitive Fishing, and Camping – Blending Traditional Skills with Modern Living

Hunter Gatherer Society: Foraging, Primitive Fishing, Wild Food Recipes & Outdoor Living Skills

Welcome to The Hunter Gatherer Society, your guide to modern foraging, primitive fishing, and outdoor living. Whether you’re identifying wild edible plants, testing outdoor gear in rugged terrain, or fermenting ingredients gathered from the forest, this is where you’ll learn to reconnect with nature through hands-on experience and seasonal wisdom. Explore beginner-friendly foraging guides, gear reviews, and wild food recipes created for real life. From learning the basics of plant identification to discovering new ways to cook what you forage, The Hunter Gatherer Society is about building confidence outdoors. We blend traditional knowledge with modern adventure to inspire a more grounded, self-reliant way of living.

Forest hammock camping setup beside a river during golden hour with tarp shelter and backpack

Why I Switched to Hammock Camping After Years of Tent Camping

May 28, 2026 rpolipnick Primitive Camping and Hammock Camping

There’s a moment almost every hammock camper experiences for the first time. You wake up in the woods feeling surprisingly rested, no pressure points, rocks under your back, or sliding downhill all night inside a tent. Just fresh air, gentle movement, and the sound of the outdoors around you. That moment completely changed how I camp. I still use tents occasionally, especially in alpine terrain or areas without trees, but for most wooded camping trips, hammock camping has become my preferred setup by far. What surprised me most is that hammock camping isn’t just about sleeping differently. It changes the entire feel of camp itself. You spend more time outside.You notice your surroundings more.And camp somehow feels calmer and more[…]

Wild foods to forage in late June and early July including blackberries, chanterelles, nettles, and dandelion roots in a rustic foraging basket

Top 10 Wild Foods to Forage in Late June and Early July

May 24, 2026 rpolipnick Foraging Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms, Wild Edible Plants Foraging and Identification Guides

Beginner-Friendly Wild Edibles You Can Learn This Summer Late June and early July are some of the best times of year to begin learning about wild foods to forage in late June and early July. Trails are alive with edible plants, berry patches begin producing heavily, summer greens are thriving, and beginner-friendly mushrooms start appearing across much of North America. Most importantly, many of these wild foods are common, easy to identify, and incredibly rewarding to harvest. You do not need deep wilderness or advanced survival knowledge to start learning. Many of the best edible wild plants grow: This guide covers ten of the best wild foods to forage in late June and early July for beginner foragers, including: If[…]

Hikers relaxing beside the Dungeness River on the Upper Dungeness Trail in Olympic National Forest Washington

Upper Dungeness Trail: One of Washington’s Most Peaceful River Hikes

May 21, 2026 rpolipnick Hiking

There are some hikes that challenge you.Others simply remind you to slow down. The Upper Dungeness Trail on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula feels like the second kind. Instead of a brutal summit grind or exhausting backpacking trip, this trail offers something calmer. Along the way, you find yourself stopping every few minutes just to listen to the river, look up at the old-growth trees, and remember why getting outside matters in the first place. During our trip, we hiked about 3.4 miles into Camp Handy and back out for just under 7 miles total. Because the elevation gain is minimal and the trail conditions are excellent, the hike feels approachable and relaxing almost the entire way. Even better, the scenery never[…]

Wood sorrel (Oxalis) growing along a shaded forest trail

Wood Sorrel (Oxalis): The Lemon Lime Wild Edible Every Forager Should Know

May 21, 2026 rpolipnick Foraging Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms

Some plants just make you smile every time you see them. While exploring trails recently, I kept noticing bright green patches of wood sorrel covering the forest floor beneath the trees. Once you start recognizing it, you realize it seems to appear everywhere in the right conditions. I have eaten wood sorrel many times over the years, but finding so much of it growing along these trails still made me stop and smile. That bright lemon lime flavor never gets old. Wood sorrel, also known as Oxalis, has been one of my favorite wild trail snacks for years. It is one of those plants that feels like a small hidden reward once you learn how to recognize it. What Is[…]

Beginner mushroom forager identifying dangerous Amanita mushroom warning signs in an oak forest

California Mushroom Poisonings: Beginner Safety Guide to Dangerous Amanita Mushrooms

May 19, 2026 rpolipnick Foraging Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms, Wild Edible Mushrooms Foraging Guides, Wild Edible Plants Foraging and Identification Guides

Recent California mushroom poisonings linked to deadly Amanita mushrooms have renewed conversations about mushroom foraging safety across the West Coast. For beginner foragers, these incidents are not a reason to fear wild mushrooms. They are a reminder that safe mushroom identification starts with learning a few important warning signs first. Fortunately, beginner mushroom safety does not require memorizing hundreds of species. Learning how to recognize dangerous mushrooms like death caps and destroying angels can dramatically reduce risk while building long-term foraging confidence. Mushroom foraging can still be one of the most rewarding ways to connect with nature. The key is learning carefully, slowing down, and building knowledge one species at a time. What Happened in the Recent California Mushroom Poisonings?[…]