Mushroom hunter "massacre" claims 18 lives in Italy

Reuters ^ | 8/29/10

[LibWhacker]

MILAN Aug 29 (Reuters) - At least 18 mushroom-lovers have been killed in accidents while hunting for their favourite fungi in the mountains and forests of northern Italy.

Mountain rescuers say eager mushroom seekers are abandoning safety procedures as they don camouflage and hunt in darkness to protect coveted troves, la Repubblica newspaper reported on Sunday.

"There is too much carelessness. Too many people don't give a darn about the right rules and unfortunately this is the result," Gino Comelli, head of the Alpine rescue service in northwest Italy's Valle di Fassa, told the newspaper.

[driftdiver]

Darwin in action.

[Puppage]

At ease disease, there’s fungus among us.

[sodpoodle]

The headline inferred the hunters were accidentally shot.

Deadly amanita muscarias!!!!

[KarlInOhio]

I tried to warn them that this would happen after generations of only picking the slow and stupid mushrooms. Now they have wily killer mushrooms to deal with.

[AU72]

Aren’t guns a bit of overkill in hunting down mushrooms?

[circlecity]

I for one welcome our new mushroom overlords

[VRWCmember]

There’s nothing more dangerous than an angry, wounded mushroom.

[MarkLevinFan]

That black rider was looking for something. Or someone. Frodo?

[LibWhacker]

LOL

[KarlInOhio]

Aren’t guns a bit of overkill in hunting down mushrooms?

I think that's the morel to this story.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Another Deadliest Catch TV show could be in the works.

They could contrast a fishing boat on 40 foot Arctic seas; with a mushroom hunter wandering the forests of Europe!

[Deaf Smith]

"as they don camouflage"

Is the mushroom's eyesight that good? Are they allowed to use tree stands, or just ground blinds?

[equalitybeforethelaw]

Let us applaud our Italian brethren in their spiritual and material pursuit of gastronomic ectasy. To die for mushrooms is a sacrifice of commendable honor and taste.

[Army Air Corps]

First, there was “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”...
Then, “Revenge of the Killer Tomatoes”...
Now, The Italian Fungi Massacre...

[Army Air Corps]

The soundtrack as they stalk the forests in search of the wily mushroom? Ride of the Valkyries, perchance...

[Minn]

Another Deadliest Catch TV show could be in the works.

It seems no human endeavor or chore is too mundane or dull to preclude a Discovery, History (was so much better with wall to wall Hitler documentaries), or TLC show about it. Oops. Gotta go. Mall Cops is on.

[Scythian]

Perhaps they ate a "Death Angel" mushroom and wandered around in acid trip like stage until they fell off a cliff?

[sodpoodle]

Never trifle with truffles;)

[ladyvet]

All kidding aside, we used to hunt mushrooms in Colorado. Knew a lot of mushroom collectors who would sneak off, back track, park miles away to keep their grounds secret.