In Washington state you have 2 mushrooms that are easy to identify and not hard to find . Psilocybe Semilanceata and Psilocybe Cyanescens . You wil definately need to learn about identifying poisonous mushrooms . Rule one is DONT TOUCH ANYTHING THAT YOU CANT IDENTIFY 100% . ( thinking about the "angel of death" ) If you know Amanita mushrooms ? , they all grow out of a sort of ball / egg . Learn what that looks like and learn what a veil is . The Psilocybe mushrooms that you should look for havent got the ball or the veil , and they stain blue within a few minutes of pressing the stems . But dont just squeze everything and then think that because it has turned blue its a Psilocybe mushroom . The blueing test is one to do when you are 80% certain as a last check . Another thing is that the things you are looking for have Purple brown to brown spores and cinamon to brown gills . Learn wher they do and dont grow , learn about the substrate that they grow in and learn about their size and shape . Identifying the mushrooms that you are looking for is not hard allthough it might seem like that untill you have sussed how to do it , then you will laugh at how easy it is .
As Justin said if possible find yourself someone who knows what they are doing and go with them . Maybe if you learn where the ones you are looking for grow , and are carefull , you will spot other people looking for them and CAREFULLY ask them whats what .
If in doubt deliver your local policeman a nice piza and see if hes still alive in 3 days............ .
