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Pine Ridge / Oglala NG Foraging Conditions — ForageIQ

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Pine Ridge / Oglala NG

3,400–5,000 ft · NE🚗 Directions

S

Ponderosa pine ridges and rough breaks of NW Nebraska. Oglala National Grassland and Pine Ridge mixed-grass prairie with timber along Hat Creek and Soldier Creek. Burn morels documented after recent fires. Easter access via Crawford / Chadron.

Trees:Ponderosa Pine Bur Oak Aspen

Permit Info →

Updated Aug 27, 4:16 AM MT

AI Conditions Report

AI-generated · verify in field

**Pine Ridge S-tier: Peak flush window, act now.** You're sitting in a rare convergence—72°F soil sustained above threshold for a full week, coupled with 2.15" over the prior fortnight, has triggered the moisture threshold across the board. The 0.31" last week kept VWC steady at 0.18 (7-day average), which is holding everything in play simultaneously. Oysters, cauliflower, hedgehogs, and the bolete complex (bay, birch, chicken-fat) are all prime. Reishi and chaga are fruiting on wood. The desiccation-risk flag is moderate but not critical yet—afternoon temps at this elevation will still support fruiting if humidity holds. Limiting factor: drying winds. You've got maybe 4–5 days before soil moisture begins declining noticeably; any hot, dry afternoon could shrink the VWC window fast. Watch the next 48 hours for any wind spike or pressure drop—both accelerate evaporation at this elevation. If you see curling or drying fruiting bodies mid-flush, moisture is dropping faster than forecast. **Hot tip:** Prioritize the boletes and milk caps first—they'll desiccate faster than the fleshier oysters; get those beds worked before the window narrows.

Generated by Claude (Anthropic) from the structured weather, soil, and phenology data on this page. The LLM can misread edge cases — treat this as a starting hypothesis, not a guarantee. Always verify conditions on the ground before committing to a long drive.

Foraging Potential95/100

✅Moisture

✅Soil Temp

✅No Freeze

✅No Drought

Precip 7d

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Nearby Camping

Within(1)

Toadstool Geological Park and Campground

developed

USFS~4.3 mi from centerFee required/night

Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands

⚠ Road Access Notice

Always verify road access is public before following GPS directions to mountain areas. Many forest roads are seasonal, gated, or require 4WD. Dispersed camping follows USFS/BLM rules (typically 14-day limit). Check ranger district offices for current road and campground conditions.

Viable Species

Confidence × Primordia state

HIGHPrimed

Oyster MushroomPleurotus ostreatus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Cauliflower MushroomSparassis crispa

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Hedgehog MushroomHydnum repandum

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

ReishiGanoderma tsugae

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Pink-Tipped CoralRamaria botrytis

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Indigo Milk CapLactarius indigo

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Saffron Milk CapLactarius deliciosus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

ChagaInonotus obliquus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Panther CapAmanita pantherina

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Birch BoleteLeccinum scabrum

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Pig's EarsGomphus clavatus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Birch PolyporeFomitopsis betulina

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Bleeding ToothHydnellum peckii

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Red-Capped Scaber StalkLeccinum aurantiacum

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Gypsy MushroomCortinarius caperatus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

The PrinceAgaricus augustus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Bay BoleteImleria badia

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Bitter BoleteTylopilus felleus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Painted BoleteSuillus spraguei

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Chicken-Fat BoleteSuillus americanus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Shrimp RussulaRussula xerampelina

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

The SickenerRussula emetica

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Short-Stemmed RussulaRussula brevipes

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Woolly Milk CapLactarius torminosus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Coker's AmanitaAmanita cokeri

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Deadly WebcapCortinarius rubellus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Bloody WebcapCortinarius sanguineus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Bleeding AgaricusAgaricus haemorrhoidarius

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Red-Belted ConkFomitopsis pinicola

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Sweet ToothHydnum umbilicatum

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Jelly AntlerCalocera viscosa

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Red CoralRamaria araiospora

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Brown Roll-RimPaxillus involutus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Angel WingsPleurocybella porrigens

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Yellow Fly AgaricAmanita muscaria var. guessowii

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Scaly Wood MushroomAgaricus silvaticus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Amethyst DeceiverLaccaria amethystina

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Lobster MushroomHypomyces lactifluorum

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Slippery JackSuillus luteus

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Hawks Wing

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

HIGHPrimed

Amanita Muscaria

All conditions met (soil 72°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.16 VWC, 7d avg 0.18)

Primordia readiness: Cold = mycelium dormant. Activating = soil warming, primordia building. Primed = 5+ sustained warm days at species threshold; fruiting imminent if moisture cooperates. Based on Schmidt 1983 / Mihail 2007.