Western Deer Mushroom
Pluteus exilis · Family Pluteaceae · Updated October 2026
138US records
4states
Janbusiest month
138 US records since 1982 (131 in the last 10 years)
Last seen May 12, 2026 (about 5 months ago) in Salt Point State Park, CA, photographed by an iNaturalist user, with the ID agreed on by other iNaturalist users (research grade). Most US records come from California, Washington and Oregon, and the busiest months are Jan, Dec and Nov. (Data as of October 26, 2026; records can lag by weeks.)
⚠ Never eat a wild mushroom based on this site. We show where fungi have been recorded, nothing more. We never say any mushroom is edible or safe, and you shouldn't decide that from any website, app or photo. Many deadly mushrooms look like harmless ones. If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away.
Lookalike warning. Many mushrooms, including deadly ones, closely resemble each other, and the only reliable identification comes from an expert looking at the actual specimen (often with spore prints or microscopy). Never use a name, photo or record count on this page to decide what something is.
When it's recorded
Records by month, all years. Busiest: Jan, Dec, Nov.
Where it's recorded
| State | Records | Latest sighting |
|---|---|---|
| California | 121 | May 12, 2026 |
| Washington | 10 | Nov 19, 2025 |
| Oregon | 6 | Nov 24, 2024 |
| Colorado | 1 | Aug 10, 2018 |
Top counties
- Sonoma County, CA (34) · latest May 12, 2026
- Marin County, CA (31) · latest Jan 30, 2026
- Humboldt County, CA (10) · latest Dec 30, 2025
- Alameda County, CA (10) · latest Feb 21, 2026
- Contra Costa County, CA (8) · latest Dec 27, 2022
- San Mateo County, CA (8) · latest Dec 31, 2025
- Whatcom County, WA (6) · latest Nov 19, 2025
- Mendocino County, CA (4) · latest Jan 18, 2020
- Lane County, OR (4) · latest Nov 24, 2024
- San Francisco County, CA (4) · latest Dec 12, 2022
More on this species from GBIF.
Bring along
🍄
Regional mushroom field guideSee on Amazon🍄
Folding mushroom knife with brushSee on Amazon🍄
Wicker foraging basketSee on Amazon🍄
10x hand lens / loupeSee on Amazon🍄
Spore print paperSee on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.