The gypsy mushroom is still flourishing strong in the Pine Barens (after all it's a cortinarius species). They prefer to grow under the dense cover blueberry bushes, but I also found them under pines with no blueberry bushes around. If the growing season were during summer, I would have to wear a hazmat suit to collect them. :-) Actually it's not that bad here in NJ compared to places like TX, but seed ticks and chiggers a lurking everywhere during the summer months, and I got "bombed" many times by both.