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PUBLIC SAFETY

Illegal mushroom hunting is not a rare crime

Justin L. Mack

On Sunday morning, two men who set out for a day of mushroom hunting on private property in Hamilton County ended up behind bars and facing a host of criminal charges.

Officials said it wasn’t the first time that trespassing mushroom hunters have been detained this season, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Mushrooms such as morels, whether battered and fried or buttered and sautéed, are considered by many gourmands to be culinary treasures too delicious to pass up. They also can yield quick cash, fetching prices near $50 per pound.

The window for gathering can be short — morels pop up for only about one month each year — so the temptation is great.

How great? Ask the pair caught in Hamilton County.

Whether foraging for fungi or flying a kite, people need permission to be on someone else’s land.

“About 98 percent of our land is owned by someone, and going across those markers without consent is a violation, no matter if you’re hunting, fishing or even walking your dog,” said Lt. William Browne of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Robert Ferrand Jr., 41, Greenfield, and Timothy Apple, 35, Pendleton, were arrested Sunday by conservation officers when they were spotted mushroom hunting on private land in the 21600 block of Cyntheanne Road, east of Noblesville.

Officers were watching when the pair entered the property and began collecting mushrooms, authorities said.

After a brief foot chase that involved Ferrand tossing a handgun into the grass before he tripped and fell, the two were arrested and taken to Hamilton County Jail on preliminary charges of hunting without consent, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and resisting law enforcement. Apple also was charged with illegal possession of a firearm because he lacked a handgun license.

Last year, the DNR issued 31 citations for hunting plant/fungi without consent, up from eight in 2012 and 30 in 2011. The DNR last year also issued 129 citations for hunting without consent and 56 citations for criminal trespass. Statistics for 2014 were not available.

In a criminal trespass complaint, it must be proved that the person was “denied access” by verbal or written communication from the landowner, Browne said. The hunting without consent charge requires only that the person did not obtain consent from the landowner to be on the property. The hunting law applies to animals, fish, mushrooms and artifacts.

State law lists criminal trespass as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and one year in jail. Hunting without consent is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 and 60 days in jail.

A phone call from the landowner to police sparked the Hamilton County stakeout, and Browne said that is the safest thing to do.

He also urges residents to avoid trying to remove trespassers on their own. In Sunday morning’s case, the property owner would have confronted two armed men.

Morel maniacs less inclined to do time for their find can turn to state land if they are unable to find a welcoming property owner.

Mushrooms found on state-owned lands such as state parks, woods and recreational areas can be picked by hunters, along with nuts, berries, fruits, leaves and greens. A recent tweak to state law that went into effect in April also makes it clear that residents can leave the official trail of the park to forage.

Morels are among the most popular targets for mushroom hunters. Other edible fungi included in a DNR list of common mushrooms found in state parks and reservoirs include giant puffballs and shaggy mane.

Morels usually begin to show at the start of April, but this year’s harsh winter delayed this year’s batch to early this month.

While morel picking can lead to a nice profit, Conservation Officer Matt Tholen said individual hunters usually keep the bounty for themselves.

“To sell them to a restaurant or a business, you would have to be a pretty big amount,” Tholen said. “From what I’ve seen, most hunters usually only have a bag or two.”

DNR wildlife biologist Dean Zimmerman agreed that profit is usually not what drives longtime morel hunters.

“I’m 64 years old, and I’ve probably been mushroom hunting since I was 6, if not earlier. I kind of just grew up in that culture,” he said. “I gotta tell you, for me, my favorite part is eating them. That’s why we do it. ... They taste awesome.”

Zimmerman said once mushroom hunters find a prime location, they can be very protective of the spot. But that protective behavior is about preservation for future seasons, not greed.

“Personally, I think mushrooms can be overhunted,” he said. “If you pick it hard and hunt it hard, over a period of time they are going to disappear because there are not as many mushrooms producing spores in the area.”

For more than two decades, Steve Oakley, chef and owner of Oakleys Bistro on the Far Northside, has been working with morels, and he hunts them on a friend’s property in Southern Indiana. But for buying local morels, he goes only with certified sellers.

“We never buy morels from someone who comes in off the street,” Oakley said. “I’m sure some of that goes on, but we don’t do that.”

At the start of the season, per pound prices range from $38 to $48, Oakley said. Prices drop later in the season when supply increases and demand drops. By the end of the season, morels might go for as low as $18 per pound.

But even then, they’re still delicious.

Star correspondent Amy Lynch contributed to this story. Call Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.