Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says it cited two men for trespassing after they illegally harvested almost 180 pounds of chanterelle mushrooms.
WDFW says it is illegal to harvest over five gallons of wild edible mushrooms without a specialized forest products permit. Landowner permission is required to possess smaller quantities from private property.
A WDFW sergeant came across the pair while patrolling for deer. When asked how they got onto the property, they told the sergeant they waited for someone to open the gate and drove in behind them.
The sergeant says the men initially denied having harvested any mushrooms and then stated they had “some,” but didn’t specify how many.
The sergeant inspected their truck and found 179 pounds of chanterelle mushrooms.
“The mushrooms were taken to a buyer and sold with the proceeds being held by the court,” WDFW said in a Facebook post.
According to WDFW, each public land agency within Washington State has its own rules regarding harvesting mushrooms and limitations for personal use. Some require permits and different regions under a jurisdiction may have different rules. You can read more about these regulations here.