In Japan, some consider Tempeh, a treat of fermented moldy soybeans, to be delicious. In Korea, you might see people purchasing live sea slugs from street vendors, fillet and eat them raw. In certain parts of Mexico, many consider cooked grasshoppers to be a tasty treat.

Here in the heartland of the good old U.S.A., we opt for more conservative cuisine. Well, unless it’s spring; then we become obsessed with thoughts of gorging ourselves on the spore-producing part of a fungus.

With the recent rise in temperatures and several good rain showers, the morel mushroom underground information line seems to have come alive with stories of decent finds of these delectable additions to the frying pan. While some may have found a few here and there in prior weeks, it seems as though Mother Nature finally has decided to cooperate and put an end to the long-awaited arrival of the majority of morels.

In the past week I received plenty of successful reports from area morel hunters. While talking to some of these folks, they asked me about several rumors concerning the legalities of mushroom hunting.

While I was pretty sure I knew the answers, I believed they needed a response from someone far more official than I. With this in mind, I contacted conservation agent Dave Carlisle of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The first rumor passed around among concerned morel hunters was that a conservation agent in Northwest Missouri had issued a successful morel hunter a citation for gathering mushrooms on public lands without using a mesh bag. While I understand many mushroom hunters prefer to gather their morels in mesh bags in hopes of spreading the spores, I’ve never heard of any such MDC requirement.

Carlisle backed up my suspicions by affirming there is no such regulation, and no one could have been cited for not using a mesh bag to collect mushrooms. Carlisle said someone probably spoke with an agent who may have suggested using a mesh-style bag, but there never has been any requirement to do so.

The only problems Carlisle could recall in relation to MDC and mesh bags are from people who have come to MDC offices asking for a “Stream Team” mesh sack. These sacks are given out for the purpose of cleaning up Missouri’s waterways. Carlisle said many avid mushroom hunters realized these bags were great for collecting morels and began asking for them.

Carlisle said while MDC understands why morel hunters want them, the bags are meant for keeping Missouri’s streams and rivers clean and therefore are not given out just for mushroom hunting.

The second rumor that seems to be creeping around the area is that mushroom hunters are now required to have a permit, much like a hunting or fishing permit, to seek out and gather morels. This, of course, is not true, which Carlisle confirmed. No permit is needed to gather mushrooms in the state of Missouri.

Carlisle did point out that while most plants on conservation department lands are protected by regulations, anyone can gather nuts, berries, fruits, edible wild greens and mushrooms, as long as they do so for their own personal consumption. Gathering mushrooms from MDC lands and then selling them is a violation of the state’s regulations, and this is where morel collectors must be careful.

The only other instance in which a permit would be required is for those who enjoy combining an early morning turkey hunt with a little mushroom hunting. While no permit is needed to gather mushrooms, Carlisle pointed out that if you’re walking around mushroom hunting while still carrying your shotgun from the morning turkey hunt, you also should have a valid turkey permit on your person. Hunters also should watch their time, as turkey hunting is not allowed after 1 p.m.

Those who have never experienced the flavor of a batch of freshly fried mushrooms may think we’re a little odd, but they’re missing out on one of nature’s greatest treats. Combine them with a mess of freshly caught spring crappie and you’re in outdoor heaven.