Speaking of Evolution...Or Lack Thereof...

[pitbulllady]

The lead singer of the "Country" Pop duo, Thompson Center, posted this pic yesterday on his FB page, trying to look macho and gangsta after shooting a large, harmless Black Rat Snake in TN, where it is ILLEGAL to do so:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...91939889.51905.111689422180050&type=1&theater
Needless to say, the pic did not quite generate the applause and praise he was obviously hoping for. Another example of stupidity.

pitbulllady

 

[klawfran3]

One thing in that picture is a disgusting, scaly, belly crawling, sad excuse for a living creature, the other is a ratsnake. it always upsets me when people kill an innocent animal for no reason other than to look "macho." have the proper authorities (FWS) been contacted about this?

 

[Galapoheros]

I think a little tongue lashing is good enough, gets people look into it more and learn. If we go overboard, it can make people mad and some will kill stuff out of spite. Then also the laws can get ridiculous, I experienced that. My truck was searched here in Texas while I was stopped on the side of the road in the middle of the day. I was looking at the rock formations and spiders in the cracks where they had cut a road in, I looked suspicious to the border patrol and game warded. I've told this story but there are always new readers. They searched my truck, I had caught a couple of scorpions and one tarantula, no reptiles. The game warden said, "Do you have a hunting license for these scorpions(he didn't even know what a centipede was)?" "What, you have to have a hunting license for invertebrates?" "Yeah, it's wildlife, it's a new law." "But people spray this stuff with bug spray." "Yeah I know, it's kind of dumb but it was passed." "No, I didn't know you had to have a license to catch inverts." He gave me a warning ticket, would have been around $400. He claimed it was the law to have a hunting license to even pick up inverts ...on your own property! It actually might be worded like that but if it is, they don't enforce it, usually. Imo, just a backlash from decades of environmental abuse. Things usually get to a moderate level eventually.

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Ask to see this "law" in writing.
If this "law" DOES actually exist it WILL be in print.

 

[The Snark]

Ask to see this "law" in writing.
If this "law" DOES actually exist it WILL be in print.

Just a suggestion as a former LEO. If you decide to go that route I would suggest following some basic rules of CYA. AFTER you accept the ticket... Not before. Always keep in mind the ticket is in lieu of being arrested.
-An officer can construe you are resisting arrest if you 'undertake any action, physical or verbal, which indicates you are resisting him/her in the lawful pursuit of his duties'. A court will usually rubber stamp accept an officers claim in that.
Once the ticket has been issued ask the officers something along the lines of 'Excuse me, sir. Could you refer me to the section of the codes or statutes regarding the capture of wild animals. I would like to research getting the required permits and licenses'. Keep it nice and vague, not trying to pin him/her down to the exact statute number. You may have a laid back easy going cop to deal with, or one with a truck load of personal issues and gripes, just looking for someone to take it out on.

What law abiding people fail to keep in mind is in a LEOs mind criminal is criminal. Whether picking up a small invertebrate that might be a protected species, or you just robbed a convenience store at gun point. They will often deal with you as worst case scenario just to cover their own arses.

There is also a little trick involved here. A LEO may have about 100 statutes memorized down to the exact number and even sub. Or they may have to grab their copy they always carry of the codes and dig through it. That accounts for those sometimes interminable waits people have while the cop sits in his car. Citing the exact statute isn't always easy and you can't get it wrong. So the easiest way for a cop to get it correct is to find an excuse to arrest and detain you then do the paperwork at the station, conferring with fellow officers to get the charge correct. Huge pain in the tukus for the law abiding person, much easier way for a cop to spend part of their shift.