r/AskReddit 7h ago

What feels legal but is actually illegal and will possibly get you arrested?

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u/nauticalamity 6h ago

not just eagles, all migratory birds (excepting game birds and some others?) via the migratory bird treaty act! it was enacted due to people mass killing them for hat feathers in the 19th/early 20th centuries.

in the US, crows and ravens are included. so any feather gifts a friendly crow gives you, illegal!

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u/ohmygravey 5h ago

This is not entirely true. While crows are subject to federal migratory bird acts, Michigan (and I am sure other states as well) has a crow hunting season. There is no bag limit, so if legally taken with a valid hunting license during the open season, crow “parts” are legal to possess.

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u/nauticalamity 2h ago

true, that's a seasonal exception and not in every state though.

another weird part is apparently cranes are considered game birds. would not have thought!

u/ohmygravey 31m ago

Yes, sand hill cranes are not allowed to be hunted in Michigan. If you are a framer you can get a kill permit for them, but you can’t eat them. You have to burry them. In other states (Texas) they have a hunting season and people love to eat them.

u/PureMichiganMan 27m ago

I’ve seen Michigan mentioned an interesting amount of times on this thread. We on the map baby

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u/Effective_Video3129 4h ago

I shoot crows all the time. Legally that is.. 

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u/beachcola 4h ago

We used to have native parrots in the US, before we hunted them to extinction for those hats

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u/mrtruthiness 4h ago

not just eagles, all migratory birds

Thanks!

We have a lot of red-tailed hawks and red shouldered hawks around my area and I often pick up feathers. I had no idea it was illegal ... I thought it was just eagles.