vultureculturecoyote:

bones-are-neato:

vultureculturecoyote:

Whoever is asking about opinions on the MBTA should hit me up because BOY do I have some.

I just posted he video, but I’d still love to hear your opinion!

Like I get the point of the MBTA entirely and its a great thing to protect our wildlife at all costs but making it illegal, like criminally illegal, to pick up a feather you found on the ground is pretty crazy.  

Living and collecting in multiple countries has given me the chance to compare the legislation a bit more than the average vulture. Specifically in the US (Which has the MBTA) and the EU (which does not). Places in the EU are typically able to handle things like roadkill/natural death collection case to case. Some countries require you apply for a permit (which is MUCH easier to get than the US, its actually available to members of the public rather than being only available to educational establishments and large companies like in the US.). Where I live now in the UK its legal to salvage dead things you found on the ground, of course there are some protected species but its not EVERY species. Of course I have to be careful to collect proof and evidence of the animals being collected lawfully. I usually keep a record of all the things I find and collect along with some photos and such.These types of things CAN be handled case to case, Thats how it works in many countries. Its not a matter of “How would we know they didn’t shoot a seagull and take a single feather from its body?”. Just… use common sense. Do they own a gun? How many feathers do they have? Are they selling them for profit? When red flags start popping up then then you take action to insure wildlife isnt being poached. 

Now I wouldn’t have such a strong opinion if It was just one of those old laws that’s not well enforced. Not enforced unless they really suspect something fishy is going on. But no, they actually arrest people for collecting feathers, people who didn’t even know it was illegal, who caused absolutely no harm whatsoever.

Specifically my friends dad. We lived in a really small town up in Michigan. He had a whole framed collection of feathers he had found and picked up all his life. Hundreds of them. I will admit having an entire picture frame full is a bit excessive but the guy was really into birdwatching. Just individual ones. Now it was obvious this guy didn’t go out hunting random birds to take a single feather from each bird. Just knowing the guy I know he meant no harm, just loved bird watching and had shelves full of Audubon bird books. But a year or so after I moved out of that town he ended up getting arrested for having them. Guess the small town police had too much time on their hands? (They think it might have been someone who reported him because they didnt like him but I don’t know the details)They fined him for a LOT of money. I dont know exactly how much because they wanted to keep quiet about it, but they were struggling for a long while after. He also ended up with “Wildlife/poaching offences” on his record. 

I got a lot of my interest in wildlife from their family back when I was little and it really hurt to know that they were screwed over like that.

Overall I think its pretty unnecessary to shove down a blanket law like that that can catch out people who arent even aware that doing something as simple as picking up feathers can land them $15,000 fine and jail time. Protect the species that need protecting. Get some more specific laws in there, maybe allow members of the public to apply for a permit to own legally collected feathers and use the money for more conservation.

Anyway sorry for the rant but thats why I cant stand the MBTA. lol