Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

[fivedials]

First allow me to admit to being a bit lazy today. This topic was brought up two Summers ago and I don't want to trudge thru two years of threads to find my answer. Besides I couldn't even think of what keyword to put in the search engine.

This has two parts:
A) Hawks, Falcons and even Bald Eagles are making a strong comeback in Northeast OH. There is a large field next to my house; which is a fantastic hunting ground for a couple of hawks (Gosshawk and Red Tail) and a falcon. Trust me when I say being strafed by a bird of prey traveling 30+ mph after a meal is not as exciting as it may seem especially if your head is down or if they come from behind. This brings me to my first question. During such maneuvers and subsequent result feathers from the hawks and falcon do manage to land in my yard especially when they use my pear tree as a post attack perch.


As I remember the the thread from before:

• Yes, I can use the feathers.
• Yes, I could fish the flies made from said feathers.
• No, I could not give some of the feathers to my brother or friends to tie with.
• No, I could not give away or sell flies made from said feathers.

Am I correct in my thinking or are the feathers something for my daughters to collect and not be used?


B) On a recent trip to our famed Cleveland Zoo, while near the Flamingo exhibit my youngest started collecting flamingo feathers thinking they would make nice flies. She was questioned about her actions, because she had reached in to the exhibit, by a uniformed (with badge) employee of the Zoo. Knowing why she was collecting the feathers, his response was please don't reach too far into the exhibit because the flamingos may bite her. (note: at no time was my daughter in harms way the flamingos were on the other side of a very large exhibit.) Was the 'Ranger' not aware of some laws against their use? Can I use the flamingo feathers freely or do the above points come in to play? (Frankly, I could see them making a nice veil for an egg pattern.)

[Betty Hiner]

I remember the exchange too ... therefore I shall ....

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

I haven't seen the thread in question..and I'm not interested in getting in any sort of argument lol so I'll keep my reply short. But this question has been asked many times over on FTF and the answer is- You can not use or even possess any feather from any endangered or protected bird without a special permit to do so.

Steve

[Betty Hiner]

I haven't seen the thread in question..and I'm not interested in getting in any sort of argument lol so I'll keep my reply short. But this question has been asked many times over on FTF and the answer is- You can not use or even possess any feather from any endangered or protected bird without a special permit to do so.

Steve

<oh, you brave, brave soul!!>

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

lol..........

Maybe this will keep it simple and from getting out of hand http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/birds/feathers.htm

[Normand]

heres a list of protected birds

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/Re...ta/compare.pdf

what you do with the feathers is your business

[fivedials]

OMGoodness........it's all coming back to me now!
Betty thanks for the PM and research.
Steve and Normand thanks (sort of) for the links. I did tie up an egg with a flamingo veil and tested it in the sink it looked great (did I say that out loud). Will have to destroy now that I've read the links.

Reminder to self tell my daughter's to ditch the feather's they've found in the backyard. Or at the very least don't show them to any G-men (person).

Jim

[quivira kid]

As for the hawk feathers, don't touch! (legally) My thought on the kiddos collecting them is this: let 'em. What does it really hurt? I might have seen a bluejay feather or two get picked up in my day...
Regarding the flamingo feathers, if the keeper let you have them, and they aren't wild birds, why wouldn't they be okay? It's a captive bird's feathers. Just like using, say, macaw feathers.

[oldfrat]

I've only been fly fishing for about 11 years now. In that time I have been asked exactly once to show my license to a game warden. I have also had a fly inspected once when I was practice casting on a pond clearly marked as "No Fishing". I was let off with a smile when I showed them I was casting an egg fly with the hook cut off so I could get the casting practice without catching a fish. I told the officer there was no sign saying, "No casting" so I was probably in line with the intent of the sign.

I can't imagine a situation in which anybody would catch me with a fly using an illegal feather. I am far more likely to be struck by lightning on a sunny day. Has anybody here ever been stopped by the water and asked to show the contents of their fly boxes?

There is absolutely no way I would harm an endangered bird to get a feather. Call me a wild and crazy outlaw, though. Some day I might tie a fly with a feather from an endangered species that I found on the ground.

I am also prone to tearing tags off mattresses and jaywalking across intersections when there are no cars in sight.

[FatBill]

In Ohio it doesn't have to be endangered or protected, if its a raptor its feather non-gratis.

Bill