Collecting in Florida

[Daniel Glaeske]

Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX wrote:
> 
> WOW ! your use of the word 'harassed' is mild. is it now illegal to have
> nets and envelopes in ones vehicle?? sounds like you were the subject of
> criminal theft, pure and simple. listers with knowledge of USA legal
> system plse comment, i would be interested in advice on how to deal with
> this kind of situation in the event that i work up the courage to cross
> the 49th parallel with net and envelopes in my vehicle
> 
> > ----------
> 
I don't know what the legal situation is but virtually the same thing
happened to me last summer.  Very embarassing since we had company from
Canada down at the time.  The park officials compared having butterfly
nets in the park to having unregistered hunting rifles.  (oddly enough,
at this park,anyway, hunting with rifles for game animals in season <is>
legal, but simply possessing lepidoptera paraphenalia is <not> legal). 
I think that most park officials, etc. are about as ignorant about the
legal standing as we are but we are simply a lot safer to harrass then
some burly guy in military fatigues and a semiautomatic 0.303 slung over
his shoulder.  

Just my two cents.

I simply avoid trips in parks down here with anything that could
identify me in any way as a lepidopterist.

Daniel