Field Guide to Butterflies of Illinois

[mbpi at juno.com]

I can't recall ever encountering any "border police" at the Illinois
State line (!)

At least your post brought out some "fresh perceptions" (in more ways
than one...).  Always interesting to hear from the "silent majority."

All I can say is:  with all the controversy this unseen book has
generated... it had better be GREAT, or we native Illini will be
relegated to the Lepidoptery Hall of Shame!

M.B. Prondzinski

On Wed, 11 Apr 2001 12:42:31 EDT Leptraps at aol.com writes:
> I started this issue of "Law Enforcement Officials" several days ago. 
> I asked 
> the question because of the statement in the brochure for the "Field 
> Guide to 
> Butterflies of Illinois." I received the brochure via snail mail 
> with a 
> request to announce the book in the Society of Kentucky 
> Lepidopterists 
> Newsletter (I am the Editor of the Newsletter) back in mid-December. 
> The 
> typed note enclosed was unsigned and the envelope had no return 
> address but 
> was post marked Champaign, IL. At first I did not pay attention to 
> the lack 
> of identification. I also ordered the book which I have yet to 
> receive.
> 
> When I read the brochure I was surprised by the reference to Law 
> Enforcement 
> Officials. I became curious about the reference, so I wrote both of 
> the 
> authors and the Illinois Natural History Survey at their Champaign, 
> IL 
> address for clarification. There has been no response to my 
> inquirers.
> 
> I was more curious as to what others might think of the reference. 
> So I sent 
> the message to this list.
> 
> I never intended to offend anyone with my inquiry. The explanation 
> of park 
> rangers never entered my mind. I do not for some reason equate Park 
> Rangers 
> and Law Enforcement Officials as being one in the same. I equated 
> Law 
> Enforcement Official as the local police or sheriff's department. 
> The reason 
> being, when I collect in places where "park ranger" are employed, 
> normally 
> requires a permit. When I meet a park ranger, he knows who I am and 
> what I am 
> doing and he knows I have a permit because I check in at the park 
> office 
> first. He is usually friendly and inquisitive. When I am out in the 
> boonnies 
> running lights at night, it is usually the local sheriff deputy that 
> I 
> encounter, or the border patrol, or DEA, or ATF. My last encounters 
> with Law 
> enforcement: Jeff Slotten and I were near Brownsville, Texas, as we 
> were 
> about the leave at 2AM we encountered the Border Patrol. These guys 
> were 
> armed, guns, dogs, flak jackets (Jeff Slotten still is nervous over 
> that 
> encounter).  The other was in the Fackahatchee Strand State Preserve 
> in SW 
> Florida (Yes I had a permit) with the DEA, and it too involved guns 
> (They 
> thought that we were lighting up Jane's Scenic Drive for a drug 
> plane to 
> land). These are what I considered Law Enforcement Officials. 
> Although they 
> were polite, having a gun pointed at you can be a little unnerving. 
> However, 
> it is their job. Most people in the places that I have encountered 
> Law 
> Enforcement Officials are places that most people are not at 2AM. 
> And if they 
> are, they are either moth collectors, and if they are not, they are 
> usually 
> armed.
> 
> I only met one of the authors at a meeting many years ago and know 
> nothing of 
> them. Many people have written butterflies book and are not members 
> of the 
> Lepidopterists' Society. If my comments in my post were out of 
> order, I 
> apologize. It was the circumstances and the lack of response along 
> with my 
> curiosity that prompted the post.
> 
> What have I learned? I need a flak jacket when posting on this list!

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