Did you know that it’s okay to kill a turkey with a spear in Nebraska? Believe it or not, the Cornhusker state has a legal statute that puts a “hand thrown spear” option under its archery regulations, so if you’re ever feeling inspired by Troy or 300, just head over there during turkey season to get some practice in.
What’s might be even stranger than that though are the legal statutes that forbid certain hunting practice. Here are just a few such odd laws our legislative history research was able to dig up.
No Trap Hunting Mice in California.
It’s actually illegal in California to set a mouse trap if you don’t have a hunting license. Though most wouldn’t consider setting such a trap to be hunting, the Golden State thinks otherwise.
No Moth Hunting in Los Angeles.
Speaking of California, the City of Angels has a legal statute making it illegal to hunt moths under a street light. While it might seem like a weird hobby to have, moth hunting was a popular pastime in the Victorian era, when collectors would actually go and beat trees to get caterpillars.
No Catching Fish With Your Mouth in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania has a legal statute that forces its fishers to act civilized. It not only expressly forbids people from catching fish with their mouths, but with their hands or with dynamite, either. If you do decide to get grizzly and catch a fish with your mouth, you could face a $100 fine.
Although these legal statutes might seem to lack any legislative intent, they did, at one time, serve a purpose, surely, even if it was to simply allow people to catch turkey with spears.
If you’ve ever found a weird rule in your own law research, feel free to share it in the comments.