bennyking9987
New Member
While I was at Dangling Rope this last week, I was suddenly detained by a very grumpy NPS officer. With hands on hips (if not on his actual gun) he told me I wasn't going anywhere and forced me to walk in front of him to his office and sit down.
My crime? I was allegedly assisting in the circle of life in helping some of the western orb weaver spiders on the dock fall into the water and be consumed by the local crappie population.
After being interrogated and lectured for nearly 30 minutes I was given the option of righting my poor example to my children and explaining to them what I had done was wrong, or I could get a $150 ticket. Naturally, you can imagine which one I chose. The NPS officer
In looking back at this, I'm a little fumed, though. The official charge I was supposedly going to be brought up on was "harassing the wildlife". Not sure if what I was allegedly doing even qualifies for that or what that statute is actually defined as. A member of my party made a good point that they regularly spray for those pests at bullfrog (not sure about dangling rope). Not sure how giving a crappie a meal would be more harassing than systematically wiping out their entire dock population.
Additionally, the NPS officer tried to tell me "chumming is illegal", which I know is. But I WASN'T CHUMMING, though he tried to tell me I was, but then quickly retreated from that argument.
Then he told me that its illegal to feed the carp on the dock. I have been feeding those carp for 30 years and NOBODY has ever said anything about that. I told him that and he pulled out a little sun-faded 8 x 11 poster that was barely visible that said for people not to feed the carp.
Anyway, wanting to get some of the users' input from on here. Me and my party obviously thought this was a laughable experience and chalked it up to an officer who had a bad day and I was on the receiving end.
Any other thoughts?
My crime? I was allegedly assisting in the circle of life in helping some of the western orb weaver spiders on the dock fall into the water and be consumed by the local crappie population.
After being interrogated and lectured for nearly 30 minutes I was given the option of righting my poor example to my children and explaining to them what I had done was wrong, or I could get a $150 ticket. Naturally, you can imagine which one I chose. The NPS officer
In looking back at this, I'm a little fumed, though. The official charge I was supposedly going to be brought up on was "harassing the wildlife". Not sure if what I was allegedly doing even qualifies for that or what that statute is actually defined as. A member of my party made a good point that they regularly spray for those pests at bullfrog (not sure about dangling rope). Not sure how giving a crappie a meal would be more harassing than systematically wiping out their entire dock population.
Additionally, the NPS officer tried to tell me "chumming is illegal", which I know is. But I WASN'T CHUMMING, though he tried to tell me I was, but then quickly retreated from that argument.
Then he told me that its illegal to feed the carp on the dock. I have been feeding those carp for 30 years and NOBODY has ever said anything about that. I told him that and he pulled out a little sun-faded 8 x 11 poster that was barely visible that said for people not to feed the carp.
Anyway, wanting to get some of the users' input from on here. Me and my party obviously thought this was a laughable experience and chalked it up to an officer who had a bad day and I was on the receiving end.
Any other thoughts?