Today I learned Collecting Feathers is Illegal

We live by a lake.

Sometime deceased fish will wash up on the shore.  When something dies, nature’s food webs spring into action.  Scavengers rush to the scene.  I don’t know how they ‘know” something is dead, I am sure it the same way I find a sale, it is just in me.  (I love a good clearance rack.)

Well, yesterday, my husband and I went for a long walk and then decided to go fishing.  It is a cheap date.

We noticed a few buzzards around and then we smelled the dead fish.  YUCK!  That can ruin a date.

We actually thought that it would have been gone by daybreak.  It wasn’t.

More birds were invited to the feast.

Our children went to go see the excitement after lunch.  Along the way, my son noticed a few feathers on the ground.

He brought them up to the house and I, like any clean freak mother, decided to google how to clean feathers.  Well, to my dismay I came across tons of information, like collecting feathers is illegal.

I thought back to that crazy State Farm commercial about not believing everything you read on the internet.  You know, the I’m French model one.  I’m linking it below so you can remember…really, it is so I will remember in a few years because, hey I forget the ages of my kids and sometimes their names.

THEN I went on the State of Texas wildlife site.  No information there.  So I grabbed a phone number, left a message and a State Biologist called me back.

Basically, he told me,

“Yes, collecting feathers are illegal.”

I said what about those ugly big scavengers like buzzards.

“Yes, especially buzzards.  They are native.  But, anything not native are okay, like peacocks.”

Gulp.  He has my name and my phone number.  Uh…we have to go now and tell my son immediately NEVER to pick up feathers again.  Let’s stick to stamp collecting or better yet, money collecting.  Mommy is going to need some money when you visit her in jail because she found a feather in grade school and it is probably still in a box, in the garage.  Another reason, we MUST clean out that garage, SOON!

I will say, I think it hilarious we found a bird’s nest in the garage, with little birdies in it, this morning.  I wish the Mom Bird had put it in a place with better lighting for a nice photo but to my dismay, she did not.

So for all you feather collectors out there – I’m sorry, I have ruined your hobby.  Please check with your local officials and law enforcement for your laws.

I would love to find an exception!

Blessings to you!  You are loved!

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WFMW