We received many interesting comments on a story we published recently about birds nesting inside a motorhome’s slide-out. The article encouraged RV owners to frequently check around the outside of their rigs as a precaution against unwanted nuisances. Many comments centered around the legality of destroying bird nests rather than taking precautionary actions, and that got me thinking… What other kinds of interesting or funny laws exist and how might they affect RVers? Here’s what I discovered:
If you like to fish when RVing, remember that:
- Tennessee law forbids you to lasso a fish.
- In Oregon, you may not use canned corn for fish bait.
- In both Indiana and Kansas, it’s illegal to fish with bare hands. (Are gloves okay, I wonder?)
- You may not go whale fishing in Nebraska at any time. In Ohio, whale fishing is banned on Sundays.
If you’re an RVer who enjoys hunting:
- Pennsylvania law does not require landowners to have a fishing license to fish on their own property, but landowners must have a hunting license to hunt on their own land.
- In New York, it’s illegal to shoot a rabbit from a moving trolley. In Kansas, it’s illegal to shoot rabbits from a motorboat.
- If you bow hunt in New Hampshire, you must put your name and address on all your arrows.
- You can legally hunt rabbits, squirrels, and other fur-bearing animals in Connecticut. Just don’t use dynamite, fire, smoke, brimstone, or sulfur. Those methods are illegal.
- You can legally hunt Bigfoot in Texas (but not in Washington).
Many RVers enjoy various culinary delights. Just be aware:
- Louisiana jambalaya that is prepared in the “traditional method” is not subject to the state’s sanitary codes.
- Do not put your ice cream cone in your back pocket, at least while in Alabama. It’s illegal there. (Kentucky and Georgia also have this law on the books.)
- Delaware prohibits picnicking on state highways.
- In Boston, you are not allowed to eat peanuts in church.
- In Marion, Ohio, it’s illegal to eat a doughnut while walking backward.
Strange, right? Of course, many of these laws were written for a different time. Still, they make you wonder. You can find other funny state laws here. Makes for fun reading!
Now, fellow RVer, you’ve been forewarned.
##RVT1005
It is also illegal to hunt killer whales in fresh water streams and lakes in Texas.
Pennsylvania fishing license exemption allows landowners who reside on their land throughout the year and members of their families residing thereon to fish on their land in waters wholly within said land without a license. This exemption does not apply to any person temporarily residing upon the land or any tenant who is not a member of the family of the owner
ice cream cone in your back pocket,, kind of figures for these states
My mom always told me it was illegal to throw clean water out the window but not dirty water!
In Idaho it’s illegal to fish from the back of a giraffe 🦒
I heard the difference between unlawful and illegal is, unlawful you’ll get arrested or fined if you do it but “illeagle” is some sort of sick bird. 😋
All good examples of our tax dollars at work by representatives who lack common sense and most likely non sense.
One must understand that some laws are intended to be “tongue in cheek” by legislators who want to display the ridiculous rubber stamp approval by other legislators. Years ago the US House of Representatives approved a resolution to praise the approach to over-population concerns of Albert DeSalvo (the Boston Strangler).
This is the perfect example of why we shouldn’t elect lawyers to represent us whether it’s local, state, or federal. They don’t have a lick of common sense.
Not allowing ice cream in one’s pocket may have been on of those first laws enacted to protect consumers from themselves.
That reminds me of 70-or-so years ago when my dad and two sisters and I walked a few blocks to get ice cream cones at a local shop. My younger sister proceeded to put her ice cream cone in her pocket so she could eat it when we got home. I don’t think that was illegal in our state, luckily! 😆 Have a great day, Kelly! 😀 –Diane
That may actually work today as there are some “ice creams” today, that I think would not melt in a pocket. I guess it is new science. Give me the old fat filled melting stuff.
Ice cream that doesn’t melt just doesn’t sound very appetizing to me. Have a good afternoon/evening, Kelly. 😀 –Diane