Warning for you guys

Basically, buy feathers at the fly shop or collect them off gamebirds that have a hunting season. All other birds are hands off!

Redwing blackbirds would have some cool feathers for soft hackle flies, but even they're classified as a "songbird" here in Kansas. Same goes with robins, meadowlarks, and bluejays. I'd LOVE to have a meadowlark skin.... bright yellow belly, nice mottled feathers on the back and wings for soft hackle material... but I guess I can stick with quail and partridge. ;)

Good word, Skip.

wats a meadowlarks

Hands off for sure. Plenty of peole get busted for it here every year and a few go to jail. Not often do they get the full penalty for a single feather but if they can't provide details on where they go it then it big trouble. Don't even buy them unless the person who is selling them has the right permits, possession paper work and you check it all out with the state or federal offices. I have an uncle who has a full tail feather set and has the paperwork in a safe under the tail feathers to go with it. Tail feathers were a gift from a native american friend, paperwork was a couple hundred bucks.

Song birds, birds of prey, squirrels and chip munks are all off limits in WA state. Even possession of parts of road kill of any kind requires a permit here.

I will stick to shooting starling on the farms around here. Their feathers work just fine and never a worry about shooting them.

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Originally Posted by fish_4_all

Hands off for sure. Plenty of peole get busted for it here every year and a few go to jail. Not often do they get the full penalty for a single feather but if they can't provide details on where they go it then it big trouble. Don't even buy them unless the person who is selling them has the right permits, possession paper work and you check it all out with the state or federal offices. I have an uncle who has a full tail feather set and has the paperwork in a safe under the tail feathers to go with it. Tail feathers were a gift from a native american friend, paperwork was a couple hundred bucks.

Song birds, birds of prey, squirrels and chip munks are all off limits in WA state. Even possession of parts of road kill of any kind requires a permit here.

I will stick to shooting starling on the farms around here. Their feathers work just fine and never a worry about shooting them.

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Even squirrels? Holy Smokes. Never would've thought that. I remember one time my dad hit a Barred Owl with his truck and took it to a taxidermist thinking it would make a beautiful mount, should've seen his face when the taxidermist told him he could go to jail for even bringing it in. We were so nervous trying to find a place to dump it, would've thought we were ditching some person.Rofl

Yes, Skip is right. The only people who can posses eagle feathers or parts of eagles are the chiefs of the indian tribes. Rights go back to the treadies signed by the government.

Glad you guys are listening because I would hate to see anyone of you go to jail and have to pay some huge fine just because you didn't know. I am glad lots of you already know this, but when one person ask me about some birds, I knew it was time to post this so all would know this is serious thing and don't take it lightly. If in doubt, don't do it as it's not worth it.

Jungle Foul have to go through all the proper channels or you could get in trouble for having them. I have 3 of them and all came from a reputable wholesale place and even the package states this is a legal bird.

When I was looking for Polar Bear it was very hard to find because there are only a couple ways someone can have it and be legal. It's very desirable hair too, but it had to come into this country before something like 1970 or someone killed on legally on a hunt, but I am unsure of how that works because you are not allowed to bring PB into this country. I found only one or maybe two places that I could buy some and it was very high cost, too high to sell what you use to tie it. The place I bought mine from has the permit and the Federal Game Warden that has inspected it to make sure they are legal.

Skip

Well if you can find an eagle feather they probably figure you shot it lol... Unless you're climbing trees to get into there nest... we have 2 eagles that nest in our woods every year and I have never seen a free feather on the ground but thats just me... And I am one for protecting our wild life... we have bobcats here and it makes me angry every time I hear about someone talking about shooting them, no one has ever been attacked by a bob cat unless they deserved it lol

That also goes for water fowl as well, I had people who wanted to give me the feathers off their birds( mallards) they shot, and i said thanks but can't use...must be purchased through a company that has the certification by the proper federial Gov. agency. Now you might could use them on your own flies but you can't sell them to the public...I think

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Originally Posted by liftbite56

That also goes for water fowl as well, I had people who wanted to give me the feathers off their birds( mallards) they shot, and i said thanks but can't use...must be purchased through a company that has the certification by the proper federial Gov. agency. Now you might could use them on your own flies but you can't sell them to the public...I think

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so you can kill the animal but you can't use its feathers? That sounds right by our laws lol

All my life I've picked up a redtail hawk or a turkey feather in the woods and stuck one in my hunting cap. Never ever thought about the repercussions..........'course, luckily, I live in a small town in a southern state so nothing woulda ever been said. Selling jigs with those feathers in them might be ALOT different....even where I live though.:o