19 replies to this topic

[Jamiesname]

I parked at a cemetary and was anting in the woods around it when the police showed up, and I noticed them looking in the box of my truck. When I went over and asked them what they were doing they told me that someone reported some suspicious behavior here and that a guy was walking around suspiciously. At this point I'm getting a little agitated and asked if it was illegal to walk around in the woods. Obviously they said it wasn't, but asked what I was doing. I wasn't about to tell them I was collecting ants simply because of how the whole thing began. I ignored them and went back out looking and they went back and sat in their car watching me. After 15-20 minutes of this I got in my truck and left and they followed me out and that was the end of it.

Has anything similar happened to anyone else?

[sirjordanncurtis]

I parked at a cemetary and was anting in the woods around it when the police showed up, and I noticed them looking in the box of my truck. When I went over and asked them what they were doing they told me that someone reported some suspicious behavior here and that a guy was walking around suspiciously. At this point I'm getting a little agitated and asked if it was illegal to walk around in the woods. Obviously they said it wasn't, but asked what I was doing. I wasn't about to tell them I was collecting ants simply because of how the whole thing began. I ignored them and went back out looking and they went back and sat in their car watching me. After 15-20 minutes of this I got in my truck and left and they followed me out and that was the end of it.

Has anything similar happened to anyone else?

Nurbs has had a cop pull up to him at 2am in the morning asking him what someone was doing with a shovel and a flashlight in the park. He probably thought nurbs was burying a dead body or something. Nurbs just showed him the ants that he had been catching and then the cops left him alone. I think the best course of action would just be to tell them tbh, might make life easier and stop the cops from trailing you.

[Jamiesname]

I parked at a cemetary and was anting in the woods around it when the police showed up, and I noticed them looking in the box of my truck. When I went over and asked them what they were doing they told me that someone reported some suspicious behavior here and that a guy was walking around suspiciously. At this point I'm getting a little agitated and asked if it was illegal to walk around in the woods. Obviously they said it wasn't, but asked what I was doing. I wasn't about to tell them I was collecting ants simply because of how the whole thing began. I ignored them and went back out looking and they went back and sat in their car watching me. After 15-20 minutes of this I got in my truck and left and they followed me out and that was the end of it.
Has anything similar happened to anyone else?

Nurbs has had a cop pull up to him at 2am in the morning asking him what someone was doing with a shovel and a flashlight in the park. He probably thought nurbs was burying a dead body or something. Nurbs just showed him the ants that he had been catching and then the cops left him alone. I think the best course of action would just be to tell them tbh, might make life easier and stop the cops from trailing you.

Yeah, my wife said the same thing, and you're both probably right. To be honest, I likely would have done that to begin with, but they approached with such arrogance/cockiness that it shuts me right down to working with them - but I've always been that fish that has to swim up river. I have a hard time grasping the idea of absolute compliance without question just to make things easier, especially when someone isn't doing anything wrong. I guess that's the world we live in now though.

[Canadian anter]

Wait a second. So you're telling me if I'm trying to bury a body and I just bring a few ants...

[Lisberg]

Worked for me...

 

Also works with a dog..

Edited by Lisberg, April 16 2019 - 1:44 PM.

[dspdrew]

Yeah, my wife said the same thing, and you're both probably right. To be honest, I likely would have done that to begin with, but they approached with such arrogance/cockiness that it shuts me right down to working with them - but I've always been that fish that has to swim up river. I have a hard time grasping the idea of absolute compliance without question just to make things easier, especially when someone isn't doing anything wrong. I guess that's the world we live in now though.

 

I totally get how you feel. Anybody here that knows me, knows I'm the last person that wants to spend my time proving to cops that I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm pretty big on the whole rights thing. With that said, the way I see it, is if I'm out looking for ants, I really don't have the time to engage in a protest, which will almost always escalate into something bigger (even if ultimately I win). I just try to be nice and give in just enough to satisfy them and be on my way. I have no obligation to show a cop my little containers full of ants, but it's a pretty easy thing to do, that pretty much immediately exonerates you in their mind. Who else would pull a container of ants out of their pocket other than someone out there simply collecting ants?

[drtrmiller]

Who else would pull a container of ants out of their pocket other than someone out there simply collecting ants?

So, should I go ahead and save your family some time by writing the obituary of the man who was shot and killed by police after whipping a test tube out of his pocket to prove he was "simply collecting ants?"

[Martialis]

 

Who else would pull a container of ants out of their pocket other than someone out there simply collecting ants?

So, should I go ahead and save your family some time by writing the obituary of the man who was shot and killed by police after whipping a test tube out of his pocket to prove he was "simply collecting ants?"

 

 

Drew isn't black

Edited by Martialis, April 16 2019 - 5:15 PM.

[KBant]

No

[dspdrew]

 

Who else would pull a container of ants out of their pocket other than someone out there simply collecting ants?

So, should I go ahead and save your family some time by writing the obituary of the man who was shot and killed by police after whipping a test tube out of his pocket to prove he was "simply collecting ants?"

 

Well if you're not stupid, you would do it slowly and tell him what you are grabbing from your pocket, because yeah, a lot of cops are paranoid. I've done it three times and so far I'm still alive.

[Whitelotus]

I have had this happen to me with city officials when I was looking for queen during nuptial flight but not any law enforcement.

[Jamiesname]

I parked at a cemetary and was anting in the woods around it when the police showed up, and I noticed them looking in the box of my truck. When I went over and asked them what they were doing they told me that someone reported some suspicious behavior here and that a guy was walking around suspiciously. At this point I'm getting a little agitated and asked if it was illegal to walk around in the woods. Obviously they said it wasn't, but asked what I was doing. I wasn't about to tell them I was collecting ants simply because of how the whole thing began. I ignored them and went back out looking and they went back and sat in their car watching me. After 15-20 minutes of this I got in my truck and left and they followed me out and that was the end of it.
Has anything similar happened to anyone else?

It seems that the plot has thickened. Somebody from the U.S. Forest Service came to my work today and wanted to know what I was doing in the woods. I took you guys' advice and said that I was collecting ants, and he told me not to go in there anymore without a permit. I thought it was a joke and laughed while repeating "a permit? For collecting ants?" He then said you need a permit if you're collecting anything from a national forest (the forest is on the border of the cemetary). I assume the police got him involved, but I have no idea how they found out where I work. That part is a mystery to me. Anyways, it probably wouldn't have went this far if I just told them what I was doing. I plan on looking into the permit part though. That sounds like BS to me.

Edited by Jamiesname, April 17 2019 - 1:07 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

I parked at a cemetary and was anting in the woods around it when the police showed up, and I noticed them looking in the box of my truck. When I went over and asked them what they were doing they told me that someone reported some suspicious behavior here and that a guy was walking around suspiciously. At this point I'm getting a little agitated and asked if it was illegal to walk around in the woods. Obviously they said it wasn't, but asked what I was doing. I wasn't about to tell them I was collecting ants simply because of how the whole thing began. I ignored them and went back out looking and they went back and sat in their car watching me. After 15-20 minutes of this I got in my truck and left and they followed me out and that was the end of it.
Has anything similar happened to anyone else?

It seems that the plot has thickened. Somebody from the U.S. Forest Service came to my work today and wanted to know what I was doing in the woods. I took you guys' advice and said that I was collecting ants, and he told me not to go in there anymore without a permit. I thought it was a joke and laughed while repeating "a permit? For collecting ants?" He then said you need a permit if you're collecting anything from a national forest (the forest is on the border of the cemetary). I assume the police got him involved, but I have no idea how they found out where I work. That part is a mystery to me. Anyways, it probably wouldn't have went this far if I just told them what I was doing. I plan on looking into the permit part though. That sounds like BS to me.

Actually, as far as I know, it is illegal to collect anything from a national forest without a permit. Just doing his job.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, April 17 2019 - 2:02 PM.

[Martialis]

 

I parked at a cemetary and was anting in the woods around it when the police showed up, and I noticed them looking in the box of my truck. When I went over and asked them what they were doing they told me that someone reported some suspicious behavior here and that a guy was walking around suspiciously. At this point I'm getting a little agitated and asked if it was illegal to walk around in the woods. Obviously they said it wasn't, but asked what I was doing. I wasn't about to tell them I was collecting ants simply because of how the whole thing began. I ignored them and went back out looking and they went back and sat in their car watching me. After 15-20 minutes of this I got in my truck and left and they followed me out and that was the end of it.
Has anything similar happened to anyone else?

It seems that the plot has thickened. Somebody from the U.S. Forest Service came to my work today and wanted to know what I was doing in the woods. I took you guys' advice and said that I was collecting ants, and he told me not to go in there anymore without a permit. I thought it was a joke and laughed while repeating "a permit? For collecting ants?" He then said you need a permit if you're collecting anything from a national forest (the forest is on the border of the cemetary). I assume the police got him involved, but I have no idea how they found out where I work. That part is a mystery to me. Anyways, it probably wouldn't have went this far if I just told them what I was doing. I plan on looking into the permit part though. That sounds like BS to me.

 

See Snelling's comment

Edited by Martialis, April 17 2019 - 3:59 PM.

[gcsnelling]

Unless there has been a recent change, No permit is needed to collect insects in a national forest, national parks are different. I have a PDF copy of a letter from the forest service providing guidelines regarding this subject. If there is a way to upload the PDF here I will do so.

Edited by gcsnelling, April 17 2019 - 3:59 PM.

[Jamiesname]

The whole thing just blows my mind. I guess a lot of us on here are a bunch of outlaws. I'm going to turn myself in, you guys should do the same.

[Martialis]

Unless there has been a recent change, No permit is needed to collect insects in a national forest, national parks are different.

Wasn't there one for scientific and commercial purposes? That's the only one I'm aware of.

[gcsnelling]

This letter deals/dealt specifically with recreational collecting. It is a few years old so admittedly there may have been changes.

Edited by gcsnelling, April 17 2019 - 4:40 PM.

[YsTheAnt]

As from what I've read, commercial and scientific collection requires a permit. Recreational collecting however, does not.

[TennesseeAnts]

Interesting...