Every state has those dumb laws and people wonder why they were even created. You can't drive in a house coat if you're a woman in the state of California. You can drink legally in Illinois if you're under the age of 21, but only if you're enrolled in a culinary program, crazy right? Indeed, but what about Kentucky's silly statutes?
1. Dye, Dye, Birdie!
Most interpret this law as "don’t dye your duckling blue." This law mainly applies to hunters, or to someone that really wants to give their new pet birdie a colorful makeover. In Kentucky it is illegal to dye your bird or rabbit, unless you are selling them in quantities of six or more. If you’re caught, you could end up paying up to $500! That ugly little duckling is going to have to remain ugly.
According to KRS 436.600:
“No person shall sell, exchange, offer to sell or exchange, display, or possess living baby chicks, ducklings, or other fowl or rabbits which have been dyed or colored; nor dye or color any baby chicks, ducklings, or other fowl or rabbits; nor sell, exchange, offer to sell or exchange or to give away baby chicks, ducklings, or other fowl or rabbits, under two (2) months of age in any quantity less than six (6), except that any rabbit weighing three (3) pounds or more may be sold at an age of six (6) weeks. Any person who violates this section shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500.”
2. Don’t Get Too Egg-cited!
Have you not heard? You can’t egg that public speaker that still thinks women shouldn't have any rights. This law was in effect until 40 years ago. In the state of Kentucky, it was illegal to throw eggs at a public speaker. So if you were a feminist that disagreed with that misogynistic pain on the podium, what could you do? Switch to tomatoes? Wrong!
According to KRS 437.050:
“Any person who interferes with any person addressing a public audience within this state, who interrupts such a person, while speaking, by the use of insulting or offensive language or opprobrious epithets applied to the speaker or who attempts to interrupt or injure the speaker by throwing missiles of any kind at him shall be fined not less than fifty ($50.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), or imprisoned for not less than one (1) year nor more than six (6) months [sic], or both.
3. Here Fishy Fishy
Going hunting? What about going to enjoy a nice sunny day at the lake to fish? Make sure you have your fishing poles because that’s almost the only way you’re going to get those fish out of the water in Kentucky! Most know this law as "it is illegal to fish with a bow and arrow". Apparently, bowhunting fish is not the only method that is prohibited.
According to KRS 235.280:
"The administrative regulation establishes the procedures for taking sport and rough fish by nontraditional fishing methods including underwater spearing, scuba diving, sport fishing trotlines, jugging, setlines, gigging, snagging, grabbing, bow fishing, and the taking of rough fish from backwaters."
These laws are just some of the few crazy mandated statutes in Kentucky. They may be dumb, but there are still penalties for breaking them. Hopefully you keep these in mind while you're fishing, adopting new pets, or at a convention.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, astudio, Walter Kopplinger, MAii Thitikorn, Africa Studio
