I got sidetracked last night after the kids went to bed, because I ran across an article claiming, “These 14 Crazy Laws in Idaho Will Leave You Scratching Your Head.” Among the crazy laws claimed by the site are that it is illegal in Idaho to fish from the back of a camel or a giraffe. Apparently, these particular crazy “laws” have been spread far and wide on the Internet. A quick google search reveals countless websites repeating the “fact” that it is against the law in Idaho to fish from the back of a camel or giraffe.
Being a critical thinker and wanting to bring peace of mind to you, my loyal readers, I decided to look into some of these crazy laws. (Of course, I am sure that many of you have spent countless nights wondering whether you were breaking the law in your giraffe-back- or camel-back-fishing exploits.) Suspiciously, I was unable to find any citation to any particular statute or regulation prohibiting such activities, so I began with a general search of the Idaho Code (Idaho’s statutes).
To my complete lack of surprise, the words “camel” and “giraffe” do not appear anywhere in the Idaho Code. However, I also figured this might be the sort of strange rule sometimes created by government bureaucrats. So, I also checked the Idaho Administrative Code (Idaho’s regulations) and, somewhat to my surprise and excitement, found multiple hits for both animals.
Imagine my excitement that the Idaho Administrative Code regarding rules on fishing (!!)(IDAPA 13.01.11) mentions “giraffe!” Could it be that this “law” actually exists? No, sorry, it simply states that Giraffe Creek and its tributaries are closed to fishing. ( How about camels? Yes! Idaho Administrative Code regarding rules governing the importation of animals (IDAPA 02.04.21) discusses camels. Apparently camels are part of a group of animals, called camelids, which includes llamas, alpacas, vicunas (whatever those are), and camels. Camelids are part of a broader group called “livestock.” And, unsurprisingly, Idaho does have regulations regarding the importation of livestock, including camels. But nothing about fishing from one.
So, the answer is that there is no Idaho law specifically prohibiting fishing from a camel or a giraffe. More importantly, this exercise highlights for me how readily our society has strayed away from fact-checking and how low our B.S. detectors seem to be set. Quick tip when reading something that someone claims is “the law”: if they do not provide a citation to the source, it is probably made up.
If you have questions about strange (probably made-up) Idaho “laws,” or you would like help with an actual, important legal issue, such as a child custody dispute, or a worry over the recent death of a loved one, please contact the Learned Lawyer today.
