Three men spotted strolling with AR-15s slung around their necks in Melbourne Beach were briefly questioned by police before it was determined that they were going out to fish.

In Florida, it is legal for anyone fishing, camping or hunting to openly carry a firearm. Similar episodes with open carry or Second Amendment gun advocates have taken place across the nation in recent years, with law enforcement agents often called to investigate.

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In the Melbourne Beach case, officers talked with the unidentified men, spotted their lightweight AR-15s coupled with their fishing poles and allowed them to walk on toward Ocean Park.

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One of the men later planted the flag in the sand along the shoreline as beach-goers went about their business. The men then appeared to fish for a few moments before leaving, police reported.

“An officer spotted them. They had their fishing poles and were carrying a flag that said ‘don’t tread on me,’” said Melbourne Beach Police Chief Melanie Griswald.

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The incident happened about noon Tuesday near the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Atlantic Street.

"It's a small town so it raises eyebrows," Griswald said of the incident in the town of 3,400 residents. "We watched them walk down to the beach and plant their flag. Nobody paid much attention to them."