Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-28
COMMUNICATION.
FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE GAME OF
TENNESSEE-No. 10.

IENNESoEE-No. III.
Having said all that 1 wish to say at present on
the subject of fish, shall now direct the attention
of the reader to the protection of the game in
more proper sense.
Our State is well suited to the production and null
DUPLICATION of several kinds of game, among animals
and birds, having a full proportion of mountains
and forest, with abundant supply of water and
food for them that, with avery slight protection,
game would soon become abundant.
The larger game, such as buffalo and elk, are al
ready gone and are be found only the frontier,
and bear are only to be found in few counties of
the State and do not think that anything could be
done 10 protect them. Neither Go think they
of sufficient value to deserve protection for the OBJ
ect is to have protection only with view to benefit
the masses. Deer are less inclined to fly before the
sound of the woodman, aRd are yet to be found in
almost every county in the State, or, at least in
large portion of the State. and the underground
is growing up in the timber portions of the country,
it is the belief of the knowing the subject,
that in despite of the efforts which are continually
being made to drive them off and kill them up still
they are in some sections the increase. Could
the good people of Tennessee get their consent to
discontinue the practice of running the deer with
dogs they would multiply rapidly, and would cease
to migrate and be numerous The still hunter would
not be able to drive them out. They ought, by all
MEANS to be protected by law in the raising season.
and if those who have dogs would only consent to
chase the fox for while with their dogs we would
soon have in our mountain and hill portions, and in
fact in all unsettled sections, deer in abundance
Thefox needs no protection. The fox hunter dOesnot
wish to destroy, but only to chose his game and if
they were all destroyed the public would not be
much the worse for it, The flesh is not fit for the
table, and the promise of profit from their fur is
very slight; they only useful in furnishing sport
for a portion Of our citizens, and as the sports
men do not destroy them when they can avoid it, l
think the fox does not require any protection by law.
The rackOon and opossum are of more value than
the fox. They deserve more attention at our hands,
and yet do not think any legislation necessary in
their case, as they both utterly worthless in
the raising season that no one, not even the most
hungry negro, ever thinks of killing them during
that time, and on that account am inclined to the
opinion that they rapidly the increase through
out the country; that at present, with good dog
a frosty night, and skirt of woods, you can have
protection. The rabbit of our country is becoming
quite an object. Some object to them because of
their fOndness for cabbage, and the bark of young
trees in hard weather. but all you ought to do is to
tie some cornstalks around your young trees in win
ter, and put scare crow near your plant bed in
spring, and the rabbits will do you no harm, and
will furnish you any amount of sport for men and
boys in the winter; in fact do not see how the boys
could do without them-and young, fat rabbit,
well prepared, is good for food any winter morning
But the rabbit in the raising is so utterly
mean and contemplate that no well raised dog will
run them at that time, that they need no protec
tiOn by law.
The squirrels, which were once common to our
forests, are rapidly disappearing A general war
has been kept up against them in this country until
a man may now travel whole day through our for
est and not one where there used to be one for
every tree. The squirrel is not only good for food
but highly ornamental. The groves in and near to
the Eastern City, from which the squirrel had for
many years been driven or killed out are now being
re-supplied at considerable cost and trouble. Had
grove of ten about my house, with ten SPUR
rels in it, would not take ten dollars piece for
them. A squirrel is a semi domestic animal and |
if let alone, and little cared for by man, they
would soon become tame Let the old shot guns be |
turned and keep the dogs off of them fora
while, and your groves would again be vocal with |
their barking. They exceedingly neat, beau |
tiul and sprghtly animal, and it would fit of
blues any time to a family of them at play in |
the trees in your yard. l do not think that there |
ought TO be any squirrels killed for the next
ten years. and not then inside of any Enclosure, I'M
less by the consent of the proprietor. They are
resident animal and never move unless they move |
en- mqsse and that to considerable distance. What
is provoking than for worthless, lazy fell
low, that will not work, to come with his old shot |
gun, and tear mother squirrel all in pieces, when
she is just building her nest, after you have been
feeding her all winter with your hogs, and have been
promising yourself the pleasure of having half
dozen young ones soon racing through your groves
and grounds and all for single dime; for after her
skin is torn off and thrown to the dogs ten cents
is all that the carcass will fetch in the market
Squirrels ought not longer be thought of as food
but as an ornament to our groves. Let them be pro-
tscted at any rate in the spring and summer. l
shall take up our fowls and birds in my next.
A LOVER OF NATURE.
E6- Since the commencement of the coinage
+bo poyv cant piace over forty TONS of them have