Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-12-09
Fish and Game laws.

There has always been aprejudice against
game laws in this country, But under the
pressure Of stern facts it is fast wearing
away. We are beginning to find out, as
fish and game disappear from our waters and
forests, that they must have more stringent
protection than they have yet received. or
very soon they will be utterly extinct. Laws
for the preservation of game are not only Of
Importance to the game, but chiefly so to man.
They preserve the amusemeuts and sports Of
the country, which is Of great importance
and they also add to the material wealth and
resources of the people And as we come to
recognize the importance Of these sports
which are so congenial to the tastes Of
men and the necessity, also, Of preserving
the game which contributes so much to the
luxury Of the rich and the subsistence Of the |
poor, we are losing our ancient prejudices
against laws for the protection and preserya-
ton Of fish and wild birds and animals. Nor |
is it difficult to see that we have got to pro /
tect the ttra nature 10y legislation, in order |
to preserve them at all2 II we cannot do it, |
it will not be long before we shall not have /
a trout in our brooks or partridge or wood /.
cock in our woods.
II has been almost impossible for men to
understand that bird, Matched, no one
knows where, finding its living to-day in
one forest, and tomorrow in another, should
be as strictly guarded by law as goose
which is born in farm-yard and whose
history is perfectly authentic, from the egg
to the oven. And yet if we are to have
such birds much longer, they must be pro
tected as much as the barn-yard fowl. Yer
mont is just beginning to legisate in this
direction. II has thrown the mantle Of the
law over all the young salmon which are
now being distributed in our rivers. Any
one who shall capture within the limits Of
this state a salmon, in the next five years,
will be subject to a fine Of ten dollars for
each salmon so taken. As there is now an
effort being made by our excellent fish com
missioners to stock the waters of the state
with this delicious fish, it is simply neces-
sary to protect them from capture, under
heavy penalties. We shall be indeed for
tunste if the Connecticut and Winooski and
Lamoille and Missisco rivers shall teen once
more with the royal salmon, Nor is there
any reason why they may not The streams
of England and Scotland, no larger or finer
than our own abound with salmon and
trout. The most splendid salmon caught in
the Scottish waters are to be found in all the
markets of Great Britain. They retail on
the fish stands Of London, in the season, at
twenty cents a pound less than they can
be bought in Burlington or Montpelier
There could not be larger contribution
to the wealth OF satisfaction Of our people
than to stock our rivers and brooks with an
abundance Of salmon and trout. They are
streams such as these fish naturally seek and
love. They would still fill them but for the
they have been subject. But unless the
judgment and common sense of the people
sustain the law and attend to its enforce
ment and execution, it will be idle to at
tempt to stock our waters with these fish.
England, Scotland and Bavaria, with pop
ulation twenty times denser than Vermont,
have abundant supplies Of salmon and trout
from their own waters. But they have gone
further than to interdict fishing and hunting
at certain seasons They have either given
to every man property in the fish or game
on his own land or have made them the
property of the State, and sold the privilege
of fishing or hunting in certain districts to
individuals. "a we are inclined to the
opinion that our own Legislature has got to
go far beyond its present provisions, and be-
sides the prohibition of unreasonable sport
ing, give to every man property in the game
that is for the time in his own enclosures.
This is the only way in which sufficiently
numerous and effective police can be formed
and made to execute the laws Give to the
land owner the absolute right to whatever
game flies or roams on his farm, or whatever
fish swims in the waters of his enclosure,
and he will protect them with the vigilance
that he guards his lambs or his hens. They
will become source of revenue and profit
lie could sell the privilege Of hunting Oh
fishing for the season at price that would
be an appreciate advantage Even the
sportsman, who now pays five or ten dollar
Tor two or three days Of most meagre anC
unsatisfactory sport, would gladly give tn,
same or a larger sum for the privilege Of
whipping the productive stream which flow
through the pasture and meadow of
farmer who has protected his fish from wan
ton marauders.
The present law is good one, so far a
it goes. II is of vast consequence to pro
tect game in its breeding season. lie wh'
takes trout in the spawning season, kill
thousand more fish than he catches. /
the penalty annexed to this gross outrage OF
the life of fish and game can be faithful,
executed, it will not be long before the Stat
will derive the benefit in their great increase
Already since some attention has been giyei
to this matter, the public statutes that WI
have, together with the advancing knowl
edge of the people have succeeded in stay
ing the complete devastation Of our waters
The trout are not diminishing so rapidly a
y few years ago, II this law can arrest still
more decidedly their destruction, we shall
be glad; but we shall hardly be content til
the laws of the state make all fish and gam
the property Of those in whose domain the.
are TO be found. With such a law partridge
may be as thick and tame here as pheasant
are in England, and salmon and trout ma
fill our streams as they do the Tweed, tn
Shannon or the Mork The market will b