Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-04-12
ApDREss o. ". W. LEGARE.
President of the Montgomery Game
Protective Association.
AprFH = 1879


formed is the preservation of our game, by
enforcing the present laws, and influencing
the enactment of others as may be found
necessary from time to time and hope we
shall all remember that we are solemply
bound, not only TO observe the laws our
selves, but also to influence others to do the
same, as well as to give notice of any viola
lions of them without fear or favor.
1t gives me pleasure to announce that al
though our association has existed for only
a few months, we have already caused some
important changes in the law, by which
large part Of our birds will be protected I'M
til they are fit for sport and for food. Be-
sides this, we can now shoot one species
March and April, when we could not do so
heretofore-legaliy, at least.
That our game of all kinds has been fast
disappearing, every one will admit. Let us
notice some of the causes of this disappear
ance, with the hope Of finding remedy.
Among the principal modes of externi-
mating game are the following:
Netting and trapping, the latter especially,
are practised on almost every farm. By this
means whole c0veys are destroyed, and
none left for another season. The owners of
the land should prohibit this mode of des-
truction, and scatter TO the winds every
trap found by them.
Next come the depredations of hawks, fox
es and vermin, all of which should be killed
on sight by every sportsman.
and even the birds sitting on them. Per-
haps this might be prevented to great eX-
tent by fixing the machines so as TO cut as
high as possible, thus leaving behind also
more cover for the birds.
A number of birds are destroyed by Sc
we're winters, but the loss could be greatly
lessened if the birds were protected and fed
when they came around the barns at such
seasons.
run wild catch many sitting birds and young
ones These dogs should be restrained when
they would do most harm, and their own
ers would have better dogs and more birds
for the open season.
And, finally, the game is disappearing
| through excessive shooting, and although
| there Is a vast army of gunners tramping
over the country, we doubt if they destroy
/ as many as the other causes combined. We
| are confident that a proper or reasonable
amount of shooting, if properly done, Will
| never annihilate the birds in a territory.
/ Shooting makes the birds wild, and the gun
ner in the latter part of the season finds the
| old birds able to take good care of them
selves; they are thereby rendered more
! watchful for hawks, etc, and If not ported on
the ground sufiiciency viii always be left
| over.
/ But then there is the market shooter, who
| makes his living in the field. and who sees
a dime disappearing in every receding bird
| Do we not ask too much of human nature
| when we expect him to diminish his store
| this season, for a distant and prospective
gain in the next? If you would save YOU
| game, gentlemen, eXterminate the market
| shooter, as well as his first cousin, the pot
| hunter, who works solely for meat. His cry
is, "Get meat; honestly, if you can, bn1
| ing to him. The laws Of God and man are
! but bTJttun1 fttInle1l. The conhding par
| fridge, sitting on the stump in June, calling
to his mate who is laying the foundations o.
! an interesting family, is potted with an Ole
| musket resting en- a fence at ten steps dist
ance. Or perhaps he will show an utter want
| of Christian charity for the 3ldteIJdn1tttd'
herself, as she fiuJters before him to draw
him of from her squeaking brood. GU
upon such wretch, fit only for treasons
! stratagens and spells
| But then, my friends, are not some of US
who are proud of the name of sportSmen
which has been handed down to us from {
revered ancestry and made illustrious by
the best and greatest of our land-are not We
! sometimes culpable in this same matter o
wasting the game supply? Are we not too
much afflicted with what has been caIIet
| the ''big bag mania ?" How often do W.
continue, with well-filled pockets, to finisl
out the days hunt to the end, forgetting tina
enough is better than feast, and that econ
omy at the time will afford many pleaSan
daY in the future. Let us all determine u
correct TINS eYl hereafter ana refuse no
only to kill young birds unfit to eat, but ais
to kill for the sake of killing, after suth
cheney of sport and game is obtained.
| 1t is characteristic of barbarous people no
i 10 learn and improve by the experience O
J the past. Let us prove ourselves Sem1-civil
lied at least and give protection to GU
! game, when we see that it has been entlrel,
obliterated from certain sections by indis
| criminate slaughter, but where protects
properly during the nesting season, II turn
! iShes great abundance year by year.
The English say that it is necessary t
| have gamekeeperS. Let us teach them
lesson in this matter, as we have done /
( many others, by inducing the owners
land to become their own gamekeepeIs.
Another point is worthy of the attentio
of our members. If each one would eXpen
a small amount each season to feplenlsh IN
stock of birds, when they have been to
much thinned out, we should certainly |
= well repaid in the fall. There are parts
| the country where the birds have account
lated to a ruinOuS extent, for they are put
nacious fellows, and when too numeroJ
take the matter of defamation into the
4; own hands. Let us transport the surplus
, our own vicinity for the benefit of all pa
{ ties, taking care to turn out only pair i
one place, so as to prevent the cocks trol
! In conclusion, gentlemen, allow me
refer briefly to our intercourse and conne
g ton with landowners. take pleasure hel
! in giving my testimony TO their unYarle
: and even unexpected kindness towards m
i | | say unexpected, because looked for man
1 rebuffS, when l knew the insu ferable aggr
+ | yatiOns to which this class is subjected
sporting t7GBlpS, who run over crops an
/, fences to their great injury, shooting an
Tightening stock and whose object is ofte
= a good fat pig instead of partridge, Und
n these circumstances ought we not TO
more careful to get permission at the DIVE
ling 10 hunt the land, and thus save Il
owner the provocatiOn of stopping his wol
: to find out who we are. We cannot reaso
ably expect him to require less. Ought v
. extended by Offering portion of the gan
. proceeds2 by attention to these matters '
= Shall find prOprietors even much more a
# commodating and kind than they now al
= The interests of SpertSnlen and farmers a
u identical in the matter of game protectto
S The farmer needs the game TO supply b
, table with variety during the winter mont
,, both for health and comfort. In addition
s this the birds are a necessary and lmporta
n factor in the economy of nature. lnSec
Y eating and song birds are the true friends
u husbandry, securing the safety of crops al
= | adding to the loneliness of rural life. 1t
= | well known likewise that an abundance
| game upon an estate renders it more Salah
l. and valuable. surely u cannot be neceSSa
II | to appeal to the owners OF land to cO-Opera
:, | with SportSmen in the enforcement of lay
u equally beneficial to both parties. That Il
q state has the right to pass laws for the pu
; | lie good cannot be denied. The game LAY
are formed on the laws OF nature and a
:, not arbitrary nor tyrannieal, The clio
! / SEASON fOf each species includes Its breedll
y pei iOd, when unfit for food. The santa
/ benefits Of the law are sufficient justine
r ton Tor its enforcement. On the other nan
- the man of business or pro teSStonal life nee
~ and enjoys the same luXuTles OF the IA 70
n and also is vastly benefited by the recre
S | ton to be obtained from forest, field al
stream. Some of us engaged in sedenta
. emplaymepts owe our health and qrten o
d | lives TO frequent exercise with rod, gun al
. dog. 1t is an admitted fact that America
- live too fast, on the hot-house plan, or for
IL ing process. Our business becomes an inc
n orable deity, on whose altar we offer up {
= | that Is manly and noble in nature, deStro
u ing all the finer feelings and warping Il
e mind into narrow selfshness, makil
, wreck of mind, soul and body. A souI
body is the best antagonist of a dyspept
l. soul aud we know OF nothing better Gale
!, | lated To preserve the BALANCE Of mob
nature in al its parts than the manly exc
else of field sports, so totally opposed to u
| low Woes of the saloon and gaming tab
u In the well expressed words of another, 9
we are TO be saved from such results" I'll
evils of too much hard work., with {
their far-reaching Influences upon our inc
vidual and national character, we must CT
IS tivate country sports. The gayest day in t.
winter should be the meet of the hound
e The cheeriest breath of spring should be Il
/ ! one that brings the first wfsp of Snipe 81
IL the first catch of trout. The Woodepek
20 | July, and the grouse in August and Sc
tenher, should izindle a zeSt which will de
e even the blazing heats of our summe
while the golden glOries of autumn sh0u
n bring up the happieSt days, when, with I'll
=, | best of dogs and the cheerieSt of friends, v
: hunt the rutted grouse and the quail"
Teachers Meeting.
1t must not be forgotten that the Teacher
. Association holds its meeting here on Il
7, 25th and Goth inst. Prof. Brooks has Il
l., management of the programme, which, '
presume, will be soon announced, and '
learn that he is already in correspondent
T. with the following gentlemenl Mr.. Lee
"a Trousdale and Prof Caldwell, the State 5