The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-19
THOUGHTS OF TIMES READERS
Anent the Game Laws-AppropriatiDrs
for Street improvements.
To .ho Editor of The Times.

for street improvements.
To the Editor Of The Times:
Seeing in The TIMES about a week ago
an article upon the game laws, and COM
pilation of the laws as they exist In some
Of the counties. ! think some one should
express the sentiment Of our people. The
prOhibitory game law was abolished IN this
county by special petition from some OF our
best citizens and huntsmen. We know
that great many people thought no one
had a right to stop them from hunting on
their own farms. nor their neighbOrs either
if they did not object, consequently they
did not regard the law if they wished to
hunt. They could violate the law
with IMMUNITY, because, although
some differed with them, they
Virginia people up here. and don't believe
IN too many restrictions anyhow; but we
certainly will not act as detectives for the
apprehension Of our friends and neighbOrs.
Few people have desire TO hunt game too
early or To shoot small game even in sea
son. | believe there is really less hunting
now than when the law was in force-cer-
tainy no more. As proof Of 10 ] have not
heard Of any game being killed up to TINS
time. No one has been hunting IN this com
munty. and there is no talk Of il. Our peO-
law known as the scalp act. which allows
the supervisors Of the several counties to
offer premiums for the scalps Of hawks,
owls minks. &c. The only objection to this
law is that ii is not general.
Our board adopted it, and have continued
ever since il was first enacted with uni
yersal satisfaction. Hawks have dimin-
shed and birds have increased, and the pro-
lection afforded chickens alone is consider
t.r.4 - 10 Il
raise chickens for hawks until the scalp
law had thinned them out. but now she
could raise them unmOlested. As good as
the law seemed to all Of Us. we had TO give
il up becereo other counties adjoining us
would not adopt it, and IL was useless for
Us to attempt 10 destroy these pests when
they could come in on all sides
from adjoining counties and replenlsh
our woods and fields as we destroy
ed them. When our Board took the matter
up for reconsideration, by my request, they
postponed their action until l. as one Of the
Board wrote TO the chairmen of all the
Boards in counties adjoining ours, and re-
quested them to adopt this law. ] urged
them to adopt it,. as the burden was too
heavy for us TO hold alone, but none Of them
replied except Chesterfield. They wrote
that they could not adopt it then. on
account of the state Of their treasury,
but that they agreed with Us III be-
lieving it the best game law yet enacted.
our Board had, therefore, TO rescind
their order The law was so popular that
our action created a good deal Of dssatis-
faction, until we explained our motive for
resembling it. We paid out four or five hun
dred dollars annually for scalps. This was
not much when we considered the saving IN
game and poultry. | believe the saving IN
poultry alone will defray all expenses; be-
sides the money is not paid out Ofthe county,
but goes right back into the pockets Of the
farmer. When a hawk once starts on
c0yey Of birds, or brood Of chickens. he VIII
catch one nearly every day until they
are nearly all caught. II is well
known that where birds are closest hunted
one season there they will be most plentiful
next season. This must be due TO the
driving away Of the hawks. and TO their
destroying more birds than the huntsmen.
There are a great many little birds even
after the time the season opens that are to-
tally at the mercy Of the huntsmen if they
wished 10 Kill them. We, therefore, think
that the scalp law is the only law that af-
fords proper protection to game, and will be-
all that is needed If made general through
out the state. cOuntrymen. READER.
Amelia Courthouse, Va.