Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-12
TO PROTECT OUR GAME.
4 Farmer Suggests How Game
Can Re Preserved.
To the Edjtor Of tic Dispatch:


To the Edjtor Of tie Dispatch:
wish you wonld call the attention of
the farmers throuelogt the state to the
importance Of preserving the game,
winch heretofore has been so sadly neg
lected. Especially alter such severe
winter rs W. have hal, the game must
nave been killed out great deal 20 |
ask the aid OF my brother farmers IN this
matter. for We are the ones to remedy
this evil Now. what ask them to do
would neither take mp any OF their time
nor would it be any trouble to them. 1t
- simply tins : To post their land, and
If any one II caught hunting on the
same 20 enfCr3e the law. There IL GER
tam class of people who do not own foot
Of land in the world. But J can tell you
what they do own--ylz., dog and
gun, which they Use from October until
May. aud nothing can possess them TO
work during this time, because they had
rather get their living by hunting
(poaching) than working. They call
themselves renters, but they are nothlng
but squatters and not hunters, and they
never pay any rent, for the reason they
have nothing to pay it with, and they
destroy q great deal more game than
foxes or hawks. Now, you Will hear
such questions "a these Is there no
way to stop such illegal hunting and
wholesale slaughter Of game? Is there
nothing we can do to increase and pre-
serve our game? Yes there are great
4.
90 them. First, the farmers should call
meetings all over the state, at their dit
ierent post-oiiiccs or voting precincts,
and organize club, to be known as the
Huntsman' Club, whose object will be
the protection and increase OF game
throughout the State.
HOW TO DO 1T.
The duty OF the members shall be to
post their lands and rigidly enforce the
law on all people hunting on their land
without permission or hunting on the
same after the hunting season is over
TO ask the county TO pay premium on
fox and hawk scalps to pledge them
selves to tho protection of game at all
times. and to report to the club any case
Of poaching or law breaking, whose duty
it shall be to prosecute the same. That
each member shall pay % cents year
for membership, and that each club
shall have three business meetings
a year-yiz., October 18th, Febru-
sry l4th, and June 18th. At these
meetings they will be able to transact
all their busin4s and 10 take such
action through our representatives IN
the General Assembly that We may
have a set OF game laws passed that will
not only protect and increase all kinds
of game (the old bare iucluded), but be
a credit to the State as well. think by
adding a social feature to these clubs 1t
would do 4 great deal towards keeping
them up. For il the people had some
pleasant event to look forward TO 1T
would keep their interest alive III the
matter. Each club might give one big
bali during the winter and have one or
two trap-shooting matches during the
summer, for which they might offer
prize to the best shot. Now our town
brother seems disposed to help us III
this good cause by instructlng the police
to arrest all parties caught with game or
Offering it for sale after the hunting sea-
son is over, and [ hope they will con-
tinue to do so.
VIII not the game association take
this matter up ana push it for all it is
worth? Now, Mr.. Editor, if you will
do your part, and one for which the
public will applaud you, you will pub
lish and advocate this matter through
your valuable columns and ask the other
papers throughout the State to do tue
same. Yours, &c, FARMER.