The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-04
Game. Game Laws and the Land
Owner.

i
! Sir,-lt IS very evident that game has
decreased i'll all Southside Virginia. This
IS due 10 many causes, with the abolition
OF slavery and the consequent comparative
-nefficicncy OF free negro labor 10 slave,
most Of the large farms on watch large
quantities of small grain and clover were
raised are now things of the past. Food
and protection against their natural enc
mics We're thus afforded TO the smaller
game. These large farms. now suhdvided
into small holdings. give comparatively a
Very small yield in the crops once so
| abundantly supplying both food and pro-
lection to the smaller game. Neither has
the multiplication of settlements for var.-
Gus reasons proven advantageous to game
L can be easily shown also that the rapid
multiplication of saw mills and the conse-
Guent rapid destruction OF our forests
have been necessarily destructive to DIFF
! terent species of game.
The large and increasing number of
(, half fed dogs owned to great extent
| by our colored families to prey upon voting
| and helpless game are no relief to the sit
| uatiou. The RAPID multiplication of foxes
| and minlis means, of course. increased
! destruction to cartridges and young tur-
| keys.
| SO the present game laws reach and rem
i edy any of these causes for the diminu-
! ton, and destruction of our game DO
! they offer any honas for am increased and
! enriched average Of small grain? Do
! they impose any tax upon the useless dogs
7; that prey alike upon game and sheep?
! Of course they cannot reach the Ium-
| berman's axe or dull his sharpened saw.
! But they do reach and annoy the land
| owner. He is not man of ample leisure
! and consistently with his duty to his
I; family aud the continuously exacting de-
i mands Of farm work, he must enjoy MS
| hunts within the limits of few hours
J ana that too ut wide intervals of time,
| while the professional sportsman can ana
| does arrange the revel III his hunts for days
| and weeks. The very time often when
| the farmer can best enjoy the recreation
B.; and the material profits of u few hours
| hunt occurs III October or February and
; the game law hampers and :;nnoys him.
! To hunt with any pleasure or profit.
| man must keep pointer, and now the
! game law comes in with its restraints
| that you stall hunt with him, but three
! months Of the year. and the question may
! we'll be asked il the average landowner
! will find much pleasure or profit in keep
| ing and feeding an animal, to be used
only three months in the year, December
and January with Their SHOWS and rains
and bitter freezes being two OF them
! Moreover, the average landowner is no
| trained marksman. He cannot down his
bird al every shot. Few men Impractical
! fire effectuallv at flying cartridges. Few
| farmers have time for practicing Sunnery.
| Great many would find it too poor bus
| ness financially to attempt il. But far
i rners and their wives and children, too.
! like 10 eat birds. Can you b ame them
, beneticent God has stocked their own
! farms and which Their own waste grain
/ has fed. are practically forbidden meat
| 10 such farmers and their boys. For here
come III the humane.s provisions of the
| game law. These birds shall not De
not be shot while SNOW is on the ground
But trained marhsmen Of the sporting
| leagues can come out from the cities in
/ the legal season and with their one and
/ deadly aim upon the wing. backed by
their equally well-traned retrevers. can,
and doubtless do destroy in one day more
birds than the same number of average
farmers would in whole year by traps
nets and snow shooting, on the ground
and on the wing also. Well may we
| ask here IN whose interests are game
| laws passed, and what organ zat tons are
backing them" Is it matter of land
/, owners or is it the work of sporting
i! leagues?
The game law is in another most seri-
| Gus aspect Objectionable to the landowner.
| We allude 10 the system Of espionage and
/ search necessarily connected with efforts
/ to enforce it. and tle bad feeling among
neighbors resulting therefron1. Somebody
/ and the informant, howsoever unworthy
he may be. is 70 be literally rewarded
What pandoris box OF Evil is here. In
formation leads to search The house OF
a Virginia landowner searched. the feel
tngs of his family. outraged. sard all for
what? Because heSis charged with kill
! ing an old hare or partridge out of season
+; perhaps for his sick wife or child. or sho;
/; down {, wild turkey pulling III, his you:lc
eorr,-or tearing down his wheat or peanut
i stacks. DOES not this seem at least to be
! an unreasonable search. and as sics,
against the constitutional provision THE
right Of the people ID be secure III their
persons houses papers and effects agains!
| unreasonable searches shall not be vio-
! lated, IN view Of altsth.s it is not sur
4 pciSns 70 i,ld thasStfe game Law among
ttla rural population is very unpopular.
So far as we know, our hest peopie are
against Il. The I;ls- in many localities is
generally disresarded. This is very sad
/ ara depierable. A good citizen should re
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