The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-20
RESUME OF GAME LAWS.
Work Done by the Last Legislature
to Protect Game in This
State.

An interesting and comprehensive
summary of the game law legislation
enacted by the last Legislature is con-
tanned in an article by Joseph kalb-
fus, secretary of the game commission,
to the American Field. He says
THE general game law of 1897 is
still unchanged The opening of the
season the manner of killing, the
number allowed to be killed and the
disposition of the same, remain as
heretofore. There was an act passed
entitled An act authorizing and en-
powering the owners and lesees W real
estate within this commonwealth to
kill hares or rabbits upon their own
premises at all times of the year.
This act is intended to authorize
the killing of these animals only where
II is found necessary to kill them as
protection to growing crops or fruit
trees, and for no other purpose.
Nov, as | understand it, the
natural law of self-defense permits a
man To defend his property as we'll as
his person from injury of all kinds.
Section 3S of the game law of 1873
unrepealcD says: Provided, that
nothing in this act will prevent any
| person from killing any wild animal
or bird when found destroying grain
| or fruit on his or her lands The
| right then existed last year, both by
| common law and by statute, tn kill a
| rabbit or any other wild animal or
| bird that was n menace to the interest
of the farmer or the fruit grower just
as he may today kill robin or cat
| bird from his cherry tree. This bill,
| then, was upSeCcssary and makes no
| change &fhc law of last year.
"In many sections of this state. the
| rabbit is a source of extensive food
supply: especially is this so in our
mining counties. To the poor man all
over the state. the rabbit means a
nutritious, cheap meal, no matter
whether he kills it or buys it in the
market, but he is prevented from Sc
curing it at pleasure by the game laws
of the state.
THE rabbit is Classed as game and
as such belongs to the people of the
state in their collective capacity and
| not to the farmer or landlord upon
| whose premises il may be found. The
legislature, as the representative Of
the people, may say what disposition
shall be made of the rabbit or of any
other game, but it has no right under
the constitution to say that the far.
mcr, or the fruit grower or land
| owner may kill game To the exclusion
of the miner. the man who lives IL
the city, or the man who is unluckS
enough TO own no real estate.
This. il seems to me would be elias,
legislation and this act was INTENDED
TO give no rights conflicting with tn,
general game law of the state, anC
unless the rabbit be destroying tn,
property of the man who kills it, /
does not come within the provisions
of this act, and no one in the stat,
may kill a rabbit and use it for fooC
except during the time allowed by sal,
general game law. There can be n
objection to the farmer killing a rab
bit found destroying his property, bu
if he Kills it for any other purpos
or reason, / take il he exceeds tn
authority given by bill No. ~ and |
liable to prosecution for violation o
the provisions of the game law o
1897.
"Bill No. 81 Is AN act requiring non
resident gunners to secure q lCens
before hunting in Pennsylvania Thi
bill Is not game commission meas
ure, and is of that kind that appear
to a great many people to be unfai
, | and unjust, imposing a great hard
, ship upon numbers Of our people. Fo
instance, the man who Is visiting hi
p farmer friend or relative for fe'
. days during the open season for gam
= IN this state. And especially does tht
law appear unjust when we conside
Y that while the state owns the gam
= the many farms of the state are ind
= Vidual property, and license granite
= by the state gives no right or powt
n to enter any of these farms withol
Il permission of the owner, and a pei
S son possessing a license under this a,
might still be prevented from shoe
e ing in this state"