The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-11-07
Sportsmen and the OptlonallLleense.

SpOftSmen ana the OptlOnaliLlCenSe.
Sportsmen throughout Tennessee
owe debt of gratitude to the State
Warden for his happy solution Of their
troubles and inconvenience arising
under the old written permission law.
AS some of cur bird shooters may not
have seen the act of 1907 the following
explanation of the optional license feat
ure will be Of decided interest:
It is prohibited to shoot or hunt up
on the lands of another, whether en-
closed or not, without the written per-
mission of the owner. If, however,
the shooter holds license he may
shoot or hunt upSn the verbal permits
mission of the owner. AS this license
costs only $3 per annum, it is safe to
assume that most sportsmen will, be-
fore The season opens, hasten to avail
themselves of the manifest convenience
this license affords.
How often have sportsmen found out
that on coming to some friends farm
where they are heartily welcome and
have been verbally invited, that the
owner was absent, and if they shot
there without first having secured the
written permission required under the
law they were liable to arrest by the
Game Warden: and sometimes even
when the owner was at home he would
become offended at being called upon
to sign paper, saying that his word
was good enough, and if the shooter
couldn't trust that he might go else
where In fact, as a general rule, far
mers are averse to signing papers, par
ticularlly if presented by other than
some very intimate friend.
Hundreds of letters have been receiv.
ed by the State Warden urging him to
devise some legislation to relieve the
sportsmen from the embarrassing nt and
inconvenience Of annoying their farm
or friends for written permission to
shoot. The outcome Of his efforts was
the amendment to the law creating the
optional license for resident shooters,
which, as its name implies, may be ia.
ken out or not just as the shooter pre-.
fers; but if he does not take it out,
then, before starting on his trip, he
must first procure the written permits
mission of owners upon whose lands
he intends to shoot. 1t is the duty Of
all wardens to request an inspection OF
all licenses and it is a misdemeanor fol
anyone to refuse to comply with suct
request. Under the new law there vii
be Game Warden in every civil dis
trict throughout the state; therefore
shooters had better prepare themselve
with one or the other of these papers
i. e., the optional license or writer
permission, or they will surely be ''rul
in" and as the fine is $25, their tril
may prove both unpleasant and expen
sive.
There is another feature of the cas-
: which should appeal to every sports
: man: They know best of all men tina
= but for the untiring efforts Of our Stat
Warden in protecting our quail bot
y from market hunters and expectation
there would be few, if any, of thes
. beautiful game birds left in Tennessee
! A report made by the Special Con
. mlttee from the House and Senate il
= the last legislature shows that for fou
= years the State Warden gave not onl
J his time, without salary, but in add
Is ton So, 900 of his money to the cause {
% game protection. His department cal
not run except at considerable expene
" and the sportsmen of the state who al
81 so greatly benefited by his work ca
u best rally to his support by taking OF
u and having their friends take out tn
optional license. Application blanl
y and copies of the law are furnished fr,
y of charge. If our sportsmen, farmer
J. and land owners will hold up the han'
r of the State Warden in his work Of
i state will soon lead the Union as tt
Oh "happy hunting grounds. > Nashvil
l. American.