Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-24
The Riqht to Hunt.

There is growing sentiment
throughout this country in the direc-
ton of the prevention of indiscrimi-
nate hunting on the lands of another
without permission and the strength
of this sentiment Is becoming more
apparent every day.
During the early settlement and for
generations thereafter, the right to
hunt wild game wherever it was to be
found, was unquestioned, and such
thing as trespass in an open field was
unknown. The reasons were obvious.
Among the reasons were the fact that
wild game was so far in excess Of the
needs Of any individual Of any sparse
ly settled community that it was alb
surd for anybody to think of being
ouerrelous about such a matter, and
neighbors were so widely separated
and the necessity Of standing together
for common defense against the red
man and other so considered public
enemies, was so great, that all men
who were not openly unfriendly were
treated with the utmost consideration.
AS the country became more thick
ly settled and game became scarcer
sentiment began to crystalize against
indiscriminate trespass and hunting OF
all kinds; but it was not until the be-
ginning of the present generation that
this sentiment began to dominate. The
first definite move in the direction of
curtailing the old common law right
Of hunting on the lands Of another
found expression in acts which gave
the owner Of land the right to prose-
cute as trespassers people who contin-
ued to violate his premises after due
warning not to do so, and even these
acts have never been enforced except
in a few instances in certain localities
The next step in the direction of
game protection. in South Carolina,
was law that absolutely prohibited
trespass on the lands of another under
any preteXt whatever, without permis-
sion. This law, although generally
recognized as sensible and proper, has
never been enforced to any consider
able extent, for reasons that might be
said to be obvious. For instance there
are few land owners in this county,
during this day Of civilized enlighten-
ment, who would desire to prosecute
anybody for coming on their lands,
provided the quassi trespasser was not
up to any harm; but at the same time
this law is having an undoubted influ-
ence in the protection of game, and in
bringing about a closer scrutiny of
trespassers generally.
Land owners are beginning TO take
greater interest in their partridges
and other game, and are becoming
more appreciative Of their right to
protect the same. In some cases the
land owner considers the partridge too
valuable from the standpoint Jf agri-
cultural economy to allow chem to
be destroyed, and will not shoot them
himself or allow anybody else to shoot
them. In other cases. where no es-
pecial value is placed upon the par
fridge as an insect destroyer, the
landowner. realizing that the right to
shoot is esteemed by so many as
high privilege. prefers to withhold
that privilege from the general public
and preserve it only for such special
friends and acquaintances as he de-
sires to compliment.
With it ALL the restrictions around
hunting privileges are steadily and
surely growing tighter and tighter and
within a very few years from now the
indiscriminate hunting Of the past
promises to become thing unknown.