The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1915-11-24

pioneers came to Kentucky by the
Wilderness road they found land fer
| tile beyond their widest hopes,
Astounding with game and fish, upon
which they were dependent for food
and clothing. In reaching Kentucky,
Boone and his followers found that
the Indian tribes to the north, south
and west had preceded them. To Ken
lucky the Indians made annual pilgrim
| age to kill their winter supply of game,
which was found in great abundance
and of splendid quality. At that time
there was game in plenty for all, but
the Indians looked with disfavor upon
the presence of the white man, realiz-
| ing that it meant the destruction of
| their favorite hunting grounds should
they be left to occupy the land, so they
stubbornly resisted by every possible
means. the advancement of the foreign
| hunter.
The Indian did not kill to excess and
was determined that his happy hunting
ground should not be destroyed. Their
| stubborn resistance made the name
and early history of 'Kaintuckee" typ
| zeal of it's Indian name, Ozark and
Bloody Ground"
The pioneer, like the Indian, took
only of this supply for food and raj
ment, but with civilization grew the
| sport of hunting for pleasure, and so
wantonly was game destroyed by this
| class of citizens that thoughtful and
representative men soon realized that
] If game was to be conserved for future
! generations, it was necessary to enact
laws protecting them during the breed.
| ing season.
The first game laws in Kentucky, of
which there is any record, were passed
/ in 1922, and were for the protection oi
| fish. In fact, most of the early laws
were measures for fish protection At
that time all laws in the state upon
this subject were local or county laws
and remained so until the adoption OF
the present Constitution. Since that
time all laws enacted upon this sub
| ject have been state measures, apply
| ing alike to each county in the state
To the county authorities were charged
| the enforcement of measures of this
| character.
To the average citizen there was
little necessity for the enforcement of
these measures; in fact, there was SO
| little public sentiment for the enforce
! ment of these laws that they were
| openly violated without fear of prose.
cution. To those who gave the subject
| thought, it was apparent that it was
necessary to create a new law and en-.
trusting to and charging others and
| specially named officers with their en-
| forcement
A bill was introduced in the 1910 ses.
sion of the Legislature providing for
the creation of a Game and Fish Com
mission, but was defeated A similar
measure, possibly wider in scope, was
| introduced in 1912 and enacted into
law, which became effective in 1912.
This law is found in it's entirety in
Chapter So, Acts 1912.
To this Commission and it's agents
are entrusted the enforcement of the
law and the restocking of fields and
streams with game and fish. Authority
was given to the Commission to ap-
point wardens throughout the state to
enforce the law Chapter So, Acts
1912, made 40 changes in the then ex-
listing game laws, except that it pro-
vided that all hunters when hunting off
their own land or that Immediately ad.
joining their own, with the permission
of the owner, should first secure a
! hunting license, for which they were
to pay the County Court Clerk 81. The
clerks were allowed to retain Is cents
for each license, directing that the
remainder be sent to the Treasurer of
the State, to be placed to the credit of
the Game and Fish Protection Fund.
The law provided that five thousand
(S5,000) dollars should be appropriated
for the maintenance of the department
during its first year. This sum, how
ever, to be in the nature of loan, and
directed that the Commission should
return this sum-or as much thereof
as used-to the Treasurer from the
first moneys collected from the sale of
hunters license. OF the $4,000 appro-
priated, only $42O.71 was drawn from
the appropriation in the months of
June and July, 1912. This amount, and
the remainder of the $4,000, was re-
turned to the state in August, 1872
Since that time the Commission has
not drawn one cent from the states