The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1916-02-03
INTERESTING FACTS THE
GAME LAWS.

dear Sir: Our land owners may
not generally know that, notwith-
standing the crowded population of
England, France and Germany, in
those countries the. game has been
preserved, and today the owners of
game preserves are selling game in
the markets of each country.
1t is needless to say that they
derive large sums of money from
such sales. Likewise there is no
government interference with the
time to kill and trap game any more
than with the killing of ordinary
domestic animals and fowls. Nat
urally the owners use the best eff
forts to increase the output of their
preserves.
Our land owners would have the
same opportunities were it not for
the ridiculous game law of our State
for the exclusive benefit of a small
part Of our population who are
pleased to call themselves sports
men. 1t is suggested that of this
class, 80 per cent. do not own any
lands WhereOn game of any variety
is raised. Naturally these persons
are the ones who raise the howl about
the game laws, and preservation of
game, in which they have no more
legal interest than the majority of
our people who are 'sportsmen.
Of course, under this game law,
which invades the property rights of
our land owners, game preserves are
discouraged. For instance, an owner
has lands in Wiregrass Georgia over
crC led with partridges- quail:
hefaWns lands in middle Georgia
WhefeOn there is little Or no game.
Desiring to remove the surplus from
the Wiregrass lands and restore the
game on his middle Georgia lands,
he sets traps to catch the birds, with
the intention of replenishing his own
lands This is violation of the
"sportsmen's" game law Residing
in one county with lands in another.
he cannot kill birds on his own lands
and send them by express, mail or
freight to his family or friends. Re-
Gently in the papers was complaint
about farmers AID their families kill
ing the birds for meat" and this
on their own lands. 1t was claimed
this was IT, son why game was
decreasing, outstanding the game
each sportsman" killing twenty-five
birds per diem, during the open sea-
son for sport
On the farmers lands the birds
are raised they live on his grain;
t. that extent they are an expense
to him, and yet he may not kill
and market his game. To evils re-
suit He is deprived of making
money legitimately; those not sports
men are deprived of the privilege of
occasionally eating little game.
So the law operates against the
land owner and farmer, and prevents
real game conservation, and likewise
against everybody other than the
sportsman.
To preserve the game and benefit
the land owner and the general cit
fZenry, the following law is sug-
gested:
Repeal the game laws existing, and
all auxiliary to it, Prohibit hunting
on the lands of another, and make
the penalty from one to three years
in the penitentiary. Fine one thou
sand dollars. The right to hunt may
be given by the land owner, but it
must be done by an instrument in
writing in the similitude of a deed,
describing the land, the length of
time the permit is to continue, and
the instrument to be witnessed by
two witnesses, one an officer, and
duly recorded, and of no efficacy until
recorded. Having recorded his per-
NIT, the owner hunting must carry