The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-17
Let's Go Fishing
HUNTING WAS
REGULATED BY
LAW IN 1745
Ancient Statute Reveals
Penalty for Failure to
Get License.
BY LEFTY LEE
BY LEFTY LEE
Times Fishing Editor

The strides made by Indiana and
other state conservation depart
ments in recent years are wonderful
and if the methods in use are
carried on we will be able to secure
some real sport without depriving
the future generations Of any of
their heritage. That conservation has
been in the minds Of the people of
this country even before the Dec
laration Of Independence is revealed
by one of the earliest statutes re-
garding hunting license in Amer
lea. The statute was passed in
1745, and reads as follows
"Forasmuch as there are great
numbers Of idle and disorderly per-
sons who have no settled habita-
ton nor visible method Of support
ing themselves by industry and hon.
est calling many of whom come in
from neighboring colonies without
proper passes and kill deer at all
seasons of the year, and often leave
the carcass in the woods, and also
steal and destroy cattle, and carry
away horses, and commit other
enormities, to the great prejudice of
the inhabitants of this province.
Be it therefore enacted by the
authority aforesaid that every per-
son who shall hunt and kill in the
kings waste within this province
and who is not possessed of a set
tied habitation of the same, shall
be obliged to produce a certificate,
when required, of his having plant
ed and tended 5000 cornhills, at five
feet distance each hill, the preced-
ing year or season, in the country
where he shall hunt, under the
hands of at least two justices of
the peace of the said country, and
the hand of at least one of the
church wardens of the parish where
such person planted and tended
such corn, as aforesaid. And be it
further enacted, that if any person
as aforesaid is found hunting and
does not produce such certificate,
as aforesaid, when required, he shall
forfeit his gun and i've pounds
proclaiming money for each offense.
After the Declaration of In
dependence, the states were so busy
In preparing their constitutions that
they paid no attention to the fishing
or hunting whatsoever. The first act
covering these sports was passed by
congress in 1882 and it regulated the
destruction of game in the Indian
territory. In 1878 a game law was
passed for the District of Columbia.
In 1894 one was passed for the
Yellowstone park and in 1899 a
second act for the District of Co
lumbia. This was practically all
that was accomplished in the nine
teenth century. One law passed in
1899 was mistake and the legis-
lature of 1901 quickly remedied it.
This was the law that permitted the
use of seines to take fish. The farm
erS claimed that they did not have
the time to catch a mess with rod
and reel and the lawmakers agreed
with them. 1t failed from the start,
for while the law limited the mesh
and size of seine. it was found an
easy matter for different parties to
tie their SeineS together and thus
depopulate the streams. This law
was very unpopular from the start
and it was an easy matter to kill it.
Those anglers who can be listed
among the disappointed ones in
thcir quest for a prize winning bass
this week are Garry and Lee Wind
ers. Walt Jones, Bill Hurley, Jack
vending, Joe Waite, Charlie
Brockman and Lefty Lee. All of
the above named visited with Ed
Shortridge over the weekend, hunt
ing for some of those line breakers
and they all came back empty
handed, as far as prize winners are
concerned. The sad part of it is
that spot on Mill creek has plenty
of bass in it that are monsters too.
OF course this can be taken as
fisherman's luck, and the same flock
of anglers again will travel to this
hole soon, and hope that they hit
1t just right.
Hey you squirrel hunters, lay off.
The squirrel season closed Oct. IS.
The fact that Oct. Is fell on Sun
day gave the squirrel break as the
law reads mo hunting on Sunday
and Saturday was the last time they
could be taken legally. We often
have wondered if the no hunting on
Sunday law was one way of giving
the hunter with means the edge, of
course under present conditions this
law does not affect the workingman
as much as 1t has in past years as
he has plenty of spare time during
the week now to mingle in the woods
with his more favored brethren of
the rod and gun.