early game laws?

[George]

I'm looking for documentation of early game laws, seasons, regulations, etc., in the colonies, mainly in the 18th century. Also, any instances of game management, by private citizens or government. If anyone has such info, please post.

Example of what I'm looking for...

In Richard Henderson's journal, spring of 1775, at Boonesboro, he notes that a regulation "for Preventing the Destruction of Game", was adopted, but I've never found any details of that. I've read that Daniel Boone was charged with implementing that regulation, but can't verify that.

"The Pennsylvania Gazette
February 7, 1765
NEW YORK, January 28.
The late severe weather having destroyed great numbers of small birds, and seeming to threaten an extinction of the species of several sorts, at least for some years to come, in these parts, especially Quails, we hear several gentlemen have caught and purchased considerable numbers of them, which they keep in cages, properly sheltered from the cold, and feed, in order to set them at liberty in the spring, to preserve the breed."

Thanks.

Spence

 

[necchi]

Wish I could help with that, but I know here in MN and/or the olde Michigan territory there was none.
White settlers and market hunters had killed every Bison, Elk and even Whitetail deer in the state by 1900.
We decimated the resource. They didn't even consider human impact or laws until it was too late.

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

This is basically how it was here in NC too. White settlers killed everything. All the bison, elk, deer, turkey, the latter two are only just really starting to make a comeback, and the first two are virtually non-existent except for on farms and in nature preserves. Even if there were regulations here, there weren't enough, or they weren't good enough.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

No rules, but many guns in the 1830s in settled parts were small game bores.

Ohio didn't have a deer season until the 1950s or 60s.

Likely first game laws were related to trespassing.

Most of the eastern states after 1800 had few deer.

Deer were so scarce, rich folks had private hunting clubs in the mid to late 1800s.

 

[54ball]

This is basically how it was here in NC too. White settlers killed everything. All the bison, elk, deer, turkey, the latter two are only just really starting to make a comeback, and the first two are virtually non-existent except for on farms and in nature preserves. Even if there were regulations here, there weren't enough, or they weren't good enough.

You need to research the deerskin trade. Prior to the skin trade deer were hunted by the Indians, pretty much like traditional seasons now, fall and early winter. The height of winter was trapping season while the spring and summer were for planting and war. Later summer early fall was the harvest time and green corn festivals.

Starting in the 17th Century, more and more European goods were introduced especially the gun which transformed these near stone age societies into near modern ones. The items that fueled this trade and transformation was at first native slaves taken from smaller weaker tribes by stronger armed tribes and eventually deerskins.

By the first quarter of the 18th Century this slave trade had given way to the deerskin trade which lasted nearly a century. The Indians needed to claim more land to hunt thus providing their means of making a living. So the white tailed deer from 1720 to about 1820 were hunted year round nearly to extinction with the native tribes accounting for by far the greatest numbers which if you read the yearly tonnage of hides, it boggles the mind.

While the white settlers especially the early ones may have helped finish off the scraps, most settlers were more concerned with homesteads and farms. Hunting was supplemental. Many many lost their lives plowing to Indian raids sometimes with their rifles close by.

Eventually in Southern and Appalachian culture the consumption of deer was looked down upon as a food for the savages and low class. No self respecting farmer of any social standing admitted to eating primarily deer for meat. They ate hogs and beeves that they had raised.

 

[54ball]

One of Alabama's or what was to become Alabama's first laws from 1803 prohibiting fire hunting at night and Sunday hunting. Link Game and Fish Commision report

 

[zimmerstutzen]

The Pennsylvania legislature had a place on line with copies of all the laws issued under the Proprietors ( The Penn family) they were difficult to read and make sense of, (even todays' legislation)
There were several laws pertaining to hunting. One most notably preserved the right to hunt on unsettled land.

 

[George]

Thanks for the input, keep it coming. :grin:

Spence