J910] FORKST, GAME AND FISH WARDEN. 27 



HISTORY OF GAME AND FISH LAWS. 



The Game and Fish laws are older than the State of West Virginia. 



It was found necessary, even in colonial days, to pass certain laws, 

 concerning deer and certain kinds of game. In the year 1677, Con- 

 necticut, in the year 1699, Virginia, and in the year 1705, New York en- 

 acted some laws restricting the hunting of deer in certain ways. 



In the beginning of the eighteenth century, protection was extended 

 to birds; at first, however, to only a few species, and for short periods 

 during their hatching time. 



A statute in the State of New York, in the year 1709, was the first 

 measure, that provided close seasons for deer, turkey, heath hens, part- 

 ridges or ruffed grouse and quail. Special laws for the protection of 

 insectivorous birds, was not considered necessary, until middle of the 

 19th century. 



In chapter 101 of the Code of Virginia, of 1849, we find considerable 

 protection thrown around certain kinds of game, but it remained for our 

 own State, in the year 1869 ; to pass the first law extending protection to 

 all species of birds, except a few of the injurious kinds. Whilei this 

 law has been upon our books for more than forty years, yet with nd 

 organized force or attempt to enforce its provisions, the small boy 

 robbed the birds nests and made strings of beads out of the egg's, while 

 the larger class of boys and men, destroyed in numerous ways not only 

 our game birds, but even our insect eating birds, and most beautiful 

 songsters. 



The Legislature, in the year 1897, created the office of Game and Fish 

 Warden, and very materially strengthened the law, affording better 

 protection to all of our animals and birds). Without sufficient appropria- 

 tion, however, to provide for a sufficient deputy service to enforce the 

 law, the destruction of our game, birds and fish went ruthlessly on, and 

 with the rapid development of our State, bringing in a class of men 

 who did not hesitate to dynamite our streams or destroy our most 

 valuable insectivorous birds, roving over our forests and fields 1 , without 

 permission from the property owner, was deemed sufficient reasons to 

 enact more stringent laws to protect our forests, game and fish. 



The law enacted in 1909, did not, as many people seem to think, take 

 advanced steps of other states, in protecting our game and fish, and 

 providing revenue, by collecting a license fee sufficient to mjake this 

 department self-sustaining, but was, modeled after the laws of other 

 great states, such as New York, Maine, Illinois, Iowa, and many others 

 that had already tried such lawte and found them to be a success in 

 preserving their natural resources, with which they had been so lavishly 

 provided. And although it may be that public sentiimient didp not 

 respond freely to some of the provisions of this law, yet it will, and 

 must be admitted by all persons, who have made this question a study, 

 and who desire to see the great blessings that have been so bountifully 

 bestowed on us by nature, conserved for future generations, that this 

 law should have been enacted ten years ago. 



With a few amendments, making some sections of this law clearer in 



