Summary
Statutory Text
V. § 1. If any person or persons shall be discovered hunting in the woods with a gun, in the night time, by fire light, such person or persons so offending shall, upon conviction, by indictment or presentment in any court of record in this state, be fined by such court 20 current money, to be applied to the use of the county wherein the offence was committed until all costs accruing upon the presentment be paid.
VI. § 2. If any person shall be convicted as aforesaid of killing any deer, and leaving the carcases thereof in the woods, he shall for every offence forfeit and pay 20s.
VII. § 3. If any slave or slaves shall be discovered hunting, in manner herein before mentioned, the master of such slave or slaves, or the person in whose service he or they fire light may be, shall, upon due conviction of such slave or slaves before any justice of the peace of the county wherein such offence may be committed, forfeit the sum of five pounds, to be levied by a warrant immediately to be issued by such justice for that purpose; and if any person shall be duly convicted as aforesaid of sending his slave to hunt with a gun, in the night by fire light, he shall be subject to the same pains as are provided by this act to be inflicted on fire-hunters.
VIII. § 4. It shall not be lawful for any person on the east side of the Apalachian mountains, to kill or destroy any deer running wild in the woods or unfenced grounds in this state, by gun or otherwise, between the 20th day of February and the 15th day of August then next succeeding in each year, unless on his own lands; and if any person on the east side ofthe said mountains shall kill or otherwise destroy any deer within the time before described, and contrary to the meaning and intent ofthis act, every such person shall forfeit and pay for each and every deer so unlawfully killed or destroyed, the sum of 40s. to be recovered before any justice of the peace, and applied as is by this act directed; and in case any servant or slave shall, on the east side of the said mountains, kill or destroy any deer, between the 20th of February and the 15th of August in any year, the owner of such slave shall be liable to pay the sum of 40s. for each deer so unlawfully killed or destroyed, to be recovered and applied as before directed.
IX. § 5. It shall not be lawful for any person or persons on the east side of the Appalachian mountains, to hunt with a gun or with dogs on the lands of any other person, without leave obtained from the owner of the said land, under the penalty of forfeiting five pounds for every offence, to be recovered by the owner before any justice of the peace of the county where such offence is committed, or the offender resides, and applied, one half to his own use and the other half to the use ofthe county: Provided that no such recovery shall be had for the offence afore- mentioned, unless the owner of the land shall, by advertisement posted up in two or more public places, have forbid the persons so hunting by name, or all persons generally to hunt on his land, previous to the offence: Provided also, that recovery shall not be had in any case whatever, unless the prosecution is commenced within one month after the offence is committed.
X. § 7. All fines imposed and recovered by virtue of this act, shall be one half to the use of the informer, the other half to the use of the poor ofthe county wherein the offence shall be committed, except such as are otherwise directed.