Early Arkansas Conservation Laws: 1905

F.M. Smith & Co. game, Chicago, Ill.

In January 1905, Senator Thompson introduced a bill adding rabbits to the allowable game for sale list, as T. L. Pennington wanted a few months before.  Representative Keith of Benton County introduced the same measure in the House but limited it to his county only.  A few days later, another bill, House Bill Number 18, called for the exemption of rabbits from the Whitley Laws for the entire state, repeating what Senator Thompson’s legislation said.  Senator McCall’s Bill Number 75 allowed non-residents to hunt in Lawrence County, even if they owned no land in the county or state.  Representative Lasley wanted to close the Mississippi County loophole for non-resident hunters with House Bill Number 93.  Several weeks before the Arkansas Supreme Court decision, Representative Dudley moved to amend the DeRossitt Laws by allowing non-residents to hunt on their own Arkansas land.  House Bill Number 100 exempted raccoons and opossums from the game laws, allowing them to be killed at any time and sold.  Representative Jackson of Phillips County wanted to amend the Whitley Laws to allow the sale of any birds or animals in his county.  Another bill, House Bill Number 186, called for barring the shipment of “wild fowl” out of the state, excepting snipe and plover.  Representative Anderson from Garland County submitted Bill Number 500, allowing the shipping of any game to any state.[1] 

[1] Daily Arkansas Gazette, January 11, 1905, 3; Arkansas Democrat, January 14, 1905, 2; Daily Arkansas Gazette, January 19, 1905, 3; The Nashville News, January 21, 1905, 3; The Monticellonian, January 26, 1905, 1; The Southern Standard, February 9, 1905, 1; Daily Arkansas Gazette, February 11, 1905, 3; The Nashville News, February 11, 1905, 3; Arkansas Democrat, February 16, 1905, 3; The Monticellonian, February 16, 1905, 1; Daily Arkansas Gazette, February 16, 1905, 6; Arkansas Democrat, February 19, 1905, 7; Daily Arkansas Gazette, March 8, 1905, 3,  and April 4, 6,  and 8,1905; Arkansas Democrat, May 4, 1905, 2; Journal for the Senate of Arkansas, Thirty-Fourth, 45, 61, 71, 90, 91, 94, 106, 121, 122, 124, 132 ,134, 138, 149 ,151, 161, 178, 179, 183, 190, 197, 206, 231, 239, 252, 253, 247, 254, 257, 269, 280, 282, 283, 295,299, 300, 327, 332, 336.