Animals and Fish - Historical Notes

The following is a listing of acts that at one time affected, but no longer appear to have any effect on, hunting, fishing or animal control in Coffee County.  They are included herein for reference purposes.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 127, made it unlawful for any person to catch, kill or wound any fish in any of the streams, lakes, rivers or ponds in the State by seine, trap, gun, grabbing with hands, gig, poison, dynamite, or any other means, except rod and line or trot line.
2. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 227, exempted Coffee County from the provisions of Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 127, by permitting the catching of fish by hook and line, trot line, grabbing and seining.
3. Private Acts of 1905, Chapter 423, made it a misdemeanor for any nonresident of Coffee County to hunt or fish in said county without the written permission of the landowner. 
4. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 405, exempted Coffee County from the provisions of Public Acts of 1919, Chapter 61, which regulated the ownership of dogs.
5. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 932, prohibited hunting or fishing on the lands of another without first procuring their consent.  If a person has secured written consent, then a hunting or fishing license was not required.  An open season on quail was declared between November 15th to February 1st, with a limit of 25 quail per day.
6. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 94, prohibited livestock from running at large, made the owner of such stock liable for any damage done by the stock, and gave the person injured a lien on the destructive stock in order to secure payment of damages. 
7. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 91, amended Public Acts of 1925, Chapter 151, to set the open season for hunting and trapping fur-bearing animals in Coffee County from October 15th to February 1st.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 40.  Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 40, was repealed by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 41.
8. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 272, made it unlawful for any person, group, firm or corporation to take, ship or transport more than fifty minnows per day out of Coffee County.
9. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 296, made it a misdemeanor to fish in Coffee County from April 16th to June 15th.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 85.
10. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 41, amended Public Acts of 1925, Chapter 151, to set the open season on fur-bearing animals from October 15th to February 1st.
11. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 85, amended Public Acts of 1923, Chapter 102, so as to make it unlawful to take fish in Coffee County from April 14th to May 31st.
12. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 90, provided that anyone who killed a hawk in Coffee County would receive a certificate for $2 from the County Court Clerk.  The certificate, when presented to the County Trustee, would allow the holder a credit of $2 upon his or her taxes.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 538.
13. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 251, amended Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 90, so as to lower the bounty on hawks from $2 to $1.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 538.
14. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 346, made it lawful to catch non-game fish by means of a gig, at any time in Coffee County.  The Act did not apply to private ponds and lakes.
15. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 364, made it lawful to hunt and fish without a license in Coffee County under certain conditions, but required the sportsman to carry the written consent of the landowner.  The open season on fur-bearing animals was set from November 15th of February 15th.
16. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 14, amended Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 364, by deleting the provisions requiring the obtaining of the written consent of the landowner prior to hunting or fishing.  The provision for an open season on fur-bearing animals was also deleted.
17. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 168, made it unlawful in Coffee County to hunt or fish upon the lands of another without their consent.  It was also declared unlawful to discharge any firearm within range of any building, structure, public highway, or occupied pastures.
18. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 357, made it lawful to buy or sell the furs of wild animals in Coffee County without a license.
19. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 623, made unlawful to kill a fox in Coffee County except during the month of December.
20. Private Acts of 1957, Chapter 159, created the position of county livestock inspector and gave him the right to vaccinate all animals subject to vaccination by law.  The Court would elect an inspector at its July term and every two years thereafter.  C. R. Denney was appointed by the Act to serve until August 1, 1957.  This Act was not approved by the Quarterly County Court and did not become operative.