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 Tipton County. They are included herein for reference purposes.

1. Public Acts of 1871, Chapter 1, an amendatory act to an 1870 act, was passed for "the preservation and protection of game" in Tipton County.
2. Acts of 1897, Chapter 157, was an act to protect certain named game birds in the counties of Tipton, Sumner, Anderson, Rutherford and Williamson, and provided a penalty for the unlawful killing of same, or disturbing or destroying their nests and eggs.
3. Acts of 1897, Chapter 240, Section 1, allowed people residing in the counties of Hardin, Gibson, Crockett, Tipton, Fayette, Franklin, Grundy and Marion to catch fish in any waters in said counties in any way except by poison, dynamite or wing net.
4. Acts of 1899, Chapter 362, was the first “fence law” or “stock law” for Tipton County. This act forbade owners of horses, cattle, sheep, swine and goats to allow their stock to roam at large, and violators of this act were subject to a fine of $2 to $25.
5. Acts of 1901, Chapter 13, was the next stock law enacted for Tipton County. Its provisions were identical to those of the 1899 law except that this act did allow the use of unfenced lands for summer range, provided the livestock was placed under the care of a herdsman.
6. Acts of 1901, Private Chapter 314, was an act to protect quail, partridge, grouse or pheasant, for the period of five years from the passage of the act, in Tipton County, and to provide a penalty for the unlawful killing of same, or disturbing or destroying their nests and eggs, or for the sale of same.
7. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 759, declared an open season on foxes, making it lawful to kill or capture them at any time of the year. A marginal entry in the published act states that it applies to Tipton County; however, the population range stated in the act (not less than 30,940 and not more than 30,960 for the Federal Census of 1920) does not encompass the population figure for Tipton County for 1920.
8. Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 487, authorized C. R. Turnage to practice veterinary science in Tipton County. He was to be issued a license upon payment of his license fee, without any examination.
9. Private Acts of 1967-68, Chapter 25, made it lawful to train coon dogs by chasing racoons from September 1, through the open season, as prescribed by the game and fish commission. It also made it lawful for raccoons to be killed or taken during that period.
10. Private Acts of 2017, Chapter 23, repealed Private Acts of 1978, Chapter 294, which regulated the hunting of red foxes in Tipton County.