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 Grundy County.  They are included herein for reference purposes.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Acts of 1889, Chapter 244, made it unlawful for any person other than a citizen of Tennessee to hunt, kill, or capture any wild deer, wild turkey, quail, or partridge, or any species of game, or fish, in Bledsoe, Cumberland, Grundy, James, Meigs, Morgan, Overton, Marion, Rhea, Roane, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren, and White Counties at any season of the year.  Only resident citizens of those counties may hunt and kill the same for profit but any citizen of Tennessee may hunt and kill them for his own and his family's use.  Anyone violating the terms of this Act could be fined from $25 to $100.
2. Acts of 1897, Chapter 172, declared it to be a misdemeanor for any person from any other county to hunt, capture, kill, shoot, wound, or destroy any quail, partridge, wild turkey, or deer, in Grundy and Van Buren Counties.  It was unlawful to kill quail at any time on the enclosed lands of another without the permission of the owner.  It was further unlawful to export any quail, or partridge, from those counties at anytime.  The fines for violators ranged from $5.00 to $10.00.  The Grand Juries were given inquisitorial powers and the Judges of the county would charge the contents of this Act to the Grand Jury.
3. Acts of 1897, Chapter 240, stated that the residents of the counties of Hardin, Gibson, Crockett, Tipton, Fayette, Franklin, Grundy, and Marion, may catch fish at any time, except from April 1 to June 1 of each year, in any of the waters in said counties by any means except by poison, dynamite, or other explosives, or by wing net stretched across any stream.
4. Acts of 1909, Chapter 502, was applicable to the counties of Bledsoe, Fentress, Grundy, Houston, Lake, Meigs, and Trousdale.  The Act defined an acceptable fence as being one composed of four strands of barbed or smooth wire, or a combination of them, which were fastened to substantial posts no more than sixteen feet apart, and no more than eight feet apart at the corners, and set firmly into the ground.  The wires should be at twelve inch intervals from the ground up.  This Act was not intended to relieve any railroad from any liability heretofore imposed upon them in this regard.  The owner of any livestock found trespassing on lands enclosed with this type of a fence would be liable for any damages inflicted for which the injured person was awarded a lien on the stock.
5. Private Acts of 1917, Chapter 686, declares the open seasons in Bledsoe, Cumberland, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, and Van Buren Counties.  On turkeys, the season is from November 1 to January 1; on turkey gobblers, from April 1 to May 1; on quail, from November 1 to February 1; on deer, from November 1 to December 10, and on squirrels the entire year was open season.  All laws in conflict with this one were repealed.
6. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 403, made it lawful in Warren and Grundy Counties to fish in all the streams of those counties with a basket for suckers and for carp which were for family use only, and not for profit or export.
7. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 405, amended Chapter 61, Public Acts of 1919, which was a rather restrictive, harsh, statewide law regulating the care and keeping of dogs, by exempting many of the counties in Tennessee from its provisions, Grundy County being among those exempted.
8. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 463, was an exact duplicate of Chapter 403, Private Acts of 1921, above.
9. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 694, was for the purpose of repealing Chapter 63, Private Acts of 1923, which this Act stated was applicable to Chester and Grundy Counties, but the original Act, Chapter 63, Private Acts of 1923, was applicable only to Chester County.  The Act concerned the shooting of quail.
10. Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 141, state that three barbed wires, ribbon wires, or planks, securely attached to substantial posts set firmly in the ground not more tan ten feet apart, the bottom wire, or plank, to be not more than four and one-half feet from the ground, the intermediate ones being evenly spaced in between these two, the same shall constitute an acceptable and lawful fence in Grundy County.
11. Private Acts of 1947, Chapter 162, asserted that a great demand for a "No Fence Law" was being made on the Representatives of Grundy County in the General Assembly, and so, this Act was the authority to call a referendum election in that county to ascertain the will of the people on whether they wanted a "No Fence Law," or not.  The County Election Commission would canvass the results of such an election and certify the same to George W. Bryant, Floterial Representative, and to Roy Wiseman, Senator of the 11th State Senatorial District.