12 The Environmental Debate
DOCUMENT 10: Predator Control and Game Hunting Regulation in
Rhode Island Colony (1639, 1646)Game was generally plentiful when the colonists arrived in New England, and the earliest game laws were
directed primarily at controlling livestock predators and limiting the access of the Indians to the wildlife that
the colonists wanted for themselves.A. Town of Newport, 1639
[A]ll such who shall kill a Fox shall have six
shillings and eight pence, for his paines, duly
paid unto him by the Treasurer of ye Towne in
which lands it was killed: Provided, that he bring
the Head thereof to the said Treasurer; and
this order shall be of sufficient authority to the
Treasurer to pay and discharge the said summ.
It is further ordered, that all Men who shall
kill any Deare (except it be upon his own proper
Land), shall bring and deliver half the said
Deare into the Tresurie, or pay Forty shillings;
and further it is ordered, that the Governour and
Deputy Governour shall have authority to give
forth a Warrant to some one deputed of each
Towne to kill some against the Court times for
the Countries use, who shall by his Warrant have
Libertie to kill wherever he find; Provided, it be
not within any man's enclosure, and to be paid
by the Thresurer: Provided, also, that no Indian
shall be suffered to kill or destroy at any time or
any where.
B. Town of Portsmouth, 1646
At a meeting, February the 4th, 1646.
It is agreed to concur with Newport in
an order that there shall be no shootinge of
deere for the space of two months; and if any
shall shoot, he shall forfeit five pounds; halfe
to him that sueth, and the other halfe to the
Treasurie. The reason of this order is, that
the wolves the more readily come to bayte
that they may be catched for the general good
of the Island.
* * *
It is ordered, that the wolfe catcher shall be
payed out of the treasurie, and that he that kil-
leth a wolfe shall come to Mr. Balston and Mr.
Sanford for theire pay.
It is further ordered, that Newport shall
pay four pounds for the killinge of a wolfe, and
Portsmouth twentie shillings
* * *
It is further ordered, that there shall be noe
shootinge of deere from the first of May till the first
of November; and if any shall shoot a deere within
that time he shall forfeit five pounds; one halfe to
him that sueth, and the other to the Treasure.Source: John Russell Bartlett, ed., Records of the Colony
of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New
England, Vol. 1: 1636 to 1663 (Providence: A. Crawford
Greene, 1856), pp. 84, 85, 113.herrings to the severall families of the Township
of Plymouth whoe shall have theire shares in
number according to the number of the psons in
theire families and they the saide henery Wood
and Gorge Bonum etc are to make meanes for
the stopage of the said herrings and takeing of
them in theire goeing up att theire owe charge;
and they are to lett them goe up on fryday nights
[,] on saterday nights and on the Lords daies;
and the towne doth prohibite all those that have
enterest or shalbee Imployed at the Mill to stopp
water when the tide is out of the pond during the
time of the herrings; and that they the said pties
are hereby authorized to take course for the pre-
venting of Boyes[,] swine and doggs from anoy-
ing of them in theire coming up.Source: Town of Plymouth, Records of the Town of
Plymouth, Vol. 1 (Plymouth: Avery and Doten, 1889), pp. 3,
5, 6, 52-53.