United States Department of Agriculture Department Circular 161

Contribution from the Forest Service WILLIAM B. GREELEY, Forester

PISGAH NATIONAL GAME PRESERVE

This pamphlet contains regulations prescribed by the' Secretary of Agriculture governing hunting, fishing, and camping on the Pisgah National Game Preserve, North Carolina, together with instructions for applying the regulations and information intended to aid the public in making proper use of the preserve.

The Pisgah National, Game Preserve, with boundaries coincident with the Pisgah National Forest, was created by presidential proclamation October 17, 1916, following appropriate action by the Legislature of the State of North Carolina and by the Congress of the United States to authorize the exercise of this power. The State and Federal statutes, together with the proclamation establishing the Pisgah National Game Preserve, are given at the end of this pamphlet.

The preserve covers 90,000 acres of the upper watershed of the French Broad River and smaller portions of the watershed of Pigeon River in Transylvania, Hay wood, Buncombe, and Henderson Counties, N. C. Originally the region was full of game, including buffalo, elk, deer,

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wild turkey, bear, and many smaller fur-bearing animals. Buffalo and elk are believed to have been exterminated in North Carolina before the Revolutionary War. Deer, wild turkey, and bear became very scarce throughout the southern Appalachian region in the latter part of the nineteenth century, but were not completely driven out.' The game preserve includes lands which had been systematically restocked with deer, wild turkey, and pheasant by the former owner, Mr. George W. Vanderbilt.

It is the purpose of the Government to protect the game on the preserve in order that here it may have a refuge and breeding ground from which to replenish the adjacent mountain regions.

In the spring of 1917 a band of elk shipped from the Yellowstone was placed in the preserve. In February, 1919, a herd of six pure-blood buffalo, given to the Government by Mr. Austin Corbin, of New York, was also placed in a fenced inclosure inside the boundary of the forest.

The streams are being annually stocked with rainbow and brook trout.

Verne Rhoades, Forest Supervisor.

Regulation 1.—HUNTING

section 1. No permit will be issued authorizing hunting, catching, trapping, disturbing, or killing any kind of game animal, or game or nongame bird, or taking the eggs of any such bird, except as provided in section 4 of this regulation,

sec. 2. Carrying or having possession of firearms, without the written permission of the forest supervisor, is prohibited.

sec. 3. Permitting dogs to run at large, or having in possession dogs in leash or confined, is prohibited

sec. 4. Permits may be issued for the trapping and hunting of predatory animals, birds, and fish, and for the taking of game animals, birds, fish, and eggs for propagation or for scientific purposes.

Instructions.

Hunting of any sort except for predatory animals, birds, and fish, or for the transplanting of any kind of animals, birds, and fish, under special permit, within the Pisgah National Game Preserve is not allowed, since the purpose of the preserve is- to afford a refuge and a breeding place for game and birds in order to stock not only the land within its limits but also the surrounding country. Permits to carry firearms into the preserve are given only when there is actual and urgent need for them in the protection of life or property or in the enforcement of the law.

Regulation 2.—FISHING

section 1. No permit will be issued authorizing fishing, or catching, trapping, or killing fish, except as expressly provided for in and in conformity with the terms fixed by this regulation. 

sec. 2. Fishing will be permitted only with unbaited artificial fly hook.

sec. 3. Fishing will be permitted only during the season May 1 to August 31.

sec. 4. Brook trout under 6 and rainbow trout under 8 inches in length shall be returned immediately to the water with the least possible injury to the fish.

sec. 5. No permittee shall catch more than 15 fish in any one day, or fish between the hours of 8 p. m. and. 5 a. m., or in or on any portion of a stream closed to fishing. No fish taken under permit shall be sold or otherwise disposed of for commercial purposes.

sec. 6. No permittee will be allowed more than 10 days' fishing in any one season.

sec. 7. The Forester may from time to time close to fishing any stream or part thereof.

sec. 8. The Secretary of Agriculture will prescribe from time to time upon data furnished by the Forester the maximum number of days of fishing that may be allowed under permits during any one calendar year, and the number of permits issued and the periods specified therein will be regulated accordingly.

Instructions

The Secretary of Agriculture has prescribed 2,000 days as the maximum number for the season.

The regulation of fishing is for the purpose of preserving permanently this form of recreation, and of making it available to as large a number of the public as possible. Applications (which need not be in writing) for fishing permits may be made to the nearest forest officer connected.

with the Pisgah Game Preserve, who will inform the applicant as to the procedure to be followed in transmitting the required charges, etc.

Permits will be issued in the order of application, up to the limit of the total number of clays of fishing prescribed by the Secretary for the current season.

Regulation 3.—CAMPING

section i. Camping except under permit is prohibited.

Instructions

Applications for camping permits should be submitted in the same manner as for fishing permits. Forest officers will, if desired, suggest camping places and give information with regard to the locality.

A camping permit will include the privilege of using dead and down timber only for fuel. Green timber may be cut only under special permit.

Campers will be required to keep their camp sites in a neat and orderly condition, to dispose of all refuse and take care of their fires as the forest officer may direct.

Regulation 4.—CHARGES

section 1. Except as herein provided, permits for fishing will be issued only upon prepayment of such charges as may be fixed from time to time by the Secretary of Agriculture.

sec. 2. No charge will be made for camping permits.

sec. 3. No refund will be made on account of failure to utilize any permit for the full period specified therein.

Instructions

The charge for fishing permits has been fixed by the Secretary of Agriculture at $1 per day for each permittee, with the proviso that the wife or other female member of the family of the permittee may be included in his permit at one-half of the regular charge, additional for each person, and that the children of the permittee under 14 years of age may be included free.

Regulation 5.—ISSUE OF PERMITS

section 1. All permits authorized by these regulations may be issued by the forest supervisor or such forest officer as he may designate.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

1. Permits may be obtained from the forest supervisor or any forest ranger, as follows: Obtain a postal money order from any post office in payment of the number of days fishing desired. The money order must be made payable to the District Fiscal Agent, Forest Service, Washington, I). C. Take this money order to the forest supervisor or forest ranger, who will supply the necessary form of trans-rnittal to be sent with the money order and will issue the permit. No other form of payment than postal money order will foe accepted.

2. To obtain permits by mail, write the Forest Supervisor, Asheville, N. C., for a blank letter of transmittal, Form 861, stating the number of days fishing desired. When the necessary form is obtained., procure a post office money order for the proper amount and forward it to the District Fiscal Agent, Forest Service, Washington, D. C., and notify the forest supervisor, sending to him the stub of the money order.

3. Forest officers are instructed to inspect both the permits and the catch of fish of any person at any time who may be fishing in the streams of the game preserve.

4. Fish that are to be retained should be killed immediately. Fish that are to be thrown back into the streams should not be handled with dry hands. Always dip the hand in the water .first,

5. In selecting a camping place its location should be far enough away from the water supply as not to be objectionable to others who may wish to camp in the vicinity at the same time and use the same water supply.

6. The careless throwing out of paper bags or boxes, tin cans, or other litter on the roads, trails, at resting places, or at camping places, is not allowed. Such refuse should be deposited in the receptacles provided therefor. Where none is provided the permittee should either bury or burn the refuse or else hide it so that it will not be objectionable to others.

7. The greatest care must always be exercised to insure the complete extinction of all camp fires before they are abandoned. Permittees under these regulations are authorized to build small fires and only in the open woods away from trees and logs. They should first scrape away all leaves and trash for a space of at least 5 feet. Under no circumstances should a fire be left unattended. Before leaving thoroughly extinguish the fire by pouring on water. Where water is not available cover the fire with earth well packed down.

8. There is at present one hotel within the game preserve. This is located on the crest of Pisgah Ridge and on the Pisgah Motor Road. There are private houses near the boundary in various places where comfortable rooms with good board are obtainable. Food supplies for camping purposes may readily be obtained in the towns along the Toxaway branch of the Southern Railway and from country stores located near the forest boundaries.

9. The logical entrances to the preserve are from Brevard, Pisgah Forest, Horseshoe., Hendersonville, Asheville, and" Candler, N. C., all on the Southern Railway. The Pisgah Motor Road runs through the heart of the Forest, 27 miles from Brevard to Candler. N. C. There is mail service within the preserve 011 Davidson River and on Bent Creek. All of the ranger stations are connected with Brevard, Candler, or Asheville telephone exchanges.

10. The forest supervisor's office is in Asheville, N. C. There are forest rangers on Bent Creek, on North and South Mills River, on Upper and Lower Davidson River, and in the Pink Beds. All of the forest officers and game wardens will be glad to give information for the guidance and assistance of the public.

ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA GIVING AUTHORITY TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE PROTECTION OF GAME, FISH, AND BIRDS

An Act To give the consent of the State of North Carolina to the making by the Congress of the United States, or under its authority, of all such rules and regulations as in the opinion of the Federal Government may be needful in respect to game animals, game and nongame birds, and fish on lands, and in or on the waters thereon, acquired or to be acquired by the Federal Government in the western part of North Carolina for the conservation of the navigability of navigable rivers.

Whereas the Government of the United States, with the consent of the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, has acquired and will acquire areas of forested land in the western part of said State for the purpose of conserving the navigability of navigable streams, and said lands and waters thereon are and will be stocked, naturally and artificially, with game animals, game and nongame birds, and fish; and,

Whereas, in order adequately to enjoy arid protect the occupancy and use of said areas, it is important that the

United States be fully authorized to make all needful rules and regulations in respect to such animals, birds, and fish: Therefore, The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

section 1. That the consent of the General Assembly of North Carolina be, and hereby is, given to the making by Congress of the United States, or under its authority, of all such rules and regulations as the Federal Government shall determine to be needful in respect to game animals, game and nongame birds, and fish on such lands in the .western part of North Carolina, as shall have been, or may hereafter be, purchased by the United States under the terms of the act of Congress of March first, one thousand nine hundred and eleven, entitled "An act to enable any State to cooperate with any other State, or States, or with the United States, for the protection of the watersheds of navigable streams, and to appoint a commission for the acquisition of lands for the purpose of conserving the navigability of navigable rivers " (Thirty-sixth United States Statutes at Large, page nine hundred and sixty-one), and acts of Congress supplementary thereto and amendatory therof, and in or on the waters thereon.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 9th day of March, 1915.

E. L. Daughtridge, President of the Senate.

T. C. Bowie, Speaker of the Rouse of Representatives.

Examined and found correct.

Paxton, For Committee.

EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF AUGUST II, 1916.

The act of Congress approved August 11, 1916 (Public No. 190), provides in part as follows:

That, the President of the United States is hereby authorized to designate such areas on any lands which

have been or which may hereafter be, purchased by the United States under the provision of the act of March first, nineteen hundred and eleven (Thirty-sixth Statutes at Large, page nine hundred and sixty-one), entitled "An act to enable any State to cooperate with any other State or States, or with the United States, for the protection of watersheds of navigable streams, and to appoint a commission for the acquisition of lands for the purpose of conserving the navigability of navigable streams," and acts supplementary thereto and amendatory thereof, as should, in his opinion, be set aside for the protection of game animals, birds, or fish; and whoever shall hunt, catch, trap, willfully disturb or kill any kind of game animal, game, or nongame bird, or fish, or take the eggs of any such bird on any lands so set aside, or in or on the waters thereof, except under such general rules and regulations as the Secretary of Agriculture may from time to time prescribe, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

PISGAH NATIONAL GAME PRESERVE— NORTH CAROLINA

By the President of the United States of America— A Proclamation

Whereas it appears that the designation and setting aside of the areas in the State of North Carolina, hereinafter indicated, for the protection of game animals, birds, and fish will promote the public good :

Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power in me vested by the act of Congress approved August eleventh, nineteen hundred and sixteen entitled "An act making appropriations for the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, and for other purposes, ' ' do proclaim that there are hereby designated and set aside for the protection of game animals, birds, and fish all lands of the United

States within the Pisgah National Forest in the State of North Carolina, purchased under the provisions of the act of March first, nineteen hundred and eleven (Thirty-sixth Statutes at Large, page nine hundred and sixty-one), entitled, "An act to enable any State to cooperate with any other State or States, or with the United States, for the protection of watersheds of navigable streams, and to appoint a commission for the acquisition of lands for the purpose of conserving the navigability of navigate streams," and acts supplementary thereto and amendatory thereof, as shown on the diagram forming a part hereof, to be known as the Pisgah National Game Preserve.

Warning is hereby given to all persons not to hunt, catch, trap, willfully disturb or kill any kind of game animal, game or nongame bird, or fish, or to take the eggs of any such bird, on any lands herein designated or in or on the waters thereof, except under such general rules and regulations as may be prescribed from time to time by the Secretary of Agriculture.

In witness whereof, I hereby set my hand and have caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this 17th day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and forty-first.

[seal.] Woodrow Wilson.

By the President: Robert Lansing, Secretary of State.

WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1921