Ever wonder what life was like in 1800s? Maybe. It's safe to say that it was far different then than now. Most of life was surrounded around the trials and tribulations of trying to eke out a living on a farm somewhere in rural America, while cities were beginning to grow and develop becoming a draw for that person who needed a life other than farming dirt.

Hunting, trapping and fishing were a necessary part of the formula for survival for many Americans. As the population grew and the needs, wants and demands of life also grew, without regulation wildlife came to be harvested too much putting many game animal's populations at risk.

In the state of Maine, which formally became a state in 1820, a few laws existed in an attempt to control hunting, fishing and trapping. In 1880 the Maine Legislature decided that the two Fisheries Commissioners would be responsible to enforce what laws existed regarding wildlife.

This was actually the beginning of today's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. From the MDIFW website, you can read their Mission Statement.

In 1880 the Legislature made the two Maine Fisheries Commissioners responsible for enforcing the laws that had been enacted to control the taking of important game species. The uncontrolled taking of moose, caribou, and deer during the 1800s had contributed to a serious depletion of big game populations. This early enforcement effort represented the beginning of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. At the time, game wardens were appointed to patrol the State's woods and waters and bring poaching under control. They did not receive a salary, but instead received half the amount of the fines paid by violators they apprehended.

The mission of the Department was soon expanded to include the propagation of game fish. Thousands of trout, salmon, and bass were stocked annually across the state to support a rapidly growing tourist industry. Through the early 1900s, many new hunting and fishing laws were enacted to conserve fish and wildlife. Hunting and fishing licenses were established to pay for fish and wildlife conservation programs. Detailed studies of the status and needs of wildlife began in the 1940s to guide the management of these resources. Statewide fisheries management programs were initiated in the 1950s. Today, the Department carries out a wide variety of fish and wildlife conservation programs. These programs focus on maintaining abundant game resources, as well as managing non-game wildlife and restoring endangered species, such as the bald eagle. The Department's mission has also been significantly broadened with responsibilities for white-water rafting; registration of watercraft; snowmobiles; ATVs; hunter, trapper and recreational vehicle safety; conservation education; and other matters.

Although the Department's mission has been steadily expanded, it remains focused on the protection and enhancement of the state's inland fisheries and wildlife, while at the same time providing for the wise use of these resources. Assuring the conservation and use of these resources is vital to the state's economy. Fish and wildlife continue to be highly valued by Maine people and hundreds of thousands of people who come to Maine each year. Direct economic impacts directly attributable to the use of these resources amount to over 1/2 billion dollars annually. These expenditures play a major role in the State's economy.

The Department is dedicated to assuring these highly valued resources are available for the use and enjoyment of future generations.

Jumping back to the 1800s, we could find a population of settlers with a completely different mindset than people of today. For most the focus was on family and finding ways to be self-sustaining. This included subsistence hunting, trapping and fishing. Most took what they needed and had a certain amount of respect for the woods and wildlife.

When money entered the picture, say for the price of furs, etc., without any form of regulation all the fur bearers would be wiped out. Poaching became a problem and like in Maine, states developed some kind of entity to enforce laws and curb illegal game harvesting activities. For Maine it was the Warden Service.

As with anything, laws became necessary to deal with bad actors. Without any means of controlling serious over harvesting and poaching, our game animals would soon be in jeopardy.

Another reason for laws became necessary to conserve wildlife. This took the form of such things as bag limits, lengths of seasons, etc. The human population was growing, technology was producing better and easier ways of harvesting game and officials had to develop ways to ensure there would always be animals to hunt, trap and fish for. After all, this was the biggest part of their mission.

In time, a third reason for creating laws became a necessity - the one for public safety. We as a society have learned over decades that there are certain things that should be done that assists in maintaining the safety of our people. An example of this would be the development of hunter orange clothing and required hunter education and safety classes.

Up until some point along the way, perhaps until about 10 or so years ago, states like Maine created wildlife regulations for these three reasons - control bad actors, conservation of wildlife and public safety.

Conservation efforts are always changing putting demands on fish and game personnel to always be on top of wildlife populations, etc. There are many aspects of wildlife management that can't be controlled, like weather. Habitat is dwindling and so it becomes necessary to have to put limits on when and how much game can be harvested. This will never change. It is a necessary part of wildlife management.

We have come a long way with public safety and I'm sure as technology changes, we will continue to tweak the programs in place and develop safer equipment as well.

Bad actors will always be bad actors. If we could really find a way of eliminating them from our society, we could save millions of dollars annually but this of course is unrealistic.

So, what has changed? Much, actually. We currently live in a society that feels the need to create laws for everything. Hunters, fishermen and trappers face daily challenges from special interests groups who want to change or eliminate our prized activities.

Our fish and game departments were created for the purpose of ensuring that there will always be game and wildlife available for everyone. It was learned that to do this, it required more than just someone making laws. Wildlife management is a science, requiring educated people to employ that science and use their knowledge and experience.

Because of special interest groups, wildlife management, including the activities of hunting, fishing and trapping, have become political. It is next to impossible for a scientist to properly find the best available science to manage wildlife when being forced to do things based on politics but this is what has become of our system of wildlife management.

Today we are creating laws to govern game harvest based on special interest's beliefs and agendas. It's becoming a matter of who can raise the most money to influence an outcome.

But don't be fooled into thinking that this political pressure is coming from only the animal rights and anti-hunting groups. It is also coming from within the sportsmen themselves. The brief evolution of this reflects that hunting, fishing and trapping clubs were formed in order to become better organized and to also present a more powerful and united effort in fulfilling the desires of the sportsmen. These clubs have evolved into special interest clubs, i.e. muzzleloader hunters, bow hunters, bass fishermen, fly fishermen, etc.

As these clubs became more specialized, each went to work lobbying the lawmakers to pass rules that would benefit their interest. Not that this was that bad of an idea until over time these special interest groups felt the need to fight against the interests of others in order to further promote their own. Now we have battles being waged within our sporting communities while animal rights and anti-hunting groups sit back with big smiles on their faces.

Today we see bow hunters lobbying to stop rifle hunting because it disturbs or reduces their opportunities at hunting. We see snowmobilers and hunters fighting over overlapping seasons, each interfering with the others sport. In Maine right now we have special interest fishing groups fighting one another over which bodies of water should be fly fishing only or no ice fishing, no live bait, etc. etc., all at the expense of the other's interest. It makes no sense but this is the mentality of our citizens today and it carries over into everything we do not just outdoor recreation.

Sports ethics is another issue that pits sportsmen against each other. Ethics is a personal thing and should be treated as such. Creating laws not necessary for wildlife management simply because one person may not agree philosophically about another person's means of shooting game is ridiculous but this is what it has come to.

One of the problems with this flawed thinking is there is no end to it. Ethics can only be defined by the individual. Once you begin drawing a line in the sand defining specifically what is ethical, that line can be redrawn continuously.

We need to return our focus back to the three reasons why wildlife laws need to be made. Special interest groups need to pay attention to their own business and stop promoting their agendas at the expense of others.

This is done through respect, which is very much lacking. When one group begins referring to another as slope-skulled, the Budweiser crowd, bait bucket biologists, elitists, toothless morons, rednecks, tire kickers, etc. etc., this shows a complete disrespect for all members of our society and is a reflection on what our society has become.

Some of us like catching pike, others native trout. Some like to use a primitive flintlock weapon to hunt deer, while others prefer the latest technology. Some like NASCAR, other listen to Bach and sip wine. Some love dogs for hunting while other are pampered and treated like a human. It doesn't really matter what our interests are. We are Americans and have the freedom to do these things. Why on earth are we growing up believing these freedoms have to be stopped? It is beyond me.

Tom Remington