Legal Definitions - fence-month

The term fence-month refers to a historical period, typically occurring during the summer, when it was legally prohibited to hunt deer. This prohibition was put in place to protect deer during their fawning season, ensuring the survival and replenishment of the deer population. It was also known as defense-month.

• Example 1: Imagine a game warden in 14th-century England patrolling a lord's estate. He discovers a local villager attempting to poach a deer in late June. The warden would immediately cite the fence-month as the reason for the villager's unlawful act, emphasizing that hunting deer during this specific summer period was strictly forbidden to protect the vulnerable fawns.

  This example illustrates the fence-month as a period of legal prohibition against deer hunting, specifically enforced during the summer fawning season, leading to consequences for those who violated the rule.

• Example 2: A medieval royal decree is issued for a newly established forest, detailing its management rules. The decree explicitly states that from mid-June through mid-July, no hunting of deer is permitted within the forest boundaries, referring to this time as the defense-month. This measure is put in place to safeguard the deer population during their most critical reproductive period.

  Here, the fence-month (or defense-month) is shown as a formally established legal regulation, part of broader forest laws, designed for the conservation of deer during their fawning season.

• Example 3: A group of noblemen in the 12th century are planning their annual grand hunt. They consult the local customs and established laws of the manor to determine the appropriate time. They confirm that their planned hunt in early August is permissible because it falls outside the traditional fence-month, which typically concluded in July, thereby respecting the period set aside for the deer's breeding cycle.

  This scenario demonstrates how the fence-month served as a clear legal boundary for hunting activities, dictating when it was permissible to hunt deer and when it was strictly forbidden to allow for natural reproduction.