[1587/7/53]¹

Against slayers of deer and other wild beasts

²Our sovereign lord, understanding that there have been diverse acts of parliament made of before concerning the slaying of hart, hind, female deer, roe, hares, rabbits and other wild beasts with culverins, crossbows and hand-bows, and specially the acts made in the parliament held at Edinburgh in December 1567 and in November 1581, which acts hitherto have taken no effect, and that in default of the magistrates which were appointed to put the same to execution; therefore his highness, with advice of his three estates of this present parliament, has ratified and approved the said whole acts in all points, passes, clauses and articles thereof, with this addition: that the slayers and shooters of hart, hind, female deer, roe, hares, rabbits and other beasts without licence or allowance of the owners shall be like crime to the committers as the stealers of horse and oxen, and the committers thereof shall incur the pain and punishment due to the crime of theft.