MENACE OF DEER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 69, 22 March 1934, Page 10

MENACE OF DEER.

PASTURES AND FOREST DESTRUCTION IN SOUTH. HEAVY KILLING PROGRAMME. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. "Any slackening in the destruction of deer, especially in the South Island, may become a national danger," .said the Hon. .T. A. Young, Minister of Internal Affairs, after a visit to South Westland. Mr. Young added that a programme of deer destruction had been mapped out for several years ahead to keep up the pressure in districts where the damage was serious. When this season's work ended in about live week.-;' time, he said, it was estimated that about 9000 deer would have been killed since the beginning of the summer.. Of these 0000 were in the Southland region, 3000 in the Waimakariri watershed, and 1000 in continuous areas up to Lake Sumner. The deer in the mountain country were active in three main areas. First of all there were large tracts of valley pastures covered by natural grasses, oil which runholders depended for the grazing of cattle. These areas extended from tiie bottom of the bush out to the watercourses in the centre, of the valley. Then there was the bush itself, eubalpine forest, which at a definite point high up broke off and was followed by a third region of snow grass, this area extending to the rook tops.

Damage in Winter. In tho summer the snow grass area was the main grazing ground of deer, and here they had to be attacked if the work of diminishing their numbers was to be at all effective, for when they were on the valley pastures they came out of the bush only at dusk, and stalkers' activities were limited to this time and to the first light of dawn.

Tho damage done by doer happened in tho winter when they were driven by the snow away from the open high country into the bush. By their tramping through the bush the deer destroyed the heavy moss, which acted like a sponge, holding the water and preventin"- its too rapid descent down the slopes. In addition, the deer ate - every green thing from the forest floor to a height of six or seven feet, with tho exception of a few of the lower forms of forest growth. "Prevention or Ruin." "This is not a case of prevention being better than cure," said Mr. Young. 'The alternatives are prevention or ruin. Once tho valley pastures and the plains are ruined no effort of man can effect a cure. I have seen places where the forest has gone and where the open valley land, once covered with grass, is now only a scrap heap of boulders. "The only hope is to reduce the number of deer" by a vigorous attack so that their presence may be no hindrance to the regeneration of the forest. Ibis matter of regeneration is important, for where the deer arc the forest is becoming a community of 'old men'—a dying commiwiity witii no new generation coming on to take its place. "I trust that the result of mv vissit may be a stronger, wider and national interest in the problem," said Mi. Youii" in conclusion. "I hope it may bring"a realisation that what the Government is doing is on the right lines, not only for the assurance of the safety of those who live on the plains, and of the runholders. who need the alpine valley pastures, but also for the perpetuation of the beauty of our native forest."