DEER SHOOTING.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20215, 18 April 1931, Page 17

DEER SHOOTING.

STALKERS HAVE LITTLE SUCCESS. " 3 1 FLOODS AND MILD WEATHER. Although deer-stalkers in the Rakaia 'Forest' have little' success so far, on account of floods and rpild, northwest weather, itis » expected - that the rest of the season will bring much better results. At' present the b'est head '.reported ia a 18-pointer, which Mr E. Bidgen shot during the last week' in the "Moa" Block on the right bank of the Wilberforce river. \ i Mr A: A. McLean, who has been stalk* ing in that block, with Mr Bidgen for the past ten days,' told a reporter of 'The Press or his rettfrn last evening that although the,stags were roaring well, the roaring was not as gopd as it would be after heavier frosts. From a flying camp at the" head of the Moa river they saw some good herds in the M<ja basins, but the heads were for the most part entail and the animals appeared young; The Kiwi Spurs, seemed to be good deer' country, although they did not hear .much roaring while they were there. -

Society Commanded. • / Mr,McLean and Mr Bidgen.did not sde any travelling stags. Those they shot, they had to stalk. Mr Bidgeu brought down a well-proportioned and heavily-timbered 13-pointer, and Mr McLean took- two 11-pointers of fairly good weight; ' "I think.that the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Sooiety <must. be com-

mended for the work it has donti," said Mr> McLean, "although the ; full result of thfr culling will not be, apparent among the deer for another' three or four years.- We did not see a great number of deer;-and we took this as"a good sign, evidence of the rangers'; good work.

i. V.. It augunpwell for-tho . future er?\the Bakaia forest as a" deer area." 1 It appeared certain tbat iropi Clocks, would have more success, la finding the better stags. ' • . ' ' Sain and Floods. , Alpiost contiqpous . rain and flooded rivers handicapped two other licenseholders, who were stalking the terrltftftr" at the extreme" jource of the'Wilberforce* immediately under - P*bs» ; During a wrhple wedk at Easter they had only one and a half fine days, and were prevented,by rain and floods fropi moving freely on , the: bloeks, . were roaring only intermittently; they Baw altogether only seven", ,-jbr" =• hinds; and there -were not" evpa -tbfl signs of any great,number of deer. It. was possiblej theyjoiuted because, of the north-weßt weather, the continued- Tain,« nd the absence of £roat snow, the' deer'.were cither keeping, to the higher country or, were In "the bushj * made'-ft!) noisei count;of the P mildness of the weather. The best head,- they secured was; an 11-pointer,3iad that was a certainly not nearly as 'heavy Jas ' t a Bakaia head eould "be. Two' other stags were shot—one a ID-pointjer, the'otliqxta" nine-pointer—but in each eaw\3^fh^ antlers had serious blemishes. *