Deer Poisoning Said To Harm Tourist Trade

Press, Volume C, Issue 29488, 14 April 1961, Page 20

Deer Poisoning Said To Harm Tourist Trade

"Th* Pres*" Special Service

DUNEDIN, April 12. The New Zealand Forest Service, with its programme of 1080 poisoning and deer culling, was destroying New Zealand's wonderful potential for sportsmen-tourists. the chairman (Mr L. J. T. said at the annual meeting of the Dunedin branch of the Travel and Holidays Association. "We have deer in abundance, and the Forest Service is doing its best to exteminate deer as fast as possible,” Mr Ireland said. The Tourist Department had employed a prominent sportsman to travel throughout New Zealand to set up ‘‘host panels” among sportsmen in various centres as guides to visiting sportsmen. However, it was felt that this sportsman was primarily an angler and fisherman; shooting was being neglected. “The season is always open for deer, and among New Zealand's 80,000 members of the Deerstalkers’ Association, there must be a great number of men who would be willing hosts for tourists in search of this sport,” Mr Ireland said. The results would assist materially in keeping down the deer population, and should save a great deal of money to the taxpayer. “This sport, in my opinion, carries greater possibilities than fishing,” he said. Although the Tourist Department’s host panel was being set up presumably for

the use 'at the department ; in arranging accommodation and sport for tourists, the Travel and Holidays Association branch in Dunedin would offer the use of its host panel of shooters if the department made its requirements known to the branch. “I look forward to receiv- [ ing more information from the Tourist Department on . its intentions in this respect , on its plan of action,” Mr . Ireland said.