WAPITI BALLOT

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30830, 16 August 1965, Page 12

WAPITI BALLOT

All May Enter Members of tbe public who wished to take part in the ballot for the shooting of wapiti in the Fiordland National Park were entitled Io tbe same privileges as members of the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association, said a former president of the association (Mr \V. A. Hood), commenting on a letter from “Stalker.”

“Stalker” wrote to "The ] . Press” asking what the posi-i ition would be if he. as a deer-1 I stalker who was not a mem-' : her of <he Deerstalkers’ Association, should apply to enter, the ballot for a wapiti block in the hope of shooting al wapiti bull. “Stalker” mentioned the[ shooting of a wapiti bull by a German industrialist, and Mr Hood’s subsequent statement that it was wrong in nrinciple that one set of regulations should apply to New Zealanders and a completely different set to certain privileged people. Mr Hood said that “Stalker”} would be in exactly the samel position as any member of the Deerstalkers’ Association. “The wapiti herd is in a small area of Fiordland which is completely under the ad-1 ministration of the Fiordland] National Park Board. The] board itself advertises stating that a ballot will be held and any member of the public, whether a member of the New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association or not, has a right to I make application to be included in the ballot,” said Mr I Hood.

The drawing of the ballot was conducted by the Fiordland National Park Board and successful applicants were advised by the board direct. i Members of the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association (received no preferential treatment, but did contribute a substantial amount to the welfare of the habitat by reducing the red deer population within the wapiti areas, reducing the number of non-typical wapiti, and in some areas, shooting a specified number of wapiti cows as instructed by the Waniti Committee. Mr Hood said that the bull shot by the German industrialist was shot at a period when no-one was allowed to enter the area to shoot a bull. This had been done without a permit to carry a firearm, and New Zealanders would be fined if thev were caught in a similar position. “This breach o f the law was carried out in defiance of both the Park Board and the New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association who had both indicated thev were not prepared either to issue or recommend a perIrnit,” said Mr Hood.