Deer And Tourism

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31596, 6 February 1968, Page 8

Deer And Tourism

TIMARU, Feb. 4. Th ft Government may soon be prepared to consider .schemes on promoting tourism through the Country’s unlimited opportunities for deer stalking and shooting. “This is something which has to be looked at coldly, calmly and dispassionately,” the Minister of Lands (Mr Maclntyre) told the Mackenzie branch of Federated Farmers; The Minister said he was not advocating schemes allowing people to run wild life farms.

“But deer shooting is something that there is a demand for among wealthy overseas visitors,” he said. “I can assure you there is

no. question of the Forest Service giving up its responsibilities of trying to keep noxious animals down in critical areas. “But there is scope for a runholder, who does pay rates, to charge accommodation for overseas tourists who want to -.shoot deer—-

although they cannot charge them for shooting the deer.” At the same time there was no proposal which would enable farmers to tum their land into a hunter’s paradise. There would be Government control over the whole matter.

N* Large Herd* Mr Maclntyre said there was also no question of allowing large herd* of deer to build up in | critical areas. “Deer farming at the moment is in low country and on land that is classified as non-erodable,” he said. Mr J. Scott s*id. he was concerned at the prospect of deer farming becoming widespread.

“We are living in a period of receding glaciers, and New Zealand’s native alpine vegetation is trying to clothe it With these animals, the vegetation has not got a show,” he said. In reply the Minister said

there was no need for concern over this problem. What he was proposing w**' limited game management “The herds will be kept down, particularly in critical* areas,” he said. Use of Helicopter* In reply to a request that he give an assurance that helicopters would continue i to be used in the control of noxious animals, Mr Maclntyre said that although it' appeared that helicopters were a better prospect than men on foot, deer were learn-' i ing to pick up a helicopterfrom a considerable distance.In addition to thi* they were developing into nocturnal grazing animals Instead of~ day grazers. ‘ “However, it would be completely beyond the purse of New Zealand to destroy the: last deer, so we have to live with the animal," said the Minister. '