Shooting Season

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31680, 16 May 1968, Page 12

Shooting Season

Sir, —I read as a former shooter, the reply from the secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society which states that paradise ducks are shot because they may become tame. Paradise ducks and pukeko are very limited in numbers in most parts of Canterbury and should be left alone. The famous statement of the society’s game committee last year, that they would never remove a bird from the shooting list no matter how low its numbers become, still sticks in many a craw.—Yours, etc., EX-SHOOTER. May 10, 1968. [The secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society (Mr H. Barker), said

that the society did not wish to comment upon this letter.]

Sir, —I commend your correspondent, “Mai-Mai,” for his humane appeal for pukeko and paradise ducks. 1 am shocked to think they are still on the shooting list. It is years since I have seen either. Years ago my paddocks used to be full of pukeko and in the winter many of them used to come and feed with the fowls where they knew they were welcome visitors. Once when there was a heavy snow storm I found a lot in my coal-box when I got up in the morning, and some were on the step. Surely no true sportsman would raise his gun to these lovely birds! —Yours, etc., BIRD-LOVER. May 14, 1968.