Deer in the Tararuas

Press, 22 February 1978, Page 18

Deer in the Tararuas

Sir, — If the Forest Service deserves criticism over its handling of . noxious animals it should be for an apparent .softening in attitude recently. It appears to be moving from a policy of rigid control to one of allocating to deerstalkers responsibility for keeping deer numbers down over large areas. Presumably the deerstalkers were given these areas on the understanding that the Forest Service would step in when its scientists considered animal numbers were inhibiting regeneration. If so, the deerstalkers are not playing the game. They are putting their own interests before those of our true natural heritage. the mountains, plants and birds that had evolved millions of years before deer were introduced. According to the August, 1977, “Forest and Bird,” hunters make up only 4 per cent of the visitors “to the Tararuas. Despite helicopters, New Zealand deerstalkers still have some of the

easiest and cheapest shooti n g in the world. — Yours, etc., B. A. CALDER. February 17, 1978.