Thar hunting

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 16

Thar hunting

Sir, — B. Calder and other correspondents are 20 years out of touch. They obviously have not been in thar country for a long time, if ever. Thar-induced erosion is no longer a problem. There are so precious few left that the grass anti other vegetation they eat regenerates. I have hunted# these

beautiful mountains for 28 years. I am just as keen as anyone else to preserve our beautiful watersheds. I hope my son and his future children can enjoy the sport in years to come. Lately when hunting we sometimes spend a whole week-end without seeing a thar. Because we are hunters, we are not criminal or undesirable selfish citizens. We are a group of outdoor persons who love the challenge the mountains offer. —

Yours, etc., ZEFF VERONESE. July 24, 1984. Sir,—l suppose it is too much to expect the hunting and shooting brotherhood to admit that thar, along with deer and chamois, are a “major pest in the mountain core.” (Chapter 4, “Natural History of Canterbury,” Knox). Thar are not a national resource and there can be no reasonable balance between the needs of the recreational hunter and the environmental conservationist. As early as 1936, the Government was forced to reduce numbers of thar and they have post

the country too much over the years. It is a pity that the contagious ecthyma is not always fatal.—Yours, etc., M. C. CULLEN. July 23, 1984.