THE MOOSE DEER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 4

THE MOOSE DEER.

~ "DOOMED. TO EXTINCTION:"-' . .. fBT TELEGnAPn—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.')'^' "■ T■' ■ Chrlstohuroh) March 3.. ■ In reference. to a paragraphV'about moose 'deer in George Sound, which i the*' Christ-' $^ urC n 1 -'i qiloted ;,from; the: Dominion, Frank Egaii, who - describes himself as ..an old^colonist, deorstalker,'. and-'.sportsman;- 1 writes to the "Press" as follows :-^''ln ; ad- : dition to tho four gentlemen' referred' to whb -landed from the Hinemoa, j»t the, head of George . Sound, there were seven or eight other passengers, including mysolf, who went in quest of the game in the 1 bush.. . The hoofmarks found were unquestionably tboso of large deer, but were so few and far between • that they by no means justified, the'deduction tnat the herd was keeping well together, or even, increasing, or intact. The number turned out over three years ago' in the nar-' . row basin or valley, whore they were landed, .mustered eighteen, fand as under such -cir-" cumstnnces they continue to frequent their early camping-ground undisturbed; .we.should' have found evidence of: a 'more:. numerous herd if it existed, whereas there were at the outside the tracks and indications of the presence of only: two or three animals. Possibly a few' 'may have' found their way over' the saddle above, but this I doubt, as : th» country on the other side is less alluring and ;.3lr. T; Gi Gaulter, explorer, and-pros■> pector of Milford Sound, = who' lias been. fr« r quently over this locality since' the ihtfoduction of tho moose there; assured mb that he had noither seen, nor had .any evidence of their wanderings. Tho captain of the Hinemoa, who liberated the deer in excellent health :and condition after, their voyage from America; told me during our reconnaissance that ail admirable placo; had been selected • by the' late Premier ; to turn tliem out, but 1 that en route tho Tourist Department telegraphed to 'him' to'knd them at the head of George Sound, where, on a subsequent inspection of them, ho discovered two of their skeletons. Clearly a more unsuitable place eonld not bo fouiid in all New. Zealand for them,, as Mr. Henry, caretaker, of our Native birds in . these parts, assured mo that the average rainfall there is about- twenty-one. days, per month. Tho aspect of the narrow, cold, wet,' dark valley, is bad, without a, vestige, of grass, ; a : ray of sunshine, or .a spot whereon tho languishing beast can dry its,carcass in repose, excepting a few hundred ' yards •- of : narrow beach where the persecuted animal is goaded to destruction by the insatiable sandfly. I)e----,pend upon it, that the moose is doomed to extinction here ere lona,"