OVERSEA DEMAND FOR DEER SKINS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 252, 21 July 1936, Page 10

OVERSEA DEMAND FOR DEER SKINS

Supplies Insufficient

PROFIT FROM REMOVAL OF NATIONAL MENACE

“There is a keen demand’ for New Zealand dee r skins and large quantities have been sent to the overseas markets during the last few years,” said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry, in an interview yesterday. “The firms handling the exports have written to me referring to the very fine quality and generally high standard of the skins. “In these days of heavy slaughter of deer, particularly in parts of the South Island, and the salvaging of the skins, the reports of the excellent, market for them is good news to all who are dealing with the commodity. Any person shooting deer is rendering a national service in assisting to deal with the menace, but there is no reason why that person should not also obtain a financial return from skins which can be saved. The department has a very complete circular indicating the manner in which the skins should be treated and will send copies to anyone interested.”

The department, through its deer destruction party operations, naturally secured the greater proportion of the skins, the Minister explained, but at present the demand exceeded the supplies. There were still many people who did not seem to be aware of the market for deer skins and Mr. Parry suggested that they should heed the market reports.

“For some years,” he said, “the department paid a bonus on deer tails, but this was changed to a bonus on skins. Numbers of station-holders and private commercial hunters have availed themselves of the scheme whereby the department will purchase deerskins from them. Moreover, cheap ammunition is also supplied for the killing‘of deer.”