MENACE OF DEER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3143, 13 November 1922, Page 7

MENACE OF DEER.

ANNUAL LOSS, £173,000. Deer in New Zealand, according to a special report prepared v by the State Forest Service, have become a menace to the agricultural and forestry industries. Only some 111 deer have been introduced into New Zealand, but since the first stag and two hinds were successfully established in the Nelson district in 1861, the herds have grown to Mich an extent that it is estimated that the animals now total 300,000. The annual loss to the country by the destruction caused by the amimals is placed at close on £200,000. The seriousness of the deer question became evident when, lasfc year, an investigation was made into the relation of grazing to the lands under the control of the State Forest Service. This investigation revealed the fact that the presence of grazing animals was in most eases inimical to the development of a. silvicultural policy unless numbers were strictly controlled to a state commensurate with forest regeneration. While it appeared that domestic stock could be controlled to thie stage, it was evident that Wild animals, such as deer, presented a difficult problem of control as the only method of shirting; them, when grazing had proceeded as far as advisable, was by shooting. It was apparent that industry, agriculture, was equally affected; grazing resources of many runs were being depleted, , and damage to farm crops, stock, etc., was manifest. These facts brought forth the necessity for an economic survey of deer in the Dominion to ascertain the extent of the problem and 1 means of control. The survey has been completed, the summarised results given in the report being:— 1. Deer wvrc introduced for sporting purposes. importations of some 1I I bead, spread over the years 1861 to 1909, were made. They were released on land at that time thought worthless and some of which has later became of value to the national interests. 2. Deer have increased to large number.-', pnmably to sonic 300,000 head. They have spread over large areas ol' country where it is not economically sound that thev should be.

3. Except in ai few instances deer are detrimental' to the l national interests. fa) Agriculture: Large numbers of stock are l displaced on stations and farms. Depletion of the resources of mountain country has occurred from their presence. Damage to stock, crops, and fences is manifest, (b) Forestry . The presence of deer is inimical to the development of silviculture. In commercial forests they must be entirely eliminated and only allowed in small numbers in protection of forests, etc. (c) Value ,to the public: An infinitesimal proportion of the public finds sport and recreation through the deer herds. Total license fees of an average of £1,393 at £2 per head, show that .0005 per cent, of the population of the Dominion take part in the sport. •I. No community value is obtained from the herds. The restrictions applied to their protection do* not allow of the marketing of the carcase, and practically all meat is left to rot. 5. The herds are distributed over some millions 1 of acres of lands in the Dominion, much; of which would! carry a greatly increased number,of stock ill their absence. All food favored by domestic stock is eaten, and when food is \hi short supply, deer will live where domestic stock die. Herds probably increase by 25 per cent, annually and, through absence of natural enemies, want of culling, inbreeding, or lack of adequate food for the development of horn, have degenerated to a stage where they supply little sport. Per annum £ Estimated 1 damage to mountain pastures, farm crops, fences, stock, displacement of stock, and damage *to forests, amounts to 180,000 Estimated value of licenses, expenses incidental to sport, attraction of visitors, etc., amounts to 7.000 Debit to the national interests £173.000 0. Conclusions: (a) So detrimental is the presence of deer to agriculture that the protection should be entirely removed from them in settled areas. Otherwise many farmers' will have to give up their occupation. (I)) the development of forestry will be an impossibility unless deer are eliminated) in the areas affected. 7. Control : Deer should be relegated to waste lands where their presence would not be troublesome, these areas to be demarcated and protection to apply only to them, fn all other areas the protection should be removed. ,Shooting, which will follow the removal protection, will eliminate the pest in the more closely settled areas. In other lands, more remote back country runs, etc., besides the removal of protection to bring the pest under control, either (a) men must be employ- ' ed to shoot- tlie average price paid in the past for culling is 2s per head, or (b) in extreme cases, where no danger to other stock can arise, poisoning i.-: possible. Strychnine used on apples, carrots, etc., has been tried successfully. Striking examples of the ravages wrought by deer are given in the report. The laud in the Lillburii Tiiatapere district, in Southland, for instance, is contiguous to large areas of forest country which borders on the national park, and deer are numerous. It. is becoming impossible to grow crops-there, ({rain crops are grazed on, trampled down, and even when in the stook are not immune, the sheaves being tossed about in all directions and destroyed. Turnip crops are grazed on often before they are ready, the bulbs broken, and in some instances rows are pulled up in a spirit of mischief and left to rot. One instance is quotedof a settler last season sowing fiftv acres of grass on a new bush burn. Deer started to feed on it before it was ready to graze, the result being that the pasture was lor the most part ryjncd. The seriousness of this is apparent when it is remembered that the only possible chance of getting a take of grass on bush country is on the new ash. One man estimated his loss of lambs through deer playing' about among the stock at lambing time at 30 percent. During investigations a partially ruined turnip crop was seen at Lake Hawea off which. 130 deer had been shot. The owner of a crop of oat« in the Wangapeka Valley, Nelson, placed scarecrows on it and tied dogs to stakes. Deer grazed to within a few feet of the dogs and the scarecrows, and the crops were ruined. At Botorua. farmers estimated their loss at from £'so upwards annually, and these were conservative estimates. .Many examples of the displacement of stock are quoted. One instance states that 021. a Blue Mountain run. on which 10,000 sheep used to bo shoni and' 100 head of cattle run, only 6500 sheep w<'re shorn last season, and no cattle could be carried. In short, farmers claim that <k<vv are comparable as a pest with rabbits with the added disadvantage that they are impossible or , prohibitive to fence out. * Particularly emphatic? is the comment of the officer who made the report on the effect of deer on the forests. f'l am quite certain," he says, "that the regeneration or replanting of the State's exotic plantations can never bo accomplished if the presence of deer is allowed."