The Shooting Season.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XVI, Issue 1640, 3 April 1895, Page 3

The Shooting Season.

On the Ist instant a large contingent of sportsmen left South bridge for the Lake Flat to indulge m the long-looked-f or wardto day's sport. The ducks were fairly plentiful, but not bo numerous as last year. The morning waa splendid for shootingdull weather. Messrs Geo. Hibbard and Beaton, jr., were very successful, returning "vith a bag of thirty-tbree duoks between them. Messrs R. P. Hill and James Morrison (Otago) returned with a bag of nineteen. Messrs Frsnkisb, Moorbead Bros., and Karrlake also enjoyed a good day's sport, and were very auooeisful. Mr J. Taiaroa had a large party of friends, who did good ezeoution with the gun. Mr and Mrs Howson celebrated the opening day with a sort of picnic, which was most thoroughly enjoyed. The day being mnoh better suited for picn o'ntr than fer duck-shooting, more attention was Riven to the basket than to the bag. The tally, however, compared very favourably with that of more earnest sportsmen, for the five gnat, including Master Howson»* wooden one, accounted for betweea 40 and 50 birds. Perhaps it wouldbe as well to draw the attention of sportgmen to section«*6 and 7 of the Animalt Protection Aot 1880, wherein it it laid down that no hares shall be taken or killed without a license irst having been obtained. It seems to be the impression among many sportsmen that if a farmer gives permission to shoot on his land that exempts them from taking oat a license* but such ia not the case. If a land-owner does not shoot himself, he can appoint one co shoot over his land, who would be exempt from taking out a license, but no othsrs. A farmer giving leave to more than one person to shoot*on bis property only exempts ih^m from being prosecuted for trespass. We are informed that the law will be rigorously enforoed m the Kllesmere district.