DANGER OF DEER

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 123, 25 May 1923, Page 11

DANGER OF DEER

POSITION CLEAR IN WELLINGTON.

The position of the deer herds in Wellington is reviewed in the annual report of the Acclimatisation Society in the following manner:—

"Pof some time past the Departments of Forest Services and Agriculture' have been uneasy as to the effect of the forests and on settlers' crops and plantations of the presence of an ever-increasing number of red deer. The society, recognising the gravity of the problem, suggested that the Department in charge, viz., the Department of Internal Affairs, should hold a conference of all interested, in order to formulate a practi-. cal method of overcoming the danger. Both rangers were sent out through December and January Jast to shoot-out undesirables in the forest areas at Paraparaumu and Haurangi. Several of the large station-hdlderS in the Wairarapa, the Eiddifords and Sutheriands, owning the Lagoon Hill, Te Awaiti, Tora, Whakatomotomo, and Hinakura properties, and others, severely culled the deer on their lands and during several months some thousands of deer have been destroyed. A return from Messrs. Sutherland, of Whakatomo, shows that 867 were shot between 12th February and 12th May, 1923. As a result of prompt action it is not deemed to be necessary at present to remove the protection from any of the herds in the Wellington area. "At the conference held in April it was agreed that the Departments of Internal Affairs, Forest Services, and Agriculture should confer with the local societies as to the operations necessary to keep the deer under control. The socitey intends to work whole-heartedly with the Departments, recognising the possible danger to the forests if the deer get out of hand.' When the proper balance of the herds in the Wellington district has been restored, it will be imperative that new blood should be imported for the purpose of raising the quality of the herds to their former standard. The sincere thanks of members are due to all those who have taken steps to shoot off the surplus deer on their properties."