IMPORTED GAME

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 26, 31 January 1924, Page 9

IMPORTED GAME

OVERSTOCKING PROBLEM.

(Bl IILIGRAPH.—SPICIAt 10 181 WD8I;)'

DTJNEDIN, This Day. Mr.\G. W. M'lntosh, who has been president of the Otago Acclimatisation Society for the past thirteen years, and who is now general manager of the Na-> tional Bank at Wellington, at a;fare-" well tendered him by the society last* evening; spoke of several matters o£ interest to sportsmen. Mr. M'lntoshi said that the overstocking of trout was a contributory cause of disease, and' therefore the fish would have' to be> watched. '.■-■"' Referring to deer, Mr. M'lntosh saidE that they, too, were' becoming - -overstocked, with the result that'the Keads were deteriorating; but good, culling would remedy this. It would be a "pityhowever, if the deer country were thrown! open to public shooting, as under this circumstance there would be a tendency; among hunters to select the be'tter ani-i mals. The only way was to employ men to cull, irrespective of what the beasts were. It would be necessary to shoofc out the hinds particularly. .One, plan that had been suggested was to construct, salt licks, and when the deer had become accustomed to them: &><.■&£ poisoned food. There would in this ;cas« be wholesale slaughter. It seemed •'»" pity, too, for the meat could be marketed if cleanly killed. The easiest "way out, however, would be adopted. ' "■;; The opossum was another animal which would soon require attention, and if the society wished to preserve: them they .must be cared for. The society would have to put up a good fight" to keep the. opossum, as there was opposi-' tion in some quarters. The license fe« had been reduced, and the animals were well hated, though the Forestry Department had not yet .made any_'fur» ,ther claim for their destruction." " /