CLOSE SEASON STALKING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1930, Page 13

CLOSE SEASON STALKING

A SPORTSJIiVN'S OPINION

A Wellington business man^ au enthusiast over getting "out back after deer," rather than over 'serious. deer stalking, and with some years of experience of tramping and shooting in the East Coast, Wairarapa, and Nelson deer country, cxilrcssed to a "Post" reporter to-day his surprise that the suggestions laid before the Christchurch conference from the acclimatisation interests had been, apparently, accepted without real discussion. The acclimatisation societies had, he :said, magnanimously agreed—suggested, in fact—that protection on chamois and thar should be removed, and really no great wonder, for to ninety-nine out ■of a hundred nren wlio had a rifle these were such hard hunting and such disappointing trophies when they were got as to be not worth while. Moreover, as the Minister had applied the closure regarding the extent of damago by deer by admitting it, the general public of New Zealand—and lie himself was equally'ignorant:—were by no means convinced that chamois and thar, living on the very-, edge of the snow line, were by any means the destructive brutes that red and other deer undoubtedly were. Square miles of. bush land transformed into "park lands,'' eaten clear of undergrowth, was evidence enough for anyone of the latter fact.

.- The conference, lie ■. - remarked, for some reason passed over the fact that it. is only during a very,' bi'ief season of the year, the winter mating season,' Jhat deer can be stalked ■ with comparative ease,. and that that most favourable period for reducing.their numbers coincides, and is likely to coincide, with the period which the acclimatisation societies wish to have retained as a close season. Only during the mating season did the stags give their whereabouts away by soaring, and where there were stags there were'hinds fair•ly near. If the ideal were to be extermination, or severe temporary reduction of numbers, 'surely-.the work should be undertaken when the conditions were; most favourable, and. not allowed a respite while those favourable conditions passed -'-arid ■'' another generation of deer was on the way. It appeared to hin;, he said, in conclusion, that the deer protectionists had succeeded very nicely in making a fine, large fuss over giving away, nothing at all, which was quite good protection practice, but mighty bad deer 'extermination. ,; ''■■.. ;