ANOTHER QUESTIONNAIRE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 148, 26 June 1933, Page 8

ANOTHER QUESTIONNAIRE

(To, the Editor.)

Sir,—ln. view of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society's faith in questionnaires, I would like to publish some extracts from niy private inquiries,- the originals of which are available for inspection on application. The statements below deal with the Ruahines, a deerinfested portion of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society's district;

1. "I'was up there (Umutoi) the other weejs and saw 12 deer right down on the road. They are plentiful now, but they seem to- travel about a lot. The , heads are very poor, so not many stalkers hunt there."

2. (a) "I was born in this district, and my property, which joins the State Forest reserves, I have held for 22 years. I may mention that I am an honorary forest ranger appointed' 10 or 12 years ago. (b) As regards the thickness of deer, they are not very thick on this part of the ranges (Eastern Ruahines), but they are certainly on the increase, as I have noticed that'the mobs are getting bigger. A few years back ono Could see them in small mobs from four to eight. Now this last year the biggest mob I saiv was eighteen. | (c) As regar.ds damage to bush, there_ is very little sign of any damage on this side of the range, but on the Mangawekar side I notice that the undergrowth has been pretty well cleaned up, . and my own opinion is that as their food disappears on that side they will commence to do more damage on this side, (d) As regards an estimate ,of numbers, I should say that on a stretch of ten miles of the Ruahme Ranges, that is, five miles on each side of my property, the number would be 500 to" 800." - . 3. "They are increasing, but have improved the forest to get about in, having opened up much of the-very dense undergrowth." (Umutoi, Western Ruahines.) ° 4. "I woukl put the number down as 1200." (Western Riiahines, Mangaweka, locality.)—l am, 'etc.,

FOREST LOVER,