DEER HAUNTS

Evening Post, Issue 20, 24 January 1935, Page 9

DEER HAUNTS

CRAWFORD AND CONE

NOTES ON BIRDS SEEN

(By Tawhai.)

The following observations wore made on a five-day tramp from Kaitoko to O|aki, made by devious routes for mapping;purposes. ..v ■;■ - .: .

From, the TauheroniKau Hut in the lower valley, two hours from the Pakurataiii Bridgo on the Kaitoke Road, bellbirds .were heard, at dawn. A particularly good bird patch was encountered just past the hut. The sunlit valley at nine in the -morning was filled with joyous song, mainly from bellbirds, tuis, warblers, and whitehcads. Between the Tauherenikau and Top. Tauherenik'au huts, tuis, pigeons, and whiteheads were very plentiful and- were often seen. Fresh deer traces were numerous, although no animals were observed. ;y-. Ascending the Block 19 boundary to tho ridge above the Cone Saddle, deer traces became heavily marked, even tho peppery horopito showing signs of attack.. Of' birds, riflemen became noticeable and, at, 1500 feet, four were soon in a group; with more about. Tuis, bcllbirds, and, long-tailed cuckoos could be heard below in the valley. Immediately above, a'few grey warblers and a tomtit were heard. Nearing tho crest of tho ridge, at 2250 feet, two kakas appeared and a tui flew excitedly above our heads: On top Of the ridge, a shining cuckoo and a rifleman were heard and a tomtit was seen, while tuis and bellbirds could be heard in the background. ''•' -■'■:■' '■..: ;. . ' ': ; Along the ridge to the Cone, whiteheads were seen between 2400 and 2900 feet and, almost on the tussock at 3360 feet,' a solitary rifleman, was noticed. On Cone Trig, pipits were the only companions. Descending from Cone by the north' ridge to the Waiohine Eivor at the Neill confluence, cuckoos, long-tail-ed and shining, predominated. Deer tracks covered tho ridge and spurs all the way down and it is evident that the Waiohine below Cone is well populated with deer. This 'was surprising in a way,- because, three years ago, it was observed that a short distance upstream below the short spur from the south end of Neill, the Waiohine was absolutely devoid of deer, as also was the southern ridge to Maungahuka. Recent information shows that this is still tho case and;: for some, reason, the deer centre on .Cone and on tho long northeast spur from "Neill,. whilst; avoiding: the adjacent country. 'y. THE WAIOHINE FORKS. Nest morning, bollbirds were heard from the canip at. the . Neill confluence nnd a blue mountain duck was seen in a pool nearby. ; Owing to "the abnorm- v ally low state >f the river, it was possible:to wade'downstream one hour to the Waiohine' Forks. Tomtits were numerous, with; occasional • whiteheads and pigeons in' evidence. The Waiohine"-' iti and Waiohine Rivers' junction at; the forks, at a height of 900 feet above, sea level, and this is probably tho most important point in the Tararua drain"age system. As yet the 'forks are rather inaccessible aiid^ in all probability, have only been seen by twelve trampers., The spot is not unknown to a few trappers and others. Two fantails and a few whiteheads were seen at thdt forks.

' The ascent to Maungahuka was made by the approach known as the North Maungahuka ridge,, The first 1000 feet from the forks -was- yerjr 'steep,- 4n3i used, only by opossum^; The fleer'avoid ■this rough face, which is very tangled with vfiawyer and .fSJipplejack. la the next '800 feet, deer tracks come in strongly, the" deer attacking the toro and horopftd asrwell as'thV five-finger. Occasional long-tailed cuckoos, tuis, and bellbirds were heard and' a whitehead, tomtit, and rifleman, seen. Further up the ridge, "a handsome bellbird was .observed for a minute or two. No kakas ■were heard > thua weakening the writer's theory that one or more of these birds •will always pick up a climber ascend^ ing a bush ridge ia the Tararuas. At about 3000 feet the deer tracks diminish and, between this height and the S6OO bush- knob, they* are very faint. From the knob to the bush line, they are almosf: invisible. ' • .' •' Camp was made on the Maungahuka bush line and a lifleman and a grey warbler" were the only visitors next mornirjg with pipits above the bush line. North to Aokaparangi, some three hours along the main Tararua. Range, deer traces were not. very evident on the' tussock tops, but gradually became "noticeable; Past Kahiwiroa, the xange dips into bush between 3960 and 3G90 feet. The undergrowth has been well cleared out and the surface ploughed by deer. A tui flew through a bush glade and one rifleman. From the camp on the edge of the bush, on the South Crawford bench'north of the Kahiwiroa bush line, pipits and riflemen •were seen and, at dusk, eight kakas flew overhead, audibly protesting.' Around Crawford, deer tracks became very obvious. ; The tarns and watercourses oa the eastern face were considerably befouled, and top-covering damage between Junction Knob and Crawford is, marked. On .Shoulder Knob, apparently a Brain avenue, of approach'^ there is a stamping ground 35 yaTdsJn length and 12 yards in width, of which two yards have been completely stripped of surface covering. Two deer were seen just north of Aokaparangi on the previous day and four on or near Crawford, as well as three on the bush lino of Shoulder KnobY A particularly interesting stag entertained us, on the crest of the Crawford ridge, a few yards south of the trig point. : The party walked to within five measured yards of the stag, whose eight-pointed antlers were in the velvet. On being removed from the ridge where ■he was sunning himself, he returned as soon as we had passed, and remained within twenty-five yards for fotty minutes, being as close as'one and a half yards at one stage. After1 being chased away several tiniesy ho. returned to bo photographed at five yards before finally departing. ' '

HEAVILY-MARKED DEER TRACKS,

Descending -through , the bush from Shoulder Knob, on heavily-marked deer tracks,' a rifleman and blackbird wore heard at 4000 feet, followed by a bellbhd and warbler.' "When the ridge flattened at 3550 feet, pigeons and riflemen wore heard. Between 3500 and 3000 feet there was a bird gap except for an occasional rifleman. At 3000 feet,, a number of whiteheads wero seen and, 2400 feet, a grey warbler. At 2200 feet, long-tailed euekoo3 could be heard and a mob ■of a dozen or moro whiteheads were 'seen. Tuis and bellbirds were in tho vicinity and, itearing the Otald Kiver, the birds increased. Around the river camp, despite rain conditions, warblers, whiteheads, one or two kakas, tuis, bellbirds, and a blackbird were heard... ■~■"■■ ■ ' Next day, on the saddle route to tho ■Waitatapia Biver and the Otaki. Forks, pigeons, kakas, vims,' tomtits, whiteheads, and warblers wero heard, an 3 in the lower Waitatapia the pigeons wore often seen feeding on the flowering fuschia. Deer traces wero not observed, but signs of goats were well to the fore.

Summing up .the- abovo stretch, of country, it seems that tho deer centre is on Cone in tho southern range and on Crawford in.-.the central range, Eoports are also' to hand that fourteen deer were seen,near the Kithe Hut on Mount Field,'in the southern range, on December 2, 1934, thereby strengthening the suspicion that this portion of the southern tops has been invaded somewhat of late} _