POISONING OF GAME BIRDS

Evening Star, Issue 23100, 28 October 1938, Page 7

POISONING OF GAME BIRDS

VICTIMS OF RABBIT PEST MEASURES : ■ • ■■ PHOSPHORISED POLLARD DISCARDED [Peb United Pbess Association.) , WELLINGTON, October 27. An arrangement has been come to between the Departments of Agriculture and Internal Affairs which should lessen the toll by poisoning of native birds, pheasants, and other game birds.- Instead'of phosphorised pollard for. the destruction of rabbits in a large part of the wide area of the Rotorua acclimatisation district turnips and carrots soaked in a solution of strychnine will be used. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry) said to-day that he felt the new method of dealing with the rabbit pest would not only save many hundreds of native and game birds but would be as efficacious in killing rabbits as phosphorised pollard. “ I suppose it would be a rare find,” remarked Mr Parry, “ to come across a regular game sportsman who had not at some time when travelling over the fiilids of the north found a pheasant or' two poisoned by eating phosphorised pollard. The game branch of the Department of Internal Affairs has been trying for many months to bring about the change of poison for rabbits now happily decided on ”