HOW MANY BIRDS?

Grey River Argus, 14 December 1937, Page 6

HOW MANY BIRDS?

OPEN GAME SEASON For Grey Season SOCIETY'S RECOMMENDATIONS. At last evening’s meeting ox the Council of the Grey District Acclimatisation Society, a letter was received from the Department of Internal Affairs asking me Society to make recommendations regarding the forthcoming open season xor game, and also tne xees which the Society recommended, and areas which mignc be excluded trom licenses. The President (Mr. H. E. Knight), said that there was plenty of game on the Coast, but that there were not suflicient sportsmen to reduce the numbers. The birds had too much sanctuary, and there were few who disturbed them. If the Government saw fit to make a two months’ season he would suggest that it be from June Ist. to tne end oi July, but he

preferred a three months’ season. He moved that tne Society recommend that the season be from May 1 to tne end of July. Dr. W. McKay seconded the motion.

Mr. P. Beck, said that the Society should act in line with the Westland Society. They might be given onlytwo months.

' The President: They applied for and got three months last year. The President’s motion was carried. Mr. Knignt suggested that the Society could enlarge on last year’s list of game which might be taken. He took it that grey duck and black swan would again be on the list, and he suggested that the spoonbill or widgeon be included. He himself haa been unable to distinguish the latter from grey duck, and he thought that many other sportsmen were in the same position. There were plenty of them about. Mr. J. Rawlings: You might tell us Where they are. The President: There are plenty at Lady Lake, Brunner and Poerua. Dr. McKay said that he supposed that, as a matter of fact, many had been shot, but he was not certain that they were so common.

The President: They seem to have come to this district in large numbers lately. They may have come from the East Coast.

In reply to Mr. Beck, the President said that Canterbury and other districts had open seasons for spoonbill. It was agreed to include spoonbill, grey duck and black swan in the recommendations to the Minister. The President said that it had been put to him that a short season for the taking of paradise duck should be allowed.

Mr. J. Hayton agreed. He said that paradise duck were becoming a pest in places. Mr. Rawlings moved that a seven days’ open season be held at the opening of the season. Mr. Hayton seconded the motion.

Mr. H. F. Silcock: Are paradise duck as plentiful as all that? The President: I think so. They are about the biggest curse in the country.

Dr. McKay said that paradise duck were small in numbers comparea With grey duck. He had not noticed any great increase in the 20 years he had been shooting on the Coast. There were always a few to be seen in most parts, but they were never in great numbers. Mr. M. Curtis: The season is negligible too.

The motion was carried with two dissentients.

The President asked if members desired that the areas should be restricted for any class of bird.

Mr. J. Smith said that there were quite a large number of paradise duck on Coal Creek Flat, and that he would not like to see them disturbed. He moved that the area be recommended for exclusion from licenses for paradise duck only. The motion was seconded by Mr. Beck and carried. Mr. Rawlings moved that pukeko be included in licenses for a seven days’ season. Mr. Curtis seconded the motion. In reply to a question, the President' said that eight head would probably be the limit for one day for pukeko and paradise duck. Mr. Rawlings moved that the season be the last seven days in the season. Mr. Beck: You will not get any season if you ask for it at the end of the season. The President: We would make ourselves look foolish because you haven’t got Buckley's chance of getting them at the end of the season. They are too shrewd by then. Mr. J. Smith: They’re not worth shooting anyway. It was agreed that bags of eight head per day be allowed for the seven days season for pukeko and for paradise duck. LIMITING SIZE OF BAGS. The President said that last year they had permitted bags of 25 head of grey duck or black swan in a day, and allowed ehooters to take not more than 15 of either kind. Mr. Beck: You want to cut that down by half? The President: No. I don’t. I don’t mind if it is increased. It was moved that grey duck, spoonbill and black swan be limited to 15 of any one kind, or 25 collectively per, day. Mr. Silcock: I think that is far too high. We haven’t got that much game here on the West Coast. The writing is on the wall for that sort of thing, and the Minister said so the other day. The President: The Minister does not know what he is talking about. Mr. Silcock: Yes he does. Making the limit 25 only encourages pot hunting. What can anyone do with 25 a day? The President: The 25 limit got me. Mr. Beck said that very few were able to get 25 head in a day. Mr. Silcock moved that bags he limited to 10 per day of any one kind, or 15 per day collectively. Mr. Smith seconded Mr. Silcock’s motion. The President moved as an amendment that the limit be 15 for grey duck, black swan or spoonbill per day, or collectively the limit be a bag of 20. The amendment was seconded by Mr. Rawlings, who remarked that it was about time the shootists had a fair run for their money. \ The President said that he did not think Mr. Silcock understood the position on the CoaGt. There were plenty of grey duck which found protection in their environment. Dr. McKay said that shooters had

often to make big expeditions to get duck. The President’s amendment to make the limit bags 15 and 20 respectively, was carried by 11 votes to 3, and on becoming the motion was adopted.

Mr. Beck said that he considered the license fee should be increased above 10s as they had increased the number of kinds which might be taken. Mr. Silcock: I doubt if the Government will give us a permit to allow pukeko and paradise duck to be taken at all.

The President said that he thought there would be no difficulty about including them. The license fee was fixed at 10s, the same as last year.