WAR ON DEER

Grey River Argus, 21 March 1945, Page 7

WAR ON DEER

REMARKABLE RECORD ONE SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN 14 YEARS. Since the Department ‘of Internal Affairs began its war on deer fourteen years ago, only one serious accident has occurred to its stalkers and that was the recent fatality in South Westland when two young men were ’ swept away while trying to cross the Hooded Burke River near its junction with the Haast. The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, states that during those fourteen years the Department has employed hundreds of men. Indeed, in each of the two seasons just before the war started the total was a hundred. The operations have been conducted in every part of deer-in-fested country of the North, South and Stewart Islands. About two million rounds of ammunition have been fired and about • half a million deer, thar, chamois and goats —the great majority deer —have been shot. Mr Perry says he firmly believes that those sturdy, skilled stalkers have the most strenuous job in the whole Dominion. In spring the}’’ go out into the wilderness, and they may not come out until early winter. They have to carry heavy loads in places where a- pack-horse could not find a looting. The Department’s motto is: “Where deer can go, our men can go”—and they achieve feats beyond the ability of nimble deer when they use ropes and other equipment for scaling steep faces, fine tally of their treks includes hundreds of crossings of rugged -mountain ranges, thousands of river-crossings, much trudging and clambering over icefields and glaciers. Usually their daily task has a long stretch, for early morning and evening are the best times for stalking. Often they are above the timber line while the daylight lasts, and make their way back to camp after dark over rough ground. It is impossible to operate from huts and established camps, as the men must keep moving over long distances. Their resting places are known as “flying camps”—an alpine tent for each pair of men.

The Minister says that the great record of freedom of the Department’s men from serious accidents during a long period, in which many amateur stalkers have lost their lives in various ways, can be justifiably attributed to the thorough training of the men. A high standard of skill, particularly among the supervising officers, has been developed. The principle of “safety first” is well impressed on all. The Department’s procedure was adopted for the training of New Zealand soldiers in guerrilla warfare, and the results were highly praised by the Army authorities. THE TWO LOST STALKERS Messrs J. Radcliffe, P. R. Smith and L. Wombwell came along a bank of the Burke River to a part facing the Burke hut on the opposite side. There was a camp a little way upstream on their own side, but they evidently wished to reach the hut, because of bad weather or perhaps a desire to pick up mail. A hunter in the hut heard a call and went out. He saw that they intended trying to cross the raging stream, and he waved to them to go back. They turned about, and he went back I to the hut in the belief that they had decided not to attempt the dangerous crossing. Eventually Mr Wombwell staggered, exhausted, into the hut. He said that his mates had been swept away. They had gone back to get a pole to help them in the fording. Relatives and friends of the stalkers joined with the Department’s men and the police in the search. The body of Mr Smith was found after some days, but no trace of the other has been seen. There is now no ground for hopes that he will be found alive. Mr Parry expresses his deep regret at the death of men who were doing very important work for their country, and offers his warm sympathy to relatives and friends. “That sad fatality,” says the Minister, “is a reminder of the debt of gratitude which the people of New Zealand owe to the Department’s deerkillers who leave home comforts far behind them when they venture into wild country. They are striving valiantly to win the war against an enemy of the native forests which are safeguards against destructive erosion. From visits to the Department’s parties in various districts—journeys which included the crossing of a flooded river in the Haast area—l can vouch personally for the arduous conditions of their work.”