BIRD PROTECTION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 December 1924, Page 16

BIRD PROTECTION.

PIGEON SHOOTING DENOUNCED

The following letter, typical of many others reeeived by the N.Z. Native Bird Protection Society from a Tauramunui member, who was a sawmiller, emphasises the need for greater activities by all well-wishers of our birds and the necessity for improving our conservation methods. Suck happenings are unfortunately rife in many other out-oi-the-way localities. “The society was formed to advocate efficient protection of our birds, but the birds, for the most part, don’t live in and around our cities, as unfortunately the greater part of our forests aie far removed from our cities. If we then betake ourselves to these forests we find that the only people who have any. thing ’to do with our virgin forests and their bird inhabitants are sawmillors and their employees and dependants—people. connected therewith through trade etc., settlers, Government employees of railway, postal, and forest services. Surely it is the business of suck a society to get at the heart of the thing first, instead of the cities where the birds are few.

“I am very familiar with the district all through the King Country and Rotorua, but it is to the sawmilling districts from Utiku to Te Kuiti on the Mam Trunk and Putaruru to Ngangatalia, on the Rotorua line that theso remarks really refer. The pigeon is the chief victim, though other birds such as kakas and tuis are also shot. Two ordinary specific examples of the destruction might be mentioned, but such are of weekly occurrence. _ On 3rd August a party drove up to Oio from Taumarunui, and after'three hours in the bush to the eas! of the railway line came away with 60 pigeons. On the 10th August, in a small reserve lying to the north-east of Owhango, on the left bank of the Whakapapa River, ten tuis and a number of pigeons were shot by youths. Any fine Sunday morning ‘about 10 o’clock m the winter dozens of men and boys with firearms can be seen walking down the railway line from Owhango, and many from Raurimu, in the direction of Oio, bound for a certain block ot miro and tawa bush where the birds congiegate, and thousands of pigeons and other birds are shot. As ; pea-rifles are generally used, a large number of birds fly away wounded besides those bagged.

Ihis is only on e place on ' the line, but it is a fair example of what takes place wherever there are food berries. Recently a party from the Forest Service was working over the Whakapapa from Owhango, and a bridge elected by this party proved a ready means of access across the gorge for the pigeon shooters. lam glad to say the foresters did endeavour to check the destruction by seizing a rifle and taking some names. Nothing about any prosecution was, however, heard and I Ca <!mf c the rifle was returned. there are plenty of decent people here who are against this poaching and who would staunchly support the Sated “ VIg ° ,OUS «

“The standard arguments are* ‘The let’s have our o haC <Tc°T birds before they go!’ „-!*Vi > a* * c b )n ’ t . 1)a « ’em someone else

‘.‘The talk on e hears in cities -about preservat.on is futile, and the laws Which arc supposed to enforce such are lust as well enforced by' om* authorities on M ars as they a-e in these out-of-the-"<vy districts where the birds are.” •