DEER DESTRUCTION

Hokitika Guardian, 11 November 1933, Page 6

DEER DESTRUCTION

PROGRESS OF THE CAMPAIGN SKINS USED- IN NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON.. November 7.

: Tl)e progress of the campaign against deer, which is being carried on by the Department of Internal Affairs, is set out in the department’s annual report, presented to the House of' Representatives to-day. '

! “Rough ; inaccessable country in the South’ Island, which has in the past provided spreading ground for deer, ‘is being dealt with by the departJpent’s' parties; and commercial ‘hunters • are operating in the more 'accessable areas in both islands,” •states the report. “There is ample evidence to' show that these operations ’are making considerable inroads on the parent stocks of deer, and many letters, of; appreciation have been received from South Island property ’owners. Since the commencement of the department’s policy of saving and. marketing deer skins, more than 15,000 have been sold. The result of the. parties’ operations from November. last to April was that 6357 deer were destroyed; and 1738 skins saved. The. average number of deer killed a man for the 'season was the highest so far, ..attained. In the Landsborough Vhdley, one man, operating entirely alone, shot,6B deer in one day. Owing to tlie more accessible nature, of the country ( a larger, proportion, of sliins was recovered in the Makarora district than in South AVestland. In 'addition to the disposal, of skins for iovbrs&as • orders, large numbers have been sold for use in New Zealand. One Dominion firm is going in extensively for the manufacture of deer skin leather and articles, made from the leather, and is purchasing supplies of ".skins from the department. A new industry is thus in a fair way of being established in the Dominion. A commodity previously largely wasted is being turned: to commercial account, ..and. new avenues of employment have been found : for many men.

“In. addition to the heavy’ infestation !bf the better, known valleys of the South Westland region,” continues the .report, “it- was found that the previously; almost unchecked natural increase of,. deer ; was, resulting in a gradual widening of the infested area, as. deer, were, compelled by the depletion of food supplies in their old ha.unts to move into other valleys. Fortunately-; the spread has not yet proceeded any very great distance, and can be- successfully checked if action is taken at once.

“Comprising as they, do tlie main divide, of the South Island, and tlie source of many very important rivers, the South Westland native forests have a very important function in regulating the flow of water and preventing erosion. The very heavy rainfall has produced very abundant flora, /which is the provision of nature to ,protect the mountains from erosion, ;which' would inevitable jresult fiioni such' heavy rainfall were it not for the presence of bush. Both forest damage by deer and erosion are conditions which develop suddenly, as deer can live for some time in a forest before they actually gain the ascendancy of tlie natural regenerative growth. When this stage is reached, the ena comes quickly, and in a very short time the forest community is composed only of adults, with no protective floor-covering. Simultaneously, erosion sets in, and as the South Westland forest has now reached the state described, the great .menace of erosion is ' already revealing its potentialities for widespread waste and destruction. “It is imperative that vigorous actio.ll - be pursued in the policy of deer destruction, and there is good reason ’for beliefongThat a satisfactory degree of ■ regeneration can be restored, and the erosion checked.”