THE SHOOTING SEASON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 5010, 10 March 1877, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE SHOOTING SEASON.

:0 THE EbITOU OF THE LTITttTOK TlMKfi# c*a»—l perceive in your paper of March b an of tbo mooting of the Acclimatisation Society held tho day before, from which I unaer*t*.nd that the Society passed ft resolution whoroby shooting season should commence on May L ?hy I ask what right has any society of dislatereutod gentlemen to resolve on any motion whereby hundreds of men In this Province would p alibied ? Are any of tboeo gentlomon farmers < , aDsvrer, No. Have tluy anything l<> lose by the ‘fuck season being postponed! for a month ? N°* ?* n -t with fanners, who aro tho men chuiiy »u- - tho game laws, this is totally different, during this month and tho next, ducks do ? ore damage to farmers than in any other, i *cowof a farm on which a mob of 2000 ducks, or £-ore, descend regularly every night and morning--1 be damage they do to late barley, buckwheat, ana Psas, more especially tho latter, is fearful. O n an average, every duck would eat a half-pint of P 0 * 8 f*J r diea, so that the farmer loses over 30 bushels of peas every day. This is simply one case of many. J*° doubt tho gentlemen at this meeting considered l bat there was a very good reason to put oil tho footing. In reference to Mr Hill's motion, as Mentioned in the Lyttelton Timrs, M He said tho dates wore latex than last year, and as tho heavy r^ Q a had made ibis a late season, tho alteration No doubt the ducks seen bv that Bcntiotoan from the windows of tho Bank of Now ‘■'Oath Wales wore rather late, but if ho was to take * ln P into tho country and soo the ducks there, ho would arrive at quite a different opinion. What man ■s* Mn *ea would over imagine that ducks wore juseted by tbo wet weather? Tho opinion about ♦M fe k* ***** tho ducks ore decidedly more plentiful Joar than they have boon for a long time, and , *° there being many young ducks about which if? u, J*ble to fly—tho idea Is perfectly absurd. Lot *i the mexnbcn of the Acclimatisation Society tn*y toko upon themselves too much. If the considered that the duck season com®tSofd too early, it ahoald have consulted public

opinion, and called n moot tug of Hangers, who would certainly have been able t» lender n bettor opinion on tho subject than some members of t.ho Society. I should also like to say s word nlnuit the pheasant season having been postponed till June 1. The opinion of most m«n in thisdistriet is. that the pheasants have increased wonderfully tins year, and, as a rule, are more numerous than last vear. Ono gentleman talks al-oni the pheasants being exterminated. This unfortunately shown his Ignorance on the subject. If every man in Christchurch were to shoot pheasants for n month on tho Peninsula, or in the Ellesmere District, they would find it very hard work to kill even half tho birds. In my opinion, and in that of moat men, the season should not l>o postponed a d»y, and instead of making it a mont h it should bo at least six weeks. If tlio resolution passed by the Acclimatisation Society Ih> brought into force this year, it will cause an infinite amount of dissatisfaction amongst many of the upper classes; and tho manner in which it was pushed through nnd a decision arrived nt, docs not certainly reflect much credit on the Society. If tho Acclimatisation Society continues to pass such resolutions without consulting the public feelings, there is not tho slightest wonder that tho voluntary subscriptions towards it are few and far between. With many apologies for faking up tho valuable space in your columns, 1 am, Ac. AN ELLESMEBE GUN. TO IKK KPITOR or TUK I.VTTKI.TOK TIMES. Sin,—Many pcoplo, especially Inland and upcountry, seldom see newspapers or proclamations, and it Is simply absurd to suppose that tho opening day can be generally deferred. Tho Ist of April is a traditional day in the Colony, and all tho proclamations and rangers in tho country will not prevent a great deal of shooting on that day. A few weeks not ice is not sufficient to let an important alteration in an old law bo known. Fancy abolishing tho 12th of August at home. Provincial Abolition would bo nothing to it. Giro pheasants (ft rich man’s affair) a month if von like, but loavo tho day for duoka alone ; they have boon packing for some time, and can take core of themselves. A few pampered metropolitan birds, roared iu tho unhealthy atmosphere of tho Gardens, may bo indulging in late broods, but wholesome country birds know bettor, and are quite ready for tho Ist.—l am,, Ac., Kaiapoi, March P. M. N. TO THE EDITOR OK THE LYTTELTON TIMES. Sib,—Allow mo through tho medium of your paper to make a few remarks upon tho conclusion the members of tho Acclimatisation Society oamo to, at an adjourned mooting of that Society, relative to tho time that tho duck shooting should commence this year. lam quite nt a loss to poroiovo why tho date should bo altered this season, more especially as it has been one of tho best brooding seasons wo have had for some years, and iho birds are already very strong on tho wing. I havo shot for nearly 14 years in this District, and do not remember seeing birds so strong and ploantiful as they are at present, and I entirely differ with Hr Hill ns regards tho lateness of tho season. Looking over tho list of members who attended the mooting on March 6,1 do not see tho name of a single member who is competent to judge when our dock shooting should commence, because the nature of their occupations is such as to prevent them giving a fair and reliable opinion on tho subject; and, if with tho exception of Dr Nodwill, they ware true sportsmen, I should not feel aggrieved at their decision. But, really, for myself and all others who love tho sport, I must raise my voice in condemning tho absurd resolution they havo passed.—l am, Ac., Lees ton, March 7. EAVENSWOETH.