THE SHOOTING SEASON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 5013, 14 March 1877, Page 3

THE SHOOTING SEASON.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LTCTEI/TON TIKES. Sie,—l observe by the report of the Acclimatisation Society's meeting, in your issue of March 6, that it was the intention of the society to have the commencement of the duck-shooting Beason altered from April Ito May 1. Sir I have no objection to the alteration, providing it be made for 187 S, but, Sir, I do protest ti tin alteration being made so late in the season to aSsct this year; such an important alteration as this should be made at least three months before the alteration takes place, but instead of which only a few days is to be given. People who live some distance inland will be ignorant of the alteration, and consequently will commence shooting on the usual day (April 1) and thus have an advantage over those sportsmen 'who reside in the more settled parts of the country, and who dare not fire a shot till the day appointed. I am, 4c., Temuka, March 10,1877. PAIS PLAY. TO THE EDITOR OP THE I.YTTELTON TIMES. Sir,—l have been amused at the letters on this subject which have appeared in your issue of Saturday. Why need " iiliesmere Qua " get into temper about what has been done by the Society, and why does he, by implication, make accusations which are unfounded ? Surely he must know that other people know something about game as well as himself, and that it is not necessary to be a farmer to know something about the habits of ducks, pheasants, and other birds. I shoot a little myself, and I should like to find out where this place is that 2000 ducks swarm night and morning. X would try and persuade the owner to let me have a pop there in the season, and I would get up a subscription to help the poor fellow for the loss he has sustained in what they have eaten. What cipaoioua craws they must have to eat 210 bushels of peas a week, and how fine and fat they must be if they have been at this game for weeks past. " Ellesmere Gun" ought to show his sympathy for his friend or neighbour by getting up a petition to have duck-shootiug thrown open always, and thus give the poor fellow a ohanoe of getting rid of the pests; for pests they must bo when they do what he says. He ought, at least, to advocate that the shooting be open in February and Murch, for then is probably the time when the damage he speaks of is done. Ne doubt it is absurd to suppose th>it early or late seasons make any difference with the ducks in their laying and nestiDg; no doubt they lay always about the same time, and these people in the Acclimatisation Sooiety who pretend to say otherwise are fools. It is only the "Ellesmere Gun "that is wise on these points; for what can these men about town know ? The fact of the duoks breeding always at the same time, no doubt aooounts for there being so many youag ducks not long out of the shell at' No. 2 Creek, the Halswell, Avon, Heatheote, and other places. Let " Ellesmere Gun " travel a little beyond his own locality, and he will see numbers of ducks this year not a fortnight hatched, and what chance would they haTe if the season were opened in April. " Ellosmere Gun" would get a chance of shooting their mothers, and they would then fall a prey to hawks and other vermin. Let him walk in the Domain any day, aud he will see a quantity there that are not a week old yet He is very unkind towards the Society in saying they ought to have consulted public opinion, for some four or five weeks' notice of what was going to be done was given, und why did he not give tho Society the boueflt of hij knowledgo or opinion before the deci- i sion was arrived at, aud not cavil at it afterwards, when probably it is too late. As regards " Kavensworth," be is a little hazy in some of his remarks, especially about Dr Nedwill, who probably would say "Save mo from my friends." Of course " Kavensworth " is a sportsman, or thinks ho is, but he is not liboral enough to allow that men in the Sooiety, whom he does nat know, may bo also. That is not oivil iu him, and vossibly it is a li'tie presumptuous. ( Now as rng'irds the opening of the season, there < will always, of course, bo diversity of opinion, and and it is difficult to arrive at what is best to bo done. Somo raou wmld like to shoot all tho year round, and are so solttsh that, so long as they get sheotiug, they don't oare whether tho game is exterminated or not Other men would stick to traditional opening days, whether thoy were wisely / selected or not, I know the members of the Society have taken paius to aaoertain what pro tho s views of observant men of sporting toudenoles, hiu! h I know that their own idoas upjn the point are iu I a hnriuouy with tlavo of a largo number of men who oi know Bomot,hius about game and their habi's. Thoy ol oau't please ovorybody.aud as their first <lnty is the u, preservation of game, 1 dare say tho ohauso that thoy proposo to make will help the oud tlioy have iu in viow. A month's deprivation out of four, in tho way of shoot iug, is but a small matter to real sportsmen, who are always unxious to prevent birds boimr rnthloHnly destroyed before thoy are old enough to protect themselves, and suah sportsmen Ai nro a class who outfht to be glad at what tho Society cli proposes to do. The duoks will bo all tho stronger, and therefore will afford all the more sport for be «' Elloamero Gun," " Kavensworth," Ao., (assuming thoy uro sportsmen), and I hopo also for my J BBEEOU-LOADEK.