MEANCE OF DEER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 31 October 1922, Page 5

MEANCE OF DEER

ANNUAL LOSS £173,000 SENSAHONAL GROWTH OF THE HERDS DANGER TO FARMING AND FORESTRY

From our Parliamentary Correspondent

WELLINGTON, This Day. Deer in Now Zealand, according to a special report prepared by the State Forest Service, have become a menace to the agricultural and forestry industries. Only some 111 deer have been introduced into New Zealand, but since the first stag and two hinds _were successfully established in the Nelson district in 1861, the herds have grown to such an extent that it is estimated that ihe animals now total 300,000. The annual loss to the country by the destruction caused by the animals is placed at close of £200,000. The seriousness of the deer question became evident when, last year an investigation was made into the relation of grazing to the lands under the control of the State Forest Service. This investigation revealed the fact that the presence of grazing aaiimals was in most c&ses inimical to the development of a silvicultural ;policy unless numbers were * strictly controlled to a state commensurate with forest regeneration. While it appeared that domestic stock could be controlled to this (Stage, it was evident that 'wild linimals, such as deer, presented a difficult problem of control as the -only method of shifting them, when grazing had proceeded as far as advisable,' was by shooting. It was apparent that-the sister industry, agriculture, was equally affected; grazing resources of rhany runs were being depleted, and damage to farm 'crops, stock, etc., was manifest. These facts brought forth the ■necessity for an economic survey of deer in the Dominion to ascertain the extent of the problem and means of control. The survey has been completed, the; summarised results, given in the report,

being:— 1. Deer were introduced for sporting purposes. Importations of some 111 head, , spread over the years 1861 to 1909, were made. They were released on land at that time thought worthless and some of which has later become of value to the national interests. 2. Deer have increased to large num"bers, probably to some 300,000 head. They nave spread over large areas of country where it is not economically sound that they should be.

? GREAT LOSS—LITTLE VALUE ■3. Except in a few instances deer are. detrimental to the national interests, (a) Agriculture': Largo numbers of stock are displaced on stations and farms. Depletion of the resources, of mountain country has occurred from their presence. Damage to stock, crops, and fences is manifest, (b) Forestry; The presenec of deer is inimical to. the development of silviculture. In commercial forests they must ue entirely eliminated and only allowed in small numbers m protection of forests, etc. (c) Value to the public : An infinitesimal proportion of the public finds sport and recreation through the deer herds. Total license ices of an average of £1393 at £2 per 1 cad. shows that .0005 per cent, of the population of the Dominion take part in the sport. . , 4 No community value is obtained from the herds. The restrictions applied to their protection do not allow of the marketing of the carcass and practically all meat is left to rot. REDUCED TO FIGURES

5. The herds are distributed over come millions of acres of lands in the Dominion, much of which, would carry a greaflv increased number of stock in thoir absence. All food favoured by domestic? stock is eaten, and when food is in short supnlv, deer will live where domestic stock' "die. Herds probably increase bv 25 per cent, annually and, through Absence of natural enemies, want of culling, inbreeding, or lade of adequate i"<K>d for the development of bom, have degenerated to a stage where they supply little sport. ■;■••■' Per annum

Estimated damage to mountain pastures, farm crops, fences, stock-, ■ displacement of stock, and damage to forests, n amounts to 180 > otKj Estimated value of licenses, expenses incidental to sport, attraction, of visitors, etc., amounts to / > uw

Debit to the national interests 0 f £I7OjI)UU

"6. Conclusions: (a) So detrimental iSj the presence of deer to agriculture thatj toe protectionshould be etui rely remov-i * ed from them in settled areas. Other wise iranv f.nmers will have to giva up their occupation, (b) The development of forestry -frill be an impossibility unless deer are eliminated' in the areas affected. 7. 'Control: Dee.? should be relegated to wast* lands where their presence would not be troabiesoin'\ th*se areas to be demarcated and protection to apply only to tlcm. in all other areas the protection should be removed. Shooting which will follow the removal of protection, will eliminate the pest in the more closely settled areas. In other lands, more remote.back country runs, etc., besides the removal of protection to bring the pest under control, either (a) men must be employed to shool—the average- price paid in f'le past for culling is 2s per head of (b) in extreme cases, where no danger to other stock can a,rise, poisoning is possible. Strychnine used on apples, carrots, etc., jas been tried successfully. RAVAGES DESCRIBED ■Striking examples of the ravages wrought by deer are given in the report. ' The land in the Lillbum Tuatapere district, in Southland for instance, is contiguous to large arms of forest country which borders on the national park, and deer are numerous. It is becoming impossible to grow crops there. Grain clops are grazed on, trampled, down, and even when in the stock are not immune, the sheaves being tossed abouit in all directions and destroyed. Turnip crops are grazed on often bofore ihey are ready, the bulbs broken, and xn •some instances rows are- pulled up in a spirit of mischief and left to rot. One instance is quoted of a settler last ecason pawing fifty acres of grass on a new bush burn. Deer ed to feed on it before it was ready to graze, the result being that the pasture was for the most part ruined. The'seriousness of this is apparent when it is remembered that the only possible chance <:* getting & take of grass on bush country is on the new ash. One man estimated his loss of lambs through deer playing about among the stock at lambing time at 30 per cent.

POOS DISREGARDED ! Tlurinjj investigations a partially ruin-! ed turnip crop was seen at Lake Hawea off which 130 deer had been, shot. The ' THE COOLTNG INFLUENCE § - of i glaaa of ice-cold cordial made with Price's Fruit Essence after outdoor . games cannot bo over-estimated. An ideal summer drink for young and old alike. Nine refreshing flavours including raspberry, pineapple, lemon, squash, and lime. Is 6d bottle makes 3 gallons. Tell your grocer vou want Price s. ' -Wholesale Agents, J. E. Cock and Co.—3

i owner of a crop of oats in the Wangapeka Valley, Nelson, placed scarecrowa ><m it and tied dogs to stakes. Deer I grazed to within a few feet of the dogs ; and the scarecrows, and the crops were {ruined. At Rotorua, farmers estimated J their loss at from £SO upwards annually, and these were conservative esti- ! mates. Many examples of the displace'ment of stock are quoted. One instances states that on a Blue Mountain run, on which 10,000 sheep used to be shorn and 100 head of cattle ran, only 6500 sheep were shorn last season, and no cattle could be earned. In short farmers claim that deer are comparable as a pest with rabbits with the added disadvantage that they are impossible or prohibitive to fence out. i Particularly emphatic u the comment of the officer who made the'report on the effect of deer on the forests. "I am quite certain," he says, ''that the iegenoration or replanting of the Stale's oxotic plantationsi can never be accomplished if the presence of deer is allowed."