WITH ROD AND GUN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17144, 25 April 1919, Page 7

WITH ROD AND GUN.

THE SHOOTING' SEASON, GOOD SPORT PROBABLE, FISHING NEARLY OVER. Some.misapprehension exists as to the actual position with regard to the season for native and imported game this year. The season will open on May 1 and close on July 31, and is looked upon as a special season, the Government having set aside the statutory poviskms which would have made the 1919 season a close ono. Under these regulations every third year should be a close season for all game, with the exception of godwits and deer, but early this year the Minister in charge of the Tourist arid Health Resorts Department, the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, was asked by a number of rod and gun olubs to allow the season to be open for one month this year, and he submitted the matter to tho various acclimatisation societies for their opinion. The Auckland society, in view of the fact that it had a plentiful supply of birds and the season promised to be a good one, decided! to ask the Minister to declare an open season irom May 1 to July 31 and this has been done. In deciding to ask for a special open reason, the Auckland society was influenced by the fact that a great number of fanners and young men employed in the country had gore to the war, with the result that the birds had remained undisturbed in swamps in the back country and were, consequently, plentiful. It was also considered mat as many of the young men were now returning they should be given an opportunity of again taking up their sport. Prospects for the shooting season in die Waikato are bright. In the districts near Hamilton game is scarce, but in tho outlying districts along the banks of the Waipa, pheasants axe reported to be numerous. Many complain have been received regard! poaching, and in some parts, owing to illicit shooting, birds are ■cerv shy. Quail are said to be very plentiful, and between Mercer and Port Waikato ducks have been seen in largo quantities. Many local sportsmen are leaving for the Tauranga districts, where pheasants are very numerous this year. Reports from the Lower Waikato district state that unless there is heavy rain within the nest few days the prospects for the opening of the season are not very assuring. The river has not been so low for years, the result being that the duck havo left the dried-up swamps and • have taken to the open waters. There should be good shooting on the lakes, duck being very plentiful, but so far as the swamps are concerned everything depends upon a good heavy downpour. Near the Waikato Heads, among the groynes, it is a common occurrenc* to see flocks of 200 or 300 ducks at a time..

The b'out-fishing season in the district controlled by the Auckland Acclimatisation {Society closes on Tuesday next, April 30, while the season in the Rotorua-acclimati-sation district, which includes tie streams at Taapo and in the Galatea district, closes on May 31 next. DEES-STALKING IN CANTERBURY. 1 SOME FINE HEADS SECURED. Some good sport was experienced by a party of three deer-stalkers who recently visited the Meant White country in the watershed of the Waimakariri, Canterbury. Their object was to secure heads of stags from the herd established on the Poulter River in 1908-and 1909. < The party comprised Mr. E. B. Rimmington, of Christchnrch, Mr. John Deans, of Coalgate, and Mr. R. Barrer, of Wellington. Mr. Deans shot a 14-pointer, 37in in length, 35Jin in spread, 6iin in circumierence of beam, burrs 9Jin, brow tines Win, bay tinea lzin. Mr. Deans also shot a small narrow head, of the Nelson type. Mr. Rimmington's best head was a 19pointer, having a length of 39in, spread 36in, beam 7|in, with brow tines 15Jin long. This head is not unlike the Rakaia type. It was shot high up on the Poulter River. Mr. Rimmington's other head was an 11-pointer, long, 28in in width, with a 7iin beam, the burrs being lOJin, and the brow tines 15m long. Mr. Barrer shot a 15-pointer, 35in in length, 41£ in wide, s£in in the beam, with 10£n brow tines, and 12in tray" tinea. •This is a light typical Scottish head, and similar to the Otago heads. , Mr. Barrer's oth.ir head was a 14-pointer, 38in long, 31in wide, beam 6in, brow tines Win, and bay tines l.%in. This fa a similar type of head, with'less spread,' but with well'developed tines. These two step were shot on the Esk River. The party saw about 30 stags, but very few hinds, no more than 10 in all, and only twice was a stag sqen with hinds, in fact, only with a hind and calf. They saw some 'fine young stags, apparently three or four years old, with royal heads. Mr. Rimmington is satisfied that in five or six years' time there will be ideal stalking in the district, but at present the herd is too scattered, and in too limited numbere. The herd has spread eastward from the Poulter River down to the country at the back of Oxford. The Poulter River is, however, the best deer country, as there is better bush feed than further east. The country was alive with wild pigs, and some good pairs of boars' tusks were obtained by one member of the party. A number of wild cattlo were also seen up 4he Poulter.