DEPREDATIONS OF DEER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18235, 31 October 1922, Page 8

DEPREDATIONS OF DEER

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE* '

OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS [BX TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] *.' SLIJNGTON. Monday. The Forestry iJepartment's report on the depredations of deer on the forest and pasture lands of New Zealand was laid i on the table of t'ae House of Represonta- ' tjvss to-night, it is" estimated that a -deer needs as much food as three sheep or three-quarters of what is required by a cattle beast. It is estimated that the deer herds of New Zealand now number 300,000 head, and that they cause a total loss of £180,000* per annum in the pasture they eat. In regard to their depredations in the forests, the report proceeds, it is impossible to assess in terms of cash what the country is losing. Some of the acclimatisation societies have kept their herds within reasonable bounds by culling j others hlj&'e not done so. It is recommended that on settlement or contiguous of land the protection should be wholly removed. The carcases and hides of deer killed should be allowed to bo marketed. On forest lands men should be employed to shoot the deer. Poisoning has- been tried with some sucecss surreptitiously, the baits being apples and carrots poisoned with strychnine, a risky method ti: it should not be adopted except in extreme cases. Should the protection be not taken off, it is recommended that the deer oe confined to areas where there is no possibility of their becoming a nuisance. These areas should be demarcated, and there should be no protection for deer that come over the boundary. Very interesting and convincing are the •photographs showing the damage to crops and trees that accompany the report.