QUEST FOR WAPITI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18678, 7 April 1924, Page 11

QUEST FOR WAPITI.

THREE HEADS SECURED. ■ >t ' y r NO A MOOSE SIGHTED. (APPARENTLY NOT THRIVING * •' .> " r " • •• * -• •■ t•; ' .f . ! ENTHUSIASTIC] • SPORTSMEN. j Vf V. V**' '*•«'■} *"s}•'?*■&TV v • svv'!." " .-:^ i -:"£• « ' , fc . : "O •' fß* . . lELEGBAPH.~-OWN . COKKESPONOSVt.J \/y - ' < INVERCARGILL, Saturday.. ■••;» The i large i party which left Bluff :• on. March 7 for the' fiord land returned to-day j with three' wapitiv heads, but were ; unsuci cessful 'so far: as •-moose 'were concerned. I The • party; started after moose at Dusky Sound, but although plenty of signs ' were seen, no .animals, were 1 sighted. \ The ? same ? experiences were met : with at Breaksea/ Sounds.. ilt .was • not until George's Sound was reached -that the party- had any luck, and |- three. wapiti heads were ~ secured in this dictrict in rugged mountain country. v : - i Observations seem to . indicate that - the moose are not thriving as. well as was expected, . and .the numbers are smaller than were ; reckoned - upon. ' There - are plenty of signs of the animals, but few are .to be seen, indicating that they; are - not numerous. . ;i. •' ■ <.-■■■■ Wapiti ; are doing well, and one head secured was 58 indies across, 14-point, and measured within 4 four inches •of the largest head, recorded in America. In some districts the wapiti showed an inclination Ito cross with deer. The, party are enthusiastic over the trip, which lasted a month, and included' all the Sounds worth visiting. • . ; ;

MR. DEANS' ADVENTURES.

ONLY ONE STAG SHOT. WEKA-S USED FOR FOOD. Although wapiti have been shot in the Fiord . Country ,at the head of George Sound, when three heads were taken, it was only during the past week or two that the . first head was secured ■ on this side; of the dividing range. The stalker whose good fortune it was to secure the head was . Mr. John Deans, of Coalgate, and the details of his journey with two guides through the mountainous and difficult; country on the divide in the vicinity of Lake Hankinson, in the Lake Te Anau region, j shows that the sportsman who goes out after wapiti has to be prepared to rough it. •. The • wapiti is. about one half as large again as ordinary red deer, but lighter in colour, ■ the neck 1 and head being • of dark brown, and the head being heavier, than those of red deer. v ' " • The party consisted of, Mr. John Deans and' the 1 guides, Messrs. H. Beer, and James • Wilson, both of Mossburn. Te Anau was left on March 13. Owing to rough weather it was not possible te land at the head of the middle arm. The party disembarked at a bay further down, fee portable boat, which was part of the equipment, got swamped at the steamer's side, and part of the stores became spoiled. The remainder of the day was spent in drying out. The *, following day the pasty rowed across the head of the Sound, took the boat to pieces, and carried it and the gear across the ridge in the bush to Lake Hankinson. ' Two trips to, the head of the lake were necessary in order to transport the gear. Camp was made at the head of the lake. ' March '15 was " spent •in "investigating the country round the: head of the lake, and a high basin to the' northwest of it. So few signs of wapiti were seen that it was' decided to ' make ; for the saddle leading to the West j Coast.*-' ■ 'A;: Long Shot 'Taken. **

' The next morning turned, out with swags and provisions - for 1 1 four _ days, and after i a v strenuous ( day they,camped; ; at" Deadwood -, Lagoon. On ! the 1 17th they went ; out'., through the ; bush on - to the open . country (near ( the saddle. (^'After lunch', they . made over a ; high / basin on the divide _ and saw a stag which had evidently winded them ; it was making out over the divide toward the West Coast. As there was no chance of - stalking ( him, as wind and' open country were against them, as long ;j shot was .taken and the stag was 'got. : ; The head was a 14-pointer, 43 inches wide; 48 inches long, ; and weighing '34ilb. .The stag %• was?;,not-• in v very good ' condition, • and. had ;been, evidently, in the basin for some time. ; > :'i The quality of the horn was, for , some reason 5 ; or r other, very poor, and was smooth and. worn instead of being rough in .texture. The head was got to camp that night, Mr., Beer carrying it;, in addition to the weight of the head (34£1b.), there was also the skin (201b;), and a tent fly (weighing about 201b. Heavy rain came on at dark and did not cease for 38 hours. The party spent 'two 'very uncomfortable nights in wet sleeping bags. > . • Party - Short yof i Food. ' .-- 1

4 As fires could ; not be lit,*; and 5 as food was ' running short,' it was decided ' to make, a break for the base '■ camp/ : All the creeks were ' very high, and the track was in very bad' condition, l and, las ' a consequence, the . party was only able to make a » ruined hut ; near f Lake H Thomson that night. ' The following day was spent in drying clothes and blankets, t and the base camp on Lake Hankinson was reached the following night. ( ' v ;* : 1 Food • ran short: and the party had'to fall back on ; wekas which they killed -in the ; vicinity <of the camp. V Another day was repent ; in the vicinity of the base camp ' prospecting, but- no signs whatever of • deer ' were ' seen. ' The party then returned down Lake Hankinson 1 to the original camp at the head of the middle arm of ; Lake vTe 1 . Anau. S* The i next 7 day % they went ;• up , through the bush on to the surrounding tops, but saw no signs lof deer, though the country was very; suitable for them.;' The next dav - the steamer f. picked the party up and its ; members ; returned to Te Anau. •;- 1 , ; .' 1 • ' ■ The country over which the party went in search of wapiti is ' not often visited by "deer stalkers.'/;;• 1 ; \JA"