PROTECTION OF DEER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19384, 20 July 1926, Page 14

PROTECTION OF DEER.

OBJECTION TO REMOVAL.

OTHER MEASURES SUGGESTED.

[by telegraph.,-—own correspondent.] WELLINGTON. Monday.

A statement made by the Minister of Internal Affairs to the effect-that after next year unless there is a considerable reduction in 1 the number of deer tbo Government intended to remove protection, was referred to by the chairman of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp, yesterday. " My idea," said Mr. Tripp, " is that the removal of the protection by * itself would dp little good and the, only way to keep deer in chock is to pay men to shoot them. To-day if they are doing damage on anyone's property the owner can obtain leave to kill. But, speaking for the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, we at. certain times of the year, employ our rangers and others to shoot. In some cases many of the landowners have informed us that they prefer _to make their own arrangements for killing deer as they do not want people walking over their property and so interfering with their stock. In the Wellington district abcut £SOO deer were killed last year. I realise that in certain districts deer are a menace. I know they damage plantations and crops. The deer were imported long before any acclimatisation societies. were formed in New Zealand. " The position to-day is that the deer at present in certain districts are much too numerous, and want controlling and the question is what is the best thing to be done. My idea is that the government should call a conference of delegates from the different societies affected and the Internal Affairs, Forestry, Tourist, and • Agricultural Departments and discuss what had best be done. The Government realises that their responsibility is just as great as the societies' to keep the deer in check. _ "If the deer are kept in check and the numbers reduced in those districts where they are too numerous then there is no reason why the protection should be completely removed. If protection is removed the societies will not receive any revenue from stalkers."