WAR ON HAWKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19762, 8 October 1927, Page 15

WAR ON HAWKS.

BOUNTY AND PRIZES. A HAWKE'S BAY SCHEME. PROTECTION FOR GAME. War to the death upon the hawk, as the greatest enemy of the game bird, more particularly the pheasant, was, figuratively speaking, formally declared by the executive of the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society at a meeting this week. Mr. J. N. Lowry said that the present bounty of 6d paid by the society on hawks' beaks did not offer sufficient inducement to country dwellers to shoot and trap the pests. He would personally be only too glad to contribute £2O to the funds of the society, were the bounty increased to 2s 6d per beak and feet. "Only to-day," said Mr. Lowry," I saw a hafok kill a nine months' cock pheasant almost at my feet, and during the first few weeks of its life the pheasant is purely and simply prey for the hawk. In my opinion rearing pheasants with the number of hawks at present existing in this province is throwing good money after bad. This society turns out 300 and 400 pheasants in a year, and only about 100 will survive. Mr. H. Ellis: The hawks kill vary quickly by striking the pheasant on the head. The trouble with the hawk is that once he gets his eye on a bird he comes back and back until he gets it. Mr. Lowry: I think that in the old day 3 the hawks must have preyed on pigeons and tuis, and, having depleted the supplies of these, have been forced to turn to other game. Mr. T. Pickitt: Seeing the pheasant is such easy prey to the hawk, I think wo had better turn to water fowl. The Chairman: The Auckland Society has been successful with mallard duck. Dr. Harvey: I think that we should carry out the idea advanced last year and hold a competition, with prizes in addition to the bounty for the person bringing in the great-est number of beaks and feet. Mr. Lowry: I am not entirely in favour of competitions. The best results could be achieved by the co-operation of the landowners. If every landowner were in sympathy with this society, we would soon be rid of the hawk menace. If every landowner paid out money for hawks' beaks and feet and did not leave it to the society* the nuisance would not exist for long. It was decided to adopt Dr. Harvey's suggestion. The society therefore offers prizes of £2O, £lO, and £5, in addition to the usual bounty, for the greatest number of hawks' beaks and feet taken to the secretary between the present time and May 31 next. *