GUNS AND PUKEKO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 13

GUNS AND PUKEKO.

A MUCH-DISCUSSED : BIRD.

CONDITIONAL PROTECTION.

SOME REMARKABLE FIGURES.

•Tlio merits and demerits of pukekos were discussed at tho conference of acclimatisation societies in Wellington on Wednesday. Tho president, Mr. L. 0. IT. Tripp, moved: "That tho conference suggests that in future leavo should bo given to shoot paradiso.duck and pukeko only when they are proved to bo doing damage." Neither of these birds was a sporting bird, ho said, and they should be protected. What was tho best way of doing it? In certain districts both did a certain amount of damago, but pukeko were useful birds economically, as they ato the grub which destroyed tho flax plants. On tho other hand, where they were numerous, said Mr. Tripp, pukekos damaged stacks, which they pulled to pieces. There was also ovidenco that thoy ate eggs, and they had to bo watched on sanctuaries, whero they attacked the grey duck nests. After opening a season for a .fortnight, tho Wellington Society. was satisfied that it had made a mistake, becauso in places whero tho pukeko were scarce they were shot just the same. They had como to tho conclusion that leavo to kill whero tho birds were doing damage was hotter than the shortest season.

Mr. F. E. McKenzio (Auckland) said he agreed that neither paradise duck nor pukeko was really a sporting bird. Mr. C. S. Young (South Canterbury) said that they did not open a season last year, but they had had applications from seven owners to have the birds destroyed. On one property tho birds were protected for many years, and became very thick. Then tho property changed hands, and the new ownors had invited all their friends to shoot them out. In the case of a short season there would not be the samo destruction as in a slaughter like that. Destruction could bo very annoying to owners, but permission to shoot might mean preserving tho birds for private shooting. Two Hundred Shot in Two Days.

Mr. J. Robertson (Southland) gave an instance of 200 pukeko being shot in two days where permission had been given on account of damage. His society had decided that permits to shoot where damage was proved should be given only to approved oflicors and rangers of the society. The birds soon became alarmed and left. It must be remembered that swamps were being drained and there was a danger of the birds becoming scarce. As for paradise duck, in rabbit districts, just when tho ducks came down in thousands, poison was laid for rabbits, and the loss was heavy, but if a short season were opened the birds made for tho back country, and more were saved than lost, whereas protection would not stop poisoning them. Mr. F. Nash (Wainialc) spoko of tho favourable swamps for pukeko in and around Lake Wainono, and said that if short seasons were not given occasionally they would increase so as to bo troublesome.

Mr. C. A. Wilson (Otago) said that he could not understand why pukeko wero protected last season. They had a multitude of them. They wero so bad that tho farmers had to poison them. Ten thousand of them have been poisoned. They bred very quickly. The chief killer of tho pukeko. paradiso duck, and swan was the ice. The birds came down the Taieri River in hundreds stuck on blocks of ice, and, of course, dead.' A season should have been opened, and the same with paradiso duck. Neither paradise duck nor pukeko were bad sporting birds. Mr. F. J. Dargaville (Hobson): You said they could not fly off the ice. Mr. Wilson: Not when they were frozen on to it. Ido not know why you laugh. I was only telling you what nctually occurred.

Fifteen Thousand on One Farm.

Mr. C. H. Lawrence (North Canterbury) said that prominent landowners had bombarded his society with estimates of tho numbers of pukeko in his district. Ho had been amazed at the numbers in some of the replies they had asked for. One man said that on one property there were 15,000 birds, and in overy instance the writers said that (he birds had increased in numbers. His society was as jealous of tho protection of native birds as anybody, and was not looking at the thing in a selfish way, but they felt that to put pukeko and paradise on tho absolutely protected list was the surest way to exterminate them, because in certain parts of the district, away from the shores of Lako Ellesmerej they did enormous damage. The society received demands from farmers for compensation for tho destruction of their stacks. If the birds were protected, tho farmers would poisoin them in thousands.

Mr. T. It. Mackay (South Canterbury) said ho thought that tho remit would mean the killing of more birds than an open season would. Mr. C. A. Whitney (Auckland) spoke of a hotol where, when the chickens were called to feed, they had to run fast to beat tho pukekos to it. The pukekos did much harm in his district.

The president said that there wero, of course, two big sides, to the question. If tho remit wero given effect to, anyone could obtain permission to shoot. It would only put the birds whore they wore already —on tho protected list. Tho remit was carriod by 17 to 14.