STRUGGLE WITH DEER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21470, 19 April 1933, Page 12

STRUGGLE WITH DEER

EXPERIENCE OF STALKER WOUNDED ANIMAL'S ATTACK FINALLY KILLED WITH KNIFE [from our own cohrespondkxt] HAMILTON. Tuesday An unusual experience befel Mr. .T. Humphreys, of Gordonton, while ho was hurting Japanese deer in tho Kainianawa Ranges. Mr. Humphreys was stalking a Japanese buck, which was approaching in his direction. The only part of the deer's body he could shoot at was the top of the shoulder. Mr. Humphreys fired, and the animal dropped. Mr. Humphreys thought ho had killed it. The shot, however, had only temporarily paralysed the deer, for when Mr. Humphreys readied it the animal rose to its feet and attacked him. Mr. Humphreys grasped tho deer's antlers, and a struggle between man and beast followed. Mr. Humphreys managed to press the deer's head down and forced the antlers into tho ground. He reached for his knife with the idea of stabbing the deer in the heart, but the animal again forced its head up. In the struggle, Mr. Humphreys received a severe gash across the palm of his right hand. Eventually tho stalker got the deer in a position which enabled him to inflict a mortal knife wound. Mr. Humphreys' companions, Messrs. R. Holmes, of Hamilton, and J. Hawkins, of Te Arolia, were stalking on another ridge, and the fight was over beiore they came to the scene of tho conflict. An examination showed that Mr. Humphreys' bullet had shattered tho bones on the top of the animal's shoulder. MANY TROPHIES SECURED FINE JAPANESE HEAD [FROM OUR OWN CORKF.SI'ONDKNT] HAMILTON, Tuesday A party of Wai kato . sportsmen, Messrs. R. Holmes, H. Rotherham, P. A. Courtney, of Hamilton, J. Humphreys, of Gordonton, and J. Hawkins, of Te Aroha, have returned from a successful stalking expedition at Wairoa and Kaimanawa. Red deer were iairly plentiful on tho East Coast, and tho stalkers shot one 18-pointer, one 14poi titer, one 13-pointer and five 12pointers. Messrs. Courtney and Rotherham returned to Hamilton after the visit to tho East Coast, and Messrs. Holmes, Humphreys and Hawkins spent a few days in the Kaimanawa Ranges, where thov stalked Japanese deer. Among tho trophies secured was a magnificent 10pointer, shot by Mr. Humphreys. The deer equalled the world's record 10-pointcr shot by Mr. T. D. Ormiston, of East Tamaki, in the same locality some years ago. "The party shot seven Japanese deer, including the 10-pointer, two eight-pointers, two seven-pointers, and two six-pointers. Other sportsmen also had good luck. Mr. E. J. Schofield, of Newmarket, shot seven deer with good heads, and Mr. J. 13. Jordan, of Auckland, secured a 12-pointer with a span of 3S inches across the top of the antlers. THREE FINE SPECIMENS HAWKE'S BAY EXPEDITION [BY TKI.KCRAI'U OWN CORIIKSI'ONDKNT] GJSBORNE, Tuesday Three good heads were secured by a party of three deer-stalkers from Hawke's Bay, 011 the Mahia Peninsula, HE.wke's Bay, during the Easter holidays. The best was a 17-pointer and the remaining two were 16-pointers, all being good specimens. The party reported that although deer were plentiful, there was a scarcity of first-class heads, and this would be more marked as time when 011 owing to the fact that there was evidence of inbreeding. With three rifles, a large ba.s of deer could have been obtained, but the stalkers were content with bringing down only the best specimens.