RAVAGES OF DEER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21521, 19 June 1933, Page 10

RAVAGES OF DEER

CANTERBURY WATERSHED

EXTERMINATION EFFORTS

Because of tho ravages of deer in its watershed area, the Waimafcariri River Trust decided at a meeting in Christchurch last week to spend up to £2OO in stamping out deer with the assistance of Mr. A. It. Turnbull, owner of the Mount White Station, who has undertaken to engage two men for the purpose and provide them with equipment. The board will spend tho money by giving a subsidy of 2s 6d a head and will also supply the men with ammunition, provided it has tho legal power to make this expenditure. The destruction of deer in tho area was discussed recently at a mooting of Professor It. Speight, a member of tho trust, Mr. H. W. Harris, tho engineer, Mr. C. W. Hervey, the secretary, and Mr. Turnbull, and a report from this sub-committee was placed before tho meeting of the trust. Tho sub-commit-teo reported that Mr. Turnbull proposed that two men should bo employed for threo months to shoot deer after snowfalls and work slowly up the river. »

It was suggested that the trust should pay 2s (Jd a head for deer destroyed and also supply nnununftion. Mr. Turnbul! had also said the station would undertake the paying of tlio men and would find them in horses, gear, food, chart,' camp equipment, etc. It was estimated by Mr. Turnbul! that an expenditure by the board of between £l7o and £2OO would bo required to deal with the deer in the district. Ho also estimated that the two men ivhoni it was proposed to. engage would dispose of between 600 niid 000 animnls. The opinion was expressed by the secretary that the trust would' have to place a limit on the number of heads on which it would pay out. From his experience with the Acclimatisation Society, he added, ho considered that no matter how many doer were destroyed, more would come into the district. This mount that the trust would have to secure the co-operation of acclimatisation societies as well as the Forestry and Internal Affairs Departments/ Otherwise, it would not be possible to clear the area effectively. Nelson deer had spoiled the herds in this district and it would be found that once deer were killed, others would come into the area unless they were checked.