SPORT WITH DEER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22391, 11 April 1936, Page 15

SPORT WITH DEER

STALKING IN SOUTH LORD LATYMER'S EXPERIENCE COMMENTS ON CULLING Good sport on a deer-stalking trip in the rough country on tho borders of Otago and South Westland was enjoyed by Lord Latyiner, of Surrey, who returned to Wellington this week. He secured a fine 15-pointer head. He said deer-stalking in tho South Island was one of the finest sports in the world, unequalled anywhere else, except perhaps, in Scotland. "If your Government was to spend more money on advertising this wonderful attraction," said Lord Latymer, "you would have many more Englishmen coming here for the sport. We at Home see nothing but publicity on biggame fishing." He believed the Department of Internal Affairs made a grave mistake in organising deer-culling parties to thin out the deer because of the damage they were doing in the native bush. The deer were not doing a thousandth part of tho damage that was credited to them. Damage by Thar

Human beings, fires, and slips destroyed far more bush than the deer and it was absurd to say that the animals were responsible for wholesale destruction. From what ho saw in tlvo Mount Cook district lie would say that the thar Avere the animals that needed destroying. Where they were not found the damage was practically negligible. Lord Latymer agreed that whore the deer came out of the bush and destroyed farmers' crops it was only right that they should be destroyed, but he was certain that in the bush they were harmless.

"I am getting more particular," said Lord Latymer, "and tho only head I shot this time was a fine 15-pointer, a good, heavy head. I could have killed a good many more, but I only wanted a good head. I do not think that this 15-pointer is quite as good as heads I secured on former trips. We were in the Albert Burn country, near Mount Aspiring. The headwaters of tho Albert Burn run into the Matukituki, which rises in Mount Aspiring. I believe that the block we were on, not very difficult of access, had been culled, but tho parties did not worry us. In fact, we would not have known that the country had been culled. Tongarlro Trout Smaller

"One of the effects of the culling is to spread the deer into places where they have not been seen for years. In my opinion the culling operations, in the way they are conducted, are quite useless, and if a certain number of deer are to be killed —and I think a certain number should be—other methods should be tried.

"I found the thar much harder to stalk than I thought they would be. It took me three days before I succeeded in stalking an old bull thar. Tho country is of course open, and they are very shy. The females are less shy, but they soon learn when they are being stalked. "I did a little fishing in the Tongariro River before I went south, but, though I had good sport, I found the fish much siryiller than when I came here first six years ago. I think that there is no doubt that the fish are getting smaller every jear."