DEER STALKING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19156, 26 April 1924, Page 17

DEER STALKING.

A SUCCESSFUL TRIP. (From Ouh Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL. April 24. Messrs \V. R. Twigg, .1. Holmes, and T. D. Onniston, of Auckland. who held Southland Acclimatisation Society stalking licenses for Flock 4, returned to Lake Te Anau after a very successful trip. The party started off on the Manapouri side of Luke. Te Anau, and travelled up Garnockbnrn for some distance before going out. on the south side, where the first stag, a 14-pointer, was obtained. Mr Twigg states that they found that red deer were spreading, hut three to five miles south of the Garnockhurn (he, edge of the doer country was reached and traces of them disappeared entirely. On the whole the herd was in better condition than last year, and there was no preponderance of hinds. There was a distinct improvement in the antlers on the heads obtained, and thev wore more evenly developed. The following heads were obtained: —A 16-pointer, a perfectly even and well-formed head; a 14-pointer, which was excessively heavy, weighing more, than the Livingstone head; two 13-pointcrs; two 12-pointers; and one 10-pointer. After retiring from 'Garnockhurn. the stalkers wont up the middle arm of Te Anau and walked through to Peadwood Lagoon where thev had a very rough spin owing to the bad weather, and they wore forced to come out again. They were certain that deer were present around Lake Hankinson. hut though thev did not chance upon anv Mr Twigg considered that they had arrived on the stalking grounds too late this year. They thought _ that they would go in later as an experiment, hut evidently they were mistaken ns the grounds were not as easily accessible as they should have been. Messrs Brett Rhand. of Havelock, and .7. Black, of Dunedin, travelled up the Eglington River for 30 miles to its source at Lake Gunn. About 12 miles up Eglington River thev shot a fine wapiti stag, which had evident Iv swum across Lake Te Anau into the new grounds, and was surprised on the flat accompanied Itv four red deer. The head was a very handsome one, with a length of antler of 64 inches and a. spread of 44 inches. The clean skull weighed 40Ih.