RABBIT PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27028, 12 March 1949, Page 8

RABBIT PROBLEM

“BREEDING POLICY **

MARLBOROUGH BOARD’S RESULTS

CRITICISM BY FARMER The “killer policy” of the Wairua Rabbit Board in Marlborough is described as a “ breeding policy ” by Mr E. Scherp, a prominent farmer of Wairua Valley, in a letter to his friend, Mr E. E. Ball, of Ida Valley, Otago. As a young man, Mr Scherp was well known in the Ida Valley district. The Wairua Rabbit Board has been operating for 14 years; during that time its rates have doubled and the rabbits have increased, Mr Scherp explains. Before the board was established, only one rabbit was caught in 12 months on the property Mr Scherp now owns; in 1942, only five were caught; but since then they have increased to such an extent that the board caught 73 last year and Mr Scherp killed another 200 himself. While spreading lime, he took 32 out of four nests in a paddock one afternoon. The board’s rates on the property were now more than £27, which with the £ for £ subsidy, meant that the cost of killing 73 rabbits had been £54. The report of the board for the year ended March 31, 1948, reveals an even more amazing story. On the property of Mrs J. Hille, the rates were £44 14s 5d and two rabbits were caught. On the property of Mr S. G. Johnston, the rates were £3O 6s 9d and only two rabbits were caught. Better results were obtained on other properties, however, such as the 2913 rabbits caught on the property of Mr G. H. Andrew, whose rates were £222 2s lid, but there were also properties where the kill for rates were—l 7 rabbits for £4B, 25 for £2O, 10 for £l3 13s, and 17 for £l3 17s On some properties the _ number of rabbits caught compared fairly favourably with the number of hours worked, but on other properties the comparisons were not so favourable For instance, on Mrs Hille’s property it took eight hours to catch the two rabbits; on Mr Johnston’s it took 16 hours to catch the two; while on others the details were—four hours for one rabbit. 25 hours for five rabbits 64 hours for 17, 34 hours- for 17, 36 for 15, 33 for 11. and so on. The 2913 rabbits on Mr Andrew s land took 2033 hours to kill. , , The report of the board also gives the number of rabbits killed each year —figures that reveal a steady increase. They are:—l936, 6571 rabbits; 1937, 9414: 1938, 3977; 1939, 3552; 1940, 2255; 1941, 1879; 1942, 1664: 1943, 2290: 1944. 5245- 1945, 8146: 1946, 6690; 1947, 7238; 1948! 10,144. “The way things are going now, Mr Scherp ruefully adds, ‘we will be over-run with rabbits in a few more years and our rates will be fantastic.