Trapping v. Poisoning.

Otago Witness, Issue 1947, 18 June 1891, Page 8

Trapping v. Poisoning.

The following letters have appeared in the Daily Times :—

TO THB EDITOR,

Sib,— A good deal of correspondence has recently appeared in the Times- on the above subject. Some of the letters are written by persons interested either in freezing works or rabbit canning f aotories,~and in their^-c&e it is; but natural to expect that they would; advocate . any system that would bring grist to their own mills, but the most amusing contribution comes from the pen of Mr George M. Bell, of Wantwood. I say amusing, because I:wpuld certainly expect some sound practical common sense from any one in his position, especially so when he tells you that he has had 24 years' experience on this subject.

Does Mr Bell expect the natural enemy of the rabbit to cope with the pest when it must, be within his. knowledge that thousands : of them-are'killed-annually by trappers/ aud-also- By^the 1 poieoned rabbits. The fact is, they have never had a chance. Would his flock of sheep increase and prosper if treated in a similar manner? Certainly not. Mr Bell says " continuous action all the year round is the only method,?* and 'il( agree vwith him. He is also a strong advocate of tinning factories;, but ta.e question ,ifls;V?ill ; f a6fcorjes in-, dues continuous "abtion ? I think not. During the months of-, jl^pvember,; December* January, and February skinsT are ' not' worth' one penny eaoh all over, but on the first of March. the rabbits will be worth at the factory 2d eaoh. Will not that be some inducement to keep them , a little longer ? If Mr "Bell had a lot of sheep for sale, and if by keeping them for two or three months longer he could double his money, I am vety much inolined to think he would do so. So far as utilising a quantity of, gocd .food that is usually thrown away, I agree with factories, but as a means of exterminating the rabbits they will prove a failure.

, Further on Mr Bell Bays; *' About two months ago! sent one of my trappers on to a neigh- ; boar's farm and had 800 rabbits trapped, all ; there were (italics mine) in a few days.?' Well, I ! know a man in Dunedin that might possibly j believe that statement; he owns a, hardware i shop in Princes street. I dropped in one day to ' have a chat, as I had known him for some time. !0n the counter lay some rabbit traps. I re- ! marked that it was a pity ever rabbits were (introduced into the country. He asked my reason for saying so, and after stating it, he said, 1 " What, do they eat grass ? " Such a man may ■believe Mr Bell's statement, but I venture to say , that not one man, 1 with one quarter the experience Mr Bell seems to have had, will believe ifc ; that a trapper took 800 rabbits off a farm in a few days, and did not leave ono on the placi ■ ' The story is too good, and remind? me of reading . Sam Slick. &r-

I have been wondering what induced Mr Bell to write such , a letter, if he is the person of that name who has, on several occasions, been fined at Gore for not taking steps to destroy the rabbits, then probably he wants to make the inspectors believe that his trappers are working miracles ; on the other hand, if Mr Bsll really believes what he

wrote then I would say to the inspector he had better have a turn round. In all likelihood Mr Bell's trapper told him that he had taken all the rabbit off, and Mr Bell did not take the trouble to see for himself. The thing is simply impossible, and could not ba done.

If Mr Bell likes to send this smart trapper I will give him a chance to clear a piece of land for me, j will give him as high a price as any factory in New Zealand for small and big. The land is fenced on three sides with wire netting, J and the area is 900 acres. He can start opera- j tions on the Ist of September next, with three months to finish his contract, but if at the end of that time there is one rabbit left on the land I will not pay him for the skins. Mr Arthur M'Donald 1 in a letter in your issue of the 3rd insr., seems to think that poisoning is of little value' as compared with trapping, but perhaps Mr M'Donald does not know that where trapping ha 3 been going on continuously through the summer and autumn, rabbits get -to know the traps, and it is quite common towards the beginning of winter for a trapper to find half bis traps sprung without a rabbit in them. Poisoning will, however, do away with the greater portion of what is left, leaving us, I am sorry to say, enough seed for a crop next season. Both methods, however, destroy the natural enemy, and were it not for the excessive duties on powder and Bbot, I would use nothing but the gun, which will take effect at any season of the year, and at the same time preserve the natural enemy. If Mr M'Donald would use his abilities in trying to induce the Government to take the duty off powder and shot instead of trying to delay poisoning to the Ist of July, he would certainly be aiming at something more beneficial to those interested in pastoral pursuits. — I am, &c, Gideon A. Smith. Teviofc Downs, June 10. TO THE EDITOB. Sib,— Mr G. A. Smith's letter in your supplement of Saturday is the first adverse criticism either in the correspondence or the editorial column of any local "newspaper I have read on the above subjec*-. Mrßcli is, lam sure, quite, prepared to defend the attack contained, in the , letter under review, I therefore content. myself with endeavouring toput - Mr Smith right on a few points.

In the first place your correspondent doubts that factories will not induce continuous action, and says that rabbitekins (I suppose he means rabbits) are only worth one penny during the ■ months of. November, December, January, aDd ' February. This is, no doubt, nearly correct as . far as the past is concerned, but it is no longer a fact, for I am prepared and hereby offer 5d per pair for one million full grown fresh trapped ' rabbits,- to be delivered in equal quantises during the months quoted, with fair allowance for half-grown. I have not made the quantity large, so as to stop any individual accepting the offer, but will at, once, if necessary, contract with anyone for any quantity until the totaltender amounts to the million. ■_ Mr Smith 'Says further, that in March rabbits are worth '2d. This will also be wrong, for although in the., meantime I cannot say what price will be current, it will be very considerably in excess of Mr Smith's 2d.

Mr Smith has great confidence in himself when he asserts that rabbit factories will, prove a , failure aY a means of, exterminating fixe so-called pest. If our friend wishes'tosee every rabbit caught, then I agree with him, but not otherwise.

Everyone has seen or heard of the cartoon published many years ago by Punch, showing the probable railways in England, and we »all • knowi that ' what > at .that timelwas -meant and taken air a joke had sinjie proved a fact far m excess of Punch's estimates. I do not'profess to be a Punch, but of one thing I feel convinced, and that is, Otago wilt within a; few years be literally a net work of rabbit traps, and I ,go even further by saying that rabbits will yet be farmed in this country in the 'same manner ,85 on the continent of Europe, and that in many 'districts they. will pay far better than sheep. > ■ . Dealing with Mr Smith's closing remarks, I .'•think it, is only common sense to expect th»# trapping the whole year round must result in more -rabbits-being killed-^than bjrlaymg-pbosphorised grain for two months. I feel convinced that if - trap's were laid' for one week 'in the summer (which is the breeding season) as systematically as phosphorus is laid in winter, that at least as many rabbits would be killed as by the two months in winter under the present system. ■ In conclusion permit ma to say that I am glad to notice from latest reports from Wellington that the Minister for Lands agrees that r poisoniog is not compulsory, and that trapping can be carried on by those who so desire.

v lfc has lately come under my notice that many trappers complain that traps set in the usual way (i.e., by sinking the traps with a little earth) get frozen so hard that they will not act. This is easily overcome by getting any kind of small tin and punch holes in the bottom of it so as to resemble a pepper box, put salt in the tin, and as the traps are laid sprinkle the salt over the earth on top of them. By this means it is proved that frost has no effect on the traps. It is a simple remedy, and will repay thosa who try it. — I am, &c,

Dnnedin, June 13. Aethttr M'Pokaid