THE TRUE SPORTSMAN

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 84

THE TRUE SPORTSMAN

~ : ~ - (Br ,Taicati Patene.) - . '.^~- Isa. : biped usually.afflicted wifch.aeute faunaxnania,. which "has. its specific phases? Left •'unrestrained with a free hand, -he would j ,- exterminate every, living "animal _ in- -New j ' Zealand. I question if. he^ would stop short - "of homicide. "Let'.himv loose .in.. our. Botanic * Garden, '^and* winged ,be extinct - there, in 'two hours; ""'I have seen- it in print j - that .the' true sportsman would^ not shoot " the kaka or pigeon/ The scribe who reports ; zjfchis^'Unteslified v nonsense. knows, 'nothing 1 " aboui(;jt^ If -two "of '"these v unsuspecting j innocent" creatures >j were', "seen by '^-a ' true - 1 sportsman quietly . ' resting -within' range ' --"Jnothing -,would- or 'could *tay- his hand, 'but, a fife of paralysis,..if • he^thoughfc "the ranger out. of. coo-eo. "" * V~_ ---",»" „ For "a time*- this r . fauna-niania %:w,as per- , xnitted to rove unrestrained „alqhgvthe Mil- - i-iotd ; Sounds track >witlf^ his' "dog: and- gun.' - .'He left his mark there' more indelible than .Jjthe mark of.>\BilPS'tubbs.';,The, spoilers ■ r 4iarid r was nearly. fatal ; .to\the' .rare bird of ' that^icharining-'" region.*- -Sonaespf.-. our • jaresfc . '..ibifds ' were.-practically-: exterminated; ' Ont .-, beautiful ? arid- rare blue tmountain "duck— a" , bird }X could '-jvaich ■ -jvith' -interest" by the " -hour— has. -no amenity- attractions <for."'the '" true 5 sportsman;, he'd- kHl'h'im in cold -bloods 1 ' destruction" 4 i>JE /the -most '<_rare vand _ -valuable^ bird CiniNew Zealand, would give^ him pd 'concern." -He^ is j of. appreciating -its attractive beauties.,/ "For- ! tunately — though v late— the attention rof the .Government was; directed " to ; the deplorable destruction of the fare fauna oh the Mil.ford Sound track".-,. lt .is.no w a legal offence J to . traverse that charming- track " with a dog/or gun. • - " <-- * y~ . • / It is quite a mistake to suppose the true - •poftsxnan prefers? a -jnoying or, flying shot. - .We' have ample, evidence": to the -contrary. - .No; he ."prefers crawling stealthily .under .- cover.. till. -he^. gets ■ well, within-range- of a tig -flock arrest; .a. good, indication.o f a poof shot. -JAgairi; it cannot : that he • prefers the flesh of : game to a six of eight "V months', jold- rooster -or pullet.. A He -has -my asßUrance, and" 1 am a -fair judge of; both, . that there is no^test you can^subject them to that would .score any 1 " points in. favour - of game. ;It% is admitted, that game requires* "'hanging" to fit;it for "the table. A ■ paradise or gray- dock (save flappers), _ unless' hung a. fortnight or more, would be " _4>rqpf - against - a full set , of first-class den-tistry,-while an. eight-months' rooster would ;'. "fee fit in" 24 hours -after decapitation. A pukaki is fit for nothing but stewing, and, ,while you may make a square meal out of him after subjecting, him- to a.lO-hours' - «tew -in a stew-pan, he is still disappointing, "besides the risk you run in getting choked _ with his- leg skewers. $?ow a 10-year-old rooster properly, ., treated in a stew-pan for /"two hours' is— .well, , a culinary blessing to 'a • party of four/ . ""',"( - -Then, again,- as to Jhe pleasure of= shootIng. If you lafV builtXproperly,"-and--a v good shot/ i;abbit-sHodting' Tis '• the "better . eport, ,and _much, to he preferredVand Tcpin.-. ."mended as compared .wanton "de^ «truction.-ol our _. Native game, ;which- every . true. - lover, 'pi ' New- - Zealand-H-fauna^-^can' i.'dinire"' and enjoy; m'uch-'<betier Hying than Jr-dsa'd. -.We have Historic. proof of- the sport , that can be- got out of "rabb'it-shdbtiri^. 3For generations the rabbit was-^probably is - now — protected in common with' other "game, eolely for the purpose of shooting as'^aT sport 'by -'the - lordly;Vproprietors largo lioldings.". Then what -is"it that .makes toe : ,true sportsman '"'•prefer the destruction of "our .feathered" game to that of the rabbit? --•We don't -encourage "any lordly distinction * here._ When "tHe game is conserved hero - " ifc . is "protected in the interest of - -«ll. v These reasonings seem to lead to - the conclusion" that, in the interest "of the community, -and more- especially the lovers of our" native, bird! life, the true, sportsman ■wants restraining.' - When- a\ toper cannot restrain Ms' thirst within reasonable limits - ,we take oufc,&' prohibition order againet him, , " and woe betide the "publican whose sym- - jj&thy tempts- him to relieve . his Burning * thirst by- tendering' Jiim a pot of' Speight >pn"d -Co.'s mildvXX-X. . .1s ike- true, sports;."*dan" worthy : of, more consideration „than '-- -toper, troubled o»ly with a thirst . mania, but incapable "of '• inflicting such injury against .the sense of the community as. a - true sportsman* would if _ let iloose The . man with .a specific -Jauhafmanfa. "requires special treatment. ' 3 He - Js -no more to be. trusted with- a chargeditartridge than is a tor.er with & not of miId.XXX. "Now for the" Acclimatisation Society and its, worthy but unfeed members. When , «ne comes to reflect, the untiring interest r_. these gentlemen have taken, and do still 1 "take," in the colony's past and futur© j interest and welfarej I frequently feel that ' lihey- do not receive tbat'publio sympathy i «nd assistance their disinterested and un- - tiring efforts merit. They have stocked our streams and lakes, added largely to our feathered fauna, and stocked our waste Hands and mountain ranges with numerous •.nigaals attractive to sjap and well fitted j

'V . 'for his >use and' occasional sport. mistakes .may. have been made in' their "experimental introductions, but on the whole they have widely benefited the com•munity, and '■are not responsible for tbe introduction of many pests- placed, to their credit. " ' The- first' ring of the spoiler's gun so alarms most game, especially . ducks, that > they fiee.from their- usual cover at once, j and seek proterfion-away_back'in the wilds inaccessible to the -spoiler till 'the season ; is past, "w.hich thev-6oon seem to know. .Here, I fancy, the society ha'T* means of J rendering- the true sportsman's efforts j abortive and profitless should the society's ! efforts* for a.; close, season be, disregarded, I would suggest to- that worthy body- that they select 1 a sufficient , number of their trusted rangers, and isupplv- each with 100 rounds of. blank cartridge, and tell them off to well-known covers with instructions to .effectually scare J-'the . game a,, few -hours . -'before .these Vroving,,- ,va'ndak— theL' v "tr"ue r [ spbrtsme'n^-are' legally .permitted' to^plunder I the-' 3 dist'fieis "and' fob it bfJqneof.'ats^chief attractions." • ' "'"' '\> '.- - . *<•