THE HAWEA DEERSTALKERS AND ANGLERS ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 36

THE HAWEA DEERSTALKERS AND ANGLERS ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the above -association was held on September 19, the president, Mr M'Carthy, in the cha-ir. The chief object of the meeting was to decide whether further culling of the deer herd should be proceeded with at the present time. Reports from the men lately employed went to show that deformed arcd heads were very pLentiful in the TimAru country, and that while weedy stags were fairly numerous about the .Lower Dingle, the percentage of deformdtits was net nearly so high there as further 6outh. The Chairman -briefly outlined the- position. The funds available for the prosecution of tibe work were limited, and it was rhe duty- of members to secure the best passible results from their expenditure. For obvious reasons the shooting of stags had been discontinued, but if it were thought advisable the thinnings out of old and weedy hind 3 could still ba gone on with. Discussion was invited as to whether this should be done, and if so, whether the Tiroaru.' or Dingle country be first deali with. \fr, TJruquhart thought at useless spending money o"n the Timaru country ; culling a few hundred hinds would not reclaim it now. Nothing «£prt of ehcoting them out in a face would do any gocd. Mr Perry ea-id the Timaru hinds were in good condition, and was- of opinion that many of them were equally as gocd as any to be found in the Hunter. Mr Connolly took exception te the statement that the hinds om Timeru were in gocd condition. All the deer an Timaru were weedy, and it would be belter for the forest as a whole if most cf the hinds there were -destroyed. Timaru wes overstocked and the feed was eaten civt. Mr Buekley estimated that at least 20 per cent, of the hinds in question should be ©hot. It was, however, very difficult to distinguish old and weedy, hinds. x Mr Cotter considered that the money available should be expended in culling deformed and weedy stags before the season cpensd. The Timaru degesaerates required^ £?vere culling, but it was "more important at*" piese-nt to protect the good ground, and if "the outskirts were cleared this portion of +he forest conld fc~ dealt with later. The host time to- shoot blinds we.i late winter or early spring, when the weaker members moved to -lower lands. Saveral other members spoke on the limes abdicated, and the following motion, moved fey Mr M'Carfty, and seeexded by Mr Cotter, was carried: "That co further shooting be done at present, for the following reasons: Stage are casting their hcrne. and in regard to old. weedy hinds it would not pay' 'anyone to ehoot them by contract. On the other hand, to shoot weedy hinds 'without regard to age at. 2s 6d would ccat tho society too much. It would be more satisfactory jo both the shooters and the society to have this work don© by wag-as. Tho experience gained up to the present has taught this association that the question ©f culling is -more complicated than* was anticipated. It is recommended -that culling be commenced again about February, the matter to be previoiisly considered at a meeting of thi3 association, when further 6Uffge6tioji3 v may be made to th» society." It we-s r-eeolved that the secretary write to Mr Hardcastle for further particulars in to th-e ca«*es of alleged poaching which he had brought under 4he notice o r the Otago Acclimatisation Society. Tho meeting closed with the usual courtesy to th» chair.