HOPE ARM

Southland Times, Issue 20664, 20 April 1929, Page 9

HOPE ARM

AMONG THE RED DEER. BIRD LIFE ON INCREASE. MR. A. E. TAPPER’S TRIP. Deer stalkers and nature lovers will be interested in the following account of Mr. A. E. Tapper’s pleasant experiences in Hope Arm, Manapouri, to which picturesque spot he pays an annual visit in quest of red deer.

“Good Friday saw me once again located at Hope Arm for my annual outing among the red deer,” narrates Mr. Tapper. “On a tree near the landing was carved the initials of Jack Holmes, Twigg and Donald who had shot on this block in former years. On the some tree was A.T. 1926-7-8-9. A couple of hundred yards further up the track on a large birch was a six-inch H.T. This was near where Harold Thomas (Auckland) shot his first 13 pointer in 1927. “This year the Easter holidays made it possible for Messrs Alf. Tapper, Charles Blomfield and Tim Woods to spend four or five days with us in camp, while Walter and I were able to remain for another fortnight. The first day we decided to walk over the saddle of the Garnockburn in order to get fit for the strenuous work ahead. On entering the top clearing a stag and hinds were met. Walter accounted for the stag at the second shot. It proved to be a ten pointer. The rest of the party had worked down the survey track towards Duncraigen where Charlie .got his first stag an eight pointer only, so our meat supply was assured. The following day it was decided that Alf, Walter and Tim should make for the o(>en tops between the Garnockburn and the Borland, carry up sufficient tucker for a week and pitch the flying camp in readiness for us the following week. They put in a night there, shot a stag or two on their return journey and landed back the

following day. Charlie and I had a day on the flat where he accounted for three stags and a bind, the stags being of little merit. On Monday afternoon three of the party left for Manapouri and home. The next day we had a consultation as to our plan of campaign. I was in favour of taking advantage of the fine weather and making over to our flying camp at once, whereas Walter wished a day or two spell at the base camp to rest after his strenuous work of the preceding three days. But this had made him fit so we decided to pack our haversacks, fix up the base camp and get going the following morning at 7 a.m. This trek is most interesting and is divided into four sections, the first up to Look-out Point overlooking the lake at Hope Arm, the second stage brings you to the clearings on the Garnockburn, the third up to the Forks at the head of this stream, then up a steep bush track through the birches into the bare open tops of the snow line. Distance here is not counted in miles but in time, and roughly speaking each stage takes two hours to accomplish or eight hours in all counting spells. We carried swags of about twenty-eight and forty pounds respectively with one rifle and camera. The last stage was the hardest, a steep pinch necessitating the use of both feet and hands, and it must have been close on 3 p.m. when, topping the ridge, the small tent was seen in the. valley below —a most welcome sight. Just as we V'ere leaving the bush trail a stag was roaring in the clearing five chains below and another a chain behind the camp. The latter was shot within five minutes of arrival, a nice eight pointer of good spread, beam and balance, and though nothing exI ceptional, was what would be termed a nice head. The. rest of the day was spent in fixing camp, getting in a supply of bedding and firewood, a necessary precaution for we were now well within the snow line, and after a strenuous day’s work after a good hot meal there is nothing more appreciated by the hunter than a good night’s rest. So anv time spent in making a comfortable bed is time well spent. The ground was soft and peaty, wet from the melting of the recent snow, so we first made a foundation or mattress of birch branches covered this with dead snow grass on which we unrolled our sleeping bags and slept the sleep of the just, though there was a stiff frost. Stags could be heard in the vicinity roaring the whole night long. The following morning we decided to make up to a high ridge on our right overlooking the watershed of the Garnockburn and then cross over to the other side of the valley and work back to camp. After the frost the day was bright and fine, with good visability. We were now well among the deer and the experience was well worth any hardship involved. “Here I would like to state to the reader who may not be one of the stalking fraternity, the difference between the aims of the stalker and the ordinary gunman. The aim of the latter is in numbers, for in this does he measure his success, whereas the stalker, except the novice, is seeking a trophy better than what he has got be- i fore, for one good head is of more value ; to him than a dozen inferior. We were ; now working up a valley between two I ridges of about two thousand acres in ex- , tent, covered with snowgrass and alpine j vegetation with nothing in the shape of I cover, so practically every deer could be I seen. On the shady side of the ridge snow ; was still lying in patches and with the aid | of a pair of good glasses any stags could be | picked up either in the valley or on the opposite hill side, and as the day was now warm many of these were wallowing in the mud holes. We must have looked over at least a couple of dozen stags but noticed nothing good enough to warrant the task

of carry back to our base camp. They were mostly eight and ten pointers each • holding his quota of six or eight hinds and we could see that it was the stags with no hinds that did most of the roaring. I suppose they thought they had something to roar about. One stag In a wallow appeared to have a decent head and though there was an absence of cover and the hinds were on the windward flank Walter made a successful stalk and a good kill which deserved better results, for it was only a light ten pointer. After boiling the small billy with meta-fuel we crossed over to the southern ridge overlooking the bead waters of the Borland. Here only a small water course dropped sheer down for a couple of hundred feet from the bare precipitous rocks and melting snow. We could trace its course right down to the open lands about Lake Monowai. On the left the Waiau could be seen shimmering in the distance right down to Te Wae Wae Bay. Stags and hinds were again noticed on the open lands above the bush line, but nothing exceptional. Making along this we descended into the vailey by our camp. We had possibly looked over between thirty and forty stags, and satisfied we had given this block a good try-out we repacked our hav-

ersacks, up-tented and left for the Gamockburn Valley below where we intended putting in the rest of the week. Here we accounted for an eight, a ten and a thirteen pointer which we left at our camp site, and stalkers happening on these a few years hence may perhaps think we were hard to please. But we were after something good, something better than we already had, for our packs were heavy enough without extra encumberance. Yet we had some very pleasing nature studies in this valley, hinds with fawns at foot a few chains off that would look up at our approach, gaze intently and inquiringly and then resume feeding or chewing the cud. One morning a good looking stag was noticed in a clearing, an eight pointer, a splendid type of beast too young and too good to kill. We stalked him with the idea of shooting him with the camera. Whin first observed the stag was about one hundred and fifty yards off. We kept still and curiosity tempted him to come close. We hid behind a bush, gave a call and threshed the bush in imitation of a stag rooting with his antlers. He came nearer and yet nearer till Walter with the idea of getting a shot close up waded the stream to get under the bank. The stag more curious still also approached the bank and looked over barely ten feet away. The camera was not ready and the chance was missed, though we got a picture of him at about sixty yards the following morning. We got another picture of a couple of young stags sparring

twenty yards distant, though an intervening tussock spoilt the effect.

Bird Life.

“A pair of blue mountain ducks were also photographed in the creek fifteen feet below. It seems to me that anyone not obsessed with the idea of shooting to kill but for pictures could get a wonderful lot of pleasure out of such a trip as this, but of course, to get good results one must have a proper camera. One very pleasant incident of the trip was the native bird life. I have always held the theory that the decrease in many of our native birds was due to disease, not to stoats and weasels, a disease introduced by imported birds, and after this trip I am more convinced that I am right. On my first trip to Hope Arm four years ago birds were very scarce and only one robin was met wi'h. This year they are common if not numerous. We noticed robins, parrakeets, New Zealand canaries, brown creeper, moko mokos (most of these for the first time) while fantails, tits, wrens, grey warblers, pigeons and kakas were numerous. It may have been merely a coincidence that the bird life appeared as if on the increase; at least let us hope it will continue, and our forests once

again echo with their melody. On the journey up while waiting the launch I noticed numerous salmon breaking the water in the Waiau about ten chains below the landing stage. They appeared to be after whitebait and are said to be uncatchable. I wish some of our local anglers would give them a try and prove this to be wrong by catching them.”