SHOOTING RIGHTS.

Wairarapa Age, 25 March 1924, Page 5

SHOOTING RIGHTS.

A SHREWD PRACTICE.

IN BACK COUNTRY.

Invercargill, Mar. 24.—Mr F. Moorehouse, Conservator of fish and game, who is visiting the back blocks country between Christchurch and Invercargill as result of representations made to the Department in connection with the protection of paradise duck and pukeko, says grey duck is as numerous as ever in the back country, but the paradise duck is scarce. He mentioned that during the journey through Canterbury he found that it was a common thing for runhofders to make artificial pends on their properties by running water into a bed about quarter of a mile long by half a chain in width. The ducks were then attracted to this artificial lake by constant feeding chiefly on barley which was spread in little heaps on the ground on the edge of the water. This feeding continued daily till the opening day of the season. On one property he visited, no less than 48 bags of barley had been used on the last day before the season opened. The food was all placed at the end of the lake offering most protection to the shootists.

In this way he wa 3 told that as many as 1700 birds were bagged. When he asked his informant whether lie did not think that it was rather an excessive destruction of ducks, the man replied that his neighbours had made enough out of such practice to buy an expensive motor car, and that he himself had, been offered £350 for shooting rights on his property.— (P.A.)