Sportsmen Should All Wear Buttons

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 6175, 19 March 1948, Page 5

Sportsmen Should All Wear Buttons

ANGLERS AND SHOOTERS SUGGESTION IN CAMBRIDGE A suggestion that all anglers and shooters should wear a distinctive button with the licence number marked upon it was made at the annual meeting of the Cambridge branch of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society on Wednesday evening. The idea was taken up enthusiastically and will be sent forward as a remit to the annual meeting of the society in Hamilton next month. It was also suggested that the names of protected birds be printed on the licences, as many shooters were in ignorance of which birds could be shot. The need for shooters in general to show more respect for land owners was stressed by several speakers at the meeting. It was considered that permission should always be sought before entering a farmer’s property, and special care should be taken to see that all gates were dosed tyInformation was received that a blood parasite was attacking birds and tests were being undertaken by a South Island enthusiast. Shooters could obtain from secretaries microscopic slides on which they could take smears of blood from birds shot. It was reported that at, the annual meeting in Hamilton next month, the election of officers would take place by postal ballot, which was a change from previous years. The President, Mr A. Webster, presided over a good attendance, and the election of resulted as follows: Patron, Mr H. Roche; president Mr H. C. Oaten; vicer-presidents, Messrs J. Tucker and W. R. Edwards; secretary and treasurer, Mr G. Smith; auditor, Mr J. D. Clemow; committee, Messrs A. Webster, W. Nairn, J. McLeod, F. McFarlane and C. Benton; delegates to Auckland Council, Mr H. C. Oaten and another. The annual report revealed that the membership of the branch was 68. During the past season, pheasant shooting had been much better than for some years,-several shooters getting double figures. Prospects for the coming season appeared good, with large numbers of young birds about. Liberations for the year will be 120 birds) as against 58 last year. Duck shooting was poor on account of the' dry weather prior to the breeding season. Karapiro did not produce the shooting expected. Fishing had been very hard again this year, all the small streams being low. However, the Waihou had produced some good fishing for the first time for a few years.

Karapiro produced some good fishing in the early part of the season, also the head of the lake produced some good fish. With a further 100,000 liberations, this year, good fishing can be looked forward to in the future.

Dealing with eels, the report stated that the annual migration of elvers took place, and it appeared as if Karapiro would form quite a barrier to them. Only a small number were able to get over, and then only in wet weather. Members of the committee experimented with lime to kill the elvers on the apron of the spillway, but it was decided that it was not worth the trouble owing to the large numbers of elvers running.