ILLEGAL DUCK SHOOTING

Waipa Post, Volume 31, Issue 1764, 29 May 1926, Page 5

ILLEGAL DUCK SHOOTING

VIEWED AS SERIOUS OFFENCE.

TAKING TOO MANY BIRDS

(By Telegraph. Press Association.) AUCKLAND. Friday.

A well-known Hauraki Plains settler, Hallyburton Johnstone (Mr Dickson pleaded guilty before Mr Fj K. Hunt, S. M., in the Police Court today to a charge of using an automatic rifle and killing native and imported game in the Awaiti swamp contrary to the Animals Protection Act, 1921-22. Stanley Carter (Mr Wood) pleaded guilty >to the same charge and also to failing to produce his license when demanded by an inspector. Mr Dickson said Johnstone, on the day in question, loaned Carter an automatic gun and, taking one he had had for 15 years, they went otut shooting game. Johnstone took full responsibility for lending the gun. Mr King said the society regarded these charges as being very serious, and the maximum fine was £2O. In evidence, Johnstone said he bought one of the guns from a member of the society. He was under the impression that if there were only two cartridges in the gun it was not an offence. He did not shoot any more game than was allowed. Mr King said it 'was a difficult matter to range a large district. The magistrate said it was a serious offence, and iit was grossly unfair to use an automatic gun. Carter would be fined 10s on the first charge and £2 on the second count the costs amounting to over £3. Johnstone was fined £lO and costs £3.

For offences in the same swamp, Arthur J. Innes, Henry Ines. Albert George Innes, and David Troughton (Mr iPrendergast) pleaded guilty to charges of killing in one day more than 25 head of native game, and wilth using more than 25 artificial decoys within an area of less than 100 square yards.

Mr Prendergast sad he had Leen instructed that the defendants thought they were entitled to 25 decoys each. Mr King said the men had taken 61 birds more than they should have done. This offence was in the same pond as the other matter. Each defendant .was fined £5 on the first charge and convicted and ordered to pay costs on the second count.