DEER STALKING

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3468, 19 May 1934, Page 2

DEER STALKING

SPORT IN UREWERA A party o£ pakehas, Including two Opotiki residents, Messrs G. D. Day and E. Jeffries, with two native guides from the hinterland of tiie Urewera, all fully mounted and equipped for an arduous tour, in the interests of sport left Ruatoki recently (says the East Coast Guardian). Following the Whakatane River they arrived at Pareroa, where a miniature circus performance was given when the horses and dogs wensprayed. After a sumptuous meal, taken in native custom, and saddling up and repacking the packhorses, they again took to the river, but avoided fords by taking preci pitous cuts over the ridges. They unsaddled at Maramau. whore the party bivouaeed, some taking to lieblankets while others worried the wily trout. From here the goingnext morning commenced to he arduous, this telling particularly on the pack-horses, which on many or casions had to he unloaded and th gear taken up steep ridges by tin saddle-horses. An inveterate pipe smoker lost bis pipe. With stil joints, the party dismounted a Hanamatutu, where native host provided a fine luncheon, the chi< joint being preserved pork, repute to have an age of some twelv months. Here the trout-fishing wa excellent, hut time pressed, so th party mounted their horses agaii Here their host’s son, made a so ride of 20 miles to a Maori setth ment to collect two fresh guides, ti rest of the party leaving the rive bed and striking across country t Pukehahau, the site of an old Mao? pa, but now taken in possession h wild cattle and other game. An early rise, after a sever frost, and with heavy mist over th ranges, saw two separate parties ou at daybreak for their first day o stalking, one party going up onridge, the rest another. The sir. shone at last and they stirred u some wild cattle, shooting a yearling They packed the hind-quarters air returned to the camp. The Maor guides were very pleased that the; thought of the larder and refraine from slaughtering the rest ot th mob. The afternoon was spent i. pig-hunting, the dogs getting several but only one was killed. The res were ear-marked and let go. as the. were in very poor condition. A hi; fire was lit, and the pig was singed cut up, and packed, to further n plenish the food supply. In th evening a big “kai,” comprising pork, beef, with trout for entree, wa enjoyed. There were no signs < deer as yet, though pigeons wei very plentiful. On the followin' day the party left Pukehahau ove very rough country, climbing up t another deserted pa called Tutipu kepuke, one of the highest points o the Urewera. The view was magni ficient as far as the eye could see ridge upon ridge of virgin bush. Thi settlement was massacred many year, back by a Whakatane tribe comin.on them unawares at daybreak. Th signs of a pa are still there, olCaptain Cook camp-ovens, watei gourds, etc., which are “tapu t Maoris now. Here pigs and cat.llwere very plentiful, and the firs signs of deer were seen. The part? rode down very steep ridges to Hon lining a creek-bed, where they campe for the night in the open. The nois of stags roaring gave a promise o good sport for the following morn ing.

Rising at daybreak, the party wer, successful in securing a 9-pointe and several smaller heads, after goo; hunting. The native guide, Tahi caught several tuna, easily 20 to 3< pounds in weight. The member o the party who had lost his pipe wa: still not consoled over his loss, aiu imagine his surprise and gratitude when a member of the party cann back to camp in the evening and pre sented him with a first-class pipe which he found in a small creekbed —a relic, no doubt, of some ole deer-stalking expedition—“a gift from the gods” as he put it. A funn\ incident was experienced here. Three of the party were returning to cam] after a stalk. They were marching along with rifles slung over their shoulders when they were surprised by a young stag which broke from the bush and jumped in among them The party, not being inclined to shake hands with even such a small stag, scattered, and by the time they had collected their thoughts and rifles, all that could be seen was a white tail disappearing in the bush. The party set off at daybreak the next day and made a move down Hurimanga creek. The guides left the party and went back. Carcase of deer were seen all down the river. The party broke out into open country at last, and struck through Galatea to the main road to Te Teko. They had a meal at Waihou settlement. After about ten hours in the saddle, they arrived at Te Teko at S p.m. The party arrived at Taneatua next morning, with memories of a wonderful trip. The Opotiki members of the party arrived home in the afternoon, after enjoying a swim in the hot pool at Awakeri.

In the course of their travels the party climbed Tutuipukiki, one of the highest points in the Urewera Country, from which they obtained grand views.