AMONG THE WAPITI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18783, 17 May 1923, Page 3

AMONG THE WAPITI

SUCCESSFUL bx'UKTSMEN. “BAG” IN FIORD COUNTRY. TRACES OF MOOSE SEEN. As reported from. Inve/cargiH last week, the first wapiti secured in tile Southern Hemisphere have been sho; in the West Coast Sounds by Messrs V. Donald, of Masterton, and L. Murrell, of Manapouri. The heads are truly magnificent specimens, says the Southland Times. The best is a 15Vpointer, the spread of the antlers being 53ins, the length 49ins, the beam 6|ins., and the weight of the head 271bs. The next is a 14-poiu-tea- weighing 341b5., the spread of the antlers being 47J-ins., the length 53£ins., and the beam 74ins. The third is an 11-pointer, weighing 35 los, the antlers having a spread of 4u|ins., a length of 48ins.» and a beam of 7ins. “For young animals,” said Mr Donald, “they are really a wonderful growth of horn, and I attribute this iZ) the remarkable abundance of feed in the Fiord country. It must also be remembered that these are not specimen heads. We shot the only tn-ree bulls we saw. Had we made the trip earlier, when the wapiti were “bugling,” we would have been able to choose the most suitable heads, and would have obtained much finer specimens.” ‘Speaking of the possibilities of this part of Southland, Mr Donald said: “Southland people fail to realise what a magnificent asset the Fiord country will be to their province. I do not doubt that some day it will be the finest hunting ground in the world, for its vast supply of virgin feed is just the thing necessary for the breeding of moose and deer. The other grounds of the world are being thinned out by lack of feed and too frequent shooting. Besides, from a scenic point of view, the Coast Sounds are without equal in the world.”

The original herd of wapiti was presented by Mr Theodore Roosevelt, and consisted of 18 animals, which were liberated in George Sound in 1905. From reports received by fishermen and others they are known to be doing well, but Mr Donald’s is the first comprehensive report, and he and Mr Murrell are the first to secure actual specimens. Mr Donald arrived at Lake Manapouri from Masterton on April 9. Accompanied by Mr Murrell, who probably knows more about that part of the country than any other man living, he went from Manapouri to Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound, where Mr Mur rell had a 33ft launch. While on the track ovdr they succeeded in catching a young kakapo and photographing it. This species is now becoming very rare. They proceeded by launch to George Sound, and struck inland to Lake Katherine, where they secured two of the heads, thy 14-pointer and the 15-jointer. A LONG SHOT. The first one was seen by means of a telescope ana was lying on tile opposite snore or the lane. Witn i»iuat diiucuii.y tney worked rounu cue precipitous cnus boruering the enu oi me lane, out couid not nearer than 35 v yards. A long snot proved successful. The main tasa, However, was tne carrying out of tile nead and the skin, as they were auout seven miles irom their camp a L me Sound, in some places they had to crawi round sneer biuus, Handing cue head Hom one io tile other, ana in addition to this the antlers were irequentiy getting caught in the undergrowth.

'me other head was secured under similar circumstances. in all some seven or eight days were spent in exploring the country in the vicinity oi vrcorgc iaound. one oi the most re maiKauie sights is Lake Alice, which is situated right at the top of a 30 ft. ciiif overlooking the sea. The lake has communication with the sea by means of a most oeautiful watermil, wnich falls direcuy into the sea. so that one may stand at the top of the falls and see the lake on one hand and the sea beach some hun dreds of feet below. Mr Donald was greatly impressed with the possibili Lies of this lake for the introduction of rainbow trout, as the lake full of feed in the shape of min nows. There is a river liqwing into the lake which would be ideal for spawning purposes. BIRD LIFE ABUNDANT.

Traces of wapiti were not plentiful here, but the profusion of bird life was wonderful. On one occasion the two men sat on the shore of the lake and picked out the following specimens of native water-fowl swimming on the lake, without having to stir from their positions : Black swan, red teal, black teal, grey duck, crested grebe, dabchick, and blue mountain duck.

From George Sound they went by launch to Carswell Sound, and then inland to Lake Marchant. They experienced some difficulty in finding the lake, as it was wrongly marked in on their maps.

Traces of wapiti were not so plen tiful near the shores of the sound, but became more common as they worked their way inland. Near the lake they saw a bull wapiti, accompanied by five cows, and managed to secure the bull. The country was so precipitous, however, that they were obliged to skin the head and leave it till next day. After spending a few days in exploring the country they cruised back to Dusky Sound, landing at Supper Cove, where the moose were first liberated in 1910. Here they saw many indications of both moose and wapiti. “The most hopeful feature,” said Mr Donald, “was the frequency with which we met with traces of the young animals, showing that breeding was progressing in a satisfactory manner.” They spent four days stalking in the bush, but it was a hopeless matter, as the moose were not roaring, and their only hope was to come across a bull by surprise “Had we got there in the right season,” said Mr Donald, “I feel confident we could have bagged one.” They were, however, rewarded by the sight of a solitary cow.

Inland from the head of the sound in Lake Maree, which Mr Donald describes as one of the most wierdly impressive sights he has ever geen. The lake, which is about two miles long, has evidently been formed by the blocking of a valley with a landslide, for the whole surface of the water is dotted with the tops of halfsubmerged trees, among which flit countless varieties of water-fowl. The lake is walled in by an almost unbroken line of black cliffs shutting out sound and sunlight, and giving the place an inexpressible air of dark desolation.