WORLD OF SPORT.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 21 (Supplement)

WORLD OF SPORT.

ACCLIMATISATION.

AUCKLAND SOCIETY. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society for 1929-30 has been issued. We make the following excerpts therefrom: — The -revenue (£3427 14s 9d) exceeds the expenditure (£3206 11s lid) by £221 2s lOd. In addition to temporary deposits of £2OO with the Auckland Savings Bank and £IOOO with the Bank of New Zealand there is a credit balance at the bank of £389 9s 3d; £7O 12s 6d is owing to breeders of pheasants ordered but not yet delivered. It has been the policy of the council to accumulate a fund either for the importation of chukor or other game bird which has been proved to breed well and withstand the pests of this country, or for the importation of a fresh strain of rainbow trout, or for the liberation of opossums when permission is granted by the Government. The present large cash reserves will be spent immediately any such course is decided upon. Liberation of Pheasants. Orders were placed for 1500 birds, but owing to weather conditions the breeders can deliver only 1419, of which 30 cook birds are being held for liberation at the close of the season on areas where undue depletion from heavy shooting has taken place. To date 1304 have been delivered, 85 are almost ready to go out, and the ,30 cock birds 'will be delivered in July. This year a much greater number of properties are closed against shooting, nearly every club having obtained one or more areas to serve as breeding grounds for future years. The • increase of young pheasants throughout the territory shows that the new policy of liberating birds only on closed breeding grounds is rapidly bearing fruit. The council, with the consent of the clubs concerned, also decided to close the whole of Rodney County and stock this area intensively. Next year it is proposed to treat a different county the same way. Other Game Birds, Very few breeders had stock birds left this year, and only 112 young mallards were purchased and liberated. The purchase of young mallards in numbers sufficient to stock our large area would be too costly for our limited revenue, and it is not possible to get hand-reared birds sufficiently wild, consequently further importation or purchase is unlikely. After waiting over three years the authorities in Greece wrote that woodcock were unobtainable and refunded our deposit of £25. Mr C. A. Whitney hopes to interest Lord Rossmore .in our work and arrange for the breeding and shipping of a few birds. Few of the • partridges liberated around Matamata have been sighted recently, but near Makarau and Pokeno coveys "of six to fifteen have been reported feeding on clover. Virginian quail from Norfolk Island were unobtainable. A shipment of 350 Indian quail and 28 chukor were forwarded by Mr A. R. Hughes, of Bombay. About 180 quail and 23 chukor were liberated, the former in the Matamata district and the latter in the Taringamotu Valley. Recent reports show that the chukor have spread over an area of several miles, and it is definitely established that the birds will live in this country. In 1926 about 60 chukor (Caccabls chukar) were imported by the Tongariro National Park Sports Club and were liberated in the National Park. Your council are completing arrangements for a further shipment of 400 chukor, and subject to the issue of the necessary permit these birds will be ordered immediately.

Californian quail are again on the increase throughout the province, and especially in the Taumarunui district. The council expended £276 16s 9d in tlie destruction of 11,121 hawks. There is no doubt that this policy is sound, as the number of hawks compared with a few years ago has materially decreased. Ground vermin, however, takes an equal toil of bird life, and until the protection on stoats and weasels is removed little progress can be made towards ensuring a plentiful and increasing supply of game birds. Opossums. The share of revenue received by tlie society from the sale of licenses and royalty on skins taken in this district was £2OB 0s 3d. Forty-three licenses at £2 10s each were taken out, and in addition a large number of permits to landowners issued; 7174 skins were sold, the quality and prices realised being well up to the average. Red and Fallow D©er. The season for red deer opened on March 15 and closes on May 15. So far only 11 licenses have been issued, though no restriction on the number of licenses that may be issued or the number or sex of deer that may be shot are in force this season. The license fee remains as before, at £3. The fallow deer season opened on March 28 and closes on May 31. The license fee is £l. with no restriction on the number that may be shot. Open Game Season, 1930.

The season opens on Thursday, May 1, and closes on June 30, for grey duck, spoonbill duck, black swan, English wild duck, cock pheasants, Californian and Australian quail. Reports to hand point to this season being a good one, as large numbers of ducks have been noted around the usual haunts, and pheasants and quail are more numerous than for years past. ' , Pukeko once more are dosed against shooting. These birds are not sporting birds, and are in danger of extinction in some districts. Where damage to crops is being done the Minister, on applcation, will issue a permit tor their destruction. Sales of licenses for the past yeai amount to £2241 13s, an increase of £42 11s on last year—a result which must be considered satisfactory.

Fish. Fishing generally has not been good, as few largo baskets have been taken outside of tho Oraka stream. The hearty thanks of the council are accorded to the members of the 1 aumarunui, Matamata, and 1 utaruru Clubs for their enterprise in erecting holding ponds for fry at their, own The council liberated in various streams and rivers 250,000 rainbow

f ry and planted i 30,000 ova. I No brown trout were purchased this year, as better results were considered to follow the liberation of rainbow only. With a view to improving the quality of fish the council has endeavoured to procure rainbow trout ova from California. The. original ova introduced came from California, and within a few years the excellent climatic conditions resulted in trout being taken of a weight greatly in excess of similar fish in their native habitat. Advice has now been received that 100,000 ova derived from the norimigratory form of rainbow trout from the inland waters of California will be shipped about April or May. The ova, if received, will be hatched at the Internal Affairs Department’s hatchery at Rotorua.

AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. Attached to the main report are statements covering the activities of the several affiliated societies. Amongst these are-—-Putaruru. The general opinion of anglers is that the season nearing its end has been an exceptionally good one. Fish have been plentiful and in exceptionally fine condition in the Tokoroa district., and excellent sport lias been obtained in other streams in the district, notably the Oraka. This stream has given up hundreds of fish this season, and still appears to have an abundant supply. The Waihou River has been open for spoon fishing, but has not attracted sportsmen. Fishing on Lake Arapuni has been to a certain extent disappointing, no exceptionally heavy catches having been reported. There seems to be an absence of suitable food for trout in the lake, but we expect these conditions to improve in time. This year we established breeding ponds for fry, and our supporters in the area round the Tokoroa pool have worked energetically, with the result that the fish have been beautifully matured before liberation. Members are already looking forward to the coming shooting season. Thanks to the support given us in rearing and protecting young birds, the district Is rapidly becoming well stocked. A few years a'go one would seldom see a quail, but to-day we encounter numerous batches of from 20 to 40, and hen pheasants arc to be seen with several young ones all over the district. Ducks appear to be fairly numerous on the lake. Matamata. Pheasants and ducks were fairly plentiful last season, and by reports should be just as good this year. The pheasants sent by the parent body were liberated in the Waiomo district. Nothing has been seen of the partridges for quite a good while, instead of fry being liberated this year ova was planted in the local streams. The Auckland Council held a meeting at Matamata, explaining the working matters of the council, which was very much appreciated by the country clubs who attended.