THE BEER MENACE.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18440, 22 September 1931, Page 4

THE BEER MENACE.

A COSTLY EXPERIMENT. THE NEXT STEP. If deer are not kept within reasonable bounds a large part of Otago and Southland will certainly be destroyed (says the Otago Daily Times). Their depredations will also cause additional heavy losses to occupiers of land, though these have been large in the past. The menace at present Is very real, and unless some effective steps are taken the forest deterioration will be serious.

Something over 20 years ago the Otago Acclimatisation Society inaugurated a system of culling deer, the chief object being to preserve the standard herds and to keep deer within control. The society paid by contract on results, a tally being kept by the preservation of some portion of the deer destroyed—tho tail or the Jaw, for preference. . The tally was always double-checked and the success of the system was limited only by the funds at the society’s disposal. Alarming Growth. With Increasing attention directed to the alarming growth of deer, the Government, through the Internal Affairs Department, tried tho experiment of a special shooting party under official guidance and at the public expense. Our representative has made inquiries adjacent to the deer-infest-ed country in the Wanaka, Hawea, anti Makarora areas regarding the resu'ts of the innovation. In order to understand tho work of culling and measure the success of the recent experiment it Is necessary to survey briellv the operations that were directed by the Otago Acclimatisation Society. Under its plan only practical men were employed, for the fully sufficient reason that nono but experienced bushmen who were trained marksmen could hopo to make anything above expenses at the moderate rate of pay ment for cacli deer killed. Several residents and some professional deer-stalkers wore approached for impressions of the success of the experiment In State deer culling. They had generally nothing whatevor to say against tho men engaged In the offensive against the deer. It was not tho fault of the men employed that they were not experienced bushmen with a knowledge of the country and the habits of the deer. The decision to arm an expedition consisting for the most part of men who were hunting deer for the first time in unfamiliar country was a blunder which could only be made in ignorance of tho difficulties that made complete success impossible, it Is not donled that a large number of deer was killed. It Is stoutly asserted by our Informant, however, that the cost per head was much greater than It would have been If the system of contract bonus per head had been employed similar to that adopted by tho Otago Acclimatisation Society. Our representative was Informed that, with a bonus system graded according "lo the accessibility of tho country to be shot over, experienced men who are good marksmen could have been Induced to undertake the work. Some of these men havo acted as guides to New Zealand and overseas stalkers for many years and their success may be measured by the demand for their services over a long period. It is very easy to realise the fact that these men can cover more country and kill larger numbers of deer than men can who arc unaccustomed to the work. Wasto of Money. While there -.s serious comment on the waste of money in the recent experiment there is also a definite demand that the most rigorous method must be employed to prevent the multiplication of the deer. There Is plenty of support for the declaration of the Minister of Internal Affairs that the deer menace must bo grappled with, but there Is no support In the deer country for his methods of coping with It. Like all difficult tasks, It can only be accomplished by men who arc masters of their craft. It is too costly and much too wasteful to employ amateurs. The Government has been guilty of substituting a spectacular assault on the deer for tho more practical and effective system which has been proved successful by the results obtained by the Acclimatisation Societies. The work of culling could have been more effectively directed by the practical men on the Acclimatisation Societies. The acid test of systems of culling Is the tffily, Tho societies paid by results. They knew just how many deer had been killed and their activities In this direction were limited only by the funds at their disposal. The Government has not produced figures to shove the cost per head of deer killed. It Is Impossible to prove such figures, for tho reason that no Infallible system of tallying was adopted. Most people are familiar with the fishermen who tell of the big ones hooked which got away. Others have heard the stories of things shot which could not be recovered. A convincing record cannot bo compiled from guesses or estimates of what tho marksmen declares he shot. Some proof is necessary to establish Ills claim. In this connection It Is interesting to recall the fact that experienced cullers have at times urged tho Olago Acclimalisalion Society to allow a small percentage on proved totals for lost deer. There Is much to bo urged In support of the proposal, especially if one is familiar with somo of the rougher classes of doer country. The society, however, unlike the Government, possessed only very limited means for this work, and tlie suggestion of the professional cullers was not adopted.

Animals Driven Back. In short, r„ Is alleged that no convincing proof is obtainable of the number of deer killed try the expedition in the Hunter Valley, liven th? word of men who honestly believed they killed a certain number lu a day cannot bo accepted as convincing. 11 Is known, on the other hand, that a i large amount of public money was expended by tlie expedition. The Hunter Valiev, where the Government’s big offensive was staged, is described Inexperienced men as being easy, open country, though the average city mar, would express a different opinion about it. There men, however, a'-e bu-sJimco, and <|iftlnultles of access are regarded by them Just obstacles to be surmounted. It Is feared tint the recent expedition has driven dear in large numbers back into Ine almost Inaccessible country and that another such experiment would make deerculling so costly that it would be ! almost impossible to undertake it. ! It Is not easy to estimate the cost of the Governm ill’s experiment in deer-slaying. It has been claimed more recently that nearly 0000 deer were shot by members of the Hunter Valley expedition, though earlier : llgurcs were at variance with this j total. The cost has been variously j .(Continued In next column.)

estimated, but the most authentic figure Is over 6s per head. It, is interesting lo note that non-Govern-ment stalkers are now offered Is 6d per head. Between this figure and something over 6s thero is a big discrepancy. The Government apparently has an idea that there is a market for deer skins and Unit tills woul 1 help to make up that discrepancy. Prior to tho Government taking charge of culling operations tho Otago Society paid a rate per head of 2s 3d to 3s Od, according io llie country. The sliding scale is reasonable because decr-'slalking varies according lo the nature of the country and the number of deer, and the rate was based on long experience. There is a feeling widely prevalent In the deer country of Otago and Southland that the Forestry Department should have charge of deerculling. That department lias rangers with a knowledge of tho country and ils wild life. Us officers are men familiar with outdoor conditions and aro not confined lo office routin',. Almost without exception in other countries such work Is controlled by Iho Forestry Department, and when it Is recognised that the doer menace, may mean damage to our forests estimated at millions of pounds there appears to be some reason behind iho suggestion.