SOUND FINANCES

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20786, 22 April 1939, Page 11

SOUND FINANCES

ACCLIMATISATION WORK AUCKLAND SOCIETY’S YEAR GOOD PHEASANT BREEDING With revenue at £5569 13s 8d exceeding- expenditure of £4912 2s 8d by £657 11s, the accumulated funds of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society now stand at £3643 11s Id, according to the annual report of the society for the year ended March 31 last, which has just been published. The society has been favoured with a splendid pheasant bleeding season, states the report, and indications in all districts are that the birds are more numerous than in past years, The increase is more noticeable in closely settled areas, contrary to the opinion previously held. It became apparent to the council that shooters were finding increasing difficulty in obtaining their shooting without considerable expense and time, and it was therefore decided that clubs should receive two-thirds and that special areas selected as suitable by the game committee should receive one-third of the birds available for liberation. Shooting Prospects Bright As the shooting revenue increases liberation of birds increases also, the report continued. In July, 1013 cocks and 309 hens were put out, and in February-March, 784 cocks and 1894 hens, making 4000 for the year. . The breeders report that the cock birds they are holding for liberation this coming July, are healthy, well-grown, and in ample quantity, so that the prospects for pheasant shooting appear very bright. The breeding of pheasants for tho society is in the hands of three breeders, Mrs J. I. Dobson, Mr T. Wise, and Mr I. Taylor, whose efforts to meet the council’s increased demands deserve the warmest thanks of all sportsmen. Their joint contracts called for 2400 birds in 1938, and 3000 birds in 1939, 1940, and 1941, the sex of the birds to be approximately half cocks and half hens. The smaller breeders have now ceased to operate, and all supplies are drawn from the above-named breeders. In order to provide 4000 birds this year an additional 1000 birds were ordered from Mrs Dobson and Mr Taylor equally, and they have met their commitments for February birds in full, and assure i the council that adequate supplies are ! available to provide about 1300 birds for liberation in July next.

i Ring-marking of Birds “About three years ago,” states the report, “the council started placing numbered bands on the leg of each full-grown cock pheasant liberated in July, with a view to obtaining records of the number liberated birds shot, and their movements from the place of liberation. Some expense and a considerable amount of the ranger’s time was taken up in this work, but the results to date are most disappointing. “An appeal was made to licenseholders to send a record of their bag at the end of the season, and particularly to forward leg bands. Very few reports and only about ten or twelve bands have been received, though 1200 cock birds have been banded to date. It is incredible that not more than this number of banded birds were shot, and it is inferred that some shooters are not reporting their captures. The scheme cannot function without every license-holder’s support, and the council earnestly requests each license-holder to assist in gathering authentic information. The knowledge gained will assist the council in its choice of liberating grounds.” Regarding the liberation of duck, the report states that 122 young mallard were reared this year and half . liberated in Lake Waikare and half , at Lake Arapuni. Progress with the ! breeding of grey cluck has been slow f but the society is persevering and j better results are hoped for the. future, i Vermin Destruction On the subject of vermin destruc- ! tion, the report congratulates the Hon. ; W. E. Parry in his inauguration of a j national scheme for such work and the I provision of extra funds for the pur- j pose. The usual bonus of Gd a pair | for hawk’s feet and 6d each for stoat j and weasel tails was offered during j the year, but so poor was the re- j sponse that at the November meeting the bonus was increased to Is to stimu- 1 late efforts in the destruction of j ground vermin. The amount expended : during the year was £lB2 Is for 7282 I pairs of hawks’ feet and £9l 10s 6d for ; 2587 stoat and weasel tails. For the coming season the shooting j licence-fee will be 30s, unless the shooter is receiving an age or miner’s benefit under the Social Security Act. According to the report, however, recent increases in the licence-fee have been followed by increases rather than I decreases in the number issued, returns increasing from 2578 in 1936 to 3035 in 1937 and 3083 in 1938. A similar increase is anticipated this season. The reason for the increases is attributed to the fact that the extra revenue has enabled a very marked increase in the number of birds liberated.