THE WAR ON DEER.

Forest and Bird, Issue 38, 1 November 1935, Page 8

THE WAR ON DEER.

(By “One of Them.”)

Adventures of Hunters.

The most adventurous calling in New Zealand to-day probably is that of the select band of fewer than one hundred deer hunters who for six months of every year strive in the wildest and remotest regions. Winter forces even these hardy men to give up the chase. They are engaged then in repairing their equipment, discussing market prices for the skins they were able to save and telling tales of new discoveries by mountains, forests and streams —tales of marksmanship and the thudding of deer feet flying from death. Early settlers aimed to Anglicise this land of lonely beauty by introducing red deer in various areas from the ’seventies onwards. In increasing numbers the deer spread out and penetrated the remotest country. They return to the margins of farms periodically, but shooting there has driven them to the wilds, and hundreds of thousands are killing vegetation of all kinds. In the past five years 120,000 deer have been killed.

National Crusaders.

The deer-hunters are proud men. They have the feeling that they are crusaders, performing a national service. Most of them have been engaged for from four to seven seasons in succession. Few men would be likely to suffer willingly, even eagerly, as deer-hunters do, the hardships season after season when they might obtain other work, unless they were crusaders, keen to save their native land from deadly enemies. These hunters are probably the fittest men in New Zealand and their craft has been sharpened by experience until it is a match in real life for that of a “Deerfoot” in Action.

Various Parties.

Deer-hunting is being done in three ways. Official parties operate mainly in the South Island, in addition to numbers of smaller bands of private professionals. The third class consists of part-time professionals, amateurs on week-end excursions, and settler's who carry rifles about the borders of their farms. Ammunition at special rates is supplied to private professional hunters. The Department of Internal Affairs undertakes to sell skins through it own organisation, built up during the past four years. Deer skins have been converted from waste into wealth. Over 40,000 skins, worth over £12,000, have been won. That

provides a living for hunters and revenue for the Department to maintain its war. Buckskin jerkins, celebrated in Old World story, and many other articles are being made out of the skins. The demand in New Zealand, Australia, U.S.A., Germany, and England exceeds the supply. Soft and pliable as babies’ shawls are the skins cured in New Zealand. Strong men cannot break deerskin bootlaces or thongs. Country where deer congregate is wild and perilous of access. Official hunting parties have operated throughout the whole of the main divides of the South Island, in Stewart Island, in the Tararuas, and, several years ago, in the Waikaremoana district. Private hunters operate in the Westland area and at the heads of Lakes Hawea, Wanaka, and Ohau. That gives relief to farms and less remote areas, but forces the Government to enter the back country, where commercial hunters could not operate economically because fewer skins can be saved. Shooting about the margins of the wild country could go on indefinitely without lessening the number of deer in the remotest areas. Many attributes must be possessed by hunters —enthusiasm, fitness, energy, bushcraft, markmanship, knowledge of deer, skill in skinning the animals and stretching and packing skins. They must be naturalists in their way, interested in more than the mere chase.

“Flying Camps.”

One of the most effective ways of working in remote country is for men to set out on what are called “flying camp” trips,

carrying with them all equipment, food, and ammunition necessary to last four or five days. Experience and research have led to a special technique being shaped. All things used must be as light as efficiency permits. Silk alpine tents are carried, but in . fine weather hunters sleep in the open or under a bivouac of waterproof sheeting. Some trek without bedding or tents and use deerskins in place of blankets or

for shelter in conjunction with sleeping bags.

Planning the Campaigns.

Much scrutiny of maps is done before the season’s work is decided. Areas where deer are known to be numerous are studied according to the topography. Watersheds are most favourable and work is so schemed that, working up the rivers towards the sources, two parties help each other. Deer disturbed are caught in cul-de-sacs, but some escape over the mountain pass to be contacted by parties in neighbouring valleys. The hunting in no case is haphazard, but planned to be cumulative.

South Island conditions are favourable for the increase of deer. Spending winter in the bush on mountain slopes, deer climb above the bush in spring when melting snow leaves exposed vast areas of mountain “meadow” or tussock. Females there have abundance of food when the young are born and the progress of the young is assured. In the autumn the deer concentrate in the lower bush and browse intensively upon edible shrubs. Later in winter, moved by great hunger, they eat any green thing.

Winter Shooting.

Winter hunting is rare. .Some localities, however, lend themselves to winter shooting and they have been worked with marked success. Marlborough is one such area. The ground in shady parts is frozen almost continuously and makes work extremely dangerous. Where the road or lake ends base camps usually are established. Horses or launches are used to the farthest limit. A party usually consists of two or more pairs which might separate for weeks at a time. The pairs work separately, but at some times during the season gather for grand drives. Heavy loads are carried by the men. As much as 801 b. is borne on the outward journey, increased on the inward journey by

skins and sometimes antlers. Food is light and nourishing. It includes rice, barley, oatmeal, lima beans, hard biscuits, honey, dried fruit, soup cubes, pemmican, tea and cocoa, condensed milk and plenty of sugar. Venison is the only meat used. Hunters never tire of it. On return to the towns ordinary meat does not satisfy them. At nightfall fires are lighted and venison is cooked immediately. It does not need to be hung; it is tender and very satisfying when warm. Cold snaps in the inland mountain regions are frequent during summer and that forces the men to use woollen undergarments. Woollen trousers are never worn, however, because they are heavy when wet and are difficult to dry. Stalkers frequently get wet above the knees and a change is carried for comfort at night. Some men carry cameras and make records of bird life, deer destruction and new country entered.

Call for Quick Firing.

Quick shooting until the rifle iron is wavering hot depends for success upon the native talent of the shooter, but needs first-hand experience also. There is not much time between the sighting of a herd of deer and their disappearance. Shots are not fired until the maximum effect can be obtained. The standard of shooting may be judged by the fact that hunters use fewer than three rounds for each beast killed. One hunter used only 1.8 rounds for all the deer he killed during a season —a wonderful record. An example of remarkably rapid shooting is that of a man who came on a mob of deer, got into position and fired 42 shots to kill 35 deer without moving from his stone. After 20 rounds have been fired rapidly the rifle iron sizzles and shimmers.

A Test of Nerve.

An amazing exhibition of nerve and marksmanship was given by a deer-hunter last summer when he was confronted suddenly by an “insane” stag. He stood on a narrow shoulder; a big bluff rose giddily behind him and a precipice was below him, a few feet off. Round a rock on the same ledge came the stag, a big 14-pointer. Twelve yards off the stag stood, and man and beast were face to face. The stag immediately lowered its head, bellowed furiously and charged at the hunter. Twelve yards is not a great distance for a charging stag to cover, but luckily the halfway point was lower than the two extremes that separated the combatants. There was no retreat and nowhere to scramble to safety. Between the time the hunter sighted the stag and the beginning of its scramble up the gut, three shots were fired. The first two failed to stop the charge and only a few feet remained when the stag stumbled in the stones, lost its momentum, poised

a moment, and rolled over the ledge. The hunter suffered very badly from shock. Only one marksman in a thousand could have accomplished such a feat, his companions agreed, when they inspected the scene.