RABBITS AND PHEASANTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 13, 2 April 1947, Page 5

RABBITS AND PHEASANTS

GAME CONSERVATOR MEETS BOARD POISONED POLLARD TAKES TOLL The growing number of pheasants which had been killed in this district through eating poisoned pollard laid by employees of the Pongakawa Rabbit Board led to a recent meeting between Board members and the Conservator of Fish and Game, Mr E. McNamara, following complaints from the Whakatane Rod and Gun Club. Those attending were the chairman of the Pongakawa Board, Mr J. N. Blaymires, the Chief Inspector, Mr Davis, Mr R. McKenzie (Department of Agriculture), Mr A. Burgess (East Coast Rabbit Board), Mr K. Francis (Local Ranger), and Messrs. J. D. Rivett and A. Jones President and Secretary of the Rod and Gun Club. In his opening remarks, Mr McNamara said that his department and sportsmen generally realised that the rabbit pest had to be dealt with and as letter writing was sometimes apt to bring about misunderstandings, he had arranged the meeting and he hoped that it would bear fruit. After considerable discussion regarding the use of different kinds of poisoned baits, it was agreed by all that the pollard system was the best

for the badly infested areas, as other means had proved too costly and that the birds would adapt themselves to other baits when the food was scarce. It was pointed out that years ago when there was plenty of food available for the birds owing to the larger areas of unfarmed lands very very few were killed by poisoned pollard. As it was considered folly to liberate birds in areas to be poisoned the Pongakawa Board was asked for its co-operation in giving a list of these places. These was given by Mr Davis and no birds will now be liberated in any of these area^.

Another interesting subject discussed related to ferrets. Complaints had been received by the Rod and Gun Club and the Department of Internal Affairs regarding the big increase of these animals over the past few months in a certain district and it had been suggested that the Rabbit Board might have liberated them. This was given an emphatic denial by the Board representatives, it being pointed out that the rabbits kept the ferrets and where rabbits thrived ferrets did also. •

Regarding strychnine it was stated that no member of the Pongakawa Board or its employees other than Mr Davis had up to the present time had access to this deadly poison. Mr A. Burgess, on behalf of the East Coast Board also stated that no person other than himself had access to the very small quantity which his Board had on hand.