OUR FRIEND THE FARMER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 61, 1 August 1947, Page 5

OUR FRIEND THE FARMER

GESTURE BY SPORTSMEN DESIRE FOR CO-OPERATION It is the ardent desire of most sportsmen to co-operate in a friendly way with district farmers over whose properties they desire to shoot. Unfortunately there has been a rift in the past, mainly through the thoughtlessness of the irresponsible sportsman who has shown little or no sense of respect or responsibility. The better class of sportsman today belongs to a club, and it is hoped that by concerted effort and mutual understanding the old breach may be healed, and shooting put on a sound and mutual basis.

The tener of the new movement in this and other districts may be guaged from the following article which appeared in the June issue of the sporting magazine ‘N.Z. Outdoor’ which is dedicated to fishing, shooting, mountaineering, tramping, wild life and sporting dogs:— “Time and again we have stressed the growing importance of the farmer in the general scheme of things in relation to fishing and shooting. True, a few sportsmen realise the great part played by him; but the greater number fail to apreciate the fact that without his co-operation and approval, fishing and shooting in many locations would be impossible.

“In the past, the farmer has been considered as a landowner & no more no less, upon whose property one could just tramp over at random, shooting whatever got. up up in the way of game, and sometimes other things which were not game and which were the property of the farmer.

“He’s certainly been a pretty tolerant person in the past for he has suffered much for the irresponsible shooter who has failed to appreciate the fact that the farmer’s land is private property, and as such permission must be obtained before one shoots over it. Broken fences, gates left open and shot stock, all have tended to make many otherwise even-tempered farmers bitter towards. shooters at large. They’ve often had every reason to be bitter, too, for many irresponsible shooters have not, unfortunately, been respecters of private property.

“These irresponsibles have certainly made it hard for the genuine sportsman; and we know of many places which have recently been barred to shooters, simply because the simple code of courtesy and respect have been ignored by a certain class. That so many should be compelled to suffer for the sins of so few, fills one with just resentment at the abuse of such valuable privileges as have been accorded the sportsman through the years. “Actually the farmer is our best friend, and it is largely owing to his generosity that we are in the happy position of getting a little fishing and shooting. Many farmers, in fact, will go out of their way to help the genuine sportsman make their farms attractive for game. We, ourselves, know one farmer who assisted in this way and has gone to the trouble of fencing in some acres of bush land in an effort to provide protective cover for quail and pheasants. Another case has come to our notice of other farmers lending their tractors and plant to keen sportsmen in order to dam up suitable areas for ducks. There are many other farmers, who if approached, would be only too pleased to co-operate in any way possible.

“In fact—the sooner it is realised the better, too—it is only with the farmers help and complete cooperation that we can hope to improve and maintain our future game supply. But one can hardly expect to receive that co-operation unless it is reciprocated; so until the farmer really finds that the average sportsman is sincere in his attitude towards him, it is doubtful whether he will be a hundred per cent, behind the sportsman.”