STALKING IN THE LOWER VALLEY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 788, 11 April 1910, Page 8

STALKING IN THE LOWER VALLEY.

The stalking season in the Martinborough district is now in full swing, and returning sportsmen, report exceptional sport and good bags. The season, for some unexplained reason, was not quite up to the average" at the start,- the stags being rather late in starting to. roar, but now that they have started, stags are plentiful,' and some very good heads are being se-' cured... . ' , ■'■■'". .

Two Auckland gentlemen, Messrs. Johnson Bros., came in from the back yesterday, and make very favourable reports. They managed to secure'eight heads much above the average in 38 hours' stalking, which almost constituted a record. They also stated that, had they started to shoot later, or had they taken out extension licenses, they would have refused to shoot anything less than 12-pointers. This, we might point out, is quite exceptional, as, for the last two or three seasons, 12-point-ers . have been few , and , far between, and have been looked upon rather as a maximum than a minimum. Almost any day in the township one can see signs of the king of New Zealand sports. Only yesterday two. brakes came in loaded with heads, and a cavalcade of pack-horses passed through the township, four of which were laden with heads.

The weather for the past few weeks has been anything but conducive to good sport and one's comfort, but that is a thing of the past, as there are now superb bright, wann, sunny days, with just a spice of sharpness in the air to make one enjoy living. This, together with the late starting of the stags to roar, should give to sportsmen who have deferred their trip a chance that has not occurred for years. Those who are in a position to know predict good sport, handsome trophies, and an enjoyable time to anyone stalking in the Lower Valley of the Wairarapa.