ROD AND GUN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 209, 29 May 1919, Page 8

ROD AND GUN

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY'S ANNUAL MEETING NEEDS OF THE SPORTSMEN The annual meeting of the •'.Wellington Acclimatisation Society was held in the Chamber of Commerce hall last liight. Mr. L. O. H. Titipn (president) was in the chair, and thero was an attendance of about twenty members. The chairman moved tho adoption of the report and balance-sheet. He said that after four years of war tho society had accumulated funds, , amounting to 4,1800 17s. Gd. The council had been particularly economical while so many license-holders were at tho front. Now that the war was over increased expenditure would be justified, and the new council would have important matters to consider. The society had been helped by the location of the camps at Trenthara and Feathei'ston, and many soldiers had taken out licenses in the "Welling, ton acclimatisation district. An era of progress seemed to be ahead now, and one proposal to be considered was tho appointment of an additional range; , , (Hear, hear.) Them something would have to be done for tho shooting men. Tho council must consider whether to breed pheasants or to buy them from other districts. The last season's efforts to breed pheasants on a small scale had not bcen"successful. The number of fry turned into the streams of tho district would'have to be largely increased. The Government, had not supplied ova during the war, and the society had encountered bad luck in its own efforts to gather ova. The society had been able to hatch out 325,000 brown trout fry last year, however, .and the curator was getting better results this year. He had trapped 200 fish up to that afternoon. The Government was trapping salmon this year in tho south, and was incidentally getting some trout, but probably would not be able to supply Wellington. The Otago society had offered 250,000 ova, and Jie thought this offer should be accepted. The council was* anxious to see as many fish turned into the Wellington streams possible. Mr. TripJ) mentioned thp opossums. The Government, he said, still insisted that it had no power to issue licenses for the killing , of opossums without amending legislation. The delay was regrettable. The opossums could bo made the basis of a valuable industry, and at the same time would provide revenue for the society. The animals ought to l>9 protected where there were largo areas of native bush, but it was desirable that they should be killed when they approached settled areas and did damage iu the gardens. His own experience in South Canterbury was that the opossums did not do any material damage, and could bo shot profitably in .Tune and July: The ekins brought a good price.

Sir. W. G- Tnlbot seconded the motion. Ho said ho thought the ranger had done very good work in the collection of ova in 1018. The Wellington ova. gave better results than the ovn- brought from other districts. Mr. Talbot mentioned tho habit of some shooters of killing ducks in excess of the legal number. He doubted if a game fnrm could be made a success. An additional ranger was urgently needed. A great deal of poaching was done, and a single ranger could not cover all the ground. In the course of discussion members urged that an effort should be made to provide more game in the district. The shooters were not being encouraged, at tho present: time, and poaching was being encouraged, since- men did not feel that' they got a fair return for -the license fee. The district had plenty of bush, and it ought to be able to increase its supply of game. Additional rangers during the ahooting season certainly were required. Mr. L. Powell suggested that the protected areas should bo belter defined. Many people did not know the/location of these areas, and notices should be posted. The gamo license should be replaced by a gun license. The society would then have revenue enough to increase the supply of game.

Mr. E. ,T. 0. . Wiffin said ho disagreed with the view that the society should not breed pheasants. Past efforts had not lieen successful, but the men -who took the miitfer in haiid had not been experts. The pheasant could ba reared in Wellington, mid it ought to be possible to find a man competent to do the work. The society had 500 acres at Waikauae, where a few deer were being bred. That land could be used to breed pheat-auts, and the now council ought to set itself to inako ii success of this business.

Mr. f>. G. N,»Mian aiid it would ■ pay belter to buy pheasants from Auckland. The game farm was not a suitable place for breeding birds. The man in chorge would have to <rive his whole time to the work, and his salary would be at least j;iso. This money could bo better spent on 'birds from other <listric(s. Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., said that in tho Wnikanan district hares wero beraminjt an intolerable nuisance. Tho place was overrun with hares. Pheasants could 1)0 bred on the sandy areas along *he Waikunae coast Ho had protected lakes on his' property with very successful results. His own sanctuary contained ducks, swans, bittern, and other birds. Pheasants were increasing on his farm, as well; as quail. Mr. Field mentioned that pigeons were being shot in largo numbers in some parts of his district, and measures, wore Tequirod to bring the offenders to book. ■ A member suggested that it would bo unvJiso to allow opossums to be killed in limited numbers of a email licenso fee. It would bo better to charge a fairly high feo and impose no limit, since trappors would take as many an'iinals as they would in any case. In the course of discussion, Mr. A. J. I Rutherford, urged that measures were needed to .reduce the number of shags. These birds wero spoiling the fishing 'in many rivers. They raided the trout j increasingly, and prevented the fish I going up the rivers. ' It would not bo enough to.shoot a few shags over the streams. The nesting-places ought to be raided and made -untenable. Expevience had shown that when this was done tho fishing improved immediately. The shags would not return to nests which had been thoroughly raided.

A member said that there wore plenty of• pheasants at AVainui, but they were on private Land, and he had not been able to got permission to 6hoot there. He had got two rabbits at Wainui in a recent, day's shooting. On the- way home lie met a man who had seven haroa and who mentioned that he never botlfered about a license. ■ Mr. Rutherford suggested that an experienced poultry-farmer should be subsidised to raise pheasants. Tho report and balance-sheet wero adopted. The following officers wero elected:— Vice-presidents, Messrs. W. H. Beetham, A. .T. Rutherford, L. G. Ecid, E. Riddi■foTd, and A. ]?. Lowe; members of tho council, Messrs. E. J. C. Wiffin, J. S. Fleming, W. H. Field, M.P., S. G. Nathan; J. Brassell, and L. Powell, i