THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1118, 5 October 1883, Page 3

THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

From the annual report of Mr B. P Baylv, the Chief Inspector of Babbits, we cull the following, being the questions put to the District Inspectors, and their replies : Rabbit Inspector, 1. What means have heen adopted for destroying rabbits? 2. Have you any further recommendations to make ? 3. What progress has there been made ? 4. How many tenders have been accepted ? 5. What did the whole of them amount to? 6. State approximately the total area tendered for ? 7. State the area required to be dealt with by Government this year ? 8. What quantity of phosphorous has there been purchased for use in your district ? 9 What was its cost ? 10. What quantity was used for Govern ment purposes ? 11. What quantity was sold to private individuals ? 12. What was the quantity on hand on the 31st March last ? 13 Number of skins exported ? 14. Number of prosecutions. 15. Number of convictions ? 16. Number of dismissals ? 17. Staie the names of owners of properties dealt with under Section 11 ? General Remarks : From Rabbit Inspector Miles, Nasehy. I. During winter months, poison; for remainder of the year, dogging, shooting, trapping, and rtigging-ont Ferrets have also heen turned out at Taieri Luke Station. Some will be turned loose at Linbum, and one or two are using ferrets and nets. 2. Should recommend that the Maori hen, or weka, be gazetted as a natural enemy. 3. Rabbits in Alaniototo County have not only been checked, but considerably reduced ; they- not being so numerous n iw as they were this time last year. 4. One. 5 L 0 1 Os. 6. About 700 acres 7. About 45,000 acres. 8. 10lb. 9. L2. 10. None. 11. 101b. 12 None 13. Aiiout 400,000. 14. Four. 15. One. 16. Three. 17. None. From Rabbit Inspector Rees, Clyde. J. Phosphoric poisoning through the v iater.an I such times as rabbits would take the poisoned grain ; supplemented by shooting, dogging, trapping, and fe-rei.iui at other times. 2. Persistent eff i-ts should be made to protect all natural enemies to the raboit, and intro luce an I turn out ferrets or animals of a s'mi'ar class, provide I lambs would he sale from them; 3 Great and inaike! progress has been mane in getting the pest under,especially on many of the larger runs where the coimtrv was p usoned on a face. 4. Pom teen. 5. About. 1,787. g. About 24,1.00 acres. 7. A out 64,(100 ace.'. 8.700 b. 9. 1.140 10. None. 11 166:b. 12. 5.’4 lb. 13 Unknown »t present. 14. Nim. 15. Seven. 16 Two. 17 None General Unnxrks' —Number of rabbi s kn ed in Vincent County from Ist April, 1882, to 31st Match, 1883: Un Wanaka St tion, 54 363; on Earned-ugh Station, 96,363, On Hawkabnrn Station, 72 000; on Teviot Station, 27 261 ; on Mount isa Static i, 116,720 ; on Kawarau Station, 118,000; on Callow iy Statio , 204,1100 ; on Moutere Station, 77 000 ; on Matakanui Station, 30,000; on Mmvern Hills Station, 60,000; on Ardgour Sbition, 180,000; on Ida Valley Station, 119.442 ; on common ages and Grown lam is, 65,000 : tota l, 1.220.349. Th s total represents the number of rabbits killed from which pelts were taken. As the bulk of these wore killed by pu sm, and as from experience 1 have no reason to doubt that for every poisoned rabbit picked up at least four are undiscovered m burrows and holes, 1 estimate the number nf rabbits actna Iv destr .ye I in the Vincent County during the 12 months from the 1-t April, 1882, to the 31st March 1883, ac 5,0011,000. From Rabbit Inspector Bourchier, Queentown. 1. The means adopted in this district have been by phosphorizxl grain—viz, wheat and oats—as well as trapping, and in some instances shooting. Several of the largest owners have lately turned out ferrets on th - different properties belonging to them. 2 That tlie Government should tu i- n out large quantities of ferrets, ke., in the spring, when the rabbits <ve thinned after th winter poisoning, and so kieo them under, as that is the time they breed fa-test. 3. There was great progress made during the past year, especially in the winter time, and 1 am quite justified in slating thu'. there is not one raboit in the district this year f >r every twenty on the same ground as last But, from both the good fee I and splendid season, the rabbits bre ' extremolv fust. 4. Nineteen 5. [Ail 16s 61. 6. 93.143 acrc-s. 7. 230,143 acres. 8. 4001b. 9. 1,75. 10. 50:h. 11. 3501b. .2. None. 13 Over 250,000. 14 Ten. 15. Ten. 16. None. 17. None. General Remarks.- T e rabbits are not near so plentiful this year s cliev were last, and 1 think that, from the manner in which the different owners are com raencing operations this year, there will be far less in this district next season,. There is, however, the inaccessibility of the country to be taken into consideration, and it is such that it is necessary to he personally acquainted with the district before any idea of it can properly he foiraed, rabbits being in places where it is perfectly impossible for men to get at.