CONTROL OF DEER

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 55, 2 September 1926, Page 10

CONTROL OF DEER

♦ SOCIETIES DOING THEIR BEST, PROTECTION MAY BE REMOVED CONFERENCiTtO BE HELD. The question of deer control was thoroughly discussed at the Acclimatisation Societies' Conference yesterday. Nearly all the delegates emphasised that they were doing all they could. It was resolved to confer with the Government Departments concerned to see if any method of # reducing the numbers of deer was being overlooked. The circular letter sent out to all Acclimatisation Societies some time ago by the Minister of Internal Affairs was read. It practically stated that protection would be removed if deer were not kept down. The fact of the matter was, said the president, that unless societies reduced the numbers of deer very materially protection would be removed. He would like to hear of any more that could be done by the societies than had already been undertaken. He thought that in the Wellington district the Government was more or less satisfied. It was true that perhaps the Wellington district was better situated for getting at the deer than in the South. Mr. C. P. Butterworth. (Otago) said that they had accounted for 9705, without those culled by stalkers. Last year they had killed 2420 at a cost of £312. It had cost his society £2011 to date for culling operations, and this year they hoped to cull 4000. The Otago district was' such that nobody would go where the deer were except the society itself. Last year the Government subsidy had been £120 to £312. While the Otago Society could not prove that it had spent all the opossum and deer revenue on culling, it had at least proved its bona fides. It had had more applications for blocks this year, and it could not satisfy all the applicants with good country. They had graded their blocks, and the best heads were obtained in the most heavily culled country. This proved that the herd could be re-estab-lished if they were allowed to continue the work. Mr. J. IT. Edmundson (Hawkes Bay) said that the herd there was well in hand. A vote of twenty landowners had been taken, and none of them were in favour of the protection being removed from the deer. The position was serious for those societies which had not culled rigorously, as they risked the removal of protection from all societies. Mr. L. H. Sumpter (Waitaki) said thatthe revenue of his society from deer had been so reduced that it could afford to do nothing worth while. It had spent a large part of its revenue in culling in the past, but in those days the deer revenue had been half of the annual revenue. Now it was only £20. Unless the Government gave leave to sell more licenses, AVaitaki could do nothing with the deer. Sir. T. H. James (Wanganui) said that they were in the same position as Hawkes Bay. They had only fallow deer, and the farmers would not allow anybody on. their land, unless it were a Government man, because the (leer were not increasing. The deer in Hawkes Bay did no damage, and were not a menace. Another delegate said that the cullers in his district had gone out without any limit this year. Sir. J. Wilkison (Southland) said that deer were a sore subject with the Forestry Department. There were huge areas of forest in the adjoining Westland and Southland districts. The society was offering, in addition to the bounty on tails, ii considerable subsidy to all the land owners in the hope that they would assist. So far as Stewart Island was concerned, there was a great area that was almost impenetrable, with deer all round it. Stewart Island would best be. dealt with by the Government, as the society could not hope to deal with the National Park deer. Mr. A. Bushell said that the position of Hawkes 'Bay was theirs. They had had two cullers out for three weeks, and only eight head had been secured, so they were not overrun with deer. After further discussion it was decided that the executive discuss, with the representatives of the Agricultural, Forestry, and Internal Affairs Departments, the best means of reducing the numbers of deer, and report to the societies interested. It was decided that the Government be requested to exterminate the deer in Stewart Island.