SEARCH FOR WAPITI

Hokitika Guardian, 24 April 1925, Page 4

SEARCH FOR WAPITI

SUCCESS OF STALKERS. INVERCARGILL, April 21. After a trip lasting twenty-live days, in tlm wild unexplored regions of the West Coast sounds, three wapiti •stalkers, Colonel H. E. Hart. C.IL, C.M.G., D. 5.0., of Mnsterton. Mr V. K. Donald, of Mnsterton, and Mr R. A. Renall, who is from the Wuirarapn district, journeyed north by the mid-day express. They took with them lour excellent wapiti heads, obtained after a long hunt, under unusually arduous conditions, and in an interview with a “Times’.’ reporter, told an absorbing tale of their adventures in the wild hack country, anTI tho difficulties that face, stalkers of the prized wapiti hulls.

Colonel Hart and Mr Donald were members of the stalking party which last year secured four heads. Prior to that time, Air Donald took part in an expedition which secured three head, and he lias the honour of being the first man to suecesslully stalk wapiti in New Zealand.

This season’s stalk brings tiie number of wapiti secured in Now Zealand 1 a (he total of 13. 'l’lte party originally intended to lie away fourteen days, but in actuality the trip lasted 25 (lavs, so that Hie hunters were Fortunate in having taken twenty days’ food supplies with them ; though even then, at a later period for a

whole week, they had to subsist on a head of wapiti meat, which they declare excellent eating, and far superior to venison.

The weather was simply atrocious, only one line day being experienced during the whole period. The going was exceedingly rough; rain teemed down unceasingly, and the party made ( .;imp. each night on wet moss, and tinder a light tent. No (ire could lie lit, and in the morning it meant donning soaking clothing. and pushing

oil. On the fourth day the hunters had penetrated far into the unexplored regions, and. to their delight, heard a hull ‘‘bugling” in Hie hush. Alter a short stalk Mr Donald shot it. It was a good head of 12 points, with a spread of -10 inches, and 51 inches in , length. Next day luck again attended the stalkers, Air Renall. who meanwhile had joined the party, securing the second wapiti, a. 13-pointer, 50 inches in length, and 10 inches in width. The next (lav was destined to he the most sineessful dav’s stalking. Air Donald I and Colonel Hart set out up Hie Slilli water, and Air Donald Mini a hull o| ■ I *ix points. j Tn the same localitv tiie stalkers I came upon another hull, and ibis time lit fell to tiie latter’s rifle. It proved i to he the finest head secured, being a 1 fourteen-pointer, fd tv-one incites in j length, forty-nine inches in width, and having a very well-shaped bond. Then came the difficult problem of returning to tiie launch in Caswell Sound, where Hie base had been established. with the heads and skins, The skins weigh -toll) each, and heads well J it is hard to imagine a more awkward I burden to carry through hush and oyer 1 rough country than a wapiti head. Hie j long nnM ovs caught i t shrubs time | and again and progress was very slow, i Altogether it took seven days to rc- * turn. In places the party were forced | to cut tracks through the dense hush, 1 and it is surprising that the valuable ! burdens readied the launch in safety. When they readied Deep Cove a t reI mendous storm arose. The Murrell * brothers sav that it was the worst j storm the Const had suffered for forty | \ sirs. Snow fell to a great depth, j end worked havoc with the hush, and per cent, of the trees and flora were smashed hv the tremendous weight of the heavy fall. “I can say,” declared Colonel Hart, “never had' any_ef is seen on the CikiW such a glorious -ight as was presented hv the sounds under their white mantle. ' H was perfectly magnificent, ami the scene from the top ol Doubtful Sound Puss repaid us m itself ior ail the arduous rigours of the I rip." \|r Donald also said that the expedition had discovered many facts m 1 regard to Hie wapiti herd that were ‘>l erect interest, particularly to the ; Southland Acclimatisation .'society They found that wapiti had led out the ground tin which they " VIV 011 ' | ejimllv located, and were truvel- , fine to new areas. “We have discover- | ~<l.” he (ontinued. “that the wapiti ’ are becoming separated off a wider area, and moving lo fresh ground. Thev do out , like red deer, stay tn the same localitv till they I; gin to siarve l but ho v - migratory tendencies, and :.lI wavs move to fresh feed- Vtluil v.e | wanted to di-over was the directum j j-, which I lie', are moving, but tin < " | were unable I> dm H 'votild seem j t hat they are moving inland, and 1 do 1 not think that the had weather lmd [ anything to do with this. There is n» * ,I,,'nbt. that He herd is on the im lea-e. ! and it is quite possible Hint. Mi i.m Ittj Hire the wapiti mav come down ouo | more accessible regions. At the V" - Hum tb v are a great -leal more j difficult, to locate Hum was the ca-e last year, and our account will show obstacles Hull are in the way (.1 wapiti strikers. The wapiti have as their i oTcntcst prole, timi a barrage ol v( { weather, and that will always prove a j creal handicap Lo hunters. The pnz.z.l- ---* feat lire is the few cows that are 1 seen, and during the trip we saw only c,i- two. AVitb red dta-r tins is never tiie ease. **| j1 1 st* dinks ami nati\o fowl lmve lmd a wonderful season, and have increased tremendously. On the Stillwater River we saw great nmn- ; bers of blue mountain ducks where there were only a lew pairs last voter. Lastly, hut not least, mosquitoes. Hie* and sand (lies seem to have entirely dis-ip-rajrei I. in previous seasons they were n terrible pest, and blowthes formed a serious menace. For some reason or other wo were not troubled at all this time.” Mr Donald is in possession oi a memento from the previous expeditions in flip shape of a wapiti tusk set in a watch charm. Air Renall also secured one this year, and said that in 1 .S.A., whore are locai.d me only other wapiti herds in the world, the tusks are valuable curios, worth in the vicinity of twenty-live dollars apiece. Sutherland brothers, from tiie \\airarapa, also journey south this year. Holding a license to stalk in the To Allan block, they stalked their district for some time, lint were unstio(essl'nl in iiudiug only a lew signs of wapiti, and striking bad weather. They came out alter trying the south arm unsuccessfully. Colonel Hart and .Messrs Donald and Renall intend to return in the near future, and liojre fo attempt to locale moose. In concluding the interview they all agreed that Southland had every just iliealion ill tlaiming to possess a reallv wonderful region on the western