DEER STALKING

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1925, Page 3

DEER STALKING

AUCKLAND, Alay S. Alter three-months’ (ailed sport in New Zealand during which he obtained a reriird sixteen-pointer (leer head. I.mil Helper has returned to Auckland in readiness to leave lor England by the Aorangi next week. With him are Tally Helper and Air Tulin Ipswich, a veteran English sportsman who lias shot game in nearly every country in the world. All three are delighted with their experiences, and hope to come back ill a tew years t i me. T!,o deer-stalking I rip to South Westland was harder than anything 1-f the kind that Lord Helper had experienced. and utterly dilferein from sport of the same name in Scoilaud. where he owns a deer lorcst, Glen Kiugie, Invernesshiiv. lie is proud

that much of the stalking was done over virgin country and that he is taking Home a 111-pointer. believed to |„, a record bead lor New Zealand. Its dimensions arc: length ol horn Dm. span 41 tin., beam (circumference of born at its narrowest pari) bin. Thu and other of the heads, he intends to exhibit at Wembley. On the same trip |.a,!y Helper. Major Wilson and Mr Cohbuld also maim'd really good] heads. The trip was an arduous one. The original party, which included four experienced guides, travelled with pack horses for miles from the head of l ake Wonaka over the Ha'ast Pass into Westland. From that point thev went on lor a further 3<> miles through the hush, carrying all their Stores and gear on their hacks, vltogethcr three camps were established. and transport arrangements [old to he rather elaborate. The ti t stalk was made in 1 .andsbormigh Valle v. which had remained almost

untouched since its discovery. 30 veal's • urn Bv fording a river hitherto uncrossed. the party was able to work n l-true stretch of entirely new country. and it was here that the finest head— wei r obtained. Ihe " diltu'ss. and roughness ol the counti> impi-

the visitors very much. “In >cotlaml ” -aid Ford Belper. “one would ,„.ver expect to hud deer m stii-h places We should regard them as j-Diit country. 1 had never exper.em-t-d auditing like tb<? b ,!1 Y ” t ' l '• through thick bush for two or three hours after first seeing a dyer. 1 U> animals were really magnilicem. the true .Scottish breed improved in size almost out of recognition, by plenty of good feed and an exigent (TinaU./* In Lnndsl>onntiili jor Wilson obtained four heads, and Lord Belper two. including the lbpoii.ter referred to. Their next camp was on the Blue river, a more frequented spot in the Alakaroa A alley. Here T.adv Belper joined them, and t l, ev obtained five more good

beads in three day-. The best was a 11-pointer -eeured by Lady Belper. Lady Helper also shut a 10-pointer and a 13-]i<)iliter. She was the first English lady to stalk in Hint district. The party would have remained longer, lint lieavv show began lo tall, reaching a depth of lit, round the tents. It wa- necessary to leave at once, and after lording three livers, all nearly waist high, they got out. - Lord Belper had the highest, praise for the lour guide- who accompanied him—Con llodgkinsnn. who is the Acclimatisation ranger for South Westland. .Lime.- Muir. Deorge Humphries and Donald Hell. “They wore all as keen as could lie. llodgkinsnn carried the big head, weighing over IMlib. for lit) miles—not an easy matter in thick bti-li. and when I asked him if he did not find il hard, he only said : “Oh, no. it is a pleasure to lie able to carry such a fine heud,” Though, not wishing to give gratuitous advice to New Zealand stalkers. Lord Belper said that their methods of attacking wild country were not always the best. To get really satisfactory -port in such country, guides must he used. The average New Zealand deer-stalker apparently trusted to ins own knowledge oi the block allotted to him. lie took his stores and gear out on his own hack, and usually found that by the time good sport was in sight bis food was exhausted, and the only thing left was to leave. Furthermore, much energy was used up in simply carrying stores, and the stalker probably did not have enough left to do himself justice in actual bunting. Both Lord Helper and Mr Cobbold believe that New Zealand will become a hotter ami Letter conntry fnr sportsmen, though deer stalking should not lie pushed too lar. “When moose and wapiti are well established in tlie suntli-wesi. ibey will give s-nno line sport.” said Lord Belper. “ I here is such II huge extent of country, and it is so rough, but there is one thing--vou mu-1 mil lei I lie deer increase. They heroine a pi-I and the breed quickly deteriorates. I was shown where they had broken into a forest plantation at Rotorua, and eaten great numbers of young trees. \\ hat is more, that rolling country round Rotorua is not at all suitable for deer. None of it is high enough." Both sport smell say that il all goes well, they will certainly rome back to New Zealand for more shooting and fishing in a year or two.