PROTECTION OF DEER

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1926, Page 4

PROTECTION OF DEER

.Air V. W. Euillie. Proviuciiil Seerotary of the West Coast Farmers’ Union, has received the following from j the Minister of Internal Affairs c through Mr H. E. Holland, M.P.: — 1 1 With reference to your desire to 1 know what the position is relative to ® the removal and protection on deer in , 1 Westland, I have now to inform you 1 that protection on those animals was t removed in part of the district known 5 as South Westlund, some time ago, lut f in order to -enable the Acclimatisation ' Society to obtain funds to assist in 1 tho destruction of the animals, it has ; been the practice the past two seasons 1 to re-protect tho animals during the < deer stalking season, commencing on Ist March, -and ending on 30th April. 1 Any person, mmy therefore without license, shoot deer within the area ] wherein protection has been removed, 1 except- during‘the stalking season. ! I may add, that ill order to assist in tho keeping down of the animals, the Government some time ago decided i to grant a bonus of 2s a head for each deer killed within those parts of Acclimatisation Districts, wherein protection has been removed, and at the same time decided to pay Is a head for deer killed in other parts of the Acclimatisation Districts where in the piotection remained. I enclose herewith for vour information, a copy of the Warrant issued in 1923 removing the protection on deer in the parts of the Acclimatisation Districts specified therein. I have further to advise, that it. is understood, that there ! aro not many deer in Westland Acclimatisation District, other than in that part wherein protection was removed. I may also state that I have recently further considered what- action should be taken in order to keep down tho number of deer in various parts of tho Dominion, and I l'pve decided briefly as follows: — (1) —Protection on deer, excepting ) niooso and wapiti, will be removed at : tho close of tho next stalking season, - unless Acclimatisation Societies can : show that, they are adequately coping with the door menace in their respec- , tive districts. i (2)—That it is considered that Ae- . elivnntisntion Societies should expend i idl monies received by them, and in b hand, in respect of license lees for - deer stalking, together with the monies received by way of opossum revenue, c in tho thinning out of tho deer in their 3 respective districts. 3 (3) The warrants to he issued in - respect of next year’s stalking season l to contain no restriction as to the 1 number of doer that may be taken or ,• killed by -a licensee, or as to the sex t of tho deer, or Die number of point-s on a stag’s head. (4) To issue a further warrant, aur tliorising Acclimatisation Societies to s destroy deer in any part of their rc- - spectivo districts, irrespective of s whether protection is removed or not, c or to authorise other persons to so <le--1 stroy them. The various Acclimatisation Societies n concerned have Been advised to the e above affect. il CONTROL OF DEER. 1 1 Mr Seddoli, M.P., is in receipt, of a the following letter from the Minister ■_ in Charge of State Forests:— ~ i have to acknowledge receipt of o your let-etr of the 6th inst ill connecs tion with the control of deer ill West- ■ _ land and the resolution of the Provine rial Executive of the West Coast Farmers’ Union with reference thereto. 0 In reply I have to inform you that . since its inception the Forest Service has keenly advocated that protection p on all species of deer excepting Moose and Waipiti should he removed for a period of years, and that at tho discretion of the Government, the payincut of bounty should he made upon ( all deer destroyed during that period. As you are no doubt aware, the protection was, on the recommendation of the Forest Service, removed from, doer s in South Westland, and during tho 1925-20 fiscal year, bounty was paid out on 577 deer tails collected by offi- * cers of the Service, as against 9 tails s during the previous period. The Government has now decided to ’ remove protection on all deer exoptinr- Moose and Waipiti, at the cit.se ’ of the next deer stalking season, unless it can he shown by Acclimatisation Societies of different districts that they I are adequately coping with the deer menace.