SOUTH WESTLAND DEER

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1929, Page 3

SOUTH WESTLAND DEER

(To the Editor.) Sir—The report published in tin. •■Guardian'’ oi Dee. *23rd. toy mo Westland deer cutler m reference to tin. damage none by deer must strike loea. rum.outers and others, as raLlie. amusing. iu .suite that the forests are no. sudermg dv me tiamc ot ucer is ab su.d to the extreme. Of ioui.se t man s repo, i is ua.-iod on Knowledge on Hie liaast region only and on this iuxuullt ni.» report cannot ne taken seriously. Xlie keen observer who nas passciu through me Oman Westland cieer country timing me last lew yea is cannot fail to onset ve with someregret the past manging conditions .n me forest. Juiue Valley, for instance was but a lew years ago no tec. ;or us white clover ilats, to-day not a solitary clover is iu ne seen or any tiling else. Ihe wnoie ot the uppe. Makaroa Valley and its upper tributaries were once grazing runs ior sheep and cattle but for several years have iieen abandoned, 1,-e.ng eaLen out witli deer, likewise many miles of the .Hunter V alley. The culler is again in error when he states runiioiders are not squealing, u they are not it is because they have gone beyond that stage and are now'forced to act in order to protect themselves by destroying the ever increasing herds that wander down eating and destroying their feed and fences. Some societies have long ago been forced to recognise this c0m..'i....,i and have given tne runiioiders a free hand to destroy at will. A slasher is not necessary now in the Upper liaast bush, as stated. On the bush flats it is often possible to ride through on horseback for chains, .•some of the deer tracks are as wide aiiu passable as any bridle track. Only on one point can 1 agree with this report, an open “slather” all tlie year round would nou remedy the matter in South Westland. Some revenue must be derived to enable systematic culling to continue.

The reporter is most certainly in error when ho states no one could live by culling for tiie Government subsidy alone, because many are already making a very comfortable living by so doing, in fact one well-known Otago ranger is culling for sixpence a tail below. the Government bonus and doing well, especially now that skins are marketable at Gs to 7s each. I suggest the Westland Society make note* of this and ask why should we pay more for culling that other Societies? Why not call tenders?

1 am etc., RUNHOLDFJR

Box G‘29, Dunedin

P.S.- -Two years ago this deer culler reported there were hot sufficient deer in the Okuru Valley to warrant stalkers going in yet. Doth parties who stalked it, following this, report numerous deer and parts completely eaten out and now.the block remains unoccupied, being overstocked.