DEER IN WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1930, Page 7

DEER IN WESTLAND

ENGLISHMAN’S EXPERIENCES

(Auckland Herald)

Delighted with the sport lie enjoyed wliile Micros mining in Wesiiand, 50 uiiles into the lulls beyond Lake Wanaka, Lord Lalymcr (England; later expressed the hope that he aaouM he able to return and “have another go at the stags.”

The expedition took place in April, the base camp of the party being situated at Hooper’s Bluff over the Haast Pass in country ivateied by the Landsborough River, which had to be crossed twice in making cainp from Makaroa. A lurcher two day’s trip upriver was made so as to visit the principal river flats to which the stags descend in 11lie early morning and

evening. “We took seven heads altogether,’’ said Lord Latymer, in speaking of me expedition. “AH pretty good, I think, and ttvo better than that. One is a fine Id-pointer, very 1 heavy and thick,-with a fine spread, but 1 think an 11-pointer is the more beautiful. In the case of the 16-pointer the horn was Gin, round at the base, and the IJ-pointer at the widest points has a spread of 39in,, and a measurement round (he curves of 4!in, “The 16-pointer is certainly a fine hen 4. J siuv the stag when looking round will] my telescope in file early morning, It wnß standing on a rocky ping below the Dechen glacier above the bush, and nearly up to the snow--I’ne. We determined to go after it, but it was a long ivay off We did not get clear of the bush until 1 p.m., then we had to stalk carefully to gel position. At last Ave got. there, and lie went down with the first shot, and started rolling down the hill until I thought he would never stop. ’ “Such Avas the roll and the stony nature of the moraine that j. thought the antlers wpuld he smashed to hits’. At last tfie carcase came to rest in a gully j. which .was jusfc big enough to stay the progress of the Least, and that was all; for we had great- difficulty in pjevepting the body rolling away again while the head was being cut Off. " r.

“Stalking in Westland above the bush is not dissimilar to what it is in Scotland though the character of the country is a good deal rougher here. Bush-stalking to me is not very exciting. For one thing you cannot get the stags unless they are roaring, and then you don’t know what.you are getting half the time. There are plenty of stags in this country. Ido not say there are plenty of , superlatively good beads; and I have seen as many as 15 hinds with one stag; but, as you knoAV, you do not shoot at every stag you spq. but only at those Avhich promise a good head. I should say, the heads T have taken are conaiderablv. above the average of those obtainable in Scotland.”