PUKEKO NUISANCE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1931, Page 7

PUKEKO NUISANCE

POSITION AT TAIERI. PERMITS FOR SHOOTING. WELLINGTON, August 5. Consequent upon complaints by farmers that considerable damage was being done to crops in the Taieri district by pukeko, a tour of the area was made by an official of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Bird Protection Society. In his report, which was read at a meeting of the general executive in Wellington to-day, he stated that the “place was crawling with pukeko” and suggested that a local open season should be declared. Taking the view that it did not seem right or proper that war should be declared on these birds over the whole of Otago because they did damage in one particular area, the executive decided that the situation could be met by encouraging applications for permits to shoot where necessary. “The pukexo flies a long distance at night and it is possible that, owing to the severity of the season, the birds have concentrated on a limited area where food is available,” said Captain E. V. Sanderson, secretary of the society “The acclimatisatin societies, of course, desire as many species of birds on their shooting list as possible. This bird, however, cannot by any stretch of imagination be called a game bird. A true sportsman would not cross a road’ to shoot at it, because it affords neither skill for his arm, work for his dog, nor cleverness in outwitting.”