Huntly Rodand Gun Club.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 6, 6 March 1914, Page 3

Huntly Rodand Gun Club.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Huntly Rod and Gun Club wn--hekl on Friday night, Mr •). Elliot presiding. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual repot- as Rented by the secretary, Mr F. W. Garland, was as follows : “I have the honour to submit the annual report ot the Huntly Rod and Gun Club for the year ending Feb. 28th. 1914. GENERAL. As a club we have completed another successful year. Ihe j 'temembership is still high ail'd iGshooting matches held through-] out the year which have all been ] keenly contested, have provided many a good afternoon’s sport, ; The fact that an open .'-20 handicap held during the keenest part of the late industrial trouble, was a suoeess, speaks well for the interest taken in this form of sport. GAME. Little can be added to previous reports re game. Quail have been very plentiful during the past year and show no signs of decreasing. Duck wore plentiful on the lakes, many’good bags having been secured. However it cannot be denied that they are not so plentiful locally as in years gone by. This, ot course, is only natural, considering the gradual increase in the number of guns carried and the rapid progress of settlement. We are still of opinion that, if our native birds are to he preserved, more adequate protection must he afforded them by the imposition of a license to shoot native game. ! The pigeon is undoubtedly de- I creasing and unless protected, its fate is surely sealed. Pheasants were reported to be : more plentiful in some districts and great hopes are entertained i that the introduction of a new strain —40 birds having been received by your society : during the past two years— will result in better sport in the near future. Mallard Duck are on the increase, and although a few have been seen mingling with the grey duck, the majority still persist, not only in the remaining tame, but in being almost an affliction to those who are unfortunate enough to live in the neighbourhood of their haunts. I POACHING. Members are still keen on preserving the game in the district and some months ago we were successful in securing a conviction for illicit shooting. Reports reached the club of this evil practice being carried on in Taupiri and other districts, but though a sharp look out was kept no further convictions have yet been obtained. Ranging. Formerly it was the custom of the club to pay the out-of-por ket expenses of those members who undertook ranging duty, 'i he state of this and previous "Hklance sheets proved the necessity of suspending their--.-os-tom, so that for two years now their work has been done gratuitously, and what is more i to the point, more efficiently. the members as a whole, by a, means of moral suasion and constant supervision of the territory under the club’s jurisdieii m, [ taking to the unpopular keenly and zealously. With the aid of the settlers, the help of the officials of the Public Works Department, and the us-i luity of the police, poaching has bo i considerably restricted, with the result that the illicit shooter is gradually being eliminated from our midst. LICENSES. Many sportsmen were considerably inconvenienced at tin opening of the last shoot ing "t season through the non-arriva at the local Post Office of th shooting licenses. Much indignation was expressed at die fit that Acclimatisation Social hears not at liberty to issue th own shooting licenses. FISHING. We are beginning to reap Hi. benefit of the liberation of .. .tiling trout in our river. Truthe superabundance of natura feed militates against big b but more fish have In-on caugh and all have been in fine Condi tion, ranging in weight fr-f two to ten pounds. THANKS. The Club wished to than Constables Ingram and Wrigh for their co-operation with us i our efforts to put an end to Lh poaching evil, and also to tv ~■■■■• its indebtedness to the Auckl.in Acclimatisation Society I u- Illiberal supplies of fish and gan: sen*- us for liberation. BALANCE SHEET. ..a balance sheet for the yea ending Feby. 28th, as presente by Mr F. Littleproud, w - follows INCOME. £ S T By cr. balance Donations 5 9 ( Proceeds Smoker Cash from Matc-he- -hi Id Sale Cartridges and Birds Members subs. Sale Refreshments I (t Conviction (reward) 5 9 i Birds 1 0 donation towards liberation of fish and game 5 0 £lOl 18

Adoption of Report. In moving the adoption of the report- and balance sheet, the chairman congratulated the club on the successful work of the past year, and drew the attention of the meeting to the necessity for more vigorous ranging and greater effort in the direction of preserving the birds they had and in stocking the rivers and lakes with suitable fish. He drew attention to the correspondence that had recently appeared in the columns of the Auckland papers concerning the mallard duck, and regretted that from his own experience and that of his neighbours he could not corroborate the opinions of those who had eulogised it as a fine sporting bird. The mallards the club had tried to breed had become tamer than the domestic variety, and, instead of sticking to the lakes, they practically haunted the back-doors of those living near Lake Hakanoa, with the result that in the struggle for food the fowls fared badly. The opinions of Dr Hope Lewis were always valuable and worthy of all respect. As a naturalist and a sportsman, the doctor had rendered valuable service to the cause of acclimatisation, and in the past his knowledge and that of Mr Cheeseman and his confreres on the Council of the Society had prevented the importation of birds that would iiave proved unmitigated pests in spite of the recommendations of those who posed as experts and who had endeavoured for several years past to belittle and to oppose the actions of the AuekSociety. As a club they were under a deep debt of gratitude (:) the parent body which had always dealt with them most generously, and which had never refused any reasonable request. The police, in the persons of Con- - vihies Ingram and Wright, had wa d the club valuable assists sice, while the settlers, generally, recognised that the efforts of the members were well .i-nl honestly directed. The report and balance sheet were adopted as read. Office Bearers. Office-bearers for the current year were elected as follow : Honorary President: the President of the Auckland AcclimauS iciet-v; President, Mr J. Elliot; Vice-Presidents, Messrs i W. Speirs and J. Young ; Secretary, Mr F. W. Garland; Trea- ] surer, Mr F. Littleproud; Dele- ! gates to the Council of the Auckland Acclimatisation Soci ity, Messrs Elliot and Littleproud; Committee, Messrs T. j Black, B. Devitt, T. Edwards, I ,T. Hinchco, W. Jolly, M. Keleher, f. Moir junr., R. Njpgalls, and C. St a it; Shooting 'Committee ; Messrs Moir, Speirs and Young.

EXPENDITURE. £ s D Deloga tes 1 10 0 Wives and sundry 2 6 8 .3 to rage i 1 0 Carting 9 3 Affiliation i 0 0 (’artridges and Birds 50 4 4 I ’riming 2 2 6 Fares team Pukekohe 3 7 6 Meetings 10 0 Rebuilding Sited 6 0 0 Match expenses i 0 6 Police 14 fine 2 10 0 Prizes 21 11 0 Liberating Fish 2 12 « Liberating Birds 2 10 0 Huntly Timber Coy 2 2 2 101 17 5 By cash on hand 1 0 8 £100 18 1 ASSETS. £ s D 200 Cartridges 1 0 0 3 1 A barrels birds 2 5 0 1 spring trap i 10 0 1 Shed 6 0 0 3 Sparrow traps 7 6 £11 12 6 LIABILITIES. £ s D Green and Colebrook i 0 0 W. Speijg .10 0 £1 10 0