SHOOTING SEASON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 213, 9 August 1937, Page 3

SHOOTING SEASON.

GOOD BAGS IN MANAWATU. RINGING of PHEASANTS. WELLINGTON. Aug. 6. Last week-end saw the shooting season dose. Sportsmen say it has been one of the host all-round seasons for game on record find, where pheasants are concerned, quite the best season ever experienced. ■ “Practically every sportsman who went prepared to hunt for game got game,” said Mr C. E. Aldridge, chairman of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society’s game commit 4».>e, when interviewed to-day. “It has been the best season we have ever had for pheasants. Many guns who had never before obtained a bird secured some this season. I myself obtained four, in two outings; but I heard of one man who got 11 cock birds during the season.” Air Aldridge said that, while gratified jthe season had been so successful, he was sorry to hear of so many cock pheasants being shot, as it obviously reduced the proportion of cocks to liens and must badly affect their breeding in the wild state. “In the Manawatu,” said Air Aldridge, “last season’s liberation of cocks was marked with yellow lings on their legs. AVliile many birds so ringed have been shot, I know that also quite a number of unringed birds have fallen to the guns. They can only have been old birds previously let go. In future we are going to mark all birds released with coloured leg ’ rings, of different hues to those let go in the Alanawatu last year. Then we shall be able to see what proportion of the season’s liberations are shot, and what proportion of last season’s lias survived, and no doubt we shall get interesting and valuable information' on other points, such as how far the birds travel from the place of liberation.” This had been a particularly good season for duck, said Mr Aldridge. The majority of sportsmen on tho opening day obtained limit bags, in the Alanawatu particularly. There, bags had been good throughout the season. Swan had been very numerous, and a ranger had reported seeing them literally in thousands on Te Ilonai Lake. Next season would probably be a good one, as the society was aiming at liberating more pheasants than ever before, and there were, lie thought, sufficient cocks still at large to ensure a considerable supply of wild chicks growing up in time for the season. Air Aldridge said that there was little doubt that a short open season for pukeko would be declared next year, as farmers in many districts were complaining that they were becoming a nuisance. The secretary of the AYelhngton Acclimatisation Society, Air E. J. C. Wiffin, said that lie had heard of one man who obtained in all 20 pheasants during the season. There were numerous instances of sevens and eights. “I remember when, at the start of liberation, it was considered an excellent season if a man brought home two pheasants in the whole season.” he said. “This year nearly everyone who went after pheasant seriously got tbat.”i