DEER SHOOTING SEASON OPENED TOO LATE.

Shannon News, 23 April 1929, Page 2

DEER SHOOTING SEASON OPENED TOO LATE.

MANGAHAO HERDS NEED CULLING. A well-known Manawatu sportsman,. >vho has recently returned from a deerstalking expedition, into .the Mangaha;; area, told a reporter on Friday that, in his opinion, extensive culling was needed among the red deer herds of that district, in order to improve thestandard of the heads Which he described as “very poor.” On his trip, he had seen quite a number of stags, but In only two cases, had the heads on these animals made them of any value : as trophies. He also expressed the opinion that this year the stalking season, which commenced on March 28, had opened a fortnight too late, and that stalkers had therefore been deprived of the possibility of securing ?ome good heads. The period during which stalkers secured heads was that in which the stags were “ roaring ’‘—their challenges to battle giving the stalkers a guide to their position. The “roaring” period had set in this year a good fortnight before March 28 and sportsmen had thus been at a disadvantage. Since the opening of the season, the stags’ challenges had only been heard at intermittent periods.

In explaining the late opening of the season, Mr A. Andrews, Wellington Acclimatisation Society ranger, told a .reporter yesterday that the Wellington season in the Manawatu as nearly as society always opened the deer-shooting possible to Easter. Fully 75 per cent, of the license holders in and around Palmerston North were younjg men, who could not get away from their employments except during Easter. The opening of the season was therefore arranged to coincide as closely as possible with the iii order to give these young sportsmen a chance.