TAUPO ROD & GUN CLUB

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 64, 8 April 1953, Page 6

TAUPO ROD & GUN CLUB

Meetiog Of Committee A committee meeting of the Taupo Bod and Gun Club held on April 2 was attended bv pfacticaily a full muster of committee men. The club president, Mr L. Stephenson, was in the * chair. Principal items of interest included a letter frorn the Conservatocr of Wildlife, Rotorua, giving details of the numbers of pheasants liberated in the Taupo district for each of the last 4 years, together with the numbers of shooting licences issued for each yeair. The secretary also read out a circular from the same source, which set forth the actions taken to give ef~ fect to the recommendations sent forward from the Annual Confeirences of sporting clubs held at Taupo in November last.

The closing dates of the trout fishing season on the rivers and lakes bad been brought into line by extending the closing date on the lake fishing,, Conveniences had been installed at Motutere Bay, and a caretaker was looking aftei* the area on a full times basis. The dangetr area at Kawakawa Bay whilst artillery shoots were in progress had been altered to 1000 yar'ds from the shore line, whereas previously the shore itself had been the danger limit. The conference for 1953 would be at Turangi, the venue of future Conferences to altemate between Taupo and Turangi. Remits upon which it was considered by the Department of Internal Affairs that no action be taken (congidered as unnecessary) were seveiral put forwaad by the Taupo Rod and 5un Club., The Club had requested that pheasants should not be liberated after April in any year, oi before Oetober, as conditions during* the winter in this district would be too hard for Teared birds. Decision, no action necessary. Delegates of the Club had reeeived the personal assur^ice of the Minister for Internal Affairs that every effort would be made to establish that splendid game bird, the dhukor, into the Taupo district. As mo action had been taken, the Club asked at the Conference foar sornething to be done. Decision of the Department, no action necessary. The Taupo Rod and Gun Club will take furtlier action in support of the establishment of Chukor in the district., The Club has asked for steps to be taken to amalgamate the Rotorua and Taupo fishing districts, or that a blanket licence to cover both districts be issued. Action taken had been nil. ' The Club bad also requested that a biologist should be established at Lake Taupo. It was considered by the Department that action was unnecessary. "As there are strpng grounds for action to be taken on some of these remit's, the committee felt that a further approach should be made to the Department, and the secretairy was Instructed to write accordingly. In general discussion, the question of the effect of land development upon game bird population was brought up. It was agreed that probably the quail population of the district wrould suffer, but conditions for the estabIkhmeiit of pheasant throughout the district would improve. It was deplored that the number of pests such as wi'id cats and stoats practically precluded the establishment of a | game bird population in the district. j Finally, Mr Gordon Hard requested that the Department be requested to make shooting licences available at least one month before the opening of the season, to allow sportsmen to make their arrang*ements and bookliigs. It as agreed to as a reasonable request, and the secretary instructed to write to the Conservator accordingly.