DEER STALKING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10593, 27 March 1912, Page 4

DEER STALKING.

The- deer stalking season, in the Wellington Province opens on the Ist April, and until the loth April sportsmen will have, the opportunity of testing their stalking ability in the various' reserves throughout the Province. Wairarapa sportsmen will confine their attention chiefly to the bush districts in the Maungaraki Ranges and the large reserve -near Martin•borough. Many good heads have been procured from these places, and no doubt ..there are -still good heads to be got, hut the prevailing opinion amongst experienced deer-stalkers is that .good heads are becoming more scarce each season, owing probably to the fact that as soon as- a -fair- head is reported to have been seen, there is a rush- to kill and procure the coveted head, with the result that stags do not have a chance to reach a mature.'age which" is necessary for the development ■of a really good head. In Scotland, which is the home-of the red'deer, great care is taken in the breeding, and every season men are ■ deputed by the owners cf deer forests to ishodt. off all deer which show signs cf weediiiess, To- that only the best may remain to perpetuate the stock. In the country along the Maungaraki 'Ranges it is a common sight to see largo, herd's of deer, and not one good head amongst the number, while "straight-homers" and weedy stags are plentiful. If New Zealand is to have a good breed<.o-f "cor, something should be done to, prevent the inbreeding which ,is now prevalent,.and doing so much to .harm the breed of deer. Ifc is not quantity but quality that is required, for deer are now in many placets a pest to settlers, owing i to thejr numbers, while a systematic culling otit* of the weeds would tend to .improve the quality of the deer, and give sportsmen something worth hunting for, and heads which would do credit to New Zealand as a home for red deer. A number of reserves will be thrown open this-season in various- parts of the Dominion for the / first ti,me, so* that some good heads ' may be accounted for.