DEER CULLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1938, Page 8

DEER CULLING

STRENUOUS LIFE AMID WILD COUNTRY

OPERATIONS IN THE TARARUAS. HOW THE MEN TACKLE THEIR TASK. Two trampers who were admiring the sylvan beauty of forest, bills and river on a recent visit to Donnelly’s Flat, at the foot of Mount Holdsworth, had their attention directed, while they were resting on a giant log, to the somewhat active movements of a stockily-built individual who was seen walking briskly along the forest track, carrying a swag and a rifle and accompanied by four dogs. He left the shade of the bush and was making his way across she grassy flat to his tent beneath some beech trees in a pleasant glade not far away. Suddenly he heard the sound of voices, turned quickly and his countenance brightened. “Oh, hullo,” he said “I did not see you there.” He immediately altered his course towards the two trampers, threw off his swag and seated himself on a log. “Come and have a cup of tea,” he added; “you are the first people I have seen for a fortnight. I am one of the Government men. here or. deer-culling operations.” He explained that he ha'd just returned from an out-camp on the Totara Flats, a journey which had oc-_ cupied four hours. He had been actively engaged in his quest which included not only deer but goats and pigs. “My only companions are my dogs,” he said. “Those three,” be indicated the dogs with a careless gesture, ‘are wonderful finders but this one —a holder —has beer, badly ripped by a boar.” At his command this veteran of many fights, of which numerous scars were visible, quietly laid on his back and allowed an inspection of ms wounds. Sure enough, the skin required stitching. It had already received some attention in that way but. the dog did not like the stitches and had pulled them out.

A few minutes after his arrival he was off again with a lithesome step, making his way to his camp, with his faithful companions behind him. Once there, in a surprisingly short time the tea was made and served to his guests. He came from the West Coast, and had been sent on deerculling operations in many rough places. He had never been in the Tararuas before and on reaching the end of the road he had been left there, alone, with his instructions and a map to guide him, to go about his business. “You. will get lost there,” someone had told him jokingly, but somehow he seemed to be quite at home although he was in strange country and was working alone. He spoke lightly of the dangers attaching to work of this kind on his own and added ihat he had had a narrow escape a year before in Westland. “See mat scar on my face?” he said. The scar extended almost from mouth to eye. “I was in hospital for a fortnight with that,” he said. . He explained that a cartridge had jammed in his rifle and his employer had told him to blow it out. Against his own' wishes he did so and the barrel exploded, a piece flying up and ripping open his face, while ' another fragment narrowly missed his- com panion.

Soon afterwards another deer-culler arrived at the camp from the opposite side of the valley. He was the man in charge. “Are the deer doing much damage in the Tararuas?” he was asked. “Yes. The high country at the head of these streams, just below the snow line, has, the undergrowth eaten put. , In places it is just as bad as any South Island country,” he replied. He added that not much IT*"-

damage was noticeable in the lower country but the position on the high- ■ er land was very serious. " The culling operations ..were. i-bemgYcarried: -- out from Eketahuna to Tauherenikau'. and although the. men- had been ..ehk.'lw gaged only a few weeks about ..2QO_. deer had been shoK The men? re’?.?;. ! TJ ceived a bonus for all deei\ goats-and pigs killed and work was continued wet or fine. According to these virile, alert hunters it can rain, too, in th<? Tararuas.