Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-03
Wellington North Island) and Canter
bury (South Island).

bury (South Island).
One stag and two kinds were sent
out by the ship Triton to Wellington,
where one stag and one hind arrived
safely, after a passage of 1877 days, one
hind having died at sea. About the
same time tho three other deer were
shipped for Canterbury, but as only
one hind was landed there alive, it
was sent to Wellington and placed with
the TWO others. For some months they
were kept in Wellington stable, and
were regarded somewhat in the light of
white elephants" There was consid-
cradle grum bling by the public and the
members of the provincial government
at the expense of their keep, until G.
R. Carter, then M. H. R. for the Wairi-
rapa, offered to defray the cost of con-
veying them to the Wairirapa. They
were carted over the Rimutaka ranges
to Mr. Carter's station on the Taratahi
plains. where they were given in
charge Of James Robieson. After be-
ing kept in confinement for several
weeks they were liberated early in the
year 1853, and crossing the Ruama-
hanga river, South Wairarapa, took up
their abode on the Maungaraki ranges.
This country is Of rich limestone for
nation, and has been well sown with
English grasses.
Destructive to Crops.
In these favored regions and the ad-
jacent mountains the deer increased
with great rapidly, until now the
Wairarapa forest is probably the best
stocked red deer ground On the globe.
On one large run" or sheep station
in this district, that known as the
TIE Await. bordering on the east
coast Of the North island, the deer
may now De seen in punches of up
to 100 head At the beginning Of
this year it was estimated that there
were fully 10000 head on this station
alone. They consume much Of the
feed on the runs, and In fact are so
destructive to crops and fences that
they are becoming nuisance to es-
tate owners. Here surely is the deer
stalker's paradise. Many a lordly
branching head has been taken from
these hunting grounds. Ossian s
stag Of ten" would be accounted but
small game here. Royals" are CIV.
erywhere to be seen, and splendid
heads of seventeen eighteen, even
twenty-five pointers are not uncom.
mon
OF the other deer forests in New
Zealand the best is the rough Bush
country surrounding Lakes sVanaka
and Hawea, in Northern Otago. Here
red deer abound, and magnificent
heads are taken annually. Red deer
are also numerous in parts Of the
Nelson and Marlborough provinces
particularly in the vicinity of Lake
Rotoiti, where the thick bush affords
excellent covering, alternating with
open grassy glades.
Fallow Deer Plentiful.
Fallow deer, first introduced up
wards of thirty years ago, are SC
plentiful in and around the Manga
kawa ranges in the neighborhood OF
Cambridge, South Auckland, that they
are not unnaturally regarded by some
OF the farmers as pests. devourine
their grass and damaging theil
fences, and then showing a clear
pair Of heels. On the beautiful Is
land of Motutapu, in the Haurak
gulf, close to Auckland, there are
about 1000 fallow deer. Motutapu
is private property but visiting sports
men are generally accorded the priv
ilege of shooting over the island. In
the south island a range of hills called
/, the Blue mountains about 100 miles
from the city of Dunedin Is covered
with fallow deer, and camping out
expedition to the mountains is a favo
rite jaunt Of southern shooting men,