RABBITS IN THE WAIRARAPA

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2734, 12 February 1910, Page 7

RABBITS IN THE WAIRARAPA

BAGGED BY HUNDREDS

The rabbit nuisance is again becoming serious in the Avairarapa. A party of four guns the other day bagged a hundred rabbits .in one day, and another party of eight reported a bag of 200 in a day. This indicates a pretty serious state of things, as once firing begins, the bulk of the animals are naturally off helter-skelter to their holes. The nuisance is stated to be general throughout the district, and the principal breeding grounds, according to one informant, are on the smaller holdings. Once the rabbits have been eot in hand and proper fencing erected. it is a fairly easy tiling to keep them down. On one large holding of over 20,000 acres, for instance, the whole property was gone over years ago. and every hole closed and bisulphide of carbon buried in it. Now one rabbiter is permanently employed on ilie property, and one might go over it for a day witli a gun and not bag a single rabbit. In consequence of an energetic campaign by the Government stock officers in past years, the Wairarapa lias been fairly free from the post until recently. Warmings, inspections, and prosecutions kept everybody up to the mark until the district was pretty well clear, and then as often happens, settlers began to sit back and take things easily while the remaining bunnies proceeded to multiply with their usual rapidity. It is contended that the time has now arrived for another vigorous campaign, and it is hoped that something will be done to keep things permanently in hand, and not in future allow the neglectful man to breed rabbits to infest his neighbor’s properties. Rabbits are also stated to be strongly in evidence around Paliautanui. In view of the above, it is interesting to note that in his last annual report 'Mr Clifton, Chief Inspector of Stock, said: — • “The Rabbit Nuisance Act provides legislation to enable a group of settlers to erect rabbit-proof fencing. .These provisions aro not 'genera l ly availed of, and arc apparently liardrv known. This is unfortunate, for such fencing is beyond all things an efficient ally in the individual control of the nuisance. The assistance is so great that it is submitted that any landowner, upon giving certain security, should lie enabled to purchase wire netting from the Government, at as low a rate as possible, on payments extending over a number of years. Such a system would, be of great help to the settler s in a great portion of New Zealand, and especially in the lately-settled land of South Auckland. Here single holdings are found surrounded with. acres of scrub and fern. Grass and crops on such farms are the baits and gatheringplaces for the rabbits. To the settler whose farm is injured and to the Government that is held responsible for dealing with the pest, this is a continual annoyance and expense. The rab-bit-proof fence would end this. “A synopsis of the state of the rabbit is:

“Improvement has been effected where efforts are being made- to control the pest. This condition applies to by far "the larger area of. rabbit-in-fested land.

“No improvement where trapping for export obtains. “The natural enemy, where unmolested, as in the back country, is a valuable assistance.

“Rabbits generally advancing. “Phosphorised pollard, fumigation of burrows, and erection of wire-netting fences, if reasonably availed of, control the pest.”