by CORANZ researchers
The title of the government paper is “Investigations into the Use of Natural Baits and Compound 1080 for Poisoning Deer.”
The date is March 1970.
The agency is Protection Forestry Branch of the NZ Forest Service’s Forest and Range Experiment Station in Rangiora, Canterbury.
The authors are M. L. J. Barnett, C.L Batchelor and R.E. Lambert.
The abstract says “Poisoning of natural baits with 1080 dissolved in an adhesive is effective for killing deer in an area of rainfall and dense
vegetation, where conventional methods of control have met with limited
success in recent years. Experiments showed that natural baits treated
with the adhesive were fairly readily accepted by deer.”
Foliage species were broadleaf, mahoe and coprosma.
The paper continues citing “limited success of many aerial poisoning operations and foot shooting problems in areas of heavy forest and scrub with “low density “ deer populations, the poisoning with 1080 of highly palatable food species was attempted operationally in Marlborough conservancy by Ranger J Gibson.”
“The Marlborough experiment was carried out over three to four years. with considerable success in killing deer and goats.”
Other trials were carried out on the West Coast and the Southern Ruahine Range at Pohangina and the Haurangi Ranges in southern Wairarapa. .
The paper reported “the results of these trials are very encouraging.”
It was noted that of carcasses found, a good number “were bleeding from the mouth.”
That’s 56 years ago the powers that be have been torturing deer trying to find ways of getting rid of them. It seems the most successful way is aerial bombardment with toxic pollard baits.
It keeps occurring to me that if farmers – or the general public – mistreat animals, they can be prosecuted under the law for cruelty. Isn’t it time that the pro-1080 lobby, including DOC and the government, were challenged to explain why they are not charged under the same laws for causing the prolonged, agonised deaths of countless thousands of animals?
I see the paper talks of “limited success” with aerial 1080, but it certainly recently devastated the whitetail deer population on Stewart Island. Frankly I think DoC doesn’t know whether it’s bum is pointing up or down.
The Minister of Conservation seems a lame duck.
At one stage-many years ago – from memory DOC tried painting brodifacoum on leaves at Stewart Island. Is there no end to their obsession to kill deer no matter how, no matter how cruel.
1080 and brodifacoum inflict agonising slow death. This is a criminal case of animal cruelty, surely?
Not that clever in this day & age , with a huge increase of our Human Population with more people & their Kids & Pets , out & about roaming the great Outdoors ? Something silly will happen ! not rocket science .