Old news from Armidale and New England

Wednesday 18 February 1920, The Sydney Morning Herald

A “DECOY” METHOD.

Remarkable results are reported to have been achieved during the last eight months in the destruction of rabbits by means of a “decoy.” Mr. Leslie Davis, who has introduced the system, began his demonstrations in the New England district, and has met with such success that inquiries are being made from other parts of the State, from Victoria, and even from Western Australia. A compound particularly attractive to the rabbit is used and mixed with the baits laid for poisoning. Mr. Davis first treated the Aberfoyle property, owned by Mr. F. J. White. This estate is in New England, and Mr. White, writing to Mr. Davis in October last, described the rabbits upon it as “poison shy.” It had been poisoned for two years continuously; yet when the decoy was used on 13,213 acres the result was 25,583 dead rabbits.

The cost to Mr. White was 1/6 per acre, including labour, poison, and supervision. Other properties treated by contract last year were Herbert Park (Mrs. B. M Jenkins), Woodville (Mrs. Wigan), Gwydir Park (Mr. R. E. Chapman), and Standbye (estate of Vickers). Those estates have an aggregate area of 14,135 acres, and the dead rabbits collected numbered 43,488. All these counts were checked by the owners, who also destroyed the scalps obtained. Demonstrations were made by Mr, Davis at Inverell, Walcha, Glen Innes, and Gravesend. At each place ordinary strychnine baits were laid the night before the decoy was used, and only a few rabbits took the baits. With the decoy the results ran from 180 to 350 rabbits, allowing only 12 hours exposure of the baits.

Sir. R. E. Chapman’s Gwydir Park property has upon it some rough country, upon which the poison cart could not be used. The decoy baits here yielded 9830 rabbits after the baits were laid by hand. Amongst the stock inspectors who took an interest in the demonstrations were Mr. W. N. Rees, stock inspector at Inverell, and Mr. J. A. McIntyre, stock inspector at Glen Innes. Now the Government of Western Australia, through its Agricultural Department, has ordered a trial shipment of the decoy. In the Armidale district many of the large landowners are said to be enthusiastic as to the new method, and it is hoped it will presage the end of the rabbit.