| Show fight to death on goats Is being waged on hawaii K ruminants become serious menace to vegetation honolulu A leaf has been taken from the practices of the late martin johnson by agriculturalists and united states government officials in the territory of hawaii they have pressed airplanes into service to wage a war to the death against wild goats goals until recent years the limber limbed creatures of the high peaks have not been any particular menace in the islands in fact to a certain extent they were considered an asset they offered a fascinating sport to huntsmen huntsmon hunts men who found in hawaii no other g game ame of quite that caliber unless they trailed the jungles for pigs or went to the island of molokai for the small species of deer found there the goats familiar on every island of the terri the group it had been for years a landmark to residents known locally as the dying island but the significance of that slow death of an island was not generally noticed passengers on inter island steamers and planes had the pinnacled rock pointed out to them bare and brown from its summit constantly drifted a red plume dust of the disintegrating rock blowing down the trade winds it was picturesque a landmark sufficiently unique to draw the attention of various writers who compared the dying isle to other sections of the territory where volcanic activity was still making land it was not until the island was leased by ranchers who unsuccessfully attempted to establish a ranch there that the real trouble came out wild goats legends tell of once having been heavily despite the lack of any water except r rainfall then goats were introduced and while they could not destroy the grass they could and did destroy almost completely all the shrubs and trees result water ran off as fast as it fell grass died soil blew away and the only thing that prevented from becoming an hawaiian dust bowl was that the island was underneath der neath solid lava rock almost every island of the american isles is being similarly afflicted though fortunately to minor extent so far it is to prevent further damage that the government federal scientists and even the army is operating cooperating co with ranchers and agriculturists to eradicate the menace chief battle ground the big island of hawaii is the chief battle ground in the present warfare against the increasing goats largest of all the islands of the hawaiian group it is also the most difficult to cover hunters afoot are helpless despite drive after drive ane goats are aie apparently undiminished four mountainous areas are to be found on this island two of these rise to almost foot elevations A third runs upward feet and the fourth reaches feet volcanic cones cover all four with ancient or modern lava flows criss crossing the terrain in between at the lower levels are semitropical semi tropical jungles so heavy as to m make ake in most places passage almost impossible strenuous efforts have been made during the past three years to kill oft off the goats in these areas it was estimated at the inauguration of the fight that some goats were to be found on the slopes of mauna kea the loftiest loft iest of the four peaks alone hawaii believes it has struck upon the solution of the goat problem long fences down which the animals are run to a slaughtering pen will soon be established on all mountainous areas where the pest breeds annual drives participated in by ranch employees and sportsmen who may desire to join the hunt are being planned the goat it is thought will soon be as rare as the pig n now ow is and the safety of ranges assured group were easy to reach but taxed every hunting skill to bring them down it is that wariness which has forced authorities to advance their battle lines into the air normally ranging in the higher elevations frequently beyond the barriers of almost impassable lava flows they have in recent years with greater frequency made forays into the lowlands where considerable areas above the sugar cane plantations are given over to grazing the first encroachment was harmless enough Pa niolas the island term for cowboys would see them in scattering groups here and there vegetation was lush there seemed no probable danger of any number of flighty goats stripping the fields on which valuable stock depended for their living the dying island first warning came from the island of bahoo lawe almost uninhabited and aloof from the rest of |
