Wild Packs of Dingos and Dogs in New Zealand

[Dave Homewood]

Wow, did you know that back in the 1800s New Zealand had packs of wild dogs and allegedly dingos roaming around, attacking stock? Have a read of this small series of letters to the editor of the New Zealand Herald.

16 JULY 1935
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WILD DOGS

Sir, —In the Herald Supplement of June 29 there was an interesting article about wild cats. We also know that horses, cattle, pigs, and goats, descendants of domestic strains as well as cats, have gone wild. Yet after residing in New Zealand for thirty years, and meeting rabbiters, and all other types of men from the back country, I have never heard much about wild dogs. One man did tell me about a pack of wild dogs that used to hunt in the hill country between Gisborne and Wairoa, in the East Coast District. These dogs often worried the sheep, although if chasing sheep and a mob of wild pigs came across their track they would desert the sheep for the wild pigs.

Recently in the news columns of the Herald it has been reported that half-bred dingos, from a cross between dingos and cattle or Alsatian dogs, were causing a lot of trouble in parts of New South Wales. Also in your issue July 12 there is a news item about a "huge wild dog," a cross between a cattle and kangaroo dog, that was killed in Australia. With a country like New Zealand, that has so much scrub and fern and other cover, and with plenty of natural food in the shape of rabbits, it is a wonder that we have had no packs of wild dogs, especially when on occasions a rabbiter who had a pack might desert them and let them run wild. It would be interesting if any of your readers would supply any information about this matter.
Inquirer.


23 JULY 1935
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WILD DOGS

Sir, —In reply to your correspondent "Inquirer" there were plenty of wild dogs in the Kaipara in the year 1863 to about 1871, when the brothers Coates killed the last of them, 28 in all. Every Aucklander should know the purebred dingo they killed, which was stuffed and shown in the Auckland Museum for many years. I killed ten in one day, including nine pups, quarter-bred dingoes. Mr. Thomas Coates told me the purebred dingo got away from some party up North, who had imported it many years before we reached Kaipara. The pack were very destructive and were nearly the death of the Coates Brothers hunting them. The mother of the pups I killed worried everything we had alive till I did for her.   
George L. Thomson. Mangere.


31 JULY 1935
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WILD DOGS

Sir, —Dogs reputed to be of true wild strain were numerous prior to 1898 on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, the Kaimanawa range and in the sources of the Turahina and Mangaetui Rivers. The late Mr. David Ledward, of Ruanui and Ngaurakehu, told me that in former days when he was a cadet with the Studholmes, who stocked the adjacent plains with sheep, the dogs, hunting in packs, stampeded the Merino sheep into gullies, where hundreds were smothered. Though many were killed by Kangaroo dogs imported from Australia, he said there were not less than 80 left in the mountain and vicinity in 1896. They were too wary to take poisoned baits, but it was said they would dig up buried bait from the freshly turned earth.

I have seen them living and dead in the Te Kapua block, about 30 miles away from the mountain. They were uniformly of one shade of colour overall, a cream or dirty white, had flat heads, prick ears and a bushy tail inclined to curl over the back and they were about the size of an undersized collie dog. They hunted in packs and yelped instead of barking. It was said they were not fast and a kangaroo dog was said to be sure of his quarry if given 200 yards of clearing for his run before the smaller dog reached the bush.

Curiously the sheep killed bore slight trace of teeth, and one had to get off one's horse to turn the carcase over to see the blood traces on the throat, the only part showing attack. The Maoris had no idea of the origin of the dog and stated that they brought it when they came to this country from overseas. The dogs were practically extinct in 1900.
" Wiri."         J. H. Lyon.


26 AUGUST 1935
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WILD DOGS

Sir, —I was interested to read in your paper of wild dogs of the dingo breed being seen in the Matakohe district in the days of early settlement there. About the same time, or rather earlier, when the bush was practically continuous from Glorit to Warkworth, my grandfather poisoned a pack of wild dogs which he described as characteristic of the Australian dingo. This pack, which numbered 13, killed a large number of our sheep. On one occasion my grandfather laid strychnine baits near the carcases of the sheep; on the morning following he found the whole pack dead near by.

My father once heard yelping in a near by gully in the bush, and on investigating he found the pack had a large boar bailed in the watercourse. On his approach the dogs turned tail and fled, showing no signs of attacking him. As it is hardly likely that they were the same stock as the Matakohe wild dogs, it would almost point to New Zealand having a dingo breed of dog. I have heard an old Maori chief talk of wild dogs in the Maungakahia Valley many years ago.
Peter R. Gardner.

28 SEPTEMBER 1935
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WILD DOGS

Several times lately reference has been made in the Herald to wild dogs or dingoes, that were seen in the early days of North Auckland. At the present time there are very few old pioneers left who have seen one of these dogs or had any experience of their doings, and for that reason I would like to relate my own experience. My father and mother, with six children and an uncle of mine, came to New Zealand in 1860 under the 40-acre land grant system and took up their land at Te Arai, being the first settlers in the eastern part of the district and adjoining the Pakiri block, at that time Maori land owned by the great Chief Te Kiri.

Soon after we had got our whare built and settled down we were annoyed by a dog that used to come every night about midnight and bark and howl, usually three barks and then a long howl. As we had no knowledge of there being wild dogs, we thought it was a stray Maori dog that had got lost. It became such a nuisance and frightened the children that they could get no sleep.

My uncle had brought from England with him a double-barrelled gun, and bullet mould, so he got a piece of lead and made a bullet and loaded his gun the night before. At the usual time, midnight, a lovely bright moonlight night, the dog commenced his barking at the back of the whare. My uncle got out quietly and looked round the corner of the whare. He saw a white object about fifteen yards away and fired at it. With a yelp and spring in the air it made a bolt down the hill into a clump of kauri bush about three hundred yards.

Next morning my uncle and I tracked it by a few drops of blood into the bush and there we found it dead. It was a very pretty animal on short legs and a fox-like head with prominent eyes and sharp-pointed ears and a bushy tail, a yellow white in colour.

Sometime after that a settler at Te Arai Point was continually finding dead sheep with very little appearance of being worried by dogs; the only wounds were a few teeth marks in the neck like shot marks. The owner of the sheep at that time, not being aware of wild dogs in the country, thought it was a neighbour who was responsible for the death of the sheep.

Between the Pakiri bush and Te Arai Point are several miles of sandhills. Our home was about two miles from these sandhills and we often used to take a run down to the surf beach, having to cross about half a mile over these sandhills. We often saw dog tracks travelling over the soft sand from the bush toward Te Arai Point, and in another place would see tracks travelling in the opposite direction.

About a year later another settler had a bush clearing about a mile to the south of our farm at Te Arai and adjoining the Pakiri block. He bought about twenty-five sheep and a week or two later to his surprise found fourteen of them lying dead with very little sign of being worried by dogs. The owner of the sheep told my father he could have the sheepskins and wool if he cared to skin them. I remember going with my father to skin them and the only sign of worrying was a few teeth marks in the neck the same as those found at Te Arai Point.

It appears that the dog would get a grip of the throat and hold on till the sheep was dead and then let go and catch another one in the same way. As no part of the carcase was ever eaten by the dogs it was quite evident the worrying them was for pure sport.

After that we heard dogs barking one afternoon in the Pakiri bush. My father poisoned some meat offal with strychnine and sent my brother and I about two miles away to lay the poison in what we used to call the "big bush range," where we had heard the dogs barking a few days before. We laid it in two or three places about ton chains in the bush, at the side of the track.

A few weeks later when cattle hunting I found the skeleton of a dog not far from where we laid the poison, and another settler found another one. That is now about 72 years ago, and it was the last time any wild dogs were known in the district.
HENRY BROWN. 2 Green Lane.

[Dave Homewood]

From the WAIRARAPA AGE, 24 JUNE 1907

Mr R. C. Bruce, of Ngaruru, Hunterville, writing to a resident of Christchurch in regard to the supposition that the Maori dog of New Zealand is extinct, states that there is one of pure breed in the possession of a settler in his district.

"When I settled here nearly thirty years ago," Mr Bruce adds, "several packs of wild dogs inhabited the locality. Some of the packs had then been crossed with collies, and even with blood hounds, but some were evidently quite pure. One day I had a splendid opportunity of observing two of the purebred animals. I was on a cliff and they, quite, unaware of my presence, were immediately below me. I was then strongly of opinion that they both were of as perfect types as might be the foxes, dingoes or wolves. Both were of a rather light cream colour, with pricked ears, and their tails were carried quite curled up. Although much smaller, they reminded me of the Eskimo dogs, another feature of resemblance being their sharp noses."

[Dave Homewood]

And extract from the article The Albertlanders, in the AUCKLAND STAR, 3 APRIL 1926 (LINK)

Any available opportunity had to be taken of destroying the wild dogs, which did considerable damage among the first sheep and poultry. Mr. Geo. L. Thomson relates that one of the neighbours' daughters, visiting his home, noticed one of these—the mother of a family of pups —crossing the corner of the clearing, and she put her own dog, a little Irish terrier, on the scent. A battle royal ensued between the two dogs, during which Mr. Thomson rushed in and delivered a charge of shot into the wild one, which retreated down a creek to a large pool of water. Here she turned and attacked her pursuer, who dispatched her with a blow from the stock of his gun, which he broke in the act. He then searched round and killed nine large pups, which were just ready to form a pack and start to hunt for themselves.



And this is extracted from Part Two of The Albertlanders in the AUCKLAND STAR, 10 APRIL 1926 (LINK)

Planning to utilise the large run for pasture before much actual clearing was done, they stocked heavily with sheep. But enemies of the flock roamed that wide domain in the hordes of wild dogs, of which we have spoken. Of the "dingo" type, fierce and powerful, stronger than the ordinary dog, they usually ran in packs of twenty to thirty, and did tremendous damage among the sheep. Poison which was used to destroy them proved a failure, hence the method of hunting down was adopted, a pack of ordinary cattle dogs and two wolf-hounds got for the purpose being employed.

The wild dogs showed great cunning and staying power, putting up a hard fight when brought to bay. Often the hunters would have a run of twenty miles before killing. They would parry the attack of the hunting dogs when driven into a tight place, and again, when hard pushed, would take to water, proving themselves powerful swimmers. Sometimes they would have to be driven out of a corner by the huntsmen. Owing to the abundance of bush and cover the use of guns was not successful, the only way being for the men to gallop the dogs down, and dispatch them with a blow on the head from a stout whip handle or stick, while the hunters' dogs would assist in fighting the wild ones to death.

One very exciting dog hunt is remembered, when Mr. E. Coates ran to earth one of these destructive animals. It was a twenty-mile chase. Starting on the Unuwhao at the Wairoa Beach,  and following right down the river, making detours here and there up and down the ridges, the "dingo" finally cut down towards the Komiti Bluff, where he swam out into the tide and rounded the promontory. The hunting dogs plunged in and followed, but the wild animal, swimming about three miles, outstripped his pursuers, and finally landed at Morgan's Bay. Here he took to the open country and fern ridges. Mr. Coates had been watching from the neighbouring cliffs, ready to meet him when he landed, and he travelled a mile again after making the shore. When the huntsman reached the dog he galloped over him several times, then sprang the horse on to him, and after having caught him, held him till the other dogs came up. Then he threw him to the pack, but in so doing was badly bitten on the hand. Master and dogs finally dispatched this "dingo descendant." No doubt he justly died, but he put up a plucky fight for life.

[Dave Homewood]

LYTTELTON TIMES, 10 MAY 1913

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

(By J. DRUMMOND, F.L.S., F.Z.S.)

NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY IN NEW ZEALAND.

The Maori dog may be extinct, but, apparently, the wild dogs of New Zealand have not finally passed away yet. According to the evidence of Mr H. J. Hall, "some wild dogs, probably not even a "wee bit connection" of the ancient Maoris' pets, may still be seen in parts of the North Island. Some years after Mr Hall returned from the South African War, and before he entered upon his duties as secretary of the Oruonui Timber Company, he was employed as a Government rabbiter. His work took him over the vast Tokoroa and Kaingaroa Plains, and on the latter he found wild dogs, red in colour, with pointed ears, and, when full grown; as large as a small collie.

There were usually five or six in a pack. When a person approached them they retired to a safe distance, and gave a kind of howl. He never heard them bark, nor did he hear that they ever attacked anybody. On one occasion, however, when the late Mr R. Mayer, of Otiamuri, was driving along the edge of the plains with his wife, a mob of five or six wild dogs rushed out and jumped at the horses' heads.

On another occasion, when Mr Hall lived at Ongaroto, a young Maori went from a neighbouring pa to see him. Night was approaching when the young fellow started to return to the pa across the paddock. In a short time he returned, with a terrified look on his face, and stated that a pack of wild dogs were attacking a large calf. Mr Hall, taking his gun, went to the scene, and was just in time to drive the dogs off and save the calf.

A friend of his found a family of pups on the Tokoroa Plains. He destroyed them all except one, which he took home and reared, and which developed a loud bark.

When travelling over the plains with domestic dogs, Mr Hall has noticed that they can scent the wild dogs miles off. As soon as they receive the scent, they stand and watch, and their hair becomes bristly almost at once.

Another correspondent. Mr C. T. Corlett, who writes from the historical Ngatapa, where Te Kooti made his last stand, near Gisborne, claims that he, probably, killed the last real Maori dog. "Perhaps you would like to know when and where," he writes. ''I was running sheep on Matapihi, Tokaanu, at the time and it would be late in the autumn of 1894 when I killed the dog. For some time previously wild dogs had been giving me trouble, but they were domestic dogs that had got away and had taken to the bush. I had been camped in the saddle between Ruapehu and Ngaruahoe all the summer, close to the blue lake, and was up on the spurs of Ruapehu close to the snow-line when I first saw the true Maori  'kuri.' It was not more than one hundred yards off, so I got a good view of it. It was as much surprised at seeing me as I was at seeing it, and it stood looking for several seconds before moving away. The dogs I had with me, which were trained to hunt wild dogs, gave chase, but it gave them a good run before they caught it. When I reached the place of capture it was not dead, and I finished it with a sheath-knife.

It had a long body, fine in the bone, with short legs, hair a dirty-white colour about two inches long on the body, a long sweeping tail with fine hair five or six inches long, prick ears, pink muzzle, and pink round the eyes. It was not until some time afterwards, when describing the animal to Mr L. M. Grace, who is well versed in Maori matters, that I ascertained it was a true Maori dog. The tail I gave to Mr Strew, of Tokaanu, who probably has it still. I might mention that I caught the dog on the Ruapehu spurs below the snow-line and well above the Whakapapa bush, and although there were sheep about they were not disturbed: it appeared to be harmless as far as they were concerned. It was the only one seen or killed on the place during the time I had it, some seven years. I cannot account for its being there, unless it had come from some-rough spurs, further round above the Waimanno bush. I should say it was about four or five years old, with good teeth."

Mr Elsdon Best has sent me a note stating that in 1877 the Rev .W. Colenso made the following significant remark in regard to the Maori dog-skin garments:—"Many a dog-skin mat has he made within the past fifty years of the skins of dogs of the small mongrel breed, before European clothing became common among the Natives. Of these, I have often seen the manufacture."

[oj]

These early writers have no problem inflicting and depicting animal cruelty.
Some of them deserved a strychnine sandwich themselves!

[corsair5517]

One of the banes of my life when I was farming, were small packs of feral dogs during lambing season; at one stage I was sat all night on a hillside overlooking the lambing paddock with a .270 and a very powerful spotlight because the bloody dogs were killing lambs, and ewes… so they’re still out there.

[Dave Homewood]

Wow, where was that John?

[corsair5517]

Waipara Valley, Dave… had the same problem in South Otago.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks. It is not something I'd ever heard of till I found that article above.

[snaffle]

Jan 11, 2023 23:08:05 GMT 12 corsair5517 said:

One of the banes of my life when I was farming, were small packs of feral dogs during lambing season; at one stage I was sat all night on a hillside overlooking the lambing paddock with a .270 and a very powerful spotlight because the bloody dogs were killing lambs, and ewes… so they’re still out there.2

270 Winchester, a good choice in caliber.  Too bad it now costs $2 per shot even here in the gun crazy USA.  Coyotes are the problem around here and my neighbor who keeps livestock dispatches them with an AR-15.  I would prefer to not kill them but there gets to be a point where they are too destructive.  If I remember correctly, Graeme Frew's dog was killed by a wild pack.