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NE W ZEALAND
& WILDLIFE
P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E N E W Z E A L A N D D E E R S TA L K E R S A S S O C I AT I O N
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
New Boys on the Block New National Executive Members.......................................9 Europe for Roe Buck Jason Walsh...................................................................10 Fiordland Wapiti Foundation 2012/13 Report Roy Sloan.....................................18 NZDA National Competition Results.........................................................................22
CoVER PHoTo
Big Game Certicate Recipients 2013 .....................................................................22 Antler, Horn and Tusk Medals 2013.........................................................................26 Camerons First Deer and One Very Proud Dad Robert Howey.........................28 Yeah Nah Tahr Sean Johnson...........................................................................30 New AHT Trophy D Bruce Banwell Trophy for Red Deer.........................................32 Obituary D Bruce Banwell.....................................................................................33 Heli-hunting, Are They Allowed to Do That? Snow H ewetson...........................36 Preliminary Results Figgins-Forsyth Hunter Survey...............................................41 Trails Greig Caigou........................................................................................ 44 Perfect Christmas Gift ideas for the Hunter in your Family....................................... 46
Roar Some, Carl Finlay, Te Awamutu Branch. 1st Taupo Trophy for game prints and winner Athol Hood Memorial Trophy for cover photo H&W 2013
ISSUE 182 OCToBER DECEMBER 2013
PO Box 6514 Marion Square Wellington 6141 Phone: 04 801 7367 Fax: 04 801 7368 Email: ofce@deerstalkers.org.nz Website: www.deerstalkers.org.nz facebook.com/NZdeerhunting
DESIGN & PRINTING
REGULARS
Presidents Report Spring Tim McCarthy......................................................2 Editorial The Enemy Within Chaz Forsyth.....................................................3 Bugle QSM recipient. Tahr report 2012/13...........................................................4 Letters to the Editor........................................................................................... 5, 8 COLFO updates Michael Dowling.....................................................................8 Habitat The Dunny Run and Rakiura Hunter Camp Trust..................................... 12 Young Hunter Story Dad and Daughter Hunt Miya Breadmore.................... 14 Kilwell take me hunting kids photo page............................................................ 15 Survival Skills Backcountry Earthquakes Linda Flynn.................................. 21 Blast from the Past Lessons from the Deer at Lake Monk..................................34 Lock Stock and Barrel Cartridges of the Early 21st Century Chaz Forsyth... 37 Places to Hunt West Coast, Hokitika and Whitcombe Valleys..............................40 Book Reviews...................................................................................................... 42
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PRESIDENTS REPORT
realisation that without the political support which we have enjoyed, such opposition would lose its momentum. All branches and members have been asked to write to the Hon Dr Nick Smith and the Right Hon John key in opposition to this unacceptable practice over our national parks and public conservation estates, urging them to put in place legislation and ban helihunting before the next round of permits are issued. Some DOC staff has failed to follow a previously agreed policy to refrain from hunting tahr during the kid drop period. Their effort to lure our branches into compromising our National Associations code of ethics is noted with concern. Also the reluctance of DOC to enforce is own rules about wild animal recovery or WARO operators also continues to cause concern and marks a low point for the year.
I pay tribute to the Hon Peter Dunne, Member of Parliament and leader of the UnitedFuture Party for his stalwart opposition to the AATH political support like this is very encouraging as we strive to improve ethical attitudes towards our wild animals and their management. Comments from last years conference have not been ignored; with activities such as the membership recruitment poster recently delivered to all branches. Thanks to Gary Keen of the South Canterbury Branch for his work in putting this together. The president, Dean Mighell and past president, Bob Green of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) attended our national conference and were generous in donating $10,000.00 to work to advance the cause of competitive sport shooting on both sides of the Tasman so that our competitors can attend the likes of the Pacic Regional Shooting Championships in Australia in 2014 and 2016. I look forward to a very exciting year with a general election and as stated by the Hon Eric Roy, Member of Parliament on our opening evening - the passing of the legislation, which instead of tolerating recreational hunting as a way of keeping wild animal number under control - recognising them for the game resource they really are. It is with regret that I advise that our national life member D Bruce Banwell passed away recently. He will be missed by so many that he has made an impact on. See his obituary page 33.
EDITORIAL
An EnEMY WiTHin?
THE QUESTiON
A question arises, given that in the main, public portrayals of rearm possession reect at best, anti-social behaviour, or at worst, lawless violence with rearms, how can these actors, playwrights, producers, scriptwriters and directors, justify their ability to have these rearms when they are generally used to show rearms and rearm ownership in an undesirable light? Of course, theyll cite the legislation which permits such possession, but from the viewpoint of law abiding arms owners, these portrayals are negative, showing rearm possession in a light that is not conducive to the promotion of lawful rearm possession.
ink, celluloid and digital space has been expended arguing over the linkage between public displays of rearm misuse and actual rearm-armed violent offending. Quite apart from the distortions shown by the mass-media (the sideways-held handgun, the never-miss capabilities of rearm users), evidence of a double standard emerges, and we do not have to look too far to nd them. Here are a few examples: newspapers show photographs taken from what might best be described as doubtful positions, when rearms deployed by the police are shown along with a masked putative offender, held for the time being under the muzzle, taken from a photographic position arguably within the ring zone. Regular references are to be found in the overseas and foreign media to gun control linked with the supposition that rearm controls will automatically lead to reduced violent offending by criminals. And of course, the New Zealand radio station which broadcast that Only killers need guns in 1996. We can of course also think of Garry McCormick who leapt upon the bandwagon of anti-rearm posturing inspired by Mr Alpers in the early 1990s. Mr Alpers, a long-time TV talk-show host, adopted a position of arguing for those who dont have rearms, in an attempt to address a perceived imbalance, and his credentials as publicity spokesperson concealed interesting and at times shortages of formal research training when striving to intensify controls upon rearms.
DiSCUSSiON
THE LAW
Section 31 of the Arms Act (1983 and amendments of 1992 and 2012) permits the possession of rearms, including handguns, restricted weapons and MSSAs, provided a suitably authorised person (meaning licensed user of any these rearms) remains in the immediate vicinity (within arms reach) of the performer acting with it/them. This does highlight an anomaly, that of allowing even an MSSA to be used in a drama production of some kind; the anomaly being that legitimate user who wishes to re such a rearm on a range is not permitted to handle, let along re, such a rearm unless they are (a) the holders of the appropriate licence endorsement (E-category), and (b) have lawfully taken possession of the weapon. The latter refers to the need for obtaining a permit to procure and then becoming the registered owners of the rearm concerned. So performers in public entertainments such as television shows, stage musicals and the like, can have any rearm for the purpose of their production.
Whats been outlined leads to a discussion between freedom of speech and the rights and responsibilities of arms owners. Recently, many full-page advertisements were taken out by the tobacco industry, questioning a central government move towards a requirement for plain packaging of some tobacco products. References were made to the possibility of plain packaging for wine bottles, and to my mind, the plain packaging of ammunition was but a heartbeat away!
Some years ago, in my rst appearance before a Select Committee (debating the Arms Amendment Bill 1991, an aftermath of the Aramoana multiple homicides of 1990), I raised the argument of restricting portrayals of violence involving rearms, and former Prime Minister, The Right Hon David Lange asked me where will it all end with tobacco?, to which I could only reply that that By Chaz Forsyth matter (the ban on tobacco product advertising) had been addressed by a previous administration. I Can YoU HElp US plEaSE? was of course thinking of the We are trying to track down the past winners of the John Murphy fourth Labour Government, an Memorial Trophy for Administrative Excellence and would be administration for which he had most grateful if anyone can advise us if you know who may have been prime minister. Lange won this award for the years listed below. On a few occasions immediately sat down. the trophy has not been returned from previous years and when My point was that if it was good enough to try to reduce tobacco consumption by restricting advertising of tobacco products, then a parallel could be drawn by reducing portrayals of violent offending with rearms on mass media entertainments. Interestingly, such portrayals continue unabated, and much looking back through old H&Ws, some issues are missing etc. We have lled in a lot of the gaps but your help with tracking down these last few would be fantastic by emailing deerstalkers@paradise.net.nz or calling us on 04 801 7367. Year 1985 1986 1987 1988 Conference held at Levin Christchurch Taupo Gore Name of Recipient
HiSTORY
This qualied right has existed under New Zealand arms legislation since the 1958 Arms Act, and conceivably since that of 1920.
BUGle
and deciduoustrees. The wetlands are home to most of the native, endemic andintroduced waterfowl and wading birds. These areas provide secure nesting, feeding and resting cover for the birds but also outstanding habitat forendangered species like the NZ Dabchick, NZ Scaup, NZ Grey duck, the Australasian grey teal, and many others.Many common wetland birdsare also present, including: mallard duck, NZ Shovelerduck, NZ Paradise Shelduck, plus,Canada geese, black swan,pukeko, herons, black and pied shags and many more. The trees that surround each wetland also providesuperb habitat for endemic, native and introduced song birds, which are found in large numbers, especially: tui, bell bird, fantail, bush robin, morepork, welcome swallow,kingsher and grey warbler. Numerousexotic birds,including ringnecked pheasant, chafnch, goldnch, thrush, spur-winged plover, eastern rosella, yellowhead, silvereye, yellowhammer andmanyotherbirds are also found throughout Buds extensive created habitat. A signicant aspect of Pokai Parera Farms is that it is a virtual wildlife oasis in the middle of a moonscape monoculture sea of agricultural grass where all of the magnicent lowland native forest has been cleared or destroyed, wetlands drained and wildlife habitat lost. The signicance of this cannot be over-stated. The property is protected in perpetuity by a Queen Elizabeth ll Open Space Covenant.
The selection of Bud Jones for an honour reflects the contribution he has made to New Zealand and its people for: 1. Outstanding achievements in arboretum and wetland creation, environmental protection and wildlife conservation 2. Service to professional music and performance. 3. Service to secondary and tertiary music education. Budhas made outstanding environmental achievements in the creation, restoration and development of wildlife habitat. He and his wife, Dr Elizabeth Jones, own Pokai Parera Farms in the northern Wairarapawhere Bud has created wetland wildlife habitat including 5 large lakes and 21 smaller ponds spread widely over 85 hectares. All the wetland areas have adjacent complementary tree planting where he has personally planted over 30,000 native and exotic trees specically for birdlife, beautication and enrichment of the countryside. The autumn colours are consequently outstanding, with planting carefully designed to provide a spectacular visual image, using a mix of evergreen
R Badland QSM, M St J, J Bamford, D Bruce Banwell, W J I Cowan, M Dunajtschik, A S D Evans MNZM, D Hodder, R McNaughton MNZM, W OLeary, G Smith, I D Wright
NZDA RECogniSEd SponSoRS 2012/13:
Halcyon Publishing, Kilwell, Hunting & Fishing NZ, NZ Guns & Hunting, Stoney Creek (NZ) Ltd, Swazi Apparel
AffiliaTEd To:
Council of Licensed Firearm Owners (COLFO), NZ Mountain Safety Council (NZMSC), Outdoors New Zealand (ONZ), Sporting Shooters of Australia Association Inc (SSAA), Shooting Sports Pacic Forum (through COLFO), International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)
BRanCHES:
Ashburton, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Blue Mountains, Bush, Central King Country, Direct, Eastern Bay of Plenty, Golden Bay, Gore & Districts, Hastings, Hutt Valley, Kapiti, Kaweka, Malvern, Manawatu, Marlborough, Napier, Nelson, North Auckland, North Canterbury, North Otago, North Taranaki, Northland, Otago, Palmerston, Porirua, Rakaia, Rotorua, Ruahine, South Auckland, South Canterbury, South Otago, South Waikato, Southern Lakes, Southland, Taihape, Taranaki, Taupo, Te Awamutu, Thames Valley, Tutira, Upper Clutha, Waikato, Waimarino, Wairarapa, Wairoa & Districts, Wellington, West Coast, Western Southland, Whangarei All rights reserved
opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the
(The above gures cover from January 2012 to Feb 2013). A full report is available on request from the NZDA National Office.
New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS SERIAL NUMBER 977 1171 656 006
A particular virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his conscience.
Aldo Leopald
1080 PoiSon
Viewers of TV1 at 6:00pm Tuesday July 16th should be rightly annoyed at the glib reporting exercise of a complex sub ject whereby the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment called for the use of more aerially broadcast 1080 poison. None of the facts were emphasized: 1. 2. 3. 4. 1080 is a broad spectrum poison that kills everything that metabolizes oxygen from insects right through to large animals. 1080 was developed as an insecticide in the 1920s and is banned in almost all countries. There is a severe risk of secondary poisoning of scavengers and sub lethal uptake right through the food chain. There is every risk of non-target unintended consequences of indiscriminate aerial broadcast of poison in vast areas of wilderness under no control or scientic monitoring. There is no scientic evidence that there is a so called pest out there in numbers that would warrant such an extreme and dangerous exercise. The poisoning regime favours fast breeding animals like rats and stoats and disadvantages slow breeding native birds. 1080 has been used for 60 years and has not worked against fast breeders but has decimated native birds like kea. The forest evolved with the presence of browsing [moa and others] from snow grass down to lowland and swamp. Unlike the myth propagated of forests evolving in the absence of browsers. 9. The government owns the 1080 factory; jobs of DOC, AHB and the factory are all tied up in a $120 million dollar poison industry spinning go around.
10. The PCE Jan Wright has no qualications whatsoever in biology or zoology, she is nothing but a state mouth piece for the poison industry. Year 10 biology would reveal to students that you cannot aerially spread a broad spectrum poison indiscriminately across vast areas of wilderness without disrupting the entire ecosystem and food chain. It is time the PCE and the Minister of Conservation, DOC and the AHB enrolled in a basic high school biology course before they nd themselves in a world environment court charged with massive destruction of our native species. If this madness persists our grandchildren will be gob smacked at our stupidity just like we are gob smacked at bad ideas like slavery, genocide, female genital mutilation and cannibalism. Bud Jones QSM
5.
6. 7. 8.
In July, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment publicly called for more 1080. She has it wrong on a number of counts. Firstly she described it as humane. It is not. It takes about two days to slowly kill. Research has documented that a deer takes two days to die a very prolonged, painful death from 1080. The creatures die the slow, agonising death. The death throes of a 1080 poisoned dog is well known. 1080 was never supposed to be used like topdressing. Hunters are concerned about the fate of deer but also equally, the birds and the total environment. Hands up those who want silent forests? Dont the NZDA photo competitions with insect and bird photography featuring show a wider concern of hunters beyond game animals? Dean Maiseys excellent letter last issue showed deer repellent to be a farce and a sop to appease deerstalkers. Most hunters are concerned not for just deer but the bigger picture of the forest ecosystem and birds too.
The fact is the poison is banned in almost every other country. It is a broad spectrum non-selective poison, killing everything that requires oxygen for its metabolic processes. In short it is an ecosystem poison. Perhaps, the Commissioner doesnt understand food chains? After all her science is in physics not biology. But those who frequent the mountains off-track, such as hunters, do understand. The toxin, developed about the 1920s as an insecticide is non-selective, killing everything including animals and birds. It poisons everything. Scientists like the late Mike Meads, Peter Notman and others warned 1080 disrupts whole forest ecosystems. Apart from poisoning, birds suffer afterwards from 1080 causing predator numbers to rise rapidly. After a poison drop the fast-breeding rats and stoats with litters totalling 30 kittens per annum explode in numbers. Possums, (one kitten a year), do not. The stimulated plague of rats and stoats seeking food then prey-switch to birds. Every environmental-conscious hunter
should read conservationist Bill Benelds The Third Wave. It chronicles all the effects and side effects of 1080. The whole 1080 saga has been corrupt. Scientists who have voiced concerns have had ndings ignored, even lost jobs or had funding cut, the rest are forced to comply with pro-1080 policy. The 1080 programme is backed by government for vested interest reasons. The Commissioner, DOC and Animal Health Board are employed by government. Empires and jobs are at stake. Government owns the 1080 company Animal Products. When will a newspaper do a factual, revealing investigative journalism story? Poisons, not pests are killing forests and bird ecosystems - a major environment tragedy. What are you dear reader doing about it? Send an email to the prime minister and all political parties? Or are you going to be mute? Laurie Collins, Spokesman, Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust
HUNTS
B i l l O Le a r y, N a t i o n a l C o o rd i n a t o r, NZDA H UN TS Dont give up hunting til you are in the hut. One old Nelson hunter used to quote an even older culler who encouraged culler trainees with the above words. A Selwyn River sherman I knew in my youth would look at his watch at 2.00am and reply to my query with, just ten more casts. Both gentlemen had reputations for success. I had occasion to reect on this as our Nelson NZDA HUNTS course got into the last hours of the hunting weekend and two trainees had not stalked an animal. One had some difculty in identifying animals on the hillside under damp and murky conditions and the other had some problems with the challenge of the terrain. Having said that, both had participated fully in all those other aspects of the course including the recovery and processing of animals shot by other trainees. At half past the eleventh hour, for one trainee the opportunity was there and the shot taken. The success was witnessed and celebrated by the whole group and importantly, the sole remaining unsuccessful trainee shared in the congratulations that followed. In debrieng the exercise the point had to be made that success is not always measured in personal kills. The hunting weekend was the culmination of the course and the learning that came out of the whole group experience (including the individual hunting successes) reinforced key messages the HUNTS programme has pushed. Hunting is not just about the kill. The animals need to be respected and you need to work for your animal. The assistance and support of your mates is important and in a group situation the success of one person should benet all, both in practical ways (the meat was shared) and in the less tangible ways of shared experience and mate ship. Hopefully those HUNTS trainees will see continued membership of NZDA as providing continued opportunities to enjoy the hunting experience with like-minded people. Warranting At the moment the printing of the warrant cards is the only thing holding up the process. As explained at conference the longer term plan is for the warrant card to include all NZDA appointments including HUNTS, Range Ofcer, Douglas Scorer, etc. Unless something unforeseen happens HUNTS instructors will have their warrant cards by the time this edition of NZ Hunting & Wildlife goes to print. Practical Firearm Usage A number of branches have experimented with public delivering instruction on practical rearm usage with an emphasis on zeroing, positional shooting and in some cases reloading. North Canterbury has progressed this with a new course taking an extended period of time and covering ballistics, choice of rearm, maintenance and safe handling in a hunting context all in addition to practical work on the range. A number of range convenors have expressed their frustration at seeing new shooters turning up on ranges with rearms and ammunition
6 NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013
inappropriate to the expectations of the owner. Most regular users of branch ranges would have seen new shooters turning up with ries that are neither dry, cleaned, nor zeroed and in some cases, with no idea that this is necessary, let alone how to do it. Branches that take the initiative and deliver courses such as North Canterbury are to be commended. I expect that out of the North Canterbury programme we can pick up some ideas for improvement and I am certain that these can be shared to the Bill OLeary benet of all. National Coordinator, Sometimes I reached the hut without success but there was always the next day - or another ten casts.
NZDA HUNTS
CHARTERS BLUFF
ColFo
Dear Members
The council has held it AGM this year and we have not met since then. The Strategy Committee has been tasked with coming up with key issues for the Council to consider for the next ve to ten years and review agreements for how they should be engaged with the Council. We continued with the informal meetings with the police representatives, and have spoken twice more with the Manager Police Vetting and Firearms Licensing. We also attended the inaugural NZ Police Firearms Community Advisory Forum on the 18th June in Wellington. The forum was formed as a result of the Select Committee
Process with the Arms Amendment Bill 2012. Police were encouraged to set up a forum to ensure the rearms community are engaged early in any proposed changes. We have kept in touch with Police to ensure we understood how this would be achieved. When the forum met there were seven rearms groups representative attended along with seven police representatives and a minute taker. The minutes of this meeting have been released and are available on request. The intent of the group is to discuss policy and is an opportunity for rearm user groups to be involved and discuss potential unintended consequences, however it is not a decision making group. While it was agreed there would be visibility of the proceeding available to all
interested parties, we cannot speak on the detail of the meeting prior to the release of the minutes. We are in the process of nalising the 2012 accounts which will have our accounts up to date, then we will move the Council to the Xero accounting software so we can have visibility to all member associations on the internet. Given it was busy start to the year we are working on general business at the moment and expect to update you in two and four months on our other activities. If you have any thoughts or feedback please email me at chair@colfo.org.nz
Artical
St e p h e n S h a w
To n y A l l e n
Allow me to introduce myself; Im Tony Allen from the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. On a personal level Ive being married for 20 years to Joanne; we have two lovely boys Zac and Reuben. Side note dont spend your 20th wedding anniversary hunting Wapiti the cost of putting it right is too high. Ive been involved with the Wellington Branch of the NZDA for approximately the last nine years joining the committee some seven years ago. During this time Ive held a number of roles within the committee, including four odd years as the newsletter editor/postie, two years as vice president and two as president. My interest for allowing for my name to be nominated for North Island Member of the National Executive and, if successful, joining the National Executive has been driven by recent involvement with a couple of branch members and projects they are working on. Wellington Branch member, Barry Insull and his eleven year battle with the Department of Conservation over its treatment of hunters and its management of regional hunting areas (RHAs). The continued driven approach taken by Barry resulted in Felicity Lawrence, Deputy DirectorGeneral Science & Capability Department of Conservation attending conference and discussing the need for increased relationships between DOC and NZDA. While Felicity acknowledged DOC should shoulder most of the responsibility for the lack of trust and relationship break down, this has proven to me that charge can be created. It however also requires a change of mind set from within NZDA.
While working on a small aspect for the Cattle Ridge Hut, a rebuild project run by Tony Macklin of Wellington Branch (for which Wellington Branch is a major sponsor). a number of organisations associated with the great outdoors expressed the need or desire to start working together with the NZDA. This degree of openness must be viewed as positive. While there may be aspects of some relationships where we will have to agree to disagree, that is life. In the case of Department of Conservation this may even develop into working together on projects, as long as hunting benets remain the objective. Remember basic sand pit politics apply, and the big kid doesnt always get it his own way. This has never become more important as my own childrens interest continue to grow in the sports of hunting and shooting. This has highlighted to me what does the future hold for our children as I would like to see access available to future generations. It is the work we undertake now will go some way towards ensuring this happens. I believe being based in Wellington creates the opportunity to develop and work towards increasing these relationships as required for the betterment of the NZDA.
Editors note: Whilst Tony was not successful in the bid for the North Island Member of the National Executive, he was nominated, accepted and voted in as the National Treasurer.
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013 9
StorY
40 winks and I head out to the next village for some sightseeing, a sandwich and a cold beer. Dinner is served at 5.30pm in the dining room and we have opted for 1/2 board breakfast and dinner. Dinner is a set menu of soup, main and dessert and Eva joins us over a glass of wine to run through the plans for the nights hunt. We jump into the Land Rover at 6.30pm sharp. The trip in the Land Rover is about as eventful as any Land Rover trip can be as we make our way through villages and farms on the valley oor. Just as we turn off the road a couple of bright orange deer stand and look at us, probably last years kids. A buck and doe that mum has now sent packing. As we head further up the forestry track Eva describes the area and its history to us. About half way up we stop to glass for chamois on a cut over piece of forest as the ding, ding of cow bells oats across from the distant mountain meadows resting in the subtle light of the early evening. 7.15pm sees Dad settled into his seat, just into the forest edge at the base of a huge avalanche smashed gully with lots of dead wood and regenerating pine and oak. Dad gets himself comfy after his 150 metre walk and settles in with a rest with the .243 Styer. We all glass the opposite side of the gully. At 7.30pm high on the ridge top Eva spots movement, then a magnicent buck walks out onto the ridge top. Initially Eva instructs Dad to wait as it is too far, but after a few minutes and a recheck of the distance in the range nder, 320 metres, Eva gives Dad the OK to take the shot. By the time Eva and I reach the spot where the buck was standing it is clear that Dad has missed. But under
Glassing for chamois on rock outcrops jut ting out from the forest
Rae and his guide walking to a seat just over the ridge top ahead
10
Austrian law she must check and follow any animals shot at. Dessert was served with a cold beer, our rst day was at an end, it was now midnight of the summer solstice; we had seen nearly 20 deer and Dad had been put onto a great buck. 4.30am, a quick coffee then off again. This time Dad is put into a seat on the edge of a large at at the head of a swampy nature reserve. This is one of the many areas where game congregate in winter. The hunt owner feeds out to insure that animals dont starve during the long dark months. Austria requires that hunt owners manage the wildlife, but are also very clear baiting of animals with food is illegal. We watch as hare and deer make their way across this spot. Just as it starts to lighten a young buck ghosts away to our right, but its still too dark to clearly shoot. We then watch several does move quickly in front of us at less than 20 metres. Breakfast is served in the dining room - typical European fare of cold meats, cheese, muesli and yoghurt, boiled eggs, jams and fresh bread or pastries. Dad heads off to rest and I head off to the nearest town for some shopping. It is not usual to hunt during the day but Eva offers to take us for a drive straight behind the guest house. As we climb higher deer
materialise from behind pine and oak trees. How we dont see them rst, I dont know as there is 50 to 100 metres clear view between them. The great surprise was to see a young buck run in one way with six forest chamois heading in the opposite direction at around 60 metres. These chamois only have a few spots to get out in the open and in winter feed right down to the guest house in the valley oor.
Jasons buck
We werent to know, but Saturdays nights hunt was to be Dads last. After a massive thunder storm the prospects were A young doe (at 15 metres) who appears looking very, very good to have just had her young for Dad to get his buck. It was disappointing that we were forced to pack our bags and head we had our post hunt beer having only seen back to Zurich. does. The next morning I wake to nd Dad in a bad state. His illness had caught up with him and Rae Walsh is a life member of Wellington Branch and a former member of the National Executive.
11
HABITAT
Eve r y d a y, t h e r e is a d i f f e r e n t s t o r y o n l i n e a bo u t a sp e c t s o f DOC wo r k a ro u n d t he count ry.
tumbled-down bivvies and lots of rats. Round the edges of the site would be the stumps of manuka, cut down for poles for bivvie construction. What they did solved a whole swag of issues, if not overnight then over time. Initially, the
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Campsite with abandoned plastic and poles cut from the bush
men adopted Cavalier and Martins Creek huts as a personal project, putting in private money and enlisting the help of other members of the Southland Branch of the NZDA. A single hut design In the late 1990s, a scheme was hatched, based on a suggestion from DOCs then Area Manager for Southern Islands, Greg Lind, to build basic huts for hunters on some of the major hunting blocks on Stewart Island. A single design was developed for huts with six bunks, a potbelly stove and a tank collecting roof water, and so the Rakiura Hunter Camp Trust was formed to manage funds and carry out the work. Selling the message By providing good huts and establishing rules associated with their use, both the rubbish problem and the issue of trees being cut have been largely solved. John DeLury says that, if nothing else, they have educated hunters and changed the way DOC is viewed by them. He says its been a matter of selling the message regularly and consistently. John and Ray say hunters have become much more responsible, taking away rubbish and bringing rewood in with them. But more than this, hunters replenish rat poison dispensers and deal to feral cats caught in traps at each hut, so that hunters permit returns show not only deer shot and seen, but also feral cats and possums. Trust funding The trust initially had $87,000 from various sources including hunting clubs, the Southland Community Trust, DOC, Lotteries and from individuals. In the rst two years, the trust was able to build eight huts using voluntary labour. Many hunters from other NZDA Branches and other individuals gave their time and effort. Ian Munro, ferry operator at the time, also donated in kind, carrying people and goods. A levy for the use of a hut is included when hunters book a hunting block. At $20 per stay, which may be up to 10 days, its very cheap. According to Ray, this is just enough to keep the project running, at least for the time being. Everything comes at a cost. Rat poison alone runs to $1000 a year and ination and increased building compliance costs mean that funds have to be carefully managed. Ongoing maintenance includes toilets being shifted and a fresh coat of stain for huts every four to ve years. All the re places have had to be replaced at least once since the huts were built. Into the future Theres a new generation of hunters coming
Chain gang gets the gear up the beach at Lit tle Glory
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YOUNG HUNTER
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Owain Jacques, Malvern Branch 12-years-old, with a chamois buck taken with Dad at 1100 metres on Public Conservation Land, Otago (that's 1100 metres altitude, not how far we shot it from!!!).
Aidan Hodgson Te Awamutu Branch just turned 5, out for his first hunt.
Josh Fisher with his first goat taken on a Thames Valley Branch club trip.
Kelvin Hewetson, Marlborough Branch with his tahr and Mt Cook in the background.
WINNER
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DOC UpdaTE
By Ian Cooksley, National Hunting Advisor/Community Relations
Contact details: Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai Telephone: 06 350 9705 E mail: icooksley@doc.govt.nz Manawatu Rangitikei Area Private Bag 11010 Palmerston North 4442 717 Tremaine Avenue, Palmerston North 4414
Annual Conference:
Once again I appreciated the opportunity to attend the Associations annual conference held this year in Blenheim. For me it is a chance to catch up with members and to hear rst hand issues of concern re the management of hunting in New Zealand. Presentations on the Saturday by Tony Orman and Alex Gale left no one in doubt that from a hunters perspective there are still issues to be addressed and perhaps new initiatives required to achieve change. It was interesting to hear from members of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (membership 150,000 plus) that some of the issues they face are very much the same as New Zealand. Ive said it before that an important element in achieving understanding and possible change on issues is maintaining dialogue and I would encourage Sir this. Howard Morrison Super 4
Prior to the conference I spent a couple of days with executive member Bill OLeary, one day looking at rie ranges and the other talking to an overseas visitor involved with the Deer Management Qualication system in the UK. The rie range inspection was hopefully a precursor to the provision of more sighting in ranges where there is a deciency at present. Despite the hunting scene being quite different in the UK, with the majority being paid hunting on private land, there were several matters discussed that I found particularly interesting. Hunter training: Whilst the training is voluntary the reality is that most land owners will only allow holders of hunting qualications access to their land. Generally a landowner decides on the number of deer to be removed on their property and a hunter pays for the privilege of contributing to the annual cull. Qualication assessment includes the ability to shoot straight, identify various deer species and a strong emphasis on food hygiene. Tradition: I got the impression that tradition still plays an important role within hunting circles both in the terminology used and hunting ethics employed. Infra red binoculars: Whilst there have been no accidents there have been cases of infra red binoculars being mistaken for deer eyes, something to be aware of. The Deer Initiative Website: This website although reecting the UK situation is full of interesting information on deer management, biology and hunting rules etc. (www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk) Terms such as gralloching (gutting a deer);lardering (dressing out the carcass) and deer being hefted animals (recognise their own territory) add an interesting dimension to the various topics covered.
Friday 25th Sunday 27th October HOSTED BY THE TAIHAPE ROD & RIFLE SUPER 4 COMMITTEE th th
Friday 25 Sunday 27 October
THINK YOUR CLUB ORBY GROUP BAG THE BIGGEST STAG, BOAR, SNAPPER AND TROUT?? HOSTED THE CAN TAIHAPE ROD & RIFLE SUPER 4 COMMITTEE
THINK YOUR CLUB OR GROUP CAN BAG THE BIGGEST STAG, BOAR, SNAPPER AND TROUT??
or by phoning 021 834 998 jenn@ryanthomas.co.nz Grab your entry form now by emailing:
jenn@ryanthomas.co.nz or by phoning 021 834 998
October 2013
Hunting clubs and groups allover over New Zealand Hunting clubs and groups from from all New Zealand
are encouraged to are encouraged toenter. enter.
DOC restructuring.
As of the 2nd of September the Departments restructuring came into effect. There has been quite a shufe of staff around the country so when you next contact the Department you may end up talking to someone new to the area or a particular job. If your local area has been affected please call in and make your self known.
Bragging rights for 1 year plus the right to hosts next years competition Overall winners
Bragging rights for 1 year plus the right to hosts next years competition
Overall winnersby Taihape Rod & Rifle 1st place cash prize $5000.00 Sponsored
nd rd
place 3 place cash prize $1000.00 Sponsored Sponsored byby Taihape Rod & Rifle 2nd cash prize $2000.00 the Morrison Family
place 2 place cash prize $2000.00 Sponsored by by theTaihape Morrison Rod Family 1st cash prize $5000.00 Sponsored & Rifle 4 rd
th
4th place cash prize $500.00 Sponsored Heaviest stag by Hooked on Boars Magazine 1
st
rd
hea r p you cou ld jus t about Un til the recent col d sna all you to so ts se river fla the gra ss growin g on tho g. have sa fe sprin g hun tin All the bes t, Ian .
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013
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Report
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Going forward the Foundation needs to look into more micro management of the Wapiti area. Some catchments are looking good but we need to control population spikes and will continue to adjust our methods as we learn. Recreational Hunting The ballot continues to be as popular as ever with 296 parties placing a ballot application. Out of the 296 we had 129 successful parties winning a ballot or 431 individual hunters. The average size of a party applying for ballot is 3.3 people per ballot. This year we had a huge number of party changers with 35 people mainly due to farmers battling the droughts. Permit return. We were very disappointed with the 2013 permit returns with 40 permits not returned. The Foundation doesnt ask a lot from hunters and are investigating ways to limit parties from entering future ballots for not returning their permit data. The data from the permits is vital information for the Foundation as it plays a huge part in how we manage the Wapiti in the future. Animal returns For a full report please refer to the spread sheet.
BULLS 16 SHOT ANIMALS COWS 0 STAGS 34 HINDS 7
Promotions It is very important for the Foundation and recreational hunting to nd new ways to promote our sport. We need to keep re-inventing the wheel. Recreational hunting is riding on a wave at the moment and we need to maximize the opportunity that arise form this. The Foundation has entered into a partnership with Stoney Creek clothing company. The clothing started with us designing an expedition coat specically designed for Fiordland then the rest of the line followed. We have two main coats, The Glaisnock and The Stillwater, a couple of pullovers called The Rock and waterproof over trousers called Dream Bull. A lot of work has gone on to get the partnership to the shop stage. Unbeknown to us our initial arrangement was with a clothing company in nancial difculty but thankfully it was sold to a new owner who believed in the partnership and is making every effort to ensure it is successful. He also has a good understanding of what we are trying to achieve as he is a recreational hunter. A big part of the Foundations time goes into education with the continuous push to try and save the young bulls from being harvested before their time. You will see the Foundation at the Sika and Tahr Shows plus publications in NZ Hunter and now because of the growing number of Australian hunters there will be articles in the Wilddeer magazine. Wapiti clothing
COWS 533
STAGS 234
HINDS 377
Shot animals. Going by the returns the amount of males shot in the Wapiti area is reducing which is refreshing for all hunters with 16 bulls and 34 stags. Like all reporting in the eld, it is in the eye of the beholder but what we nd is most of the stags are in fact young Wapiti. Sightings of animals. Again reporting is not perfect. We dont know how many animals are seen more than once or in fact if they are Red deer or Wapiti. The recovery team nds it difcult enough telling the differences between Wapiti and non Wapiti so the recreation hunters will have the same problem. With permit returns, its about comparing each year and taking into account the same margin of error. Its the best data we get and over the rut we have a lot of eyes in the hills. From the permit returns hunters did 745 days hunting, an average of 8.5 days per party and saw an average of 1.9 deer per day, or an average of 19 deer per block. If we put this into perspective hunters spend more than two man years on the ground during the rut, then we start to realize why we want the permits back and as much data as possible on them. The problem for the Foundation is the pre and post rut hunting. We do not have a clue what happens in the area at those times of the year and we need to. Conservation Fiordland Stoat Control Programme Again the stoat programme was hindered by the weather so bad that over the Christmas period we lost a few traps in the Worsely, Castle and Glaisnock due to heavy ooding. It was an unusual season for stoat numbers (caught) they were very low. This is across the board as DOC staff has also reported low numbers and juvenile numbers are down which indicates a poor breeding season. This unfortunately is the same for whio river surveys indicating good numbers of pairs but very few ducklings. Section 1 Worsley 1-8-2012 to 30-7-2013 5 trips, 21 stoats, 15 rats 9th January: whio river survey DOC staff and dogs 16th January: all traps replaced with DOC 150s in upper Worsley and most of the lower Worsley 16th February: track maintenance done on upper Worsley DOC staff and FWF volunteers work to be completed in this section, some traps to be replaced in lower section and track maintenance to be completed Section 2 Castle 5 trips, 12 stoats, 6 rats Whio river survey 16th February: track maintenance completed 23rd February: all traps replaced, work to been done to tidy up track and trap markers some numbers out of line. Section 3 Nitz 5 trips, 10 stoats, 1 rat 2 trips where no stoats were caught looking good for this valley 9th January: Whio river survey 2 trap boxes replaced, no other maintenance needed
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Section 4 lower Glaisnock 5 trips, 50 stoats, 7 rats, 2 mice 9th December: Whio river survey A couple of sections could do with a bit of track maintenance, 2 trap boxes missing, there was a big hit of stoats caught in November but after that things were very quiet. Section 5 Upper Glaisnock This section has had the track and trap sites GPSed and is ready for trap placement which will happen as soon as possible, all trap boxes and traps are ready. Whio River Survey The river surveys (Whio that were seen) Worsley/Castle/Saints 10 pairs and 8 single adults. Glaisnock 7 pairs and 3 single adults, Nitz 6 adults but 3 pairs have been seen in this valley. Proposed areas of future trapping The Doon is basically all ready to go, the traps have been dropped off in bundles and are ready to be laid out, there is still some track work to do but everything should be completed late August early September or as the weather allows. This is a project that could be worked between FWF, DOC, and 2 other sponsors. This work was started by another company and the Foundation has the option to adopt it but it needs to be discussed and signed off by the Foundation's committee. There are two other areas being investigated at present; one is the Saints Creek which runs into the Worsley the other is the Lugar Burn, which is a great habitat area for whio river surveys, indicated good numbers of whio so thats worth looking into. The Whio One project will be happening this season if the eggs are available and if all goes to plan 20 whio eggs will be removed and reared in Te Anau with the ducklings being released back into either the Worsley or Castle with the possibility of some being released into the Glaisnock. All sponsorship has been secured for this project ($20,000). Genisis sponsorship has allowed us to update our traps and carry out other maintenance work. We have spent approx $70,000, of which $30,000 was spent on stainless steel DOC150s and boxes which will last forever. $30,000 on ying time getting volunteers into areas, transporting and dropping of off traps, river survey work etc, and $10,000 on track maintenance; so as you can see it doesnt take long to spend, and the cost of keeping these programmes running. I have gone ahead and ordered new water proof note books for volunteers to record stoats caught and trap number also to record other information like wekas spotted or whio, etc. This information will be given to DOC staff and entered into the data system after each trip where it can be viewed on the website by anyone. One thing that needs to be updated is our health and safety plan which all volunteers need to sign. New hi viz back packs have been bought and we also need a new freezer for bait. I would just like to nish by saying thank you to all our volunteers, sponsors, DOC staff, and FWF members for all there help over the past season. Without this, none of these projects would be achievable. T hanks from the Fiordland Wapiti Commit tee. Roy Sloan
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Tip OFFS
SURViVal SKillS
B y L i n d a F l y n n , Th a m e s Va l l e y Bra n c h
BaCKCoUnTRY EaRTHqUaKES
Steep slopes can be particularly hazardous during and after earthquakes, so get off the slopes. If you or a group is on a slope exposed to avalanche or rock fall, spread out to reduce the risk of everyone being buried at once. Due to rain in the winter and spring, soils can become saturated and quakes can produce rapidly moving landslides. In dry areas, rock fall can be an issue and in winter avalanches can be a risk. Most earthquake related injuries and deaths result from falling debris and collapsing structures such as buildings and bridges. Earthquakes can also trigger ash oods, falling trees and re. They can turn soil to quicksand, particularly along current or former river channels. Be vigilant near riverside tracks where bank undercuts may be created or enlarged. Rock fall may cause rivers to change course or disappear and ash oods may become an issue even without heavy rainfall. An earthquake may compromise the foundation of backcountry huts or they could be in a rockslide/avalanche pathway. If you are at a hut check for damage around gas bottles and pipes. Be aware of broken glass and objects strewn across the oor and loose articles stored overhead. Water tanks may be damaged and check for any damage to replaces and chimney before lighting res. Assess all bridges thoroughly prior to using them and if in doubt dont use but nd an alternative way to cross.
T he key to surviving dangerous situations is to stay calm and make good decisions.
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65TH NaTional ConfEREnCE Blenheim, 12 14 July 2013, Hosted by the Marlborough Branch
Tony Orman Shield For Stories of 1,400 Words (15 entries) 1st: The Future Calling Greig Caigou Nelson H&W 177 2nd: Chatham Islands Ben Humphrey Hastings H&W 179 Stewart Island 3rd: Steve Playle Wairarapa H&W 179 Adventure Halcyon Poetry Competition 1st: Keeping Watch The Legend of the 2nd: Kaipara Buck 3rd: Blazing Trail (4 entries) Fran Allcock Mark Nobilo Greig Caigou Te Awamutu North Auckland Nelson
H&W 180
Rotorua Branch Trophy For Branch Newslet ters 1st: South Waikato 2nd: Thames Valley 3rd: Bay of Plenty
Junior Hawkes Bay Challenge Cup (2 entries) 1st: Isaac Alpin Northland 85 2nd: Thomas Myles Marlborough 64
Date Taken DS
27 28 27 29
Grant Sime Simon Lander Stephen Shaw Tony Burt Jacob Marr David Keen Joshua Keen Kelman Wallace Willis Macbeth Glenn Ralston Kevin Deadman Dion Patterson Simon Boag Craig Harris Tom Brough Tom Park Kerry ORourke Martin Parsons Peter Fairbairn
Otago Bay of Plenty Hastings Bay of Plenty South Canterbury South Canterbury South Canterbury North Otago West Coast Ashburton Direct Waikato North Canterbury Thames Valley Taupo Otago South Canterbury North Otago South Canterbury
March 2013 225 April 2013 25/4/13 10/6/12 22/4/13 16/4/13 July 2012 23/4/13 June 2012 25/4/13 26/4/13 May 2013 21/10/12 25/5/13 27/4/13 10/5/13 2/4/13 236 220 213 240 228 229 212 234 231 221 96 99 322 300 357 337
Red deer Otago Coast Rusa Urewera Southern Sika Kaweka Sika Kaimanawa Tahr Mt Peel Two Thumb Tahr Range Two Thumb Tahr Range Tahr Jollie River Tahr Karangarua Tahr Mt Cook Tahr Lord Range Tahr South Westland Tahr Mt Cook Undrawn Coromandel tusks Undrawn Aria tusks Whitetail Glenorchy Whitetail Dart River Wild Pitt Island sheep Wild Mt Cook sheep
March 2013 301 3/11/12 165 30/3/13 15/4/13 15/9/12 15/12/12 15/12/12 3/6/12 15/11/12 15/7/12 19/5/13 24/5/13 7/10/12 7/2012 19/9/12 27/5/13 13/5/13 20/3/13 8/7/12 195 183 40 45 40 40 43 42 44 44 43 20 22 130 129 78 73
Best Junior Print T hames Valley Branch Junior Trophy (3 entries) 1st: Sean Johnson Hutt Valley On the Move 2nd: Sean Johnson Hutt Valley Hunger Games 3rd: Josh Horan Waikato Foggy Grass Sunrise Best 1st: 2nd: 3rd: HC: HC: HC: Digital Print Wellington Branch Trophy (16 entries) Paul Peychers Nelson Mollymawk at Rest Brian Witton Auckland Island in the Sun Jamie Fairbairn Bay of Plenty Forest Boss Paul Peychers Nelson Lords River Reection Brian Witton Auckland Intriguing Carl Finlay Te Awamutu Boulder Bliss
Other Wildlife - Birds North Otago Branch entries) 1st: Peter Flynn Thames Valley 2nd: Richard J A Morton Manawatu 3rd: Richard J A Morton Manawatu HC: Norm C Lumsden Napier HC: Zeff Veronese North Canterbury HC: Jamie Fairbairn Bay of Plenty Other 1st: 2nd: 3rd: HC: HC: HC: Wildlife - Mammals Jock McQuilkan Ray W Webb Otago Trevor Chappell Taupo Ray W Webb Otago Robyn Harper South Canterbury Ray W Webb Otago Paul Peychers Nelson
Hunting and Wildlife Cover Athol Hood Memorial Trophy 1st: Carl Finlay Te Awamutu Roar Some Supreme Branch Photographic Award Ian D Wright Trophy 1st: Bay of Plenty 72 points 2nd: Taupo 58 points 3rd: Nelson 51 points
Other Wildlife - Insects, Reptiles Amphibians WH Robinson Trophy, Prints (31 entries) 1st: Bob Ramsay Taupo Dragon Fly 2nd: John Lumsden Napier Cicada and Friend 3rd: Robyn Harper South Canterbury Alpine Grasshopper HC: Paul Peychers Nelson Weta close up HC: Brian Witton Auckland Big Eyes HC: Malcolm Hogg Bay of Plenty Night Weta Scenic - Veronese Trophy, Prints (46 entries) 1st: Lewis Hore Direct Entrance Sutherland Sound 2nd: Brian Witton Auckland Natural Contrast 3rd: Warren Hall North Canterbury Landsborough Tarn HC: Robyn Harper South Canterbury Wild West Coast HC: Paul Peychers Nelson Greenstone Valley in Winter HC: Robyn Harper South Canterbury Chamois Country Flora 1st: 2nd: 3rd: HC: HC: HC: - Harris Trophy, Carl Finlay Paul Lenz Jamie Fairbairn Brian Witton Jamie Fairbairn Robyn Harper Prints (28 entries) Te Awamutu Koru Golden Bay Mycena Fungi Bay of Plenty Funky Fungi Auckland A Sunlit Kidney Fern Bay of Plenty Cluster of Mush South Canterbury Rananculus Species
CoMpetition ResUlts
out There
ea
Poverty Bay Branch Trophy Best Game Animal Shot by a Junior Under 19 (8 entries) 1st Jacob Marr South Canterbury Chamois 316.78 2nd Joshua Keen South Canterbury Tahr 306.24 3rd Jacob Marr South Canterbury Tahr 304.34 Leithen Award Best Non-Typical (0 entries) Z Veronese Cup Best Antlered Species Taken by a Junior (2 entries) 1st Brema Berger Auckland Fallow Kaipara Head 161 246.32 E Veronese Cup 1st Joshua Keen 2nd Jacob Marr 3rd Jacob Marr Best Horned Species Taken by a Junior (6 entries) South Canterbury Tahr Two Thumb 40 306.24 South Canterbury Chamois Lake Sumner 26 316.78 South Canterbury Tahr Mt Peel 40 304.34 Trophy Taken by a Lady Moa Flat 231 Clarence River 25 Kaipara Head 161 352.65 301.70 246.32
Seddon Shield Rusa deer (1 entry) 1st Simon Lander Bay of Plenty Clif f 1st 2nd 3rd Marshall Memorial Stephen Shaw Tony Burt Dennis Shine
Henderson Trophy Sambar deer (nil entries) Trophy Sika deer (3 entries) Hastings Southern Kaweka Bay of Plenty Kaimanawa South Auckland Kaimanawa 195 183 163 130 129
Manawatu Branch Trophy Whitetail deer (2 entries) 1st Tom Park Otago Glenorchy 2nd Kerry ORourke South Canterbury Dart River
Kaimanawa Branch Trophy Best Game (3 entries) 1st Lyn Candy Blue Mountains Fallow 2nd Jane Cochrane North Canterbury Chamois 3rd Brema Berger Auckland Fallow
Keith Severinson Trophy Wapiti/Fiordland deer (2 entries) 1st Trevor Bently Otago Upper Gaisnock 327 2nd Thomas Dalley Otago Glaisnock 303 McConachie Shield Chamois (7 entries) 1st Andy Smith North Canterbury 2nd Thomas Dalley Otago 3rd Willis Macbeth West Coast Mount Cook Trophy Tahr (12 entries) 1st David Keen South Canterbury 2nd Kevin Deadman Direct 3rd Dion Patterson Waikato Colin Porter Trophy Goat (2 entries) 1st Paul Anaki Otago 2nd Regan Jefferson Otago Dillon 1st 2nd 3rd Lewis Pass Eyre Mountains South Westland Two Thumb Range Lord Range South Westland Coastal Dunedin Palmerston 27 27 26 45 44 44 99 96 29 27 23
Norman Douglas Trophy Best Branch Entry Consisting of one set of Antlers, Horns and Tusks (entries: branches) Drawn Tusks 29 303.67 1st Ashburton Tahr 42 323.36 984.28 Red Deer 357 357.25 Drawn Tusks 27 283.08 2nd North Otago Fallow 236 360.26 953.39 Tahr 40 310.05 Drawn Tusks 23 236.76 3rd Otago Chamois 27 325.83 918.85 Fallow 234 356.26 Orbell 1st 2nd 3rd Trophy Best Head of All Deer Species Ian McBride Ashburton Red deer Hakatere Peter Fairbairn South Canterbury Fallow Hunter Hills Tony Schoeld North Otago Fallow Millers Flat Best Head of South Canterbury Direct North Canterbury all Horned Species Tahr Two Thumb Tahr Lord Range Chamois Lewis Pass 357 240 236 45 44 27 357.25 365.20 360.26 348.09 340.48 334.88
Shield Drawn Pig Tusks (4 entries) Glenn Ralston Ashburton Rakaia River Tony Schoeld North Otago Wainakarua River Harold Cox Auckland East Taupo
Egmont Trophy 1st David Keen 2nd Kevin Deadman 3rd Andy Smith
Bow Hunting Junior (0 entries) Bow Hunting Ladies (0 entries) Bow Hunting Senior (1 entry) 1st Willis Macbeth West Coast Tahr Karangarua 327.16 322.60 287.22 337
Putaruru Branch Trophy Undrawn Pig Tusks (3 entries) 1st Tom Brough Taupo Aria 22 2nd Craig Harris Thames Valley Coromandel 20 3rd Lionel Whitwell North Canterbury Rakaia 17 Trevor Chappell Trophy 1st Martin Parsons 2nd Peter Fairbairn 3rd Hayden Breakwell Wild Sheep (3 entries) North Otago Pitt Island South Canterbury Mt Cook Ashburton Waimak 78 73 66
Waikato Branch TROPHY, Over 65 (2 entries) 1st Ray Webb Otago Fallow Blue Mountains 2nd Stan Lowe Bay of Plenty Tahr Mt Cook D. Bruce Banwell Trophy 1st Matt Guthrie Thames Valley Puketoi Range
Ashburton Auckland North Otago South Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Blue Mountains Otago South Canterbury Ashburton Thames Valley Hastings South Canterbury Direct Waikato Otago
Branch
Drawn Tusks Fallow Fallow Fallow Fallow Fallow Fallow Fiordland deer Red deer Red deer Red deer Sika Tahr Tahr Tahr Whitetail
Species
Rakaia River South Kaipara Head Millers Flat Hunter Hills Central Otago Southern Lakes Moa Flat Upper Glaisnock Lindis Pass Hakatere CP Puketoi Range Southern Kaweka Two Thumb Range Lord Range South Westland Glenorchy
Locality
23/3/13 3/13 4/13 22/4/13 16/4/13 6/12 25/4/13 3/4/13 25/5/13 10/5/13 2/4/13 30/3/13 15/12/12 19/5/13 24/5/13 27/ /13
Date Taken
29 225 236 240 228 234 231 327 322 357 337 195 45 44 44 130
DS
Bronze Bronze Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Gold Silver Silver Gold Bronze Bronze Bronze
Medal
27
StorY
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goes the suppressed 7mm08, the mob scatter, all but one. Great shot Cam. I am keen to head straight over but calm and wise Richie tells me to wait. Then we see the buck has stopped and is looking around. Well it would be rude not to have a crack so down I get down and line him up through the mist. Bang, whump, thats a hit, and he is down. Congratulations all round. We make our way over to the doe that Cameron has shot; its dead already with a perfectly placed neck shot, well done Cameron. I cut its throat and break the neck (just like Bill showed us on HUNTS training) then gut it and go to nd the buck. Damn, where is it? Its disappeared. Richie spots it moving above us and to our right, disappearing into the bush, its wounded and moving slowly, I am no longer so happy with my shooting ability. We need to nish it quickly. We follow it into the bush and it is quickly dispatch with a shot to the head and I nish by cutting the throat and breaking the neck. Another round of congratulations and we drag the carcass back to the doe where photos are taken and we nish the eld dressing. Once that job is complete we spend another hour hunting as Richie would like a pig but alas none are forthcoming even with plenty of sign about. Maybe next time! Back to the deer and we hoist them on to our backs piku style and head back the way we came stopping
to collect the spiker shot earlier. We make our way back to the river and load the deer into the dingy. Richie ferries them and Cam to the other side, which takes longer than expected due to the current. Seeing this I decide to head upstream to speed the process up a tad. I collect all the bags; one on my back, one on my front and two in my hand - along with rie on shoulder and one in hand. Then off I trot up the side of the river. Now you would think this would be a simple undertaking right? Not at all, as I was about to nd out. I got to a small side stream running into the river with lots of silt buildup on the edges, crossing it seems easy so I took a long stride across the stream to the other bank and immediately sunk to mid thighin mud. The more I moved the deeper I sunk in! So laying on my belly, thankful that Richies bag was there trying and failing to keep my rie out of the mud and the two bags in my other hand, I belly crawl across the mud till it rms up enough to stand again and I continue my journey up river. After more slipping and sliding I make it to where Richie is waiting with the dingy and having a good laugh at my expense, till I show him his bag and rie!! We get across the river and haul the deer and bags up the track to the car and that bar the drive home is the end of a great hunting trip nished by lunch time with three deer in the bag and a boys rst deer.
PO BOX 40401, UPPER HUTT, Fax: 04 527 9243 Email: info@nzammo.co.nz www.nzammo.co.nz
29
STORY
wanted to whack a tahr, or have my rst trip to Australia to visit my aunt and cousins, I tried to make it sound like a tough decision by saying YEA NAH TAHR!!! We had been driving all night and day and by the time we tramped in we all felt a bit spent. The next day we were all refreshed and ready to go with our ofcial guides; Dads friend Gordy and his southern mate Iron-Leg Ian. We set off up the main river. Dad and I set off up one of the side creeks but there wasnt much on offer for us as bow hunters and we were soon up quite high and the weather was clagging in. We are now stuck in a complete white-out so we started heading down, hoping to clear out of the cloud so we can at least see more than a couple of metres in front of us. Before long we were out underneath the cloud and started seeing things again. About 300 metres away, high above us up a daunting looking assent were a mob of about 10 or so tahr. As I said earlier that the assent looked daunting, well you can double that and double that again. It was an arduous task scrambling up a steep slippery scree slope that extended far above what the eye could see. Eventually we were vertically above them but still 150 metres to the side of them so what a slog it was to get to the top already; we now had to skim across the scree. This was easy but
Seans first proper big game taken with his bow and without any assistance from Dad
30
horrendously noisy, and there is no quiet way across scree so we ran for it. I was the rst to arrive at the rocky outcrop that they were in and to my delight there was a few still kicking around not 30 metres away so I aimed, and red. A direct hit that knocked the tahr off the rock and barrelling down off into the abyss. Dad arrived and had a shot at the others scrambling along the face and whack he got one too. We happily recovered the animals and went to camp. The following morning we decamped and headed further up the main river leaving the others behind. About two and a half hours later we arrived at or new home, not quite as luxurious as the last merely a small bumpy pad on the edge of a tributary to the main river. That night we chased some tahr up behind our camp but no result. The day after we headed up for what we thought would be the day to get something as the weather was clearing and it was looking good but turned out to suck. All we saw was one medium sized bull up high that Dad shot with the rie, it was more of a scenic trip than anything. Our last day was here and we set off up the hill in search for anything to whet our appetite. Today was my day, I had my bow and Dad carried the 7mm mag for me to use for anything at long range. To our delight Dad spotted something above us through the binos that didnt look too far away until I took them away they were only unrecognisable specs far off in the distance but there was a good bull in the mob with my name written all over it. After the sighting we both grew another set of legs and powered up the mountain, about two hours of constant climbing we got to another viewing spot where we could see him, and he looked huge. We could hardly recognise
him and thought of it as a massive rock or a matagouri clump until we looked carefully and there he was sitting majestically on his mound. Too bad for us the hardship wasnt over yet he was some 500 yards away and we could get no closer. I found a good shooting position, he then ranged at exactly 457 yards, this was it. I had to put my nerves at rest and lower my heart rate, I settled in for the longest shot of my life. Kaboomthen Pock ! It took about a half a second for the projectile travelling at 3000 fps to reach the target and another second for the impact sound to come back - it attened him. It was high-ves all round until we saw the ground erupt with tahr; nannies, juveniles and some more bulls. Thwack another down at 300 yards then Dad took the rie and he nailed one. We then put the rie aside and started videoing and snapping pictures. We retrieved them to nd Dads was slightly longer (a sniff under 12 inches) but narrower than my big one because his horn tips were munted off (both scored exactly the same Douglas Score ratings of 40 2/8). The other a real cracker I shot measured 12 inches but only he only had one horn! It had
an estimated Douglas Score of 41 if it had an identical horn on the other side, this concluded a fantastic and rewarding end to our hunt thats hungered us both for more. Sorry Aunty, Ill come visit another day.
31
NEW AnTlER, HoRn & TUSK TRopHY foR NZDA NaTional CoMpETiTionS
A new trophy donated by National Life Member, Bruce Banwell to be known as the D Bruce Banwell Trophy was awarded at conference 2013 for the first time for Red deer antlers judges choice.
Judge's Guidelines:
To be judged taking into account the symmetry, the Douglas Score, the mass (beam), and the aesthetic value of the entry. The winning entry should be a classic example showing typical characteristics from the bloodline of the area it was secured. Possible outside inuence should be taken into account in overall judgement.
32
ObitUarY
A bit more from around 80 + years of news clippings on naturalist items that Nick Bukholt handed to Bill Benfield. A report on the Lake Monk Expedition. This report pret ty well ended Thane Rineys career in New Zealand, and he moved on to work on wildlife for FAO in A frica. In succeeding weeks, IWT Munro also copped quite a article.
bit of flack from readers of the Weakly News, however, he vigorously defended this Soon af ter Riney lef t, he was followed by his former field assistant, Graeme ecology. H e remains almost unknown in his native New Zealand.
34
bUGle
35
Opinion
y and I pick up the sound of a turbine engine coming our way; I immediately know what this means. The sound of a Hughes 500 is distinctly different to that of a Squirrel or Jet Ranger which are the preferred machines of tourist operators, so to me the approaching machine is a heli hunter. Very soon my suspicion is conrmed when a blue 500e comes up the valley at low level and is seen scouting in and out of likely gullies and bluff systems obviously looking for tahr. We are so lucky we got the bull we did the previous evening, I would have been gutted if we were hunting him this morning and this thief had own in and taken him in front of us. The machine with a heli hunter on board continued up the valley and then not too long after we heard him returning, and conrmation; slung under the machine were two carcasses, a bull tahr and a chamois. Kelvin looked at me and said are they allowed to do that? No, they denitely are not but DoC is not doing anything to stop it I told him. There are limits on the type of activities permitted in the Park and heli hunting doesnt t into any of them. It is not a Wild Animal Recovery Operation (WARO) because the WARO permit excludes the carrying of fare paying passengers; the genuine tourist operators have concessions which are governed by regulations aimed at protecting the publics right to enjoy the Park without excess noise or intrusion by commercial interests. This all took place in 2008 and when we left the Park I lodged an ofcial complaint at the visitors centre with the Head Ranger, Ray Bellringer. He told me to provide photos and details by email when I got home, this I duly did and got no response so I sent it again requesting a response and again it was ignored. I was not surprised by this because it was not the rst of these complaints I have attempted to have addressed. The publics contempt for this activity taking place on public lands like National Parks and designated Wilderness areas has been clearly spelt out at meetings and in the media. Calls for a ban on the activity by hunters, trampers, mountaineers and Conservation Boards have largely gone unheeded until Peter Dunne cleared the way to have the activity banned. Heli hunting - are they allowed to be doing that? If you are appalled by this activity then you should write to the Minister of Conservation and stress to him the need to pass the necessary legislation ASAP. Nick Smith has demonstrated a willingness to protect the peoples interests on public land and the conservation estate by declining the proposed Milford tunnel development. In declining the proposed tunnel he clearly demonstrated his intentions, I look forward to him doing so again by putting an end to heli hunting. I urge you to please write to Dr Nick Smith and ask that the necessary legislation be put in place to have heli hunting banned before any permit renewals are undertaken. This legislation must be in place well before February 2014 so letters to the Minister and even a copy sent to the Prime Minister and your local MP right now are what are needed from as many people as possible. Your help will be invaluable in this ght so that many other parents can have the pleasure and joy that I got from being in that magnicent environment with my son when he took his rst tahr. Hunting and rivers are Important
New Zealand First in its recently released outdoor recreation policy has pledged to ensure sustainable management and preservation of New Zealand's rivers, waterways, wetlands and wilderness areas. MP and outdoor recreation spokesman Richard Prosser said the party believed in "the right of all New Zealanders to responsibly hunt, shoot, sh and enjoy the great outdoors." On sea shing he said there would be no recreational saltwater licence. New Zealand First has also opposed commercial marlin shing saying big game shing is a $100 million industry and it's essential marlin are preserved for recreational shers and the tourism industry. New Zealand First has adopted a policy of banning aerial dropping of 1080 poison. Richard Prosser said 1080 was an inhumane and indiscriminate poison which is banned in many countries. New Zealand uses 90% of the world's supply of 1080. He said game animals like deer are now naturalized and endemic and should be available to New Zealanders for sustainable hunting. But nothing about banning chopper hunting. Ed.
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013
The answer today is Yes and they will be allowed to keep doing it unless the necessary legislation to stop it is passed before the current 2 year permits get renewed in February 2014. The future of heli hunting lies in the hands of the current Minister of Conservation the Honorable Dr Nick Smith.
Vm
V50m
1380 0 1010 0
-8.5 -18.7
3.3 5.7
15.3 24.6
As the table shows, the little .17 HMR to 100 m is a pretty good match for the .22 WMR, but beyond 100 metres, wind deection is much less, and the penalty for wrongly estimating distance is a lot less. This is supported by users of the .17 HMR, who, having used the .22 WMR, nd that holding off for cross-gully shots at rabbits in Central Otago is far, far easier with the .17. Furthermore, they tell me it is much easier to spot the result of a shot from the .17 because they can see the bullet-strike, and its results. This chambering has been a success, perhaps because it offered a measurable gain over the .22 rimre, just as the .22 WMR did. The .17 HMR has impacted upon rie designs too, but not in the way the manufacturers intended: semi-auto versions in this chambering have been withdrawn from the market, allegedly because of problems arising from occasional case failures. It appears that the bottleneck design poses its own problems in this matter, because as far as is known, no semi-auto exists for the smaller .17 Mach II chambering. SUCCESS fOR THE .17 HMR Evidence of the success of this cartridge is provided by not only the manufacturers who offer ammunition, but ries for this cartridge. To date, ammunition manufacturers CCI, Federal, Hornady, Remington and Speer offer .17 HMR loadings in 17 and 20 grain bullet weights.
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013 37
Nope, you cannot hand load for this cartridge, but with four ammunition manufacturers in the game, so to speak, a shortage is unlikely and if you are prepared to undertaken some testing, getting good groups from your rie (if you remember to clean it often) should be no trouble. An advantage enjoyed by these ries (and by users of the .22 WMR as well) is the use of jacketed bullets in their loads. These overcome the problems of using that anachronism of the nineteenth century, the heel bullet crimped rmly into the cartridge case: this makes it much more difcult to ensure minimal dispersion from shot to shot on a target down range, as manufacturers of .22 rimre match ammunition will testify (to the detriment of their hairlines, no doubt). MORE EviDENCE Of SUCCESS Many arms manufacturers, scenting commercial success, have offered their products for this cartridge. These include CZ (formerly Brno), Henry, Marlin, New England Firearms (now owned by Marlin), Remington, Rossi, Thompson/Centre, Savage, Ruger, Smith and Wesson, and Taurus. Only learned of recently, is the likelihood of Lithgow chambering a new rie in the .17 HMR too, arguably further evidence of the inroads this cartridge
must be making in the face of stiff competition from the hand loadable centreres cartridges from the .22 Hornet upwards. COmpET iT iON fOR THE .17 HMR The .17 HMR has had to endure some competition. Stung by complaints about the cost per shot (bigger bangs do indeed cost more bucks!), it has endured despite the more introduction in 2004 of the .17 Mach II, a cartridge based on the .22 Stinger case, which offered the same bullet weight at slightly lower velocity and at lower cost per shot than the .17 HMR. However, it appears that the margin of performance between the older and the newer is so small as to practically guarantee oblivion for the .17 Mach II, because sales have fallen away. Much more recently, Winchester has worked with Savage to offer the .17 Winchester Super Magnum (WSM), a rimre magnum, still bottlenecked, but with greater performance than the .17 HMR. This new offering res 20 grain polymer V-tip bullets at a little over 3,000 ft/ secs, and 25 gn bullets at more than 2600 ft/sec. These are chambered only in a rie newly-developed by Savage, designed around the higher pressures of this new cartridge. This alone deserves another article.
References
Barnes, F.C. and Simpson, L. (Ed) (2009), Cartridges of the World (12 th Edition), Gun Digest Books, Iola, WI, USA. Barnes, F.C., and Skinner, S. (Ed) (2003), Cartridges of the World (10 th Edition), Krause Publications, Iola, WI, USA. Carter, A. (2013), Teamwork. The American Rieman, August, pp. 52-57, 90, 91. Cundiff, R.E. (2007), The 17 calibre redux. Varmint Hunter Magazine, Pierre, South Dakota, USA. http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridgeguides/17caliber/, downloaded 22/08/2013. Emery, N. (Ed) (2012), Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (Ninth Edition), Hornady Manufacturing Company, Grand Island, Nebraska, USA. Forker, B. (2003), Ammo & Ballistics II. Safari Press, Long Beach, California, USA. Hawks, C. (2013), Compared: .17 Mach II and .22 Long Rie. http://www. chuckhawks.com/compared_22LR_17M2.htm, downloaded 22/08/2013.
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NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013
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39
PLACES TO HUNT
Safety
DiSCoUnT REMindERS
Department of Conservation Annual backcountry hut pass
Hassle free use of over 900 huts Available from DOC visitor centres to NZDA members. $85 (normally $122.00), youth (11 17) $42 (normally $61). Please present your current NZDA membership card.
Follow the Outdoor Safety Code: 1. Plan your trip 2. Tell someone 3. Be aware of the weather 4. Know your limits 5. Take sufficient supplies
40
Frisco Hut: Basic bivvy, 4 bunks, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BV19,E1446099,N5233932 Poet Hut: Standard hut, 4 bunks, heating, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BV19,E1449430,N5233577 Mungo Hut: Basic bivvy, 4 bunks, heating, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BV19,E1453040,N5234717 Sir Robert Hut: Basic bivvy, 4 bunks, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BV19,E1449782,N5231214 Bluff Hut: Standard hut, 6 bunks, heating, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map
sheet BV19,E1447445,N5232296 Hut information - Whitcombe Valley: Frew Hut: Standard hut, 10 bunks, heating, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BV18,E1440660,N5231821 Frews Saddle Bivvy: Basic bivvy, 2 bunks, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BV19,E1444641,N5228886 Price Flat Hut: Standard hut, 7 bunks, heating, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BW18,E1437831,N5224979Price Basin Hut: Basic bivvy, 4 bunks, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BV18,E1434388,N5222826
Wilkinson Hut: Basic bivvy, 4 bunks, heating, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BW18,E1436530,N5219779 Neave Hut: Standard hut, 6 bunks, heating, mattresses. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet BW18,E1436030,N5217179 Poison operations: Before going hunting check out: http://www.doc.govt.nz/ conservation/threats-and-impacts/animalpests/pesticide-summaries/west-coast/
West Coast hunting Part II - Kokatahi-Toaroha Valleys: see NZ Hunting & Wildlife issue 183, January March 2014
91% had their bolt ries left unmodied for a half-cock position, where the bolt handle initially engages the locking lugs, but 9% had undergone modication to create that situation. (Some modern ries are thought by some of their owners to require such a modication. This is regarded by some
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REVIEWS
Reviewed by: Chaz Forsyth This book is a very concise analysis of observations derived from hands-on practical work and vast eld experience, by a New Zealander living in the North Island. Aimed at the person for whom having a rie capable of grouping reliably, under eld conditions, into 0.5 Minutes of Angle, it provides brief coverage of nearly 20 key topics which the author considers to be important in getting the best from a factory rie. Nor does he overlook the custom end of the scale, but his focus remains on the factory ries, partly because in his view, some provide a suitable foundation (action) upon which to build when your barrel nally goes sour. Foster's skills include rie tuning, to extract their best performance under eld conditions. Despite its title, I believe his book would also apply for those wanting to start out F-class rie shooting because the sort of precision for which he is advocating is of the & white photos Available from: All good book stores Reviewed by: Dianne Brown Al Brown is the author of Stoked, Go Fish. He also wrote Hunger for the Wild with Steve Logan. Al is the star of TV series Dishing Up Australia, Get Fresh, Coasters and Hunger for the Wild. Get Fresh contains stories and recipes from the heartland New Zealand - one man, a ute and a frypan visiting Northland, Coromandel, South Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough, Canterbury, Central Otago, Dunedin and Southland. Al arrives at each province with an open mind and an empty stomach, visiting the farmers markets to experience what is unique, fresh and in season in that particular area. This is not just a recipe book - each chapter has Available from: All leading bookshops, hunting stores or mail order through www.spotx.com Reviewed by: Dianne Brown This book contains an accumulation of knowledge from many different hunters and includes chapters on: Auckland/Waikato, Canterbury, Fiordland, Glossary of Terms, Hunt Smarter, Hunting Region Map, Index, Kaimanawa/ Kaweka, Nelson/Marlborough, Northland, Otago, Raukumara, Ruahine Ranges, Stewart Island, Tararua, Te Urewera, and the West Coast. Spot X Hunting (3rd Edition) follows on from the sell-out success of the rst two editions of Hunting New Zealand. The co-authors, Mark Draper and Mark Airey have added over 300 new hunting spots making this edition over 40% bigger than their previous editions. The latest edition has 20 additional pages of hunting spots; cabins, camping, lodges and facilities; regulations and permits; and access and contacts for public and private hunting. same order as that desired by long range hunters. A crowning achievement in the view of this reviewer are the author's expressions of opinion about the suitability for long range hunting of more than a score of rie makes and models commonly found on dealers' shelves in New Zealand. He justies his viewpoints, basing them on insights gained from earlier work with these ries. Although this book lacks references, and does not go into the detail that Harold Vaughn, or Franklin W Mann did, in my view it succeeds in its aim of informing the interested rie owner into what to do about his/her rie.' So, if you are not a keen diy-er, but feel the need to seek out a superior hunting rig, this is the book for you! This publication is also available as an e-book, cheaper than the hardcopy, at NZ$25.64, and the illustrations are in colour. Mr Foster has at least two more textbooks planned, on the care and feeding of ries, and on how to use them. Als own personal vibes about the area; notes of history; places of interest to foodies; what to visit; where to eat and drink; amazing photos of points of interest and the locals; and nally his reasons behind the menu and his chosen recipes for three dishes in each province consisting of an entre, a main and a dessert. This book comes with a CD of local bands including Fat Freddys Drop tune The Nod to put you in the mood to cook to although I enjoyed just putting the CD on and listening to the best of New Zealands local talent. I recommend this book, which is an extension of Als TV series Get Fresh for its delicious recipes; the portrait of regional New Zealand; the spectacular photography; and Als sense of humour and articulate writing - theresabout 60,000words describing the delights of these places plus 30wonderful recipes. Mark Draper and Mark Airey have also illustrated this edition with 1:50 000 and 1:250 000 topographic maps; and included information on over 1000 hunting spots; species available; restrictions; and expert hunting tips that all hunters will need to know when planning their next adventure. In the books foreword Mark Draper states: what this book does offer is good sound advice on hundreds and hundreds of hunting places across New Zealand. Any hunters wanting to harvest game animals from chamois to Sambar or visit locations from Stewart Island to the far north, this book will show them where to go, and with a number of spots in each area for every species one can pick a location to suit your capabilities. Whether a novice of seasoned hunter, this book has something new for everyone and there is no doubt that this issue will grace the book shelves of many hunters.
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013
BOOK
Title: Post X Hunting New Zealand 3rd Revised edition Authors: Mark Draper Mark Airey Publisher: Spot X Publications Ltd ISBN: 9781877374753 RRP: $39.99 Format: Softback, 256 pages, colour photos, maps
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BOOK
Title: Get Fresh with Al Brown Stories from the Heartland Author: Al Brown Publisher: Random House NZ ISBN: 9781869796952 RRP: $60.00 Format: Hardback, 304 pages, colour and black
BOOK
Title: The Practical Guide to Long Range Hunting Ries Author: Nathan Foster, (2012) Publisher: Terminal Ballistic Research, www.lulu. com, USA Format: Soft cover, 190 pages, illustrations. Monochrome RRP: NZ$38.49 via the website (price may vary as NZ dollar changes)
POETRY
KEEping WaTCH
By Fran Allcock, Te Awamutu Branch
BOOK
A History of Hunting The Deerstalkers Part 2 1987-2012 Compiled by: Ian Wright Publisher: The Halcyon Press ISBN: 978-1-877566-35-6 Format: 240mm x 170mm, 324 pages, colour and black & white photos RRP: $49.99: In soft cover format from any good book seller RRP: $55.00: For the limited edition of 500 numbered copies, hard back, gold embossed on the cover with the NZDA 75th logo and gold embossed with title on spine, head and tail bands, with full colour dust jacket from NZDA, PO Box 6514, Marion Square, Wellington, 6141 Reviewed by: Tony Orman This book is essentially a celebration of the last 25 years of the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association. NZDA patron Ian Wright has spent much time in collaborating with NZDA members - including yours truly - for contributions. The contributions vary greatly in subject thus making for a wide ranging embracing of the Association's activities, competitions and of course the wild animals and the hunting of them. The result is a nice blend of hunting tales, instruction and a summary of Association activities plus a historical summary of various herds. While reluctant to draw comparisons, for me I particularly enjoyed Bud Jones Through the Shutter, Through the Years on hunting with the camera. Bud describes hunting with the camera as one of the superb joys that only seeing can provide. Maureen Coleman's recounting of a woman's foray into the world of hunting was another to savour as were Mark Nobilos, Ray Webb's and Howard Egan's on Fallow herds. Tom Brough on pig hunting, Ian Wright's ne encapsulation of 25 years of conferences, Bruce Banwell's chapter on European Red deer, the tale of a big 334 Douglas Score stag from south Westland, Chaz Forsyth's summary of rearm legislation, but hey where do you stop? All are ne contributions in their own individual right. On the dust jacket it wisely says any organisation is only as strong as its membership. And inside compiler Ian Wright sets out the achievements of NZDA such as preserving the right of law abiding citizens to possess and use rearms, saving large game hunting in New Zealand, preserving the right of access to hunt on public lands, recording history, giving much education in mountain safety and hunting and providing facilities such as ranges. NZDA members can hold their heads high," says Ian. This book not only entertains but enlightens about rearms, herds and management and doubles as a valuable reference book. My only quibble, it deserved an index to readily ick back to a subject.
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013
43
StorY
TRAILS
noun TRAIL, \'tral\
b y G r e i g C a i g o u , N e l s o n Bra n c h 2 n d p l a c e S e c t i o n A : - Ph i l i p H o l d e n Tro p h y 20 13
their own way instead, have discovered some sort of difculty on the route. After much grappling with terrain those same hunters would nally emerge to easier going, only to once again come across some heavily-used trail coming in from another angle (which upon some inspection would reveal an easier way through the obstacles!) Well there we were, facing this exact dilemma . . . the trail imprinted down the slope was well used, yet it headed so directly down into that dank, dark and formidable looking canyon. The slopes before us looked much clearer going. They held some promise of better travel after all the nasty little guts wed traversed through and wed searched for a good level at which to make our assault on the valley. In all such situations it seems necessary to have a meeting of the committee! So we stood around for some time discussing the merits of our alternatives, all the while hunched over, bearing the weight of our burdens. Our experience suggested that usual bush travel necessitated getting above a gorge and contouring into the upper valley and the favoured headwaters. The thought of dropping height that wed only have to reclaim didnt exactly add fuel to the mental tank or spark
a. a trace or mark lef t by something that has passed or been drawn along: Scent, track b. (1) a track made by passage especially through a wilderness (2) a marked or established path or route, especially through a forest or mountainous region c. a course followed or to be followed Wed pitched up through the thick stuff looking for a good level to contour into the valley. Packs were heavy, with every successive gut and tangle of windfall just adding to our burdens. An hour or so went by and we felt the heaviness of the valley closing in around us high bluffs above with steepening slopes and a damp, tight gorge below - the terrain costing us dearly in terms of effort and travail. We crossed a severe cataract, cutting down from a massive bluff which we could make out through the high foliage above, but nally we could perceive better travel ahead. Rather suddenly though, we also came across a well-used trail leading down through the bush abruptly and heading straight into the gorge below. It seemed to suggest we abandon the clearing country ahead and disappear into the canyon instead . . . what to do? Id not been into tiger country before . . . well thats what the old-timers had called this place. Fiordland, by any estimate, is an untracked and formidable wilderness, full of challenge and rich experiences for any wouldbe hunter. During those formative years, one old-timer (call him Jock) had leaned over to me and said: If you strike a deer lead, youd bet ter follow it they live there, they know where theyre going! Certainly this sort of advice was reinforced through my avid reading of books by pioneering hunters to this neck of the NZ woods. Tales abounded of hunters coming across trails on the tops, but when keeping to
44
to the physical engine room . . . wed already exerted ourselves lugging heavy packs, gaining altitude through windfalls and other taxing hurdles. The committee was leaning toward making way forward through the clearing terrain ahead, but that niggling set of old-time advice hung with me as we nally trudged off into the easy going . . . which, as you might guess, turned to custard after not too many hundreds of metres! Should we turn back, or staunchly muscle on with testosterone fuelled, character- building determination? (Read naivety) Yes, (did you guess correctly?) Rather than turn back, we assailed forth, embarking on a bush bash of not quite epic consequence . . . and thus another generation of hunters learnt some ancient wisdom. Several days later we were retreating down the opposite side of that valley when we struck a good deer trail in the forest, providing very quick travel. We followed that dutifully, reaping the benet of easy going as we whisked along, contouring through bush terraces interspersed with rock gardens. Soon we were back above the gorge, when the trail angled down toward the river . . . into the chasm! This time we followed downward, eventually coming to a solitary quiet section amidst the thundering turmoil of water and massive rocks. The trail seemed to disappear, but as we gazed around on the opposite side of the river we saw a tracked-out section where animals had clambered up onto the bank. We crossed rather easily and soon climbed steeply up through the bush. While still having to exert ourselves, the travel was certainly quite straightforward. Keeping our nose and boots fully in that trail, we eventually came upon a section in the bush that looked quite familiar - something like a meeting place for a bushland committee! We sucked it up, laughing at our ogging from the harsher route wed endured some days earlier. Then we turned again to our travelling and struck out up the hill . . . now staying with our deer lead. This soon contoured down valley again, coursing its way above a lot of the creekheads and windfall wed thrashed ourselves through earlier in the trip . . . a much better level, somewhat higher up than wed thought and plain sailing all the way to our destination! Lesson learnt. End of story.
Trails. We come to value them. We come to trust them. We come to look for them and the ease of travel they promise because we can glean from those who live, move and frequent such wild spaces. Of course many of the trails laid down in the NZ high country originated from the days of large herds of animals pushing into new country as they colonised the pristine wilderness that was NZ. Rich and abundant food sources drove beasts ever aeld and soon established routes became evident. Deer moved up off valley oors, discovering passage through gorges and onto good leading spurs. Pushing up through the scrubline onto alpine grasslands these trails crossed over high passes and down into new territory. The animals learnt to migrate along some routes too, moving between wintering zones and the elds of summer before taking up rutting grounds. Such migratory routes are well known in some regions. I still recall the tales of those same old-timers as they illuminated my young mind with tales of hunting forays into the Whitcombe to intercept stags on trails between the eastern Rakaia country and the vast bushlands to the west. Chamois and tahr were also moving into new country and travelling to rutting grounds, but these animals blazed their pathways in a less obvious manner, being most evident however with the movement of tahr out of prime scrub cover and into bluff systems. These trails left upon the landscapes of New Zealand are as much a resource as the network of cut tracks, bridges and other amenities that have opened up travel to adventure seekers inltrating the wild spaces between the cities. These trails mark the way, telling us where those before us have gone, giving us insight to best routes, lending condence to a course of direction and in turn, once travelled, further establishing the route and trail for those that follow. Trails . . . are they defining where we may go or are they impressions on the land of where something has been! Of course trails get blazed and animals followed scent of their kind much more than hoofprint as they traverse terrain. By repeated usage however, they embedded hoofed tracks further and further into the substrate. Humans blazed away with axe cuts, dazzle, ribbon, plastic or metal disks and all manner of other ways to mark the way ahead. From subtle bend of leaf to the nylon whipped
edging of maintained track networks, these paths almost draw you in, to follow on - almost by compulsion. But, what of the places that have seen such trails fall into disuse? What of the paths that were once maintained by great numbers of animals passing along established routes? As the helicopter pressure of commercial killing of wildlife escalated, so the pathways have become faint. Old routes through the sub-alpine belt are growing over and except in very narrow connes, require some sort of tactical manoeuvring before discovering any old, less-used trails. This was quite evident to me recently when traversing the alpine tops of Charles Sound during the Wapiti bugle. Down in the bush, out of harm's way, trails were more evident and still provided good clues on best access into prime feeding areas. Alpine places with vast space and decimated populations are where the degree of tracking is most diminished, but then these areas and habitats were in need of reduced pressure from browsing animals anyway. A consequence of this is that fewer hunters make the effort to visit such far-ung environs now and altogether this adds to the reduced use of such mountain trails. The very presence of a trial somewhat denes where people go though - doesnt it. If its there, they follow! So, what about trailblazing, of another sort then! What of the temptation to step out and seek new ways across the landscape for yourself? I know Explorer Greig calls out inside of me, as I yearn to nd my own way in the wilderness. My own way has some appeal too - it lights up the adventure of the unknown, heightens my skills of observation, increases my craft in discovering suitable lines of travel. It also amplies the imperatives and wearying consequences of wrong evaluations or choices of route . . . further adding to the sense of mission and adventure. Surely, treading new paths and forging forth brings its own rewards and sense of satisfaction as well as lessons learnt or experience gained all just a part of the allure of wilderness travel and hunting in general. A quiet chuckle now reminds me of passing that place of the committee meeting in the Fiordland bush some many years ago now it is part of a reminder of thickened, weathered skin, a far-gazing look, richer meanings and the mountain wisdom now gained along the trail . . . as I now slowly evolve into that oldtimer!
45
NEW ZEALAND DEERSTALKERS ASSOCIATION INC MERCHANDISE FOR SALE IDEAL CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
Item Limited edition pencil drawing prints - Limited to 100 in each series Bull Tahr limited edition print Big Red limited edition print Wapiti limited edition print Pig/dog limited edition print Chamois limited edition print Sika limited edition print NZ Hunting & Wildlife Subscription New Zealand 1 year (4 issues) 2 years (8 issues) Australia 1 year (4 issues) 2 years (8 issues) Rest of World 1 year (4 issues) 2 years (8 issues) Membership for Life Endowment Membership NZDA Badges NZDA pewter look NZDA 75-year plastic NZDA 75-year pewter look NZDA black enamel Publications New Zealand Firearms: an exploration into rearm possession, use and misuse in New Zealand: by Chaz Forsyth (signed by the author) A History of Hunting The Deerstalkers Part 2 1987-2012: Special hard cover limited edition, numbered 1 500, gold embossed Golden Days of Stalking: Dairies of Archie Kitto compiled by D Bruce Banwell Guns & Game by Lynn H Harris A Lifetime Love of the Outdoors by Dave Atkins The Douglas Score 3rd edition handbook of measuring antlers, horns and tusk. HUNTS (Hunter National Training Scheme) manual Big Game Record Series, by D Bruce Banwell The Sika The Wapiti and the Moose The Fallow Deer The Rusa, Sambar and Whitetail Deer The Red Deer: Part One The Red Deer: Part Two The Alpine Chamois Name:_____________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Phone:____________________________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________________ $36.00 $35.00 $35.00 $42.50 $42.50 $42.50 $42.50 I enclose my cheque for $___________________________________ Or charge my Visa Mastercard Expiry date: ______________________ Cardholder name:_________________________________________ $30.00 $55.00 $38.00 $30.00 $30.00 $20.00 $10.00 $5.00 $15.00 $7.50 $225.00 per 5 years or $937.50 lump sum fee $45.00 $85.00 $40.00 $78.00 $38.00 $73.00 $75.00 unframed $75.00 unframed $75.00 unframed $75.00 unframed $75.00 unframed $75.00 unframed NZDA Price Including P&P Quantity Amount to Pay
Send to: New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc, PO Box 6514, Marion Square, Welington 6141 or fax 04 801 7368 or email deerstalkers@paradise.net.nz
Under the terms of the Privacy Act 1993, I acknowledge that you are retaining my name for the purpose of mailing further information on NZDA and related matters.
ON TARGET
On TaRgET
NEW ZEaland DEERSTalKERS ASSoCiaTion InC PRizE SHooTing CalEndaR 2013
DATE November 2013 Saturday 2nd BRANCH Taupo Prize Shoot 20 Shot 4P @ 100m Graded, All equipment CONTACT Bill & Margaret Seal Ph: 07 378 9630 whmseal@xtra.co.nz RANGE Jack Dillon Range Mountain Road, Taupo
Colin & Sandi Curreen Ph: 07 886 4090 sandijo@clear.net.nz Malcolm Perry Ph/Fax: 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen Ph: 07 886 4090 sandijo@clear.net.nz Malcolm Perry Ph/Fax: 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen Ph: 07 886 4090 sandijo@clear.net.nz Malcolm Perry Ph/Fax: 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz
South Waikato Branch North Island Championships Saturday - 60 Shot R/F 3P @ 50m & 100m Sunday - 40 Shot C/F 4P @ 100m
South Waikato Branch PRSC National Championships Saturday - 120 Shot 3P R/F @ 50m Sunday - 60 Shot 3P C/F @ 100m
At time of writing dates and venues were to the best of our knowledge at this time. Please check with the host branches nearer the time of the event.
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 182 - Spring 2013 47
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Name:____________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Phone:___________________________________________________ Email:____________________________________________________ I enclose my cheque for $__________________________________ Or charge my Visa Mastercard
Send to: New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc, PO Box 6514, Marion Square, Welington 6141 or fax 04 801 7368 or email deerstalkers@paradise.net.nz
Under the terms of the Privacy Act 1993, I acknowledge that you are retaining my name for the purpose of mailing further information on NZDA and related matters.
48
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