New Zealand Hunting & Wildlife - 180 - Autumn 2013

AUTUMN ISSUE 180 - APRIL TO JUNE 2013
NE W ZEALAND
& WILDLIFE
TRIP TO EREWHON PLACES TO HUNT HOW AN EPIRB CAN SAVE A LIFE
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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
Aim Between the Shoulder Blades Robyn Harper.............................................. 6 Experience and Youth Bob Pittaway................................................................. 10 New Zealand Big Game Series New Book the Alpine Chamois....................... 13 Opinion A very Simple Measuring System Ray Webb..................................... 18
COVER PHOTO
Nek Minnit Nightmare Jason Searle................................................................. 20 Families Who Hunt Together Laura McIntyre.................................................... 30
High Alert, by Carl Finlay, Te Awamutu Branch, 2012. Second place Taupo Branch Trophy Game Animals, and third place Wellington Branch Trophy Best Digital Print.
ISSUE 180 APRIL JUNE 2013
An official publication of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Incorporated

OFFICE
REGULARS
Presidents Report - Tim McCarthy.................................................................... 2 Editorial The Aftermath of Violence Overseas and its impact in NZ.................. 3 Letters to the Editor.......................................................................................... 4 HUNTS Report - Bill OLeary Time for Reflection............................................. 6 COLFO Report................................................................................................... 8 Wild Game - Another Aspect - Red Deer Oddments - D Bruce Banwell..............12 Young Hunter Story How I got into Duck Shooting Colin Bates.....................14 Take me hunting Kids page - win a free Kilwell prize.......................................15 DOC Update Ian Cooksley National Hunting Advisor....................................16 Tip Offs Cleaning Trophy Heads for AHT Competitions S Corlett................. 23 Lock, Stock and Barrel What Rifle to use for Deer? - Chaz Forsyth................24 Habitat Golden Bay Deerstalkers, Conservation Champions.......................... 26 Opinion Random Mass Killing Phil Creegan................................................ 28 Bugle - News from around the traps.....................................................32 and 36 Blast from the Past Trip to Erewhon Station EB Boyd-Wilson....................... 34 On Target Various shooting event results.......................................... 36 and 46 Swazi Junior Shoots - North Otago and Rotorua...............................................37 Heritage The Akya Rescue Sledge Trevor Dyke.......................................... 38 Places to Hunt Mackenzie Country, Waitaki and Otago.................................. 40 DVD/ Book and Product Reviews.................................................... 37, 29 and 42 Poem The Legend of a Kaipara Buck Mark Nobilo...................................... 43 Points of Envy - 2012 AHT Competition Winners.............................................. 44 NZDA National Shooting Calendar 2013........................................................... 45
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NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013
PRESIDENTS REPORT
PRESIDENTS REPORT - AUTUMN

Tim McCar thy - National President New Zealand Deerstalkers Association
Have you heard any preliminary grunts or groans out there from the big boys in the deer farms and parks? Just the other day I heard a groan not far from work across the valley and it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Its only the end of February, but the weather is starting to cool and the days are drawing in earlier. I think we may have an early ROAR this year. This brings to mind the tragedies of last year. One person losing their life in the pursuit of their sport is one too many. So please, when you embark on your hunting trips and the excitement of hunting a roaring stag is foremost on your mind, take the time to stop and think about the No.1 rule when hunting - IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET BEYOND
commenced on the 1st February, while we still wait for an explanation from the minister of conservation. Please read our letters of concern on this issue on our website www.deerstalkers.org.nz The timing of these permits being granted unfortunately coincided with the reshuffle of ministers in cabinet, in which Hon Kate Wilkinson was replaced by the Hon Dr Nick Smith. I have yet to meet the new minister but I am sure we can build a good working relationship with him. The select committee for the Game Animal Committee (GAC) has reported back to the government and only some of our concerns have been addressed. The full report can be viewed on http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/09ED514C-789B4B39-BC32-42C6932EF97B/256750/DBSCH_SCR_5692_ GameAnimalCouncilBill3472_9477_1.pdf
ALL DOUBT. My advice to you all is: Assume that movement or sound is another human being until you can 100% prove otherwise. There are two things you cant take back; and that is the
spoken word and a speeding bullet. On the 20th January 2013 the National Executive learned that the department of conservation had decided to grant wild animal recovery operation (WARO) permits to two helicopter companies in the St James recreational area, which is totally against DOCs own management plans. We reacted swiftly to this, but to no avail, as the WARO consents
en. e s e b e Be saf than t a e M No Bet ter te No Ma

EDITORIAL
THE AFTERMATH OF VIOLENCE OVERSEAS AND HOW IT MIGHT IMPACT HERE
Chaz Forsy th, National Executive Member
INTRODUCTION Fresh on the heels of several multiple homicides in the USA, we notice that saviours of the public from themselves have spring into action, almost before the blood has dried. Are these calls, for all manner of changes to the law, likely to impact New Zealand, and more important, upon the already law-abiding, licensed New Zealand firearm owners? It is likely that over a (say) five year time frame, they will. First, we need to examine features of multiple homicides wherever they take place:
COGENT ASPECTS OF CURRENT LAWS IN GENERAL 1. Homicide of any form is generally unlawful almost all of the 200-plus countries of the world specifically prohibit homicide, threats of homicide, attempts at homicide and threats to public order. 2. For many nations in the western world, suicide deaths by firearm vastly outnumber those by criminal action. For many nations in the world, particularly in the western world, violent death by knives and blades exceed those carried by firearm misuse. Within the USA, where more than 20,000 firearm control laws exist, it is noteworthy that homicides tend to be higher in the states already have close controls on firearms, including registration of handguns. Furthermore, these states (where a higher incidence of firearm-armed violence occurs) tend to be in the more densely populated north-eastern states, while in the lessregulated southern and western states (apart from California) firearm-armed violence tends to be lower. Oddly, it has been observed too that violence of all kinds (including firearmarmed violence) has declined sharply in all 43 of the states where this is permitted, following the introduction of concealed-carry laws. Another feature worth noting is that violence with firearms tends to involve lower socioeconomic groups with close ties to the drug culture, particularly those in major conurbations. so for the past fifteen years. 8. Repeated invitations for properly researched evidential material confirming the value of full should firearm registration have been met by no response when sought within New Zealand approximately a decade ago. Proponents for full shoulder firearm registration appear to overlook the facts of (a) The significant expense incurred by such policies, (b) The limited benefits derived from such policies, and (c) The diversion of significant police resources into such measures. fit and proper user, not upon the chattel, the firearms which had proven to be difficult to manage. Handguns and restricted weapons including selective fire and fully automatic (including sub-machine guns and machine guns) all remained registered, and could only be held on an endorsed arms licence. This philosophy began to be eroded following the multiple homicides of David Gray in 1990, when the 1992 Arms Amendment Act introduced among other features, changes in the controls relating to firearms, and reduced the working life of the arms licence. Military style semi-automatic arms (MSSAs) became classified and required registration, to be held under a new endorsement. Last year, another amendment was enacted, again dealing with inanimate chattels, empowering the Police to declare almost any firearm to be an MSSA, and placing controls upon items like low powered and high-powered airguns. Again, the philosophy of fit and proper had been overstepped by the introduction of controls placed upon the item (generally as a result of misuse by ill-intentioned individuals). More recently both Canada and Australia introduced full firearm registration, in the belief that this would reduce violent offending with firearms. Anti social outrages involving firearm misuse and multiple homicides tapered off after this measure was introduced in the Commonwealth of Australia, although it is known that firearm-armed homicide was declining in Australia before the inception of such measures there in the late 1990s. Canada abandoned its efforts at achieving full firearm registration after the expenditure of an unknown sum exceeding a billion C$; the sum remains unknown despite the Canadian Attorney-General spending time and effort in an attempt to ascertain the public money involved. Her final report noted that various Canadian government officials had seemingly attempted to thwart her review.
9.
3.
4.
10. Calls made for reducing the number of firearms as a crime control measure are never matched by similar calls for reducing motor vehicle numbers as a means of reducing road traffic deaths. 11. Generally, it appears that justifications for increased controls upon citizen firearm ownership following anti-social outrages such as multiple murders are about as logical as penalising all motor vehicle operators as a result of the actions of drunken drivers. 12. Finally, the question of whether firearm control is to be equated with crime control must be asked, given that only the law-abiding are likely to register their firearms. BRIEF BACKGROUND New Zealand had full shoulder firearm registration which was abolished by the Arms Act 1983. This reflected the Police finding that the firearm registration system of the time was riddled with errors and was (in pre-computer times) simply unable to be used for crime-solving. The new legislation adopted the philosophy of focussing upon the
5.
6.
NEW ZEALAND FACTORS 7. Within New Zealand, assaults of all kinds by other weapon and by cutting or stabbing, both exceed the misuse of firearms by a factor of six and have done
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
HUNTING LOBBY GEARING UP FOR A FIGHT IN USA

I've just returned from the Safari Club International Show, held this year in Reno. It's a massive hunting show where hunters can buy anything and everything related to hunting, including NZ hunts. I got to talk to a lot of hunters from all over the States, including Texas and Mexico. All of them are paranoid about the Obama administration and what they see as a serious threat to their right to bear arms. I asked many of them if they had considered another option such as registering the owner, rather than the firearm, and explained how it works in NZ. But the majority didn't want to know about it ... they just don't want change of any sort. The American redneck is certainly very much alive and well. I spoke to one couple who had a loaded handgun hidden in every room of their house, including the toilet!! All the ammunition manufacturers had stands there and those I spoke to all said they couldn't keep up with the demand for ammo since Obama made his speech. As well as production ammunition, that included bullets, cases, powder, primers etc. I later visited the Cabela store in Reno and the Bass Pro store in Las Vegas, Each store would be around Dear Sir, It is very admirable for parents to introduce their youngsters to the outdoors and hunting in particular. Consequently the story, Passing on the Knowledge, "Taking Your Kid Hunting", in the last issue had that to commend. However, I was disappointed in the article that all the shootable deer seen were shot and they were hinds. Passing on the knowledge that hinds should be shot is not a good message for youngsters. In fact the entire message of this article was that we need to employ every technique of stealth or strategy possible in order to shoot every deer we see, and they did. Once an animal had been taken and the carcass back at the hut the message should have been to hunt selectively from that point on. No such subject was raised, father to son. I was also disturbed by the message to a youngster that by parting with a fist full of cash to a helicopter operator you can be in deer paradise in 15 minutes with all the comforts of home. What ever happened to taking a kid hunting by tramping into a hut for a few days, getting your deer and carrying it out, thereby making a complete experience of the event. If that had occurred with this father and son theyd have thought twice about shooting two deer to carry out ! Here the message was, the money and helicopter will do the work, we just do the killing. If anyone excuses the shooting of hinds by referring to "over population" of deer, they are seriously misguided. New Zealand has low populations of deer on public land. In fact Landcare Research has estimated that only 250,000 wild deer are in New Zealand. That pales by comparison with the UK comparable land size to NZ - where from memory there are six times more deer than here. Witness also the figures from the Pennsylvania Game Commission available on the internet. [Pennsylvania is exactly the same area size as the North Island with 2 large urban areas, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, bigger of course but roughly equal to Auckland and Wellington]. two to three football fields in size with huge ranges of hunting/fishing/boating/outdoors gear, (and the Bass Pro store is two floors as well). I talked to the staff in the hunting section at each store and they said they cannot keep ammo on the shelves since Obama's speech. Each quoted examples of customers buying as much as 5000 boxes of ammo (100,000 rounds), mostly handgun ammo. At Cabela they told me of one customer who filled the tray of his Ford F150 Ute with boxes of ammunition - and an F150 Ute has a real big tray!! Certainly the hunting lobby and NRA are gearing up for a fight that they need to win if they are to retain their current laws. After talking to so many people over the period of the Show, and at the two stores, I certainly got the impression that while a lot of them are well informed about the current guns laws and the possible changes being talked about, there are an equal number who are just reacting because everyone else is, and they don't really have a clue what they would like to see as an ideal outcome. Whatever happens it's sure going to be all out war. Bill Grice (by email) The Commission states, The annual deer harvest involves harvesting hundreds of thousands of deer over a 4 month season. Figures available from 1990 to 2007 of deer harvested by licenced hunters: 1. Largest harvest of the period 550,000 deer [2000] 2. Poorest harvest of the period 320,000 deer [2007] 3. Typical harvest of the period 400,000 deer [1990] 4. Extrapolating the figures for 18 years that is no less than 7,200,000. This is a colossal number of deer harvested for an area the size of the North Island. These yearly harvest figures are roughly double the entire population of NZ deer. The idea sometimes expressed of a potential deer population explosion is fanciful. Deer do not explode uncontrollably in numbers. They have one fawn a year and a percentage do not make it through harsh winters. To me it's important we educate youngsters into a complete experience of hunting, only taking what you can utilise and hunting selectively; avoid taking breeding hinds and instead culling out poor antlered stags or taking a spiker or yearling for meat. It is paramount that we as model hunters with a vested interest in hunting and deer do not perpetuate the propaganda and myth circulating from officialdom for nearly a 100 years that deer are there to be shot on sight. A concept which originates from a deep dark hole of self-loathing for the sins of our forefathers for ever having released them in the first place to paradise. These myths and propaganda need to be put on a dusty shelf along with a myriad of bad ideas which have crippled the thinking of environmental politics for decades. It is up to us to occupy the high moral ground. Bud Jones, Endowment Life Member Wellington Branch
New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc, formed July 1937 Co-founders: Dr G B Orbell MBE, Arthur Hamilton Patron: Ian Wright National President: Tim McCarthy Immediate Past President: Alec McIver National Vice President: Bill O'Leary North Island Members of the National Executive: Steve Corlett, Sandi Curreen South Island Members of the National Executive: Chaz Forsyth, Snow Hewetson Chief Executive Officer: Dianne Brown National Treasurer: John Crone Honorary Solicitor: Peter Barrett Auditor: Signal & Associates
LIFE MEMBERS:
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
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Ampro Sales Tasco, Belmont Ammunition, The Game Butcher, Halcyon Publishing, Kilwell, Hunting & Fishing NZ, Malcolm Perry, NZ Guns & Hunting, Shooters World Ltd Gore, 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 Pacific 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, 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
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
IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE?

I am very much aware of the stance that the association places on the need for people to NOT shoot each other, either accidentally or intentionally. I am concerned and dismayed at the availability of computer games which simulate the hunting down and shooting of the people you are playing the game with. I am even more concerned about the fact that such games are available for kids to play after school in the local libraries. I don't know if there is any evidence available to suggest that playing such games increases the likelihood of kids growing up and shooting each other either accidentally or intentionally, but it certainly does encourage them to think that guns are a 'game', and pointing a loaded gun at another person is part of the game. I wonder if anyone any one would be able to access any information regarding the detrimental effects of such games, and if you would be prepared to support my intended recommendation to councils that they ban such games from being played in libraries. Any help I can get would be much appreciated. Phyllis Leigh (by email)
PRESS RELEASE:
FISH & GAME VOTE TO REMOVE SUB-GAUGE EXEMPTION

juniors who could be genuinely disadvantaged by the change, and voted to continue their exemption, along with those shooting with .410 gauge shotgun. Councillors have listened to the concerns of those who want to retain the use of lead shot carefully. They have done their own research by talking to hunters, including some of those who signed the petition against the change, and found that when the issues were explained many were not so opposed. Mr Rodway and the Council are expecting continued opposition from some quarters of the game bird hunting fraternity, and have already received submissions against the proposal, citing the poor performance of steel shot. However, steel shot loads are commonly used to hunt waterfowl in North America in 20 gauge shot guns and some of the Southland Fish & Game Council who have used these loads report that they are surprisingly effective. Feedback is be encouraged from all licence holders in the meantime and will be sought during the 2013 game season hunter surveys. For further information contact: Maurice Rodway, Manager, Southland Fish & Game (021) 2215801, Maurice.rodway@southlandfishgame. co.nz
The Southland Fish & Game Council has taken steps to phase out an exemption that allows hunters the use of lead shot in sub-gauge shotguns in their pursuit of waterfowl within 200 metres on all waterways over 3 metres wide. There is a lot to gain - our environment and health of our ducks, wetlands and waterways and, our credibility, says Southland Fish & Game manager Maurice Rodway. At its recent February meeting, the Southland Fish & Game Council considered all the evidence and submissions presented, along with other information and research undertaken by staff, and resolved: The use of lead will be phased out over a three-year transition. The 2014-15 game bird season will see Southland Fish & Game encouraging the voluntary use of non-toxic shot; 2015-16 requiring the use of nontoxic shot on all public waterways; and 2016-17 requiring the use for all waterfowl hunting within 200 metres of a waterway greater than 3 metres wide. Hunters will not have to stop hunting, they will only lose a few metres in range, which only requires a slight change in hunting tactics, says Mr Rodway. The Southland Fish & Game council has shown a willingness to consider groups of hunters, such as
NZDA HUNTS REPORT
HUNTS - TIME FOR REFLECTION

Bill OLeary, National Coordinator, NZDA HUNTS February and March were to be time out and a chance to do some fishing and at the end of the first month I had managed to catch an 8 pound salmon and a near 15 pound brown trout. This wasnt what I had expected but I am not complaining. Certainly I was a lot luckier than two deer that turned up when my son and I were expecting a quiet morning on hares and again luckier than the wallabies that should have been taking cover from the first rain in weeks on the only evening I had free for a hunt. On reflecting on this past month I reckon we live in a great hunting and fishing country but while some of us seem lucky (sometimes) in our pursuits, the real results come with planning and persistence and grabbing the opportunities when they present themselves. Some time ago when my wife had set our salmon fishing holiday in concrete in the hope that nothing would interrupt our plans, I received a request to run a range officer course in Dunedin and it presented opportunities too good to miss. Thankful for an understanding wife I was able to run the course for Otago Branch with Southland also attending. The trip gave the opportunity to talk HUNTS with the Otago Branch and explain how the streamlined instructor qualification process was so much more user friendly than had been the case. The opportunity was also there to touch base with HUNTS Coordinators Nathan Dawson (Southland), Barry Gamble (North Otago) and Jono Young (South Canterbury). An earlier side trip had enabled a catch up with Upper Clutha instructors and tidy up some assessment paperwork. And so back to Nelson in a weeks time and back to preparing for the revalidation of our NZDA HUNTS instructors. Earlier in the year negotiations with MSC have sorted out a process and draft documentation for revalidation. Both Richard Brodie (MSC) and I have taken a break for fishing and revalidation will be my priority in late March and April. Late March will see other HUNTS activity with Manawatu being the first to complete a course for 2013 and Porirua and Central King Country scheduled to complete before Easter. Nelson has already had enrolments for our course starting in July and I imagine that other branches are getting inquiries. I would ask that coordinators let me know the dates and programmed events of their courses so that I can plan to visit as many courses as possible or at least touch base if passing through on my travels. Other work that has occupied my thoughts in between salmon and wallabies has been the review of the Administration and Safety Management System (SMS) manuals. The intention is to update the administration manual and combine it with the SMS manual. If this works we should have a single reference resource for running HUNTS courses. Also on the work list is the review of the HUNTS Training Manual. Currently we have sufficient stocks of the current manual to get us through the first half of the year and we also have Alex Gales DVD as a valuable alternate resource. Well I am heading for bed. I have the alarm set for an early start fishing and unless I am interrupted by a big weight on my line I expect to spend a lot of the morning thinking about HUNTS and planning for the roar and duck season.
Bill OLeary National Coordinator, NZDA HUNTS
AIM BETWEEN THE SHOULDER BLADES

By Robyn Harper, South Canterbur y Branch "Aim between the shoulder blades," Jono whispered. I sat with elbows resting on my knees, steadying his Brno. A semi-circle of clarity in a fogged scope enabled me to take a bead on the Fallow does back. A deft touch of the trigger ... Bang! Instantly she flipped belly-up. "Wait a few minutes, you may have just stunned her," was Jono's advice. Looking down the rocky scree slope I knew I'd hit her fair and square. The doe did a dying kick with her forelegs, then lay forever still. In June I started the NZDA HUNTs course with the South Canterbury Branch of the NZDA. Six of us were in the 'A Team'. We'd all had some previous hunting or backcountry experience. This advanced course was tailored to sharpen our skills, knowledge and techniques. I am 50 years young and can't sit still. Why do I want to hunt? This question was put to me on numerous occasions. Hunting is something I've always wanted to do. As a youngster, occasionally one of my brothers and I would be invited to join a very keen deerstalking family on the Korokonui Range, near Te Awamutu. Each year this family would embark on a month long hunting foray to the South Island. Later, we'd view their slides of these trips. I
STORY
was enthralled. About four years ago a hunting guide (who's children I taught) talked about the NZDA HUNTs course. When enquiring about the course I was fobbed off and got the distinct impression it was for 'young' lads. Dammit ... how could a keen female hunterto-be learn to hunt? This year the timing was right. I'd stepped down from a four year stint as president of the local tramping club. Could I cut the mustard with hunting? You bet! A tahr hunt in early November, up the Rangitata ... sweet. Our instructions were nannies and kids only. NO bulls. Friday's howling nor'wester duely turned to a cold wet southerly that peppered snow on the tops. Low cloud delayed the hunt, so a river crossing lesson was planned. The raging, rumbling river never had a leather clad toe dipped into it. As the river was uncrossable (even for grunty 4WDs), the advanced teams reverted to Plan B. We hunted blocks at one end of the range. I had to pinch myself - I was really out there doing it - hunting tahr. Lance, our very experienced instructor, another trainee and I, stalked a small mob on a steep face. With a difficult uphill shot, I missed a curious nanny on lookout duty. We three were watched and whistled at from the alert mobile mob. We hunkered down, relaxed and waited for things to settle down. Suddenly Lance said, "Let's move now, like we're going for a walk." Up we popped and walked steadily toward these agile animals. I shook my head and smiled at the audacity of this method of stalking. We had no cover, so what the heck! After about 200 metres we stopped, crouched down and I went forward peeping over a small lip. One nanny was munching away on some tasty alpine morsels. Resting the rifle on Lance's shoulder I took aim. Down she went. Then she stood up. Working the bolt quickly I took aim again. Down she went. Then she leapt ... over the bluff ... and out of view. Standing where she last stood we spotted her lying in bracken, unmoving. "If you've gut shot her, dress her there. If you've lung shot her, roll her down the hill to the fence." Had I heard right? Roll her down the hill? My fellow trainee assured me that they are easier to roll with the guts still in. Nanny and I had a few one sided conversations on the way down. Her little set of horns had a knack for hooking onto rocks, briar, matagouri, bracken, and manuka. For variation they'd dig into the ground. To even the score I give her a good kick down the scree slopes. Dislodging her from the scrub she bounced into was a little tricky, but determination on my part freed her and away we went again. The
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013 7
ever present light snow flakes fell thicker and faster just as we three loaded our nannies into the 4WD. We had our tahr, what would we like to hunt next? The lure of the West Coast chamios beckoned. A quick flick up and over the Whataroa into the wilderness in a chopper had two teams safely deposited near their respective camping spots. Two chamios spotted by the pilot confirmed we were indeed in chamios country. The first day we reccied the area. Mystified why we weren't seeing any animals, we hunkered down for a midday siesta. An hour or two later, Lance, our alert instructor glassed a mob feeding on a far mountain face. Later, as we turned toward camp four more were observed feeding and playing. After a frigid night blue sky greeted us. The guys went ahead and scored three of the four we'd observed the day before. A tender knee and very cramped leg muscle had me hobbling so I elected to glass all the valleys, saddles and basins the other side of camp. On dusk two were pursued but they had the goods on us. Next morning, to our utter amazement one curious chamios watched us eating breakfast. Breakfast was tossed into the tent, packs on, rifle in hand, and Lance and I were in hot pursuit. This little chamios was on high alert and hightailed it across the river and sped up the opposite mountain face. With mist rolling in we sat and waited for it to disperse. Suddenly Lance whispered, "There's two up there, can you see them?" Indeed I could. They were grazing and working higher. To our utter amazement they turned and barrelled down the mountain face, crossed the river ... "Quick, this way." To a small knob we hurriedly crept ... there not 70 metres in front of us they stood. Oh, the excitement, the tension, the wonder ... With Lance's shoulder as a rest, I placed
the crosshairs on the one to the right. She treated us to a foot stomp and hiss-like bark! What a thrill! I scoped to the one on the left. It had turned broadside. I squeezed the trigger ... click! Darn, I still had the safety catch on. Catch off, CRACK ... it disappeared. "Nice shot! Nice shot!" exclaimed Lance. My ears were ringing from the report. I laughed and laughed ... somewhat incredulous that I had actually shot one very curious chamios. A little over an hour later I sat beside my tent finishing breakfast smiling at a beautiful head with 7 1/2 " hooks. At branch meetings often there's a lone female among the many males. I am looking, listening and learning. To all the instructors, thank you for welcoming me. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and imparting skills and knowledge with patience and good humour. To girls who are seriously thinking about hunting, contact your local NZDA branch and enquire about the HUNTS course. It is well worth it! PS - Did you notice the NZDA supporters/ sponsors clothing I practically live in? Stoney Creek and Swazi produce fabulous outdoor clothing for all conditions!
e H a ppy a nd sa f h unting .
COLFO
COLFO
Since the last report there have not been a lot of meetings; one informal meeting with police, another with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) staff and one with an MP. The Council met early in February to discuss setting up the strategy committee. This group will help us plan for the areas on which to focus our energy for the next five years. In relation to the January airgun death we made two radio and one TV comment. We are continuing to discuss the potential impact of the Arms Trade Treaty with the MFAT, and we are monitoring the recent events in the United States of America to see if they will affect the development of the treaty. You may have seen a number of media organisations publishing a call for full registration of firearms to improve safety. We have contacted the author of the article, asking for him to share the research that backs this claim. The research we have seen from overseas shows complete registration is neither cost effective nor accurate, therefore not offering a benefit to match the cost. We have also contacted the members of parliament (MPs) who are on our mailing list, and reminded them of the research we had circulated to their advisers in March last, which shows two societies similar to ours are either removing full registration or questioning its value in providing real benefits to public safety. COLFO took the opportunity of the end of year to reflect on the number of shootings in the USA and sent an email to MPs highlighting the significant differences between firearms legislation in New Zealand and the United States of America, (available on our website). While it is not prudent to say events like these could not happen in this country, when you consider the vast difference in firearm controls, the risk of a similar event happening here is very low. If you have any thoughts or feedback please email me at chair@colfo.org.nz
15th January 2013 saw the following reported in the press. Better enforcement needed: Firearm dealer By Brendan Manning While international shooting tragedies re-ignite debate around gun laws, a local gun dealer says legislation here is up to scratch - but stricter enforcement is needed. Figures released under the Official Information Act show of the 234,000-plus gun licence holders in New Zealand, 5516 are permitted to possess military-style, semi-automatics (MSSAs). There are nearly 15,000 firearm licence holders in the Eastern police district, which includes Hawke's Bay. Hawke's Bay Rifle Club secretary Les Marshall said New Zealand's gun laws were sufficient, but only when enforced. If you get a gun [related] problem in the courts they don't seem to get the right punishment. They don't seem to hand down the maximum sentences.... they seem to be fairly lenient. Mr Marshall said while lawful gun owners were penalised, unlawful gun owners with stolen weapons continued to flout the law. Mr Marshall saw no reason to allow MSSAs in New Zealand, I don't see any use for them whatsoever in this country. A former High Court judge who was appointed to review gun control laws in 1996 following two shootings by police and the Aramoana massacre is again questioning the need for
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civilians to possess military-style weapons. I do find difficulty in seeing any purpose in having multiple firing weapons of the military style, Sir Thomas Thorp said. I can't see what purpose they serve to us in this country. American Vice-President Joe Biden is due to release recommendations from his gun violence task force this week in response to calls for tighter gun control laws, specifically around the ownership of military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. It follows the second-deadliest school shooting in US history in December in which 20 children and six staff were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The gunman used two pistols and a Bushmaster XM15 assault rifle, a gun available to Kiwi arms enthusiasts with E category licences. The most recently available figures from Statistics New Zealand show more than 26,000 firearms were imported in 2011, worth $13.5 million. Although firearm owners are licensed, there is no way of knowing how many guns they possess because of a decision in 1982 to abandon a system of licensing each gun in favour of licensing gun owners. In 1996, Police National Headquarters estimated there were 1.2 million firearms
nationwide. Sir Thomas said while New Zealand's gun-related offending was lower than other developed countries, police routinely found black-market guns in criminal hands during drug raids. Police annual reports show 599 firearm licences were revoked in the 2011/12 financial year for gun control breaches; 79 under the Domestic Violence Act. The number of illegal firearms in circulation is unknown. However, Sir Thomas' 1997 Review of Firearms Control in New Zealand estimated 100,000 guns were held by unlicensed owners. His report recommended that all firearms be registered (not just handguns and MSSAs); licences be renewed every three, instead of 10 years; and MSSAs be banned and made subject to a Government buy-back. (Editors comment Thorp also added, unless a compliance rate of not less than 90 percent can be achieved, the benefits derived from registration would be significantly reduced. [p184] A fact that is nearly always omitted by the media and the anti brigade.) To date most of Sir Thomas' recommendations have been ignored by Parliament. End of report.
Fig.1 This topic has been hot within the Service Rifle membership for some time. A number of NZDA members are also shooting semiautomatics and some are MSSAs due to stock configurations. Les Marshall is a NRANZ fullbore shooter, and the type of shooting he competes in is single shot, prone target shooting. Unfortunately there are many Les Marshall's out there who the media will easily find. A similar attitude was previously shown by the smallbore fraternity. Certainly the mentality of there's no problem in my backyard prevails. Many vigorous discussions with smallbore shooters have occurred over time with strong suggestions that they look at the bigger picture outside their own discipline. Over the years there have been many firearm owners that refuse to look beyond their own niche, meanwhile shouting down what others do. A case of Im alright Jack. The public are reminded that E endorsed licence holders undergo stringent processes and must comply with obligations to qualify for their licence. As a member of the public you are more likely to be involved in a car accident than a firearm incident. In the sporting arena MSSAs are the future. Even Anshutz have released a new .22RF in MSSA configuration and the AR15 platform is being built on in multiple non-military calibres. So why all the fuss about MSSAs? The table ( Fig.1 ) supplied by New Zealand Police indicates the firearms that cause the most problems. It is quite clear that MSSAs are not the problem that they are portrayed to be.
Percentage of Types of Firearms Seized 08/09

Type of firearm Rifle Shotgun Rifle Airgun Handgun Airgun Imitation Handgun Handgun Pistol Handgun Revolver Rifle Cut-down MSSA Other Imitation Rifle Total Total 299 135 104 71 28 231 9 9 8 6 5 690 % 43 20 15 10 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 100
All the best son ling, Chairper Michael Dow
STORY
EXPERIENCE AND YOUTH

By Bob Pittaway, Direct Branch One evening, out of the blue, while in all probability the television was watching me, I was rudely awakened by the insistent ringing of the telephone. It was brother-in-law Bill. After the normal introductory small talk and compulsory inquiring about the health of our families, Bill got right to the point. His son Jasper had suddenly got keen on hunting and could Uncle Bob accommodate him sometime soon to teach him the basics of that noble pastime. I felt honoured and pleased to be able to help and replied in the affirmative asking when this event was liable to take place. Very soon, said Bill, also stating that Jasper would contact me shortly. It so happened that within weeks of the phone call by Jasper, two very keen young hunters from Tauranga came and stayed for the weekend. Early Friday evening they arrived and over cups of tea interspersed with a couple of beers we sat around the kitchen table swapping yarns. I should amend that statement to a one sided conversation transpired with me endeavouring to entertain the two boys with tales of mishaps and mayhem while guiding people in recent years. My wife informed me later that some of my stories appeared to be veiled threats on the protocols of hunting and that the boys appeared to become quite nervous. I thought that by injecting humour and slight exaggeration into the conversation it should make two budding hunters more comfortable. Having witnessed a number of noteworthy dos and donts over many years of escorting or introducing people to hunting I always feel that it is my duty to pass on valuable tips. Some obvious mistakes that budding hunters tend to make are as laughable as they are annoying, especially when yours truly is endeavouring to get the would-be hunter as close as possible to his quarry. For example, I took Jacob out one afternoon to look for a deer. Jacob assured me that he had been hunting before and had shot a few deer so I didnt hesitate to drop him off at the top of a ridge with instructions to walk down the long spur where I would eventually pick him up at the bottom. Last seen, Jacob was wearing a threequarter length bush shirt that came to below knee level. I didnt know what he was wearing underneath until I caught sight of him wandering down the ridge towards me wearing a green T-shirt and pure white surfing board shorts. The pants were like a neon sign flashing on the hill and Jacob was upset the animals he did happen to see were all going south at a hundred miles an hour. To make matters worse, Jacob had left his bush shirt at the top of the hill and expected me to find him a handy deer while he wore the most unsuitable hunting mocker I have ever seen. If there was a definition for impossibility this was it and I didnt manage to get Jacob onto a deer until the following day when he was more suitably attired. In situations like this it pays to have a sense of humour, but at times it is a struggle. When one is stalking deer and endeavouring to guide a young or new hunter into a position where the only thing left to do is take a carefully calculated shot at an unsuspecting animal, then ones senses are attuned to every sound emanating from that person. Sounds such as heavy breathing, squeaky boots, slurping on a CamelBak water tube, talking, walking heavily, breaking branches on the ground or above the ground, loose bullets jiggling in pockets and coughing are all amplified by the tension. All of these stories and more were related to Jasper and Campbell that evening before the hunt and I went to bed that night confident that my light-hearted lecturing would be of supreme benefit for the following day. The next morning I was pleasantly surprised to see the lads had invested in some quite reasonable hunting gear such as good quality boots, puttees, quiet clothing, not to mention well-maintained (brand new) rifles in .308 and .270 calibre respectively. At first light we ventured up a side road and within fifteen minutes of leaving the house, came upon four Fallow spikers grazing in a gully. The sound of the motorbike had alerted them but they didnt start to head off until the shooting started. The result was our shots fired and one wounded deer. To Campbells credit he tracked the deer for perhaps halfan-hour before putting it out of its misery and it was a good result after a rough start to the day. Venturing on out we reached a point on the block where we left the bike and proceeded on foot. I was highly amused after ten minutes walking to hear the unmistakeable squeaking of boots, and they werent mine! I managed to hold my tongue as I detected that Jasper was becoming quite embarrassed about the
10 NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013
One of several Red hinds seen during the day
Campbell with his deer Jasper with his first deer
squeaky boot syndrome. A very short time later Jasper was sitting next to a muddy water table on the track with his boots off. He then proceeded to rub mud onto the tongues of his boots in an attempt to stop the noise. Not only did it work but I also commended the boys for slurping their CamelBaks noiselessly. Neither of the boys had binoculars and they had to use their rifle scopes to check out game. This is a practice that I totally abhor because of the likelihood of getting a human unexpectedly in the sights, and its also not much fun sharing one pair of binoculars between three people. I had done enough lecturing the night before about most things including the need to possess a good pair of binoculars and anyway I was trying to keep things positive on the hill. Not long after oiling his boots with mud, Jasper managed to shoot a Red hind after a short stalk. This was after I reminded the boys to keep off the skyline, keep off the ridge and keep their bloody heads down. This was Jaspers first deer and is always a special event in the life of a hunter. I believe I was as pleased and excited as he was and was promptly asked by the two boys to show them how to dress out a deer. I knew I was there for some reason and this was it. An hour later the boys missed what I thought should have been easy shots at a Fallow, but shooting off hand is not ideal and a discussion ensued regarding the importance of a good rifle rest if possible. The boys then produced lunch that had been purchased at a bakery in the Bay of Plenty the day before. Just sitting back in the middle of deer country, having a bite to eat and going over the details of the mornings hunt is as important and enjoyable as the actual hunt. I was also in great company. These two young
fellas were keen, enthusiastic and a pleasure to be with. After a pleasant half hour or so we retrieved the bike, dragged the deer down near a track, loaded up and headed to another part of the station that held good numbers of deer. It was to be Campbells next shot and we soon saw four Reds disappearing into a scrubby gut a few hundred metres away. I instructed Campbell to go along and get himself into a comfortable shooting position as I felt that the deer wouldnt stay there forever. Minutes later the deer appeared heading uphill and when the last one paused, Campbell fired. The deer appeared to flinch but carried on and out of sight. Campbell yelled out an expletive but I assured him that the shot was a killing one, and after a short search the large Red hind was discovered upside down in a side creek. I was probably expected to gut this animal too, but with a bit of guidance and ribbing over the sharpness of knives I managed to keep my hands clean while the likely lads completed the task. It was mid-afternoon by the time we had loaded the second Red hind onto the bike. My thoughts quite often go to Mr Honda and what he would think about the kiwi hunters load on his quads. Our final destination and hunting spot was to be one of my favourite meat safes. My philosophy as an ageing hunter is to try to shoot deer ABOVE the tracks and this particular area lends itself to just that. Parking the bike I announced to the boys that I may have a shot myself if a suitable animal presented itself. A walk around a scrubby track for 200 metres got us to a small ridge from where we could look up into a nice little bush basin. There
would have been at least a dozen Reds there but they had winded us. As they climbed up through a small patch of native I whispered to Jasper to try and shoot a young stag on the right and I would have a go at the eight-pointer on the left. By some good management and tons of good luck I saw my stag falter after the shot from my 7mm-08 and start hurtling down towards us. Jasper absolutely pole axed his Red spiker which disappeared out of sight into the trees. As we walked up the hill I was quietly confident that we had achieved our goal but with rifles ready we werent taking any chances. We soon found the animals quite dead and both were one shot kills. The deer were taken by firing uphill at about 200 metres and, better still, they were both above the track. After dressing out the two large animals it was shear simplicity to drag them downhill to the quad. Because of the reasonably high deer numbers on the property the policy at that time was no restriction on numbers killed providing no meat was wasted. We would be dining on sausages and salamis for months after this effort, not forgetting of course the choice cuts of steak. The weekend was capped off by a pig hunt the next day that was short lived because of a major storm front that came through late Sunday morning. This proved to be one of my most enjoyable weekends hunting for years. The recipe for this was taking out two young guys who were thirsting for knowledge about hunting and the game they were pursuing. I am sure they learned many things but I also need to learn to keep my lectures to a minimum so that my charges in the future can at least get a good nights sleep before a day on the hill.
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WILD GAME - ANOTHER ASPECT
RED DEER ODDMENTS

By D Bruce Banwell, National Life Member Over the centuries and across most of Europe, the term royal has been applied to Red deer, particularly in regard to their antlers or part thereof. In fact, the term has been bandied around with almost gay abandon so to speak. At one stage in history the trez tine was known as the royal tine. How things change with time. In this day and age it has been promoted one storey! Then, of course, those initial forks at the top of the main beam that developed in evolution were to be paramount in having a twelvepointer referred to as a royal. However, the term royal head developed from the fact that in Britain in particular, they seldom developed beyond that point and should the king be out hunting and sight a stag of quality, 99% of which were twelve-pointers, if he was required to return to London for some important political reason, he would declare the animal a royal stag and it was protected for his return. The kings were, of course, in those days absolute rulers and he was not to be disobeyed. The royal tines can erupt singly, or alternatively, in most cases with mature sets of antler, in pairs referred to as inner and outer royal tines. They proved to be a significant step in the evolution of Red deer antlers forming the fork at the top of the main beam long before the extension of the backtine and formation of the surroyals took place. Similar to the case with the bez and trez tines, any irregularity in this formation in this day and age tends to cause chaos in the minds of some measurer/scorers and so it is perhaps an appropriate time to follow up on my notes on irregular eruption of bez and trez tines covered in the last issue by covering the same situation as it occurs with royal tines. In fact, it is probably more common in royals than the other two. As I stated in the last issue, it seems to me there are a number of measurers and tutors who fail to understand the rudiments of antler development and structure as it is linked with evolution and environment and the ultimate
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result - the final development of mature Red deer antler. Some display difficulty in interpreting and coping with irregularities which crop up from time to time, but which are not a regular, uniform conformation and which fail to conform to their particular philosophy on antler structure. The positioning of dual royal tines appears to cause the same situation as already covered by the irregular eruption of both bez and trez tines and this problem raised its ugly head, particularly in Australia, where one exponent in particular, displayed no appreciation whatsoever for the correct antler structure and some trophies were incorrectly analysed and scored due to the failure to counter-part the royal tines where they happened to erupt as inner and outer on both sides but not in exactly the same position on both antlers. In some extreme cases, before the decision regarding counter-parting is made, some sensible license and commonsense has to be applied. One has to give an inch, so to speak, in some instances perhaps a little more, as the eruptions are not always as uniform as one would expect. Then there is the case of one erupting off the other or what some would explain as forking. This process has been responsible for throwing some measurers into panic mode, others into quite incorrect interpretation. It is in cases such as this where my theory of biological intention springs to the fore. All I have to say to my critics who ridicule
Three examples of Inner Royals erupting from different positions that can be counterparted.
< The J I McLean trophy from Troyte Creek, 1951, DS 395 . An excellent example of the right hand Inner Royal erupting from the classical position, while the left hand counterpart has erupted 4 inches up the back tine. that philosophy is that, because it happens to rubbish their theory or opinions on the subject, as well as making the theory of benefit of the doubt much clearer to learners and the uninitiated, or whatever, they cannot tolerate it. All I can say it is time they learned and allowed their brains to accept any advancement which could be in the form of improvement in interpretation or application.
NEW ZEALAND DEERSTALKERS ASSOCIATION INC
New Zealand Big Game Record Series

Written and compiled for the NZDA by D Bruce Banwell
Each work looks at the origin, liberation, spread and establishment, present status, location and how to hunt information as well as listing all known trophies and their Douglas Score statistics as recorded by the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc.
Item Big Game Record Series 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 Total to pay
NZDA Price Including P&P $36.00 $35.00 $35.00 $42.50 $42.50 $42.50 $42.50
Quantity
Amount to Pay
Name:_____________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Phone:____________________________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________________
I enclose my cheque for $___________________________________ Or charge my Visa Mastercard
Expiry date: ______________________ Cardholder name:_________________________________________
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.
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YOUNG HUNTER
HOW I GOT INTO DUCK SHOOTING

By Colin Bates, aged 15, Rotorua Branch I have only quite recently begun duck shooting with my grandfather and father. Since my first couple of ducks I have become addicted to the sport. We dont get many ducks from where we go, but each one is more satisfying to shoot than the last and now and then well shoot some pukekos just to spice up an unsuccessful day. On one particular day we decided to cook some of them up and in my personal opinion, it tasted better than duck, and would happily eat it more often. I began shooting with my Dads short pump action 12g and was happy with it for a while, until I began using my brothers Remington 1187 12g semiautomatic. I have continued to use this with greater success this season, and will continue to use it. My shooting was not very good and found myself missing quite a few birds, so I decided to join a clay target group at my school and found it very helpful when the season came around. Duck shooting and hunting with my father have sparked a deep interest in firearms and have taught me some valuable safety practices. Duck shooting and hunting are both great sports activities to get engaged in and are very rewarding. Although shooting a couple of ducks a day isnt as rewarding as taking down a large animal in the New Zealand bush, it still gives you a great buzz that is hard to capture.
For Colin to claim his last duck of the season he had to swim across the canal to retrieve it
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Philip Blanchard , Wellington releasing his coho salmon of the trip in the Queen Charlotte Islands, BC, Canada.
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James Peffers jnr (Manawatu Branch (16) in Hanmer Springs area with his chamois.
Makayla Bothwell, 3-years-old loves going out hunting with Dad Daniel (Marlborough Branch).
Luke Jarvie (Upper Clutha
Branch) on a recent hunt where he used his Tikka .243 to take the deer at 140 metres.
Alex Graham (Hutt Valley) who shot his first two goats with his fathers Tikka .223 at 170 metres. His dad Hamish only helped with the bolt and Alex who will soon turn 9 did the rest.
John Broughton (Southland Branch), Sam Milne (holding pig) Julia and Alexis Broughton taking townies Lucy and Alice Milne out on a hunt
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NATIONAL HUNTING ADVISOR
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
THE PATHWAY TO THAT MEAT ON THE TABLE The seven species of deer (eight if you count moose), tahr, wallaby were introduced into New Zealand as a source of recreation and food thereby supplementing the already established pigs and goats from early exploration voyages. These introductions often involved lengthy boat trips from far of countries at considerable personal cost for those involved. (A good insight to these early acclimatisation efforts is contained in the book, Gamekeepers for the Nation, the story of New Zealands acclimatisation societies 1861 1990, by the late R M McDowall.) From this legacy of introductions the sport of hunting in New Zealand, as we know it today, was established. Getting involved in hunting is not an arduous task but does involve various steps on the way. OBTAINING A FIREARM: Before anyone in New Zealand obtains a firearm they must hold the relevant licence under the Arms Act 1983. To obtain a firearms licence apply in person to your nearest police station. The Arms Code an important part of the licence process is available at a police station or on the police website: www. police.govt.nz/services/firearms/arms-codeintroduction SELECTING A FIREARM: There are numerous types and calibres of firearms available and for the beginner the choice can be a bit bewildering. Joining a hunting club should provide the right advice as will most firearms retailers. Available on the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council website (www.mountainsafety.org.nz) is the pamphlet, Selecting a Firearm which also provides sound advice. HUNTING SAFETY: During the process of obtaining a firearms licence various safety aspects are covered in a classroom type environment.
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Reinforcing the firearms licence requirements in a field context, plus many other aspects of hunting, is the NZDA HUNTS programme run by New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. The Firearms Safety pamphlet available from the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council and the Arms Code available from a police station or website, are good sources of written safety information. FINDING SOMEWHERE TO HUNT: In New Zealand there are two main options, private and public lands, and permission is required to hunt on either. For DOC administered land there is information on where to hunt on the Departments website www.doc.govt.nz/parks&recreation/hunting/ where to hunt On public lands, hunting often occurs along side a range of other recreation activities. The Department in managing these activities endeavours to maintain a backcountry experience whilst encouraging the use of safe practices. Guiding a lot of this visitor management each Conservancy has a Conservation Management Strategy (CMS), which is a 10year document that describes how places are to be managed. As part of the Departments planning process the public can make submissions on a draft CMS and hunters are encouraged to submit, especially on matters that relate to hunting. The Departments website www.doc.govt. nz/getting involved/consultation/ consulting on Conservation Management Strategies, contains information on the CMS process, how to make a submission, including a discretional submission form, and when draft strategies will be available for comment. Remember on Department administered land a hunting permit is required for which information is available on the DOC website: www.doc.govt.nz/parks recreation/hunting/ permit& licences
THE HUNT: Before and during the hunt an individual hunter has a multitude of decisions that will often dictate the outcome of a trip. Above all considerations should be your and other persons safety (Remember no meat is better than no mate) . For those who have attended a NZDA HUNTS course you should be well prepared, for those who havent the NZ Mountain Safety Council pamphlet Going Hunting contains a range of useful information. If hunting on DOC administered lands the local DOC office can provide information on current conditions. An aspect of a hunt that may be overlooked is the question of animal welfare. Whilst the hunting or killing of a wild animal is not unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, causing an animal to suffer unnecessarily is. TAKING HOME THE MEAT: After all the effort involved in securing your intended quarry you owe it to yourself to look after the animal through the food preparation process. A handy guide is the booklet Food safety for recreational hunters available from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority or on its website www.nzfsa.govt.nz BRAISED VENISON STEAK: Now that you have secured that prime young deer here is an old camp recipe. Select 4 to 6 large stewing steaks and lay on top of 4 to 5 onions cut into rings in your camp oven. Add one dessertspoon of fat. Sprinkle with flour and salt and pepper, brown for hour, then add 1 mug (1 pint) of vegetable juice or water. Keep the lid on the camp oven while cooking. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Thicken, if required, with dry soup or a flour and water paste. Potato powder is also ideal for thickening a braise, but be careful you do not use too much. (Camp Cookery, D M Cowlin)
OPINION
A VERY SIMPLE MEASURING SYSTEM BASED ON SYMMETRICAL OR BALANCED SIZE.

Ray Web, Otago Branch, National AHT Judge / Douglas Score Coordinating Tutor Although I agree with a number of points that Alain Jorian has raised in his article on Genetically Manipulated Red Deer NZ Hunting & Wildlife (H&W) issue 179) there are several observations he has made regarding the Douglas Score System that need addressing. Symmetry - The Douglas Score System (DS) is not strongly based on symmetry, but as emphasized throughout the DS Handbook, it is based on the SYMMETRICAL SIZE of counter parts. Size being the lengths of the main beams, tines, and girths for coronet and beam. Apart from applying a degree of analysis for symmetry when selecting counter parting tines on heads with multi point tops, tines can erupt from different places, in different directions, have different girths, be totally different in appearance and suffer no penalty under the Douglas System. I did write an article in H&W issue 166 to justify the retention of visual judging by the national judging panel just for this very reason. If we dogmatically applied the Douglas Score (most of our branches do to avoid controversy) and awarded the top placing to the highest scoring head we could on occasions have some fairly strange looking heads, be they damaged, deformed or lacking primary tines, winning our national competition. Fig.1 Shows a symmetrical 14-pt Red deer head where the right antler is a mirror image of the left. This set of antlers will score the maximum possible for its antler growth under the DS based on symmetrical size. Fig. 2 Shows a very non symmetrical 14-pt Red deer head where right and left hand antlers have the same counterparts as Fig. 1 but they have erupted from different places and are quite different in shape. Provided the scoring factors are the same for each head then both would be credited the same score. This non symmetrical head is no way penalised for being an oddity.
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Fig.1
Fig.2
Even if the head in Fig.2 scored greater than the one in Fig.1 I know which one I would sooner have on my wall as it is an authentic example of the species. Excess spread Perhaps the one aspect of the Douglas Score system that has hunters throwing their arms up in horror is the matter of excess spread. All of the deer species covered in the Douglas Score Handbook, including Fallow, are subject to excess spread correction if they exceed the spread deadline for that particular species. It is rather disingenuous to imply that Norman Douglas would have set the Fallow excess spread deadline at the longest antler plus four inches just because he had taken a fallow head with spread greater than its longest antler. No, Norman would have gathered as much information on deer antler configuration that was available at the time and thus determined the average or normal length, spread/span proportions for each species. I include span as the excess spread correction also includes a component of span. Note that the span of many early heads taken in New Zealand was not always recorded. If Norman was today able to re-look at all this historical data plus current data he may well arrive at different parameters to what he regarded as typical back in 1959. As Australia has adopted the Douglas Score
System I wonder if their data would also be included. Interestingly it was mentioned on a recent trip to Australia that a large proportion of their Sambar are deemed overspread under the DS criteria. Why penalise for excess spread in the first place? If we were to imagine a set of antlers that grew out sideways like a moose head they would not only look pretty odd they would also have massive spread and span measurements which if not penalised could end up scoring far greater than a nicely proportioned trophy.
Most hunters would not be too perturbed if their prized trophy that was deemed four inches excess spread was just docked the four DS points but when this is multiplied by three then the loss of twelve points appears a very harsh penalty! In DS tutorials I am often asked why treble this excess spread measurement. It is explained in the handbook but just to put a slightly different perspective on this matter. Firstly, if we consider the above example, to bring the head back to its optimum spread score we would reduce his spread measurement by four. Secondly, if the spread has been reduced by four, so too should be the span. (In fact this would be slightly less than four but to simplify arithmetic it is rounded up). You will note in the DS sheets that the spread and span measurements are combined to produce a spread factor but all the subtractions are taken from the spread. (Again this is just to reduce the arithmetic to one simple calculation). We now have a spread/span score that corresponds to the ideal specimen. If we left the score at this ie, just multiplied the excess spread by two then we wouldnt really have penalised the head for excess spread at all. Therefore we multiply the excess spread by three which is equivalent to taking another two inches off the spread and two inches off the span. The spread plus span score is now equivalent to a head that is two inches under the maximum allowable spread. It can be seen from this that heads that are well over spread are penalised more than those slightly over spread. Remember that heads that are under spread have already penalised themselves so certainly dont require further penalty. It would be impossible to design a scoring system to cover all conceivable variations of antler growth. All scoring systems have strengths and weaknesses and it could be argued that the penalty imposed on excess spread heads, where the overspread is not caused by excessive span but by outward
protruding points or palms, then under the DS they are being unduly penalised. Multi-point heads When determining the counter parts for the top tines on multipoint heads I have found it can become a little confusing keeping track of them unless they have a piece of colour coded, named or numbered tape attached. Carry out this labelling before you put a tape on the head and if you have someone assisting, discuss the counter parting procedure. Another opinion is generally helpful. There have been several articles recently in H&W regarding technicalities in the interpretation of the Douglas Score particularly when counter parting tines. Of concern is that many of our keen young hunters may be put off learning the rudiments of measuring our big game trophies in the belief it is far too complicated. In fact what Norman achieved was a very simple measuring system based on symmetrical or
balanced size. The vast majority of big game trophy heads that we encounter require very little debate on what determines a counterpart and are very straight forward to measure. The new generation of measurers will probably have far more problems trying to get to grips with an out dated imperial system of measurement than with the Douglas Score System.
Hunt Stewart Island

Scenic Trips Fishing Hunting Diving Tramping
47ft Morgan Hull charter vessel, 650hp V8 Fiat engine, cruises at 12-13 knots. Bob Hawkless: ex commercial fisherman for 25 years plus 20 years hunting experience on Stewart Island. Hire equipment: 12ft Stabi Crafts, 12ft dinghys, outboard motors, camping equipment, gas bottles & dive bottles. Contact: Bob & Chris Hawkless Ph: (03) 212 7254 - Fax: (03) 212 8321 - Mob: 0274 335 801 Email: mana.charters@xtra.co.nz Web: www.manacharters.com
CHARTERS BLUFF
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STORY
NEK MINNIT NIGHTMARE

By Jason Searle, Southern Lakes Branch
Gary, Jamie and myself patiently waiting in the Cascade as Kerry and John take flight
Ever since I can remember my father and his band of merry men have been guiding me through the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, downloading their vast quantities of knowledge acquired from the University of Life. Unfortunately I didnt make the grades for the University of Life and had to attend a real one instead. After far too long buried in books its finally time, to dust off my boots and hit the hills. April 12th 2012, the day of my 24th birthday, and I was trudging over the hill into the Smoothwater at stupid-oclock. Firearm at the ready, roaring horn in hand and full of enthusiasm I was amping to down a Red stag. Slowly stalking my way through the dense bush, roaring my head off, the sound of nothingness was starting to get demoralising. Parking up for lunch on a nice open ridge I collected a stag beetle that caught my eye and was preparing to demolish my seg roll, when out of the depths of the gut below came the sound I had been dying to hear all day, the faint moan revitalizing my enthusiasm. Throwing my gear together I was off again in hot pursuit of the roaring stag who was replying with no hesitation. I was almost on him when the wind stopped playing the game, the stag got my scent and that was the end of that. Day two I decided to stay a little closer to home. A couple of hours into my usual beat I utilised a tree stump to get a bit of elevation on a clearing down
the hill from me. On first glance there was nothing to be seen but I had a feeling there was something lurking. Rising up slightly on the tree stump I spotted a spiker, which had also spotted me. Sliding my rifle over the top I lined up on his neck flicked the safety off and let him have it. He bit the dust where he was standing. A photo session and slide of the knife saw me loaded up and headed for home ready for the mass arrival of keen hunters awaiting deployment into their balloted hunting blocks. The next morning I swapped my gun for a catch bag, donned my wetsuit and joined Peter dodgy Henderson on his vessel She Got the House. With average conditions we flipped over the side, on with the torch and down we went. I wrangled the crays whilst Pete operated the catch bag a very smooth system. A quick boil up and we were headed for the Cascade with a load of fresh crays for dinner. The chopper whisked us away and shortly after we were at the campsite getting stuck into erecting the bivvy. Once camp was complete I headed down the river flats in search of
a deer. I had barely left camp before coming across a hind feeding right out in the open only ten metres away. I ducked in behind the nearest bush and pulled out my camera. Unfortunately the wind was yet again not on my side alerting the hind to my presence. She cautiously walked towards me but bolted as I slowly raised the camera. I spotted another two deer but left them feeding undisturbed. Upon my arrival back to camp my brother Jamie came out with a huge grin on his face. He had also got some deer action shooting a hind on the run and carrying it back whole to show everyone. The following day the crew split up Jamie and my father John headed upstream, Kerry and my uncle Gary downstream, leaving me to book it up the hill behind camp. Kerry and Gary ran into the hind I had spotted the night before and again let her be moving on downstream. The next yearling to pop up in
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First stag for the trip, a young 8-pointer that came charging out to meet me
Young 4-pointer that gave himself away grunting at me as I roared further down the ridge NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013
front of them was not so lucky. Apart from a few deer spotted it was a fairly uneventful day. The third day greeted us with rain but away up stream I went. Working my way out of the creek up a steep ridge, I only made it about a hundred metres before deciding to get on the blower and let out a moan. Instantly a stag strolled around the corner. I raised my rifle and waited, the stag stepped out from behind a tree and wham down he went without even knowing I was there. I arrived back at camp with a loaded pack and ratty eight-point head to find that everyone else had decided it was too wet for hunting. Who knew of a bunch of hardened roar hunters that were so soft! Day four and again I headed out on my lonesome on the opposite ridge to Jamie and John. We spent the majority of the morning roaring at each other with only a few half-hearted roars from a stag located somewhere between us. It wasnt until midday I raised a few grunts from a stag on my ridge. I moved less than a hundred metres and there he was standing broadside on staring straight at me. Instinctively I pulled the gun onto him, released the safety and squeezed off a round. As the stag hit the deck I casually removed the empty cartridge, put it in my pocket and went through the motions of photographing and butchering the animal. It was far too early in the day to head back to camp so I carried on a bit before dropping off the ridge into the river on the other side. Slowly working my way back I stopped for an orange and let out a moan. Following shortly after a stag came wandering up the flat to see me. Out with the camera, bugger! The lens had fogged up; right plan B, out with the gun. I got myself into a comfortable shooting position and the stag popped his head over a dead tree around eighty metres away to have a look at me. Placing the cross hairs on his
neck I slowly pulled the trigger and like the rest of them, down he went. So now I had four back legs, four back steaks and two heads in my already fairly hefty pack. It was a lot further back to camp than I had anticipated and needless to say I slept very well that night. Despite my days efforts Gary had claimed king of the river taking down his first red stag a nice six-pointer roared in by his hunting buddy Kerry. After downing four stags, it was time for me to guide the grand walrus. So that morning my father and I set off on a mission. Despite my best efforts getting a number of stags riled up he took it upon himself to roar in his own stag. I got the camera out and recorded the bellowing stag as it homed in on us. I couldnt resist the temptation of having my firearm at the ready so the video only shows my pack a few ferns and my rifle barrel; great sound effects though. The stag came into view around twenty metres away I held my crosshairs on his chest for what seemed an age before my fathers .270 came to life and the stag keeled over. Another typical eight-pointer photographed, butchered and packed up. On the way down I stumbled upon a wasp nest stirring up a storm that my poor father collected on his way through. The following day Jamie joined us as we returned to the same spot and again got a few stags bailed up. Jamie stalked in but got a little overexcited and missed a gimme earning him the nickname Where Grylls. The drag mark from his lip can be seen all the way back to camp. Shortly after I redeemed the day, dropping a hind picked up by my fathers keen eye. Jamie also rectified his day picking up a yearling in the creek, although we did have to track it down after he shot it but no big deal. Throughout the trip I perfected the art of open hand possum catch and dispatch
Finally, I got a photo after spooking him whilst creeping through the bush after many years of lying awake to the hoot of these little critters, (Ruru or more pork, [ninox novaeseelandiae])
and tonight was my final test. I was summoned from bed to deal with a possum that had invaded the bivvy. Sticking my head through the door my headlight picked up the king of all possums perched on the bench with a piece of bread in his mouth. After staring him down I made my move and the bivvy erupted into a battle royal. Eventually I subdued the beast and claimed the victory. The final day of the trip saw a fairly late start. Kerry was the only one on the trip yet to land a deer so it was decided John, Gary
From left to right Jamie, John, Gary and Kerry -
what would a hunting trip be without a few cans of Speights around the camp fire? Good on ya mate
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they were en route for Queenstown Hospital. I headed down river where I met up with the boys and retrieved my gear and a status update. Back at camp it was an anxious wait not knowing how our buddy was doing. The call came through that he had been put into an induced coma and was being transferred by helicopter to Dunedin Hospital, which made us all nervous to say the least. It was a restless sleep and a long wait for the chopper the next day. We finally got back out to the bay around one oclock and made a phone call to Mum. Kerry still hadnt woken up. The seriousness of the situation was really starting to kick in, would he ever wake up? Dad then called the hospital and Kerry had just regained consciousness and was kept in the hospital for a further two nights. This situation is a perfect example of how fast an emergency can occur. One minute youre having the time of your life nek minnit youre scrambling to save someone elses. Thanks to my uncle Gary for being organised and carrying a personal locator beacon the search factor was eliminated speeding up the rescue. I would advise anyone operating in the back country to get hold of an EPIRB and check the survival gear they carry. My fathers guidance and experience was also essential in stabilising Kerry and making sure help was on the way. If the EPIRB was faulty I was on my way back to the mountain radio with coordinates to their location and information on what the rescue team was getting into. I would like to thank the Canterbury Mountain Radio Service; the Rescue Coordination Centre, Hannibal Hayes (chopper pilot), the medic and any other agencies or individuals who aided Kerrys evacuation and recovery. The combined effort has lead to the best possible outcome and despite a sore neck Kerry is on the mend and very thankful to his rescuers.
My father showing me how its done once again after roaring this stag up from the depths below and taking it himself.
Moments before disaster struck with John, Gary and Kerry
and I would sort him out. So off down the river we went. After about an hour and a half of walking we were almost on the ridge where we had heard a stag we nicknamed Numb Nuts a few days prior. Stopping to give a roar, Kerry mentioned he had been stung by a couple of wasps on the way up. At this point we had no idea what was going to happen next. It was moments later that Gary called out to us that Kerry wasnt feeling well and that we should come back down the hill. I was slightly further uphill when Gary urged my father to come faster. Upon reaching Kerrys location he was flat on his back, unresponsive and not breathing. John rushed to his aid elevating him and initiating a sternum rub to encourage him to breathe. Meanwhile Gary had removed the EPIRB from his bag and was awaiting instruction to set it off. The decision was made and the EPIRB activated. I dropped my pack and gun and worked on picking up satellites with my fathers GPS. The colour drained from Kerrys face as his eyes rolled back into his skull, things were not looking good. I gave up and pulled out Kerrys GPS instead. Quickly marking the location I was off down the hill like a hare on fire. I didnt stop running the whole way back to camp. Jamie called out to me as I bowled into camp and I ordered him to search through Kerrys bag for any medication he might be taking. Flicking on the mountain radio I spoke into the mike IB base - IB base, this is IB 131, this is an emergency call, do you copy? The call was received. This is IB base, where are you and what is
your problem? I explained we were in the Hackett River, South Westland and that a member of our party had collapsed following a wasp sting. After being connected with the rescue coordination centre and exchanging information, a helicopter had been dispatched to the EPIRBs location. During this time my mother whose name was on the contact list for Garys EPIRB had received a call and Im sure was losing her mind. I was to standby on the radio so I sent my brother down the river to where we had entered the bush. From my fathers account although he did not come around Kerry was showing good signs of life and at times was quite violent, uncontrollably kicking his legs through the survival bag they had pulled him into and clenching his fists. Covering him in jackets and dragging him up onto my fathers legs to elevate him off the ground there was nothing they could do but keep him stable and wait for the chopper. Within about an hour and a half the chopper had reached our location and the medic was waving at the boys through the trees to acknowledge they had been spotted. The first attempt at extraction via a stretcher was a failure and instead a scoop was used to lift him out and gently lower him onto the river flat below. After a quick hand from Jamie to strap him into a seat
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TIP OFFS
CLEANING TROPHY HEADS FOR ANTLER, HORN AND TUSK COMPETITIONS

By Steve Corlet t, National Executive
With the roar coming up at a fast clip it is appropriate that we have a look at the preparation of a clean wholesome head for entering into branch and national competitions. It is rather disappointing to have to turn down an entry for the simple reason there are maggots falling out of the head when entered. Think of the effort put in to gain the trophy and then have the disappointment of it being disqualified from competition. The cleaning of a head is not that difficult as there are detergents that can be used in the boiling process to remove fat and render down the difficult to reach areas of flesh. The first step is to remove the skin and the bottom jaw. The skin needs to be removed before the boiling commences. This can be done with a sharp knife or Stanley knife. The jaw can be left on and removed after boiling when it is much easier. By dropping a dishwashing tablet into the water when boiling the head it makes it far easier to remove the fat. If you use just water the fat congregates around the head at water level and requires further boiling to remove. The dish wash tablet also whitens the head during boiling. It is important that the heat from the element or gas ring does not come in contact with the antlers or horns as it will deteriorate them and also alter the colouration. Fill the pot or container you are going to use to a level sufficient to cover to the base of horns or antlers to avoid boiling of the antlers or horns to prevent colour changes. The heat should be on low so that the pot does not boil dry whilst cleaning is in progress and there is excessive heat generated. As the process takes several hours and you may need to top up the water from time to time. There is a smell with this process so find a place away from the house and the partner to boil the head. When the boiling is completed take a scabbing brush and brush off the loose flesh on the skull, this should come away easily. You will need to remove what is left of the eyes as they will tend to be shrivelled inside the socket. A tooth brush can come in handy here. The
next step is to remove the nasal bones. In some cases if over boiling takes place these bones will fall apart when cleaning of the skull is commenced. Removing the brains can be difficult; however this can be achieved in several ways. You can hose them out through the spinal cord hole, hook them out with a piece of wire or remove the joint at the back of the skull with a hack saw to enlarge the hole for better access to the brain cavity. Do not cut off the complete back of the skull as this will lead to disqualification as the lamdoidal ridge at the back of the skull is the point where skull measurements are taken from during competition judging. Once all the flesh is removed a wipe over with bleach will bring the skull up white and remove any smell that may be left. Place the head is a warm dry spot to complete the cleaning process. Please do not write your name or Douglas Score on the head as this is a nuisance for the judges as it will need to be either covered or removed for competition. The following are rules are taken from the Associations National Competition Rules, 4.2 A: 4.2 A. Antlered Game (i) The antlers of the trophy at the time of entry must be in a natural state (natural state is the state of the trophy when taken). (ii) There must be no interference with the trophy such as the sharpening of points, removal of points, artificial colouration etc. (iii) Antlers in velvet (hard or soft) are prohibited entries in National Competitions. (iv) The atlanto-occipital joint at the base of the skull (where it attaches to the spine), may be cut to allow easier extraction of the brain. However, the lamdoidal ridge at
the top rear of the skull must be complete and intact. On all Sika, Red and Wapiti heads the front nasal bone (premaxilla) must be complete and intact so that the skull length can be accurately measured. Heads may be entered with damaged skulls, eg head shot, and acceptance shall be at the discretion of the judging panel. 4.2 B. Horned Game (i) The horns must be in full unmounted state when photographs and measurements are taken. (ii) The horns of the trophy at the time of entry must be in a natural state (natural state is the state of the trophy when taken). (iii) There must be no interference with the trophy such as the sharpening of points, artificial colouration etc. (iv) The skull jaw must also be in a clean and wholesome condition. 4.2 C. Tusks (i) The tusks must be in a full unmounted state when photographs and measurements are taken. (ii) The tusks of the trophy at the time of entry must be in a natural state (natural state that is, state of the trophy when taken). (iii) There must be no interference with the trophy such as the sharpening of tusk points, artificial colouration etc. (iv) The complete lower jaw must also be in a clean and wholesome condition.
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LOCK, STOCK & BARRELL
WHAT RIFLE TO USE FOR DEER? WHAT A GREAT QUESTION!

Chaz Forsyth, National Executive Member
INTRODUCTION
Inviting an aspiring writer to provide opinions on the most suitable calibres for shooting deer is like wondering if water is wet. Deer hunters always have their own ideas, and these are bound to create arguments.
THE JOB
You want to read about what's the best cartridge to shoot deer with. Where do we start? Some of the early deer hunters, back in the l930s when times were tough, whacked a few with the .22 rimfire. Back then, through to the mid-1970s, Army surplus .303 rifles were cheap, were readily available and military surplus ammunition, sometimes with the tips of the full metal jacketed bullets crudely amputated with side-cutting pliers, were still in wide use. Military surplus .30 06 rifles, .270 Winchester, the .243 Winchester, the 7mm Remington magnum, and handgun cartridges like the .44-40 Winchester, the .44 Remington magnum all appeared on the New Zealand deer hunting scene, and there were plenty of others from both the military and sporting areas to keep them company: like the
Two hunters and their companion dog, take stock before continuing their bush stalk. Both are armed with telescopic sight-equipped rifles, both have stainless steel barrels (although that on the left has been painted with black vinyl etch primer to disguise its barrel steel).
.250 Savage and the 7x57mm Mauser. The list goes on and on. Clearly, cartridges from the little .22 Hornet all the way through to the .375 Holland and Holland magnum have been used to hunt deer. Somewhere in the middle of all these is the best cartridge or is there? All of the cartridges mentioned above will kill
a deer if the animal is hit in the right place. You've got to find the animal, aim at its vital body area, fire the shot which strikes there, and then start looking for evidence of the hit (if the animal has not collapsed immediately). That is what hunting is about, not the rifle, not the cartridge for which it is chambered, but the animal.
DEER HUNTING SKILLS

These are a grab-bag of skills, a combination of the ability (derived from experience) to discern the presence of animals and the willingness to cultivate these skills by effort, meaning time spent in the field seeking, observing and noting where they are and where they have been. I tend to visualise the zone of visibility in the bush as being a lot like an inverted bowl, but the area within which we can see things is very much affected by irregularities of the ground, intervening trees, scrub and undergrowth, all of which reduce or restrict the field of view. The trick is for us to see the animal before it sees us. This means we have to stand still a lot, because it is far easier for us to see movement when we are stationary. lf we are moving, and animals see us, then unless you are very lucky, they are gone. If we see
Open country often involves longer ranges and the use of field rests is often recommended. Here two hunters are firing at goats more than 200 metres away.
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the animal first, you must still decide if it is shootable, if you wish to fire at it, or not (you might not want that animal if you are a selective hunter), so there are a few options open to you. The trick in my view is to see the animal before it sees you. This really means sitting around until an animal moves into your zone of visibility. If you are looking where the deer are not, you are wasting your time, but you are still out in the bush enjoying it.
swivels!) when in the bush. lf the rifle is in your hands, it will come more quickly to your shoulder than if you have to unsling it before bringing it up to aim. (However, with a bit of trickery, and a well - adjusted sling, it is possible to have your rifle slung and still get it onto aim very smartly, but you need to practice this first).
THE GEAR YOU MIGHT NEED

Many tend to write this section up first. In my view, how you use whatever you have with you is far more important than having the right gear. You do need a rifle, of course, ammunition, and dont forget that essential device for lightening your load, a knife (this is for cutting unwanted body parts from the animal, to save you having to carry the entire carcass out). However, some bits and pieces of technology are nice to have and will be helpful. A telescopic sight is nice, but not essential. Most of the deer shot by deer cullers were shot with iron-sighted .303 rifles firing corrosive ammunition, and when they went to scopes, these seriously competent professional hunters found that the telescopic sight extended the period in which they could see well enough to identify their target. Binoculars, I have found are surprisingly useful, even in the bush, and particularly when they are of the kind which you can focus to sharpen up on a zone or object of interest. The ones which dont require focussing are not, in my view, quite so useful. For bush hunting, forget the rangefinder, distances are almost always less than 100 metres anyway and most rifles, for all practical purposes, shoot flat to that distance anyhow. Calibre of rifle doesn't matter much, I know the debates about the ideal cartridge go on and on (I have my favourites too), but the bottom line is, get something that won't
kick you too hard, unless you like punishment, and become familiar with it - rifle fit is far more important than what it fires in my view. (Shotgun users have paid far more attention to gun fit than riflemen, because they know how important it is to swiftly place the gun to their shoulder and have their eye aligned with the barrel and the target in the fleeting time available).
SHOOTING SKILLS NEEDED FOR DEER HUNTING

These need not be that great, because in practice, distances (when in the bush) are generally less than 100 metres. Combine this factor with the vital area of a Red or Sika deer, (this is a zone the approximate size and shape of a netball or soccer ball between the front legs of the animal), some 250mm in diameter, and all you have to do is be confident you can place a shot into a target of that size, from whatever position you happen to be occupying at the time standing, or sitting, mostly (who lies down in the bush?). To get a handle on how your shooting skills meet what is needed, you may need to spend a little time on the range. Not nearly as much fun as out there, doing it in the hunting field, but this visit might pay off because it will ensure your rifle is shooting where the sights are pointing (very important if you want to hit what your aiming at), and you will find out if you can hold from say, the sitting position (both elbows rested on both knees for greatest stability), and from the standing (offhand) position, the one from which you are most likely to see an animal in the bush. lf you can put five shots into a group measuring approximately 100mm extreme spread at 100 metres, you'll do fine. lf you can keep your five shots inside 250mm offhand at 100mm, then that is the limiting range at which you should try for an offhand shot at a deer. Remember, for bush hunting, you'll probably only need one shot anyhow, but the range practice of firing more than one shot will boost your confidence. By all means fire a few shots from a rest at a target, to ensure the rifle is really shooting where you think the sights are pointing, make some adjustments, and then please, please, please try a group without the benefit of a rest. Forget the sling too; you won't be sneaking quietly through the bush with the rifle sling on, will you? Nothing tangles up worse in the bush than a sling, so I always remove it from my rifle (praise be to quick detachable sling
Finally, remember the seven basic rules of firearms safety:

Treat every firearm as loaded Always point firearms in a safe direction Load a firearm only when ready to fire Identify your target beyond all doubt Check your firing zone Store firearms and ammunition safely Avoid alcohol and drugs when handling firearms.
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HABITAT
GOLDEN BAY DEERSTALKERS:

CONSERVATION CHAMPION, JANUARY 2013
The hut prior to restoration. The porch is pretty munted but the main hut was still weather tight
Celebrating businesses, community groups, iwi and volunteers who are making important contributions to conservation in New Zealand How much do the Golden Bay Deer Stalkers love old slab huts? Enough to volunteer 1,500 hours of work restoring sixty-year old Chaffey Hut in the upper Cobb Valley! The beech slab 3-bunker was built by New Zealand Forest Service (NZFS) ranger Jack McBurney in 1952-53, the first Forest Service-built hut in what is now Kahurangi National Park. Although put into the 'cease maintenance' basket in 1994, and classified as 'derelict', Chaffey Hut has refused to fall over or go away. "The hut book continued to be filled with comments singing the hut's praises and pleas for its maintenance and retention," says DOC's John Taylor who helped restore the hut with the deerstalkers. "But with the proximity of two newer huts two hours in either direction, this was unlikely to ever happen by DOC alone."
1980's pic from Pauline Wilkins
So when the Golden Bay Deerstalkers Association Branch, led by Wayne Sixtus, approached DOC in 2010 about taking over the management of the hut and completing the necessary repairs, the opportunity seemed too good to miss. "Seeing the rebuild of the Riordans Hut on the Kill Devil Track got me going. My family has been involved with the Cobb for four generations. I have a great fondness for the area. Chaffey Hut was a job that needed doing. Golden Bay Branch became very motivated to get this project off the ground and see it through to fruition," says Wayne.
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Wayne and Paul from the Golden Bay Branch, by the completed Chaffey Hut on reopening day
A memorandum of understanding between DOC and the deerstalkers was signed, and preparations were made. Luckily the 'slab hut gods' had delivered a storm which provided all the wind fallen red and silver beech the hut could ever need, and all within 700 metres. Work on the hut went for three weeks, with around six people working at any one time. The sun shone daily and the project proceeded at a pace, until suddenly, everyone had to go back to their paid work again. They were 95% done, but that last 5% took a few months, the odd day trip here and there through winter to complete. Finally, after 1,500 hours of volunteer effort the hut repairs were complete. It was officially reopened by DOC Golden Bay Area Manager John Mason in August last year. The hut is now open to everyone to use, and the deerstalkers will continue to maintain it.
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OPINION
RANDOM MASS KILLING

By Phil Cregeen Random mass killings as recently witnessed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the USA, while appearing to be a fairly frequent occurrence in that country are also taking place in countries all over the world. And while the politicians and the media play the blame game mostly targeting gun owners, very few commentators seem to be looking for the cause of these events and practical ways to prevent them. In order to take a weapon and randomly kill innocent people the perpetrator must be suffering from some form of psychological disorder. This then is the prime cause that needs to be addressed. The questions that need to be asked are: What has been learned from the psychological profiles of past offenders? What signs may warn of similar behaviour? What safeguards can be put in place to prevent this behaviour? Of course in addition to the prime cause there are a number of factors that may contribute or facilitate the random act of violence. For example: Medication - side effects may trigger violent behaviour, or the lack of medication may do the same. Drugs both legal and illegal can have mind altering effects that may trigger violence. Modern violent movies and videogames may influence impressionable minds and at least help to desensitise people to violence. Access to unsecured firearms and ammunition enables the perpetrator to commit the most horrific attacks. However when firearms are not available other weapons such as knives, machetes, cars, arson have been used. Soft targets such as schools and theatres allow the attacks to proceed unhindered by any form of retaliation against the perpetrator. It is claimed that some perpetrators seek notoriety as more people in this world of media hype seek celebratory status. Of course only a very small percentage of the psychologically disturbed will be driven to commit one of these acts, nor will removing just one of the contributing factors, such as banning a particular category of firearm, prevent a recurrence at some future time. So let us look at some possible practical solutions that could, if implemented together, at least reduce the occurrence of these terrible acts. Psychological disorder: a. Analyse the psychiatric profile of all previous cases. b. Make mental illness a reportable disease. c. Create a register of at risk people, which is shared as required. d. Publicise the warning signs for at risk people. e. Improve the care for the mentally ill. Medication and drugs: a. Analyse all psychiatric medication and drugs to determine potential for violence. b. Prescription of violence inducing medication to the reported. c. Stricter censorship and self imposed reduction of violence by industry.
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Firearms: a. Firearms owners to be licensed and vetted as fit and proper person. b. Firearms and ammunition to be stored securely when not in use. (Note both apply in New Zealand) Soft Targets: a. Provide security such as metal detectors, panic buttons & rapid lockable entry points. b. Arm suitably trained staff. (It should be noted that most airports, many government buildings and high ranking officials are protected by armed personnel.) Notoriety: a. Instead of the media frenzy that customarily follows these events the media should be tasked to play down the event and report only the bare facts. (Just as the NZ media play down youth suicide to help avoid copy cat deaths.) With all sectors of society working together on these issues random mass killings could be greatly reduced if not eliminated. A search of the internet will provide many examples of commentary on various aspects mentioned above.
SOME USEFUL FIGURES RELATING TO AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND FIREARMS DEATHS
Statistics obtained from Australian Bureau of Statistics by the International Coalition for Women in Hunting & Shooting provide the following graph:
Australian politicians and media have frequently claimed that the stricter laws and buy back of semi autos in 1996 has saved 200 lives per year. As can be seen from the above graph firearms deaths in Australia have shown a steady decline since 1987/88, the stricter firearms laws passed in 1996 appear to have had little or no effect upon the this trend, despite claims to the contrary by politicians and media. While suicide and homicide by firearm have declined significantly it would be interesting to know if suicide and homicide by other means has shown a similar trend. It is of concern to note that accidental deaths by firearm in Australia have
remained fairly static at an average of 32 per year for the first decade of this century in a population of 22.8 million. By comparison the average for New Zealand over the same period was 2.4 per year in a population of 4.45 million, making the New Zealand accidental death rate about a third of that of Australia. Which goes to show how effective our licensing regime is compared to our cousins across the ditch. This graph also shows a steady decline in firearm homicide over the sample period with New Zealand generally less than Australia despite their stricter laws.
As can be seen from the two graphs below aggravated robbery with a firearm in New Zealand is declining and firearms are used in only 1.5% of all violence offences.
Again suicide by firearm shows a steady decline since 1990, but sadly New Zealand has the highest youth suicide rate in the western world. A good reason to keep your guns locked away and the keys safe on your person.
PRODUCT REVIEW
The axe would make a great wall hanger in my trophy room, which is where my one has ended up, displayed in pride of place. I felt that to do a fair and honest review of the axe I needed to take it out in the field and test it. This was achieved by being dragged out by my son Josh and his mate Keily for a Sambar sausage and meat patty hunt. The boys were also impressed with the standard of the finish and were a bit horrified that I was going to use it. I found only one fault with the axe and this was while taking some photos for the magazine. It was that the engraving appears to have been done upside down, if you were to have it blade down. This is evident in the photos. After spotting and shooting a nice fat Sambar hind just right for Christmas sausages and patties for the BBQ, the boys thought they could carry her back to the vehicle whole. With encouragement and an incentive from me they could only manage to get the 120kg Sambar onto their shoulders and that is where it stopped. Using the NZDA 75th anniversary axe we cut the Sambar in two. The conclusion is that the SOG axe would make an excellent presentation axe for the wall especially with the NZDA 75th anniversary logo engraving being a collectable. It would also make a good companion axe around the camp as it keeps an excellent edge. At the price it is been offered, you should purchase two of them.
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Product: SOG Hand Axe 2 Distributors: Sportways Distributors Available from: See your branch Secretary for an order form. Reviewed by: Alec McIver, Rotorua Branch and Immediate Past President My first thoughts upon receiving the NZDA SOG 75th anniversary axe were, would I need one and why would I want one. The first impressions of the axe were the excellent finish and engraving of the NZDA 75th anniversary logo on the axe head. The laser cut 420 stainless steel with its hard-cased black coating and the excellent non-slip hand grip was of a high finish.
STORY
FAMILIES WHO HUNT TOGETHER

By Laura McInt yre, 13-years-old, Manawatu Branch FRIDAY 25th MAY - We had just finished loading on the two quad bikes on the tandem trailer when darkness fell. We were meant to be at a station around eight thirty but we were running slightly late. On the way we were a little geographically challenged but stopped and asked for help from a friendly local and were set continuing on the right path. This was because we came from the opposite directions to our instructions as it would save us over half an hours travelling time. Dad guessed it was about 20 minutes from Raetihi from the map on Google and Dad was right on track. It was 9 oclock when we got there. I just hit the sack after we emptied the car on my roughly made bed in the shearing quarters only to be woken up by swarms of dirty cluster flies in my bed and hair in the middle of the night. SATURDAY 26th MAY- We woke up early to find a cockroach in Mums bed. We got up and had sausages in a sandwich for breakfast and got in the car and went to a pine plantation. Paul, Dad, Mum, Chris my brother and I were a group. We thought about splitting up but decided against it. 15 minutes along the track we spotted two goats. As we were after Fallow we left them alone even though it was tempting to take a shot. Walking over logs and under bushes we managed to get to a point that we walked down to find our vision blurred by fog and you could hear the munching of grass, a occasional bark of a hind and a neigh of a nanny goat near by which sends tingles up your back. The fog would lift, only to fall over us again like a blanket in the night. It took half an hour for the fog to lift and we finally saw a mob of 15 Fallow deer grazing on the hillside. There was a big stag amongst them, I hope I get that one I thought. Dad and Paul decided that this was my stag. We snuck around them with the wind in the right direction. This was my first wild deer because I never liked shooting guns; I would rather case pigs and stick them as it was more sporting and gave the animal a fair chance and the chase is way more fun. Paul and I began crawling on our bellies. We went down the hill knowing that a deer could jump out at any time. Then Paul spotted one lying down right in front of us. I asked whether it was dead because it looked stiff. It must have heard my whispers to Paul for it stuck up its head and looked at us then all these other heads popped in front of us and saw us. They were gone in a flash BOTHER! To my luck there were three stags up on the hill side grazing, so it all started again; the quietness, sliding on your belly and adrenalin then all silence is broken by single shot and the stag runs into a patch of scrub. Did I get him? I asked. Well see, replied Paul. We scrambled over a creek and up the hill to see the big black stags head peering at us. We are not sure if I killed him so Paul tried to find his head in the scope. It is not clear so we creep up behind the deer. Paul gives his tail a tweak. No movement. We found his head was wedged in a Manuka branch. The shot went in at the shoulder and the bullet went through his lungs. A clean kill; I was pleased. I carried out his back legs on my shoulders up the very steep hill and we went back to the bikes to have lunch.
We went to the other side of the pines too get Chris and Mum a deer. We walked out on a ridge to have a good look around. We saw a good stag poke his head out from behind a pine. This was the stag for Chris. We decided it was a good time to split the party into two groups, so Paul and Chris went off the ridge to chase the deer, while Mum, Dad and I went to look for a deer for Mum at the high point. We saw a little group of Fallow that must have smelt Paul and Chris because they were very uneasy and wanted to jump the fence into native bush. They paced up and down the fence line but wouldnt jump into the bush. There was a young stag amongst them. Mum had never shot a deer before because she doesnt like big guns. I told her she had to as I got one this morning and it
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get a big stag. It would make a great birthday present. Mum didnt want to shoot any goats but Chris and I were pretty keen. We saw mobs of goats and deer but couldnt get a shot away. We parked the motor bikes and Chris and Paul headed up the hill to stalk a mob of about 20 deer while Dad, Mum and I went around the base of the hillside to watch and meet them. When we got round the hill we saw a big stag on the sky line and we couldnt quite see Chris and Paul but hoped he had seen them and was ready to fire. It was very exciting to watch and we waited, and waited. We heard the shot. The stag began to move down the hill then it ran so fast and stumbled down hill where it disappeared from view behind a terrace. We arrived at the stag after Chris and Paul; I watched Chris gut it and dragged it down hill to where the motor bikes could reach it. We carried on looking for goats. I felt the thrill go through me as I squeezed the trigger dropping a big billy. I got a photo with the billy and we went off to find more goats but didnt see any so we decided to head back to camp for lunch. We packed up and gave Mums and Chriss deer to the other group members and we headed to home. It was a good trip, I enjoyed it very much and glad I went, even though we have been hunting many times. We learnt lots and would encourage anyone to go to a NZDA HUNTS course, even if they have been hunting before.
was her turn. I was going to video the whole thing. I made Mum lie down ready just in case the stag came back up the fence line. He did and then he stopped right behind a pine tree. Slowly he peeked into vision BANG! I didnt see what happened because I jumped when the shot fired damn there went the videoing. We couldnt find a blood trail so Mum got all upset thinking she wounded him but we walked down the hill to find him laying there with his back leg hooked round his antler after he had rolled down the hill. The photos turned out alright. Unfortunately Chris didnt get a deer so we went back to camp to cook a yummy feed of roast potatoes, stuffed roast venison and roast mutton, followed by trifle for pudding. I went to sleep with a full stomach and to my surprise didnt wake up from all the cluster flies as I was too tired after my big day. SUNDAY 27th MAY - We woke up at 8 a.m. we had a little sleep in. It was Christophers 16th birthday. Today was the big goat hunting day. We were all hoping that Chris would
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Editors note: for more information on the NZDA HUNTS course contact the New Zealand Deerstalkers Inc for details on a branch near you that operates the courses.
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31
BUGLE
DAVE SAUNDERS MNZM

Branch Life Member North Canterbury Branch
It was a pleasant surprise to see Dave Saunders name in this years New Year Honours list. Dave, a branch life member of the North Canterbury Branch was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition for services to Land Search and Rescue (LSAR). Mr Saunders has been an active search and rescue volunteer since 1960 and was first appointed a LSAR Advisor to the New Zealand Police in 1973. Many lives are owed to the five decades of services Dave has given to the search and recue movement. As well as helping to coordinate rescue operations, as operations manager in LSAR incident management teams, he is involved in organising regional training, exercises and competitions and mentoring other volunteers to keep them skilled. Dave served for many years on the national training committee and was involved in the establishment of advisor standards, was secretary of the Canterbury District LSAR committee for 42 years and is currently secretary to the Canterbury region committee, treasurer for Christchurch LSAR Group and a trustee for the Canterbury LSAR Trust. It doesnt stop there; Dave is also an honorary Fish & Game ranger, has been a Mountain Safety Council instructor in bushcraft and firearm safety, was the founding member of the High Country Fire Fighting Team, served on Lake Sumner Forest Park Board and is still an active member of the North Canterbury Branch.
THE GAME BUTCHER

The Game Butcher, Darren Meates has informed us that he has sold his Stokes Valley based business, Stokes Valley Quality Meats. The new owners will be moving the plant to their own property in Whitemans Valley. Darren indicated that his Game Butcher business as a game meat consultant, DVD presenter and producer will continue to operate as usual. When asked what he had planned he said, Paint the house and some possum trapping for fur in the winter. NZDA wishes Darren all the best.
DOC IMPOSES MORE CHARGES

DOC South Westland is now charging for tahr hunting ballots for the Adams and the Hooker Landsborough Wilderness Areas. A non refundable $20.00 fee has been introduced to apply for the 2013 ballot. A successful applicant will then be required to pay $40.00 to confirm their site.
1080 KILLED SIKA DEER IN THE KAIMANWAS

Allan Jackson (South Waikato NZDA) is asking hunters to pick up jaws from the 1080 killed deer and send them to him with the location they were found so that he can get a better picture of how many and what deer were killed in the Kaimanawa June 2012 drop. He has requested that you make sure you throw the second half of the jaw well away so we dont get double ups. Please contact Allan on aljackson8@clear.net.nz
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Save a life this year .... Your Own!

BUGLE
SAFETY OUTDOORS YOUR TRUSTED OUTDOOR CONTACT
www.safetyoutdoors.com
Media Release, 23 January 2013
Safety Outdoors is the only safety check service in New Zealand that tracks you from start to finish with real people at the end of the phone monitoring every call or text in real time. A significant point of difference is that it is a system that offers the convenience of texting or calling a toll free number, as well as registering online, with your details relating to any outdoor activity. It does not rely on email or internet connection and allows for any change of plans or last minute decisions. The Safety Outdoors team will register your activity details and wait for confirmation that youve finished. If they dont hear from you, and are unable to reach you, they immediately follow a checking process with every contact point provided. If necessary, the appropriate authority is notified. Safety Outdoors Director, Stuart Fraser is confident the ease of using this system will improve the safety of tourists and kiwis alike. We want New Zealanders to take this on board as part of their outdoors routine, and tourists to be fully aware of the service when travelling. We want to encourage people to be responsible for their own safety. Whether its a seasoned triathlete in full-on training mode or a group of friends on casual weekend walks, the service accommodates every level of outdoor activity. It is a simple and accessible system that Fraser says works for anyone. We want this to be as practical and easy as possible. Thats why we built the system this way and have spent a lot of time testing it to make sure it works the way it needs to. There have been refinements to ensure every step works seamlessly and we plan to continue with ongoing development. There are several options available for users of Safety Outdoors for not only registering yourself but also your family and friends. The cost is per activity only and involves everyone in your group, not per person, making this both an affordable and effective new service.
Additional Information:
The Department of Conservation no longer accepts Outdoors Intentions forms at their visitor centers and there is a critical lack of source information available for Search and Rescue efforts if required. Concerned about the path DOC was taking led to Graeme Kates, previous chair of local LandSAR, to resign from working for DOC in Arthurs Pass. He has spoken publically about the removal of the Outdoors Intentions forms. We are waiting for something bad to happen because there is almost no one using the system now provided [by DOC]. In late September 2012 I surveyed almost 100 people on local walking tracks and found not one of them has completed any type of intention notice this was a mix of kiwis and overseas visitors. See: http://www.softrock.co.nz/mg/index. php?page=217 For further information please see www. safetyoutdoors.com or contact Stuart on 021 855 347.
NEW ZEALAND DEERSTALKERS ASSOCIATION WELCOMES RELEASE OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE GAME ANIMAL COUNCIL BILL.
Press release, December 2012
The report of the Select Committee is a step forward in what has been a long battle to get some recreational hunter input to the management of game animals in New Zealand. The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA), as the largest body representing recreational hunters, has a long history of advocating for recognition of both animals as valued introduced species and hunters as the principal management tool. The Game Animal Council will not deliver everything hunters had wanted but will be a step forward from where we have been for so many frustrating years said a spokes person for NZDA. The proposed legislation with amendments recommended by the select committee would
SUPERVISING UNLICENSED SHOOTERS
provide a mechanism that would enable advice to be provided to the Minister from the sectors that have specific interests in game animals. This advice would result in better management of game animals with due regard to conservation values. NZDA thanks the select committee and its efforts in bringing forward this report. It notes with regret the dissenting minority views of the Labour and Green members of the committee but looks forward to the Council being able to work collaboratively with all parties. NZDA pays special tribute to the Hon Peter Dunne for his support in progressing the bill to this stage.
Inspector Joe Green New Zealand Police

In a recent case before court a licence holder failed to provide immediate supervision to the 13-year-old shooter, resulting in another person being shot. The judge determined that while the supervising licence holder could not be held responsible for causing bodily injury by carelessly using a firearm, he could be held responsible of without reasonable cause dealing with a firearm in a manner likely to endanger the safety of any person (section 53 (3) Arms Act 1983) could be held.
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BLAST FROM THE PAST
A TRIP INTO THE EREWHON STATION

B y E B B oyd -W ils o n (19 15 -19 8 9 )
Erewhon
This is an excerpt of an article which was written by Edwin Gordon Boyd Boyd-Wilson sometime between World War II and the Korean War (1950s). Boyd was a keen hunter and commercial fisherman who managed to fit his dentistry practice in between these activities. Boyd wrote this article to promote this area to hunters oversees, but the American magazine he sent it to said it sounded too good to be true and wouldnt print it!
Deer-stalking
LOCATION: AT THE HEADWATERS OF THE RANGITATA RIVER.

The concentration of deer vary inversely to the proximity of back country roads and sheep stations. If it is a case of genuine deer-stalking and hunting the big ones, I spend a little time getting into the backblocks. When it is a case of bringing meat home I require it pretty near the car and make short short hit or miss one day trips from Christchurch for this purpose. These, when successful, yield sufficient venison to furnish the larder. Leaving Christchurch there is a run by car of about ninety miles to Erewhon Station of Samuel Butler fame. The last ten miles of road to this sheep station, running about 6,000 merinos, is very rough. This is cut by innumerable small water-courses and takes nearly as long to traverse as the previous eighty miles. It is here that the deer country begins. From the car deer may sometimes be seen always a welcome sight to a city-dwelling deer hunter, but necessitating frequent stops and much scanning of tussock slopes. Leaving the car at Erewhon, Jim Brown and I shouldered our 35 pound packs and travelled 12 miles up the river bed over shingle and tussock flats to the mountaineering club hut with a stop to boil the billy. On our arrival we found a solitary deer-culler in residence. He had moved in the day before. We found him a very decent fellow and he welcomed our company after his solitude of months. This was Easter, the middle of the roaring season so we were hopeful and up at dawn. When we were half-way across the one and a half mile riverbed our hearts were gladdened by the sound of a resounding roar in the still mountain air. However we could not spot the stag. Arriving at the opposite bank and listening for the repeated roar, we sighted a fine stag watching us from 600 yards away. There was about as much cover between us and the stag as one would find in the centre of a billiard table. I left Jim standing on the edge of the bank with instruction to move around slightly within an area of a few yards. I dropped out of sight down the bank and ran 200 yards down the riverbed. I then crawled over the tussock within
200 yards of the stag and shot it with my .303 and aperture sight. The stag never ceased to study Jim till my bullet struck it. It was a fair 10-pointer with black antlers, white tipped. Jim and I were admiring him when I looked around and on the main riverbed from whence we had come there were two big stags running around in circles in a very crazy manner. Jim had a German Mauser a war trophy; I left the shooting to him and watched his tracer bullets ricocheting off the shingle around the deer and disappearing down the riverbed as pencils of light. After a fair bit of shooting he managed to drop one when they circled nearer at about 500 yards. We walked back and I noticed this stag had red coloured antlers with white points. This was a smaller 8-pointer. I told the story of this effort to the culler that night and he said that the deer that circled in the riverbed were strangers to the area. When they heard the shot that got our first stag they didnt know where the shot came from, did not know where to run to, so ran around in circles. The colour of the antlers he put down to difference in breed and staining.
Boyd on left
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up at an angle of 60, chamois at 250 to 450 yards and travelling fast! They are unlike a mob of deer which when alarmed will often run fifty yards and stop for a look back, that is if they have not been shot at before. There is a little area at the top of this creek where tahr may be found. Our last effort of the day was to try and bag a tahr, but it was not to be. We could not locate them in the limited time available though I was sure they were there. I had been up this creek three times in the last eighteen months and always got one tahr at least. They do not seem to shift from place to place like the deer but stay put on the same cliff year in and year out. Then it was about turn, head down and follow the creek home. No use looking for game. The creek was well and properly shot up by this time just head down and how nice after gazing upwards for six hours, the crick in our necks gradually disappeared. Rests became rather frequent and a stop to take a large leg of venison off one of the stags as we re-passed it. So with three chamois skins, two stag skins plus the venison, we arrived back to the mountaineering hut. Next day it is up later in the morning and away. Jim Brown who is now with the New Zealanders in Korea persists in wanting to take the stags leg home. He says he just likes venison so with heavy packs back to the car.
A chamois skin, green would weigh 8 lbs [3.6 kg], a stags maybe 20 lbs [9 kg], so theres 64 lbs [29 kg] of skin plus 35 lbs [15.9 kg] of venison plus sleeping bags, parkas etc. Quite a weight to carry for 12 miles on your back between two of course. We had left a .22 in the car and passed the time away with a little rabbit and hare shooting down the first few miles of the road, and now comes the part that hurts! Just when the road is getting better, maybe we can do 40 mph instead of 8, I look out the window, blink twice, and slam on the brakes! Poor Jim nearly leaves the car via the windscreen. A mad shuffle in the car pocket among the loose .22 bullets and I find a .303 shell, slam it in and then out the door and rest the rifle on the bonnet. A big stag 100 yards away! Jim was not idle either because I swear there were two bullets in the air at once his and mine and both through the chest on examining the stag later. This was a fine heavy 11-pointer and all the meat we wanted 100 yards from the car. Then its more skinning and we take a little meat for our friends, and does it hurt when we think of the load of meat on our backs all day long! Back to the car and down the road is civilization. Our faces get longer and we feel miserable. Jim turns round Well its better than the poor Americans. They have to buy a license and can only shoot one you know!
A fellow hunter in army attire
Leaving the main riverbed we entered Carneys Creek and after about half a mile ran into chamois. We must have had a shot at a chamois every quarter of a mile up that creek for about four miles to where it gets too rough to travel. Every time we went round a corner there would be a chamois in view. At different times we managed to stalk and shoot three singles but Im afraid our tally was rather pitiful. Chamois are the keenest-eyed and craftiest of all the local game. A mob normally has a sentinel posted on a handy prominent crag the sentry gives a whistle when alarmed and the whole mob departs for the distant horizon non-stop! Try this shooting with rifle
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35
BUGLE
CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES (CMSS)

We hope branches, individual members and readers will contribute to informal meetings and workshops, and by way of formal submissions to notified CMS documents. We hope also that people will submit on CMSs which affect regions they hunt in, outside of their branch or home region. You can offer real value by contributing ideas about places and game resources you hunt when away. Submissions close: 4.30 pm Friday 15 March 2013 The three submissions currently under review are: Draft Waikato Conservation Management Strategy http://www.doct.govt.nz/getting-involved/ consultations/current/waikato-cmsconsultation/get-involved/ Northland Conservation Management Strategy Consultation http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/ consultations/current/northland-cmsconsultation/get-involved/ Auckland Conservation Management Strategy Consultation http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/ consultations/current/auckland-cmsconsultation/get-involved/ What is a CMS? CMSs are required under the Conservation Act 1987 and are developed in accordance with the legislation under which DOC operates. CMSs are a guide for both managers and the public about what DOC intends to do, how it will set priorities about what has to be done and how it can respond to requests to use the natural and historic resources it manages. CMSs are 10-year statutory plans. The purpose of a CMS is to implement the CMS and to establish detailed objectives for the integrated management of natural and historic resources within a particular area. CMSs will only be developed for areas where there is a high level of activity or a complexity of issues which cannot be satisfactorily dealt with in the CMS, eg a conservation management plan must be prepared for each national park, in accordance with the National Parks Act 1980. CMSs identify how to integrate management of places to achieve national conservatism outcomes CMSs clarifies priorities for management of conservation recourses CMSs guides decision making (ie, on applications to undertake commercial activities) CMSs describe conservation outcomes to be achieved How to make a submission: You can make a submission online or send in your submission by post or email. You can use DOCs submission form (add extra pages if you need them), or write your own submission. Your submission will need to: Include your name, postal address and email address (if you have one). Indicate whether you would like to speak in support of your submission at a hearing. Identify the particular issue you are commenting on for each section of the strategy you are interested in, and say what you support or oppose, why, and what changes you would like made to it. A separate submission must be prepared for each strategy that you want to comment on. What to look at in the draft Conservation Management Strategy If are you interested in a particular site or area within the conservancy: Look to see whether it is part of a Place identified in Part Two of Volume I. If it is, check that the outcome and policies express what you would like to see happen. If the site or area is not within a Place, then look at the objectives in Part One and the policies in Part Three; check whether you think they will achieve what you want. If you are interested in a particular issue: Look at Part Three first to see whether it is specifically covered. Also look at Parts One and Two to see if the issue you are concerned about is adequately addressed. If you are interested in the land inventory, is it useful to have the presence of priority ecosystem sites and visitor destinations identified? If you agree with what the strategy states regarding your place or issue of interest: Thats great! Include details in your submission about why you support the relevant provisions. If you dont agree with a provision in the CMS: Please let DOC know why, and what you would like to see instead. Providing suggestions of alternative words or phrases are really helpful.
ON TARGET
ON TARGET
NZDA 2012 NATIONAL SHOOTING WEEK, TOKOROA SHOOTING SPORTS COMPLEX
Saturday 23 February 2013
50m NRA Rimfire Branch Score
Saturday/Sunday 23/24 February 2013 Two Gun Event

Branch Score
Rod Hill Mark Poots Aidin Ralfe
Rotorua Taupo Taupo
1111.35 1091.39 1045.09
Shane Wills
North Auckland
1543.18
Results for the remainder of the National Shooting Week competitions will be included in NZ Hunting & Wildlife issue 181
Sunday 23 February 2013

NRA 100m Centrefire Branch Score
Colin Curreen Shane Wills

36
South Waikato North Auckland
579.09 527.06
SWAZI JUNIOR SHOOTS
NORTH OTAGO BRANCH SWAZI SHOOT

Eight keen shooters turned up to a fun afternoon at the Waitaki Boys Range on the 22nd September 2012. It was a 15 shot event over 50 metres using .22 rimfire rifles. There was keen competition if the speed competitors advanced to view their target scores was anything to go by. Big thanks to the helpers and of course Swazi for their continued support of our junior members.
ROTORUA BRANCH SWAZI SHOOT

We managed to have our Swazi shoot on 1st December; the attendance was disappointing, but at least we had more shooters than prizes this time. This was Cameron Russells first time, so he was given some assistance due to his inexperience, and did very well. The match was shot using .22RFs at 100 metre targets set at 50 metres, 5 shots each in prone, kneeling and standing. The other three participants have all shot this match and got prizes previously.
The place getters: (Left to right) - Shaedyn Schofield, 13; Zac Schofield, 9 and Clarke Ewing, 9. The place getters: (Left to right) - Mitchell Peterson, 3rd; Grant Piper 1st; Cameron Russell 2nd; and our 4th entrant Cassandra Clare.
Title: To the Limit Urewera Deer Capture Produced by: South Coast Productions
REVIEW
Running Time: 60 minutes Format: NTSC RRP: $35.00 Available from: South Coast Productions, PO Box 58, Riverton 9847, Southland or www.videosouth.com Reviewed by: Trevor Dyke
DVD
To quote from the South Coast Productions website, To the Limit is the story of a hard working, innovative Kiwi entrepreneur, three helicopters and six men who flew beyond the mist of the inscrutable Ureweras to capture deer, in what was to be the final chapters ofa great New Zealand adventure. Many of the earlier deer recovery DVDs seem to focus on the deer recovery industry in the South Island, so it is quite refreshing to see a presentation of the industry as it happened in the North Island. The DVD shows just how challenging flying in the Ureweras was back in those days. From risk taking, thrills to scary! The pilot skills and trust that the shooter has in the pilot creating a team atmosphere is reinforced by Rex Forester who spent some time with the group said You dont say anything, but you both know what you are talking about. Flying through steep sided valleys working the slips and nooks and crannies making the helicopter do things that sometimes makes you say to yourself a helicopter can do that! Watching the main rotor blades chopping through some branches of a tree leaves you thinking if you are about to witness a crash. As one of the pilots says You have to know the boundaries but you also have to respect those boundaries. Those that didnt arent around to talk about it. This is a DVD that will compliment your deer hunting collection.
Three Great DVDs for Gifts

Snowline Was Their Boundary To The Limit
This is the story of earlier times in the high country, a story of pack horses, cooks, musterers and the dogs who made it all possible.
This is the story of six men who flew beyond the mist of the inscrutable Ureweras to capture deer, in what was to be the final chapters of a great New Zealand adventure.
Back Country Tales
Captured on film are some great stories from people out of town. From deer cullers, pilots, fishermen, farmers and bushmen all with humorous stories to tell.
Available from Farmlands, CRT, Selected Whitcoulls Stores, Hunting &Fishing or from South Coast Productions PO Box 58 Riverton 9847 www.videosouth.com Ph 032348109 Inclu P&P Fax 0800448683
$35
37
HERITAGE
HERITAGE
The trust knew very little about this sledge so a bit of research had to be undertaken to collect some information. Unfortunately we soon discovered that there was not a lot of information about the rescue sledge. One snippet of information discovered was that there appears there may have been a connection with an Austrian SS unit during the Second World War. So perhaps this may explain why. The first piece of information that was found stated the following: The Austrian Gebirgs Akya Sledge (Fig. 1) is a sledge-scraper designed for transportation of victims in the mountains. Made from duralumin sheets in the form of a boat with a trapezoidal cross-section of the body. The set originally included a wheel with a rack and removable footrest to reinforce as necessary, depending on the nature of the injury and the status of the victim. Slides equally well back and forth on any state of the snow cover, including grassy slopes covered with snow. Fig. 1 Gebirgs Akya sledge:
By Trevor Dyke, Trustee

Fig. 3
The NZDA National Heritage Trust is fortunate to have a number of regulars who donate items to the trust. One of those, Dick Farrell, a member of the Hutt Valley Branch recently donated the following:
THE AKYA RESCUE SLEDGE

The following snippet of information was taken from the old Federated Mountain Clubs Land Search and Rescue handbook written by F E Gallas. The sledge is flat-bottomed, boatshaped and can be sectioned for carrying. Metal runners with guides on both ends are attached and there are two detachable steering handles. It can be fitted with a wheel for use below the snowline and is also easily winched, carried or fitted to rope tows or chairlift cargo platforms. The stretcher bed is formed by a plastic covered sponge rubber mat. A plastic cover is provided for protection of the patient. Features: Double rails on the body prevent skidding handles reinforced at fixing and are in working position without tools the brake rods provide a controlled descent and facilitate transportation on difficult parts of the route fixing straps supplied metal samosbrosami folded product is convenient for transport and storage. SPECIFICATIONS: Materials: duralumin sheet and steel pipe Dimensions: Body, 1900 x 650 x 225mm; handle length,1500mm Weight: 20.0 kg Operating conditions: Temperature, C -45 to +40 1. 2. 3. housing (metal) with a trapezoidal crosssection, foot frame, and handles Maintenance: processed by conventional detergents and disinfectants The Austrian Gebirgs Akya Sledge (Fig. 3) is double-ended flat-bottomed, boat-shaped and can be sectioned for carrying. Metal runners with guides on both ends are attached and there are two detachable steering handles. It can be fitted with a wheel for use below the snowline and is also easily winched, carried or fitted to rope tows or chairlift cargo platforms. The stretcher bed is formed by a plastic covered sponge rubber mat. A plastic cover is provided for protection of the patient. Fig.3 looks like it may have been a later version of Fig. 1 version. Below are photos of the Akya sledge that is in the trusts possession. Note that one of the victim restraining straps appears to have been partially cut off.
38
The Akya rescue sledge that is in the trusts possession. Note the missing strap on the left hand end. Fig. 4 - The sledge also looks like it has had some subtle modifications Fig. 4 done to the floor of the sledge which prevents it from being split in to two halves. Fig. 5 - The under side of the sledge showing the runners that help the sledge to slide over snow covered ground. Fig.6 - The levers that were released to split the sledge in to two pieces, as shown in Fig. 3, for transporting into the field by rescuers Fig. 7 - The colour coded handle fittings with their locking levers. Fig 3 shows an example of what the handles looked like. Fig. 8 - The underside of the sledge where the handles slid into before being locked in the fittings shown in Fig. 7. This would have given the sledge some considerable control by the rescuers as depicted in Fig. 2.
Fig. 7
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
With the help of ropes or metal cable and brakes it can be run on the steep walls, steep rock and ice slopes. For transportation of the victim to the bottom. Depending on the nature of the relief, transportation is done by two or four lifeguards. (Fig. 2)
Fig. 2
Fig. 8
The trust would be keen to be able to complete the sledge to an original condition, so if anyone has any parts or components that would assist the trust to do this please contact the NZDAs National Office, 04 801 7367 or deerstalkers@paradise.net.nz
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39
PLACES TO HUNT
THE MACKENZIE COUNTRY AND WAITAKI

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/hunting/where-to-hunt/ canterbury/mackenzie-country-and-waitaki-hunting/
In issues176, 178 and 179 of NZ Hunting & Wildlife, we featured 15 out of the 17 hunting blocks within the McKenzie Country and Waitaki hunting area. This issue we feature the last three hunting blocks: St Marys Range; Temple and Two Thumb hunting blocks and move on over into the Otago region. Hunters are advised to check for current pesticide operations that may be in progress where they intend to hunt. Summaries are published every four months by each conservancy. http://doc.govt.nz/conservation/ threats-and-impacts/animal-pests/pesticide-summaries/
ST MARYS RANGE HUNTING BLOCK

General information - This hunting area covers open, rocky ground southwest of Kurow. Red deer, chamois and pigs are present. Access - Via Awakino Road in the Awakino River Valley. To drive the upper portion of Awakino Road, permission is required from Sunny Peaks Station. Vehicles can be parked near the locked gate and there is walking access to the St Marys Range. For access to the St Marys Range Conservation Area via the east branch of the Awakino River, permission is required from Sunny Peaks Station. Map information -Topo50 CB16. Dogs - Are only allowed in this block with permission from landholder, and must be under control. Hut information - There are no DOC huts in this Block.
Safety
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
TEMPLE HUNTING BLOCK

General information - This is a beech forest valley north of Lake Ohau, which includes the north and south branches of the Temple Stream and its lower confluence. It falls within the Ruataniwha Conservation Park - a detailed recreation brochure is available from the Twizel Te Manahuna Area office. Red deer, tahr and chamois are found here. Access - Is marked off Lake Ohau Road. There is a short road (2 kilometres) which leads to the Temple Valley picnic area. The land to the south (true right) of the south branch of the Temple Valley is privately owned by Lake Ohau Station. The alpine grasslands surrounding the North Temple are private pastoral land managed by Glen Lyon Station. Permission is required to enter this area. Landholders - Lake Ohau Station, 03 438 9663. Glen Lyon Station, Ken and Jane Wigley, Map information - Topo50 BZ14. Dogs - Are allowed in this block but must be under control. Hut information - South Temple Hut, (GR: E1340220,N5108148), 6 bunks, mattresses and heating.
TWO THUMB HUNTING BLOCK

General information -This region covers the range east of Lake Tekapo and south of Two Thumb Stream. The area carries tahr and chamois. Access - To the northern end of the Two Thumb Range is through public conservation land in the Macaulay Valley via North East Gorge Stream and Two Thumb Stream. Access to the middle of the Two Thumb Range is via a courtesy track at the boundary between Mt Gerald Station and Richmond Station (north of Coal River). This is not a legal route but a track for the public to use at the goodwill of the landowners. Another access alternative is via the Roundhill Ski AreaRoad. Permission is required from Richmond Station as this not a public road. Landholders - Mt Gerald Station, Michael Burtscher, 03 680 6991. Richmond Station, Oskar and Karoline Rieder, 03 680 6582. Map information - Topo50 BY17, BY18, BX17. Dogs - Open area except for in the skifield area, where dogs are only allowed by permit for skifield management purposes. Hut information - Camp Stream Hut, (GR Topo50 mapsheet BY17,E1410867,N5148335); (note, this hut is owned by the Mackenzie Alpine Trust - Lake Tekapo and is free to the public. South Opuha Hut). 6 bunks, mattresses and heating.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Twizel DOC Area Office, Wairepo Road Twizel, 7901 or Private Bag, Twizel 7944. Phone: +64 3 435 0802. Fax: +64 3 435 0852 Email: TwizelAO@doc.govt.nz
40
THE OTAGO REGION

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/hunting/where-to-hunt/otago/
CARDRONA GLENORCHY SHOTOVER HUNTING

The Cardrona Glenorchy Shotover hunting area includes almost 40,000 hectares of mountainous land in the Humboldt eastern faces, Richardson Mountains, and in the Shotover, Motatapu and Cardrona River catchments. Species present are goats, Red deer, Fallow deer and chamois, as well as game birds in the Glenorchy wetlands. The area is mostly alpine and very cold in winter. It can be hot in summer although the weather is changeable at all times of the year. Location - The area lies between Lake Wanaka and the head of Lake Wakatipu, so Wanaka, the Shotover River or Glenorchy are the main access points.
BALLARAT
General information - This 584 ha block spans the eastern Richardson Mountains and the mid Shotover catchment north of Queenstown. The terrain is rugged shady creeks, steep spurs and peaks rising to over 2,000 metres. The vegetation is mixed with snow tussock above 900 metres, and sub-alpine shrubland in the gullies. Animals present are goats and chamois. Access - You can access theblock via The Branches Road to the confluence of the Flood Burn and the Shotover River. For access through Branches Station, contact James Murray, ph +64 3 441 8421. Map information - NZTopo50 series: CB11. Dogs - Are allowed in this block with a hunting permit. Hut information - Ballarat Hut, (GR: E1256220, N5035532), is a basic hut with 3 bunks and mattresses.
DIAMOND LAKE AND LAKE REID

General information - Diamond Lake and Lake ReidWildlife Management Reserveis a game bird hunting block. It lies at the eastern foot of Mt Alfred, 10 kilometres north of Glenorchy. The Diamond Lake and Lake Reid block is restricted. You need to get a permit specifically for this block, from the Wakatipu Area Office. In addition, you need a game birdlicence from Fish & Game NZ. Animals present are ducks and geese. Conditions - Black swans are fully protected in this area. Kill returns must be lodged with the Wakatipu Area Office on application for a new permit Access - This block is accessed from the Diamond Creek Track, which is signposted on the Routeburn Road, just after the Rees River Bridge. Landholders - For access through Mt Earnslaw Station, contact Geoffrey Thompson, ph +64 3 442 5268. Map information - NZTopo50 series: CB10. Dogs - Are allowed in this block with a hunting permit, subject to the following conditions: One dog per hunter. Dog name will be included on permit. Dogs only allowed during the duck shooting season (first weekend in May to 31 July).
KINLOCH/KOWHAI BUSH
General information -This is a steep beech/tawhai forested block on the eastern flank of the Humboldt Mountains. This block is covered by an open hunting permit, but a condition is that the neighbouring landholders must be informed before hunting in the area. Shooting is not allowed within 500 metres of Woodbine Homestead. Animals present are Red deer, Fallow deer and chamois. Access - From Glenorchy follow directions to the Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks. Cross the Dart Road Bridge then turn left. After about 6 kilometres there is a bridge over the Glacier Burn, where the Glacier Burn track is signposted. Landholders - Lin Chang, Woodbine Station, ph +64 3 441 8388 or +64 27 442 5340 Stu Percy, Routeburn Station, ph +64 3 442 9901. Map information - NZTopo50 series: CB10. Dogs - Are allowed in this block with a hunting permit.
LOCHNAGAR
General information - This block lies in the northern Richardson Mountains between the Rees and Upper Shotover Rivers, joining Mount Aspiring National Park near Mt Tyndall. The terrain is steep tussock, scree and rock, cut by deep gorges and snow covered in winter. The block encircles Lochnagar, a steep sided lake formed by a massive slip to the north. Animals present are Red deer, chamois and goats. Access - To this block is from the Shotover through Branches Station, or from Rees Saddle on the Rees Dart Track. From the Shotover, landholder permission is required, and either route requires a high level of back country skills and experience. Landholders - For access through Branches Station, contact James Murray, ph +64 3 441 8421.
Map information - NZTopo50 series: CA10, CA11. Dogs - Are allowed in this blockwith a hunting permit. If accessing the block over private land, you must have landholder permission to take your dog.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Wakatipu Area Office, Cavells Building, 1 Arthurs Point Road, Queenstown 9371 Postal Address: PO Box 811, Queenstown 9348 Phone:+64 3 442 7933, Fax:+64 3 442 7932 Email:wakatipuareaoffice@doc.govt.nz
41
REVIEWS
Format: Paperback, 240 x 170 mm, 216 pages with colour photographs Reviewed by: Bob Badland If you wish to create an interesting debate around the campfire when out hunting then ask the question, What do you reckon is the best hunting rifle and/or calibre for New Zealand? The debate will go on well into the night. Anybody contemplating going hunting in New Zealand or purchasing a hunting rifle should read this book first and you will be better informed on rifles. If you have been hunting for years, also read it, because you will learn a lot, and I mean a lot. James Passmore is a regular writer for NZ Guns and Hunting magazine and produces hunting stories, technical articles and rifle reviews. His writing has also appeared in US based online hunting sites. He started shooting at a young age, and has years of experience with sporting rifles, while hunting throughout New Zealand. This book is easy to read and understand and its technical content is simple and covers all you need to know. There are 15 chapters covering everything of importance that a hunter needs to consider when it comes to selecting a rifle and cartridge combination and getting the best from it. James brings it all together in this book, which I am sure you will enjoy reading and learn from.
BOOK
Title: The New Zealand Hunting Rifle Author: James Passmore Publisher: The Halcyon Press ISBN: 978-1-877566-22-6 RRP: $41.00
James covers many calibres the .577 Snider, the .303, an old favourite that has most probably killed more deer than any other calibre, through to A valuable resource. some of the newer short magnums.
Format: Soft cover, 210x148mm, 350 pages with information of statistics on unintentional shooting black and white photos incidents, firearms armed crime, and the extent and patterns of firearm crime. There are chapters Reviewed by: R Badland, QSM, MSTJ on suicides, social factors and information on Available from: NZDA Heritage Trust, PO Box legitimate New Zealand firearms users. 6514, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 There is no way that this brief review can advise This is a revised and enlarged version of the 1985 on the content of this book as it is too vast. book, Firearms in New Zealand, New Zealand Probably the only person in New Zealand who Mountain Safety Council (MSC) manual No. 19. could compile its contents is Chaz Forsyth. His Since that time Chaz has continued to compile interest in recreation hunting began while he was the contents of that manual, and gather more still at school and developed into ammunition information. reloading, club administration, firearm safety Title: New Zealand Firearms an exploration into For various reasons the MSC declined to reprint instruction and gunsmithing. He has more than 50 firearm possession use and misuse in New Zealand that manual. articles published in New Zealand and overseas on Author: Chaz Forsyth FSG I along with others convinced Chaz to keep at it aspects of firearms, cartridges and hunting. and update his previous work. Publisher: New Zealand Deerstalkers National If you have an interest in firearms then you should Heritage Trust The New Zealand Deerstalkers National Heritage obtain a copy of this book. Trust worked with Chaz and took on the challenge It is an honour for the New Zealand Deerstalkers ISBN: 478-0-473-21924-6 to fund and print the book. Heritage Trust to make it available. RRP: $30.00 The book contains over 300 pages of detailed
BOOK
colour and black and white photographs Reviewed by: Annette Dyke
Title: Our Gun A Wanganui Krupp Gun Story Author: Geoff Lawson Publisher: Geoff Lawson, (First edition limited to 100 numbered copies) ISBN: 978-0-473-20747-2 RRP: $40.00 - Available from Geoff Lawson, phone 06 343 2422 or geofflawson@live.com Format: Soft cover, 297x210 mm, 96 pages with
South African War, commonly known as the Boer War. Being able to look up reference points and other information helped me with gaining Geoff Lawson has put a lot of time and research knowledge about the war and the Krupp guns. It into this book. Our Gun A Wanganui Krupp Gun was during his research that Geoff realised that Story was the result of what was to become a the book had to be written as there was a distinct seven year journey to restore the Krupp number lack of information available and I for one are four gun, (officially titled 7.5cm Krupp Feldkanone grateful for him doing so. L27 BL by the Krupp Ironworks in Essen, It was pleasantly surprising to read about the Germany). number of people that willingly contributed This gun had been on display outside the information to help Geoff in both the restoration of Whanganui Museum entrance for some Our Gun and the production of the book. considerable time resulting in the gun During the writing of this review Geoff, who is also deteriorating to a condition that could have become terminal. It was interesting being able to a personal friend, has advised me that the first follow Geoffs journey as he took on the challenge edition has sold out; however a second edition is now available and contains some extra photos and of restoring this gun to go back on display at the museum. He soon realised that there was more to illustrations, (about four pages). The text remains he job than just repairing some metal work. Geoff unchanged as does the price. had to manufacture many of the missing and badly corroded parts. I found myself being drawn into the story of the If you have an interest in the history of artillery pieces and the Boer War then this book is one for your library.
BOOK
42
POETRY
THE LEGEND OF A KAIPARA BUCK

By Mark Nobilo, North Auckland
This is the story of the pines And it is often said Of the buck with antlers long And almost equal spread He lived up where the coastal mist Did swirl amongst the trees And where the always western wind Did blow right off the sea He knew the lupin basins well And every sand drift blow And where the top dressed pastures were To make his antlers grow. His blood was right, his sire keen And so the mould was set He grew a pair of antlers Which were something to beget His antlers were now in blade With guard tines turned well in And every pricket in the herd Could not but respect him He foraged well he travelled far With his feral clan And in that time of many years Hed also learned from man He learned their sounds he knew their ways And sometimes it did pass When his family cousins friends Would fall upon the grass This was when he would run And pronk his kin away Knowing to survive was hope To see another day To ease his mind from all the stress He began to feed at night Grazing out upon lush growth To make hi antlers right But men had also learned of this And their planning way Turned darkness of the night Into the brightness of the day His kin they fell and still he ran From that probing beam His life upon this heaven earth Was not a blissful dream The farmland scrub was going now And fences were built high And stalkers had chased after him And many they had tried He lost his time his mind confused He couldnt comprehend Why all these stalkers after him Did want his life to end But within his mind he had thoughts Which they didnt know And for another season He let his antlers grow He was in his prime as was his head With antlers all stained black And every stalker wanted him From the country out the back They talked of him in the pubs And at the real show Of the tree where theyd seen his rub Beneath the sand drift blow The footprints which were warm And if anyone was going to get him It had to be old Norm And still they searched each daylight hour For at least a long shot view But the veteran buck knew all the tricks There was nothing they could do But luck runs out for anyone That meant the buck as well When the bullet hit him in the leg He staggered shocked and fell But he was up and gone away As the next shot grazed behind The plan he had for survival stakes Came quickly to his mind He crossed a track he jumped a fence He jumped a fence again And limped as he was able To the ramp up by the pen He turned and looked for one last time To the world he knew outside And if this was to be his choice It was better than to die But life it was the option now So without a second thought He jumped inside the capture pen And effectively was caught Strange it was the stalkers spoke Of how hed not been seen Must have been that poacher bloke That bastard was real keen But the buck he had no antlers now Theyd been flung on to a heap Cut off with the farmers saw Flush with the skull so neat Was he myth or was he real? That Ill never know Or does he still on up there Beneath the sand drift blow Now as I stalk the coastal ridge Looking for his mark I just keep on stalking From the dawn until the dark.
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43
POINTS OF ENVY
E 2012 WINNING HE ADS FROM TH We will continue to feature more winning heads COMPETITIONS in future issues of NZ Hunting & Wildlife.
SIK A
J eremy H anar ay, H a s t ings B r anch
Three years of hunting this area I finally found a good stag and shot him while he was sparing with another younger stag. Hukunui, east Kawekas, Hawkes Bay.
WIL D SHE EP
Lee Jefferson, Otago Branch
way back into the bush. Not giving up we stalked our way down My son and I were too slow closing in on a small mob of wild sheep as they fed their I spotted a ewe and two lambs sideling through the bush below though the manuka and back along into the wind. We were just about to give up when us. I hesitated and when Regan said. what are you waiting for? I replied, I was hopping for a ram. He replied, what about the big black one below the ewe? (Cant beat young just eyes aye) They began to run off through the manuka but it was too late as I gave him us. below just ridge clear a on the right lead. He stumbled and came to rest
44
NEW ZEA LAND DEERSTALKERS ASSOCIATION INC. NATIONAL SHOOTING CALENDAR 2013
DATE March/April 2013 Friday 29th to Monday 1st Easter Weekend BRANCH Nelson Branch National Benchrest Championships Saturday 30th Rimfire & LV 200 Sunday 31st LV 100 & HV 200 Monday 1st HV 100 South Waikato Branch PRSC Qualifying Match Saturday - 120 Shot 3P R/F @ 50m Sunday - 60 Shot 3P C/F @ 100m CONTACT RANGE Graeme Smith: 03 544 7138 lvhvbr@ gmail.com Ian Owen: 021 221 1669 ian.owen @vodafone.co.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen 07 886 4090 sandijo@ clear.net.nz or Malcolm Perry 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Graeme Smith: 03 544 7138 lvhvbr@ gmail.com Ian Owen: 021 221 1669 ian.owen @vodafone.co.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen 07 886 4090 sandijo@ clear.net.nz or Malcolm Perry 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen 07 886 4090 sandijo@ clear.net.nz or Malcolm Perry 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen 07 886 4090 sandijo@ clear.net.nz or Malcolm Perry 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen 07 886 4090 sandijo@ clear.net.nz or Malcolm Perry 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen 07 886 4090 sandijo@ clear.net.nz or Malcolm Perry 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Colin & Sandi Curreen 07 886 4090 sandijo@ clear.net.nz or Malcolm Perry 07 348 4473 malcolmperry@clear.net.nz Packers Creek Range Mitai Valley, Nelson
May 2013 Saturday 25th Sunday 26th
Tokoroa Shooting Sports Complex, Newell Road, Tokoroa
June 2013 Saturday 1st to Monday 3rd (Queens Birthday )
Nelson Branch Zuppa Benchrest Shoot Sat 1st pm LV 100 yds Sunday 2nd am LV 200 yds Sunday 2nd pm HV 200 yds Monday 3rd am HV 100 yds South Waikato Branch PRSC Qualifying Match Saturday - 120 Shot 3P R/F @ 50m Sunday - 60 Shot 3P C/F @ 100m
Packers Creek Range Mitai Valley, Nelson
Saturday 8th Sunday 9th
July 2013 Saturday 27th Sunday 28th
South Waikato Branch Waikato Regional Champs Saturday - 120 Shot R/F 3P @ 50m Sunday - 60 Shot C/F 3P @ 100m (PRSC National Format Matches ) South Waikato Branch PRSC Qualifying Match Saturday - 120 Shot 3P R/F @ 50m Sunday - 60 Shot 3P C/F @ 100m
September 2013 Saturday 3rd Sunday 4th
Saturday 28th Sunday 29th
South Waikato Branch PRSC Qualifying Match Saturday - 120 Shot 3P R/F @ 50m Sunday - 60 Shot 3P C/F @ 100m
November 2013 Saturday 9th Sunday 10th
South Waikato Branch PRSC Qualifying Match Saturday - 120 Shot 3P R/F @ 50m Sunday - 60 Shot 3P C/F @ 100m
Saturday 23rd Sunday 24th
South Waikato Branch North Island Champs Saturday 60 Shot R/F 3P @ 50m & 100m Sunday 40 Shot C/F 4P @ 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.
45
ON TARGET
ON TARGET
NZDA NORTH ISLAND BENCHREST CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013
By Malcolm Perr y, Rotorua Branch Hosted by NZDA South Waikato Branch on the TSSC Range Tokoroa. Held on Auckland Anniversary Weekend 26th - 28th January 2013. Conditions for the weekend were fine and sunny with moderate wind that was a bit of a challenge particularly at 200 yards. We had seven entries for the full weekend and one shooter who, as he put it came on Saturday to test the water; I think he found them to his liking. Saturday morning was set up and practice. After lunch the LV 100 yards was shot. The small group for the first target was shared by Peter Haxell (Auckland) and Graeme Smith (Nelson) 0.245. Targets two to five Peter Haxell cleared the field; T2 0.210, T3 0.228, T4 0.145, T5 0.158. It was not surprising then that Peter won the LV aggregate with 0.1972; Malcolm Perry was second 0.3324; Graeme Smith was 3rd 0.3612. Sunday morning we shot LV 200 yards. The small groups in order were: T1 Mike Peacock (Nelson) 0.348; T2 Mike again 0.491; T3 Judith Peacock (Nelson) 0.448; T4 Graeme Smith 0.449; T5 Judith Peacock 0.493. LV 200 aggregate 200 was won by Peter Haxell, 0.3205, although he had no small groups, but no BIG groups either, as most of the rest of us did. Second was Graeme Smith 0.3222; third was Tony
Event Competitor 1 2 3 4
Titheridge (Nelson) 0.3488. Time for lunch then back to 200 HV small groups: T1 Peter Haxell 0.621; T2 Peter 0.477; T3 Graeme Smith 0.451; T4 Mike Peacock 0.522; T5 Malcolm Perry (Rotorua) 0.536. HV 200 aggregate: Graeme Smith 0.3104; 2nd Peter H. 0.3671; 3rd Malcolm P. 0.3990. Monday morning back to 100 yards for HV 100 small groups: T1 Peter Haxell. 0.091; T2 Graeme Smith 0.174; T3 Judith Peacock. 0.184; T4 Peter Haxell 0.302; T5 Malcolm Perry 0.275. HV 100 aggregate: Peter Haxell 0.2326; 2nd Malcolm Perry 0.2874; 3rd Mike Peacock 0.2942. We now have the grand aggregate for LV: 1st Peter Haxell 0.2589; 2nd Graeme Smith 0.3417; 3rd Tony Titheridge (Nelson) 0.3630 HV grand aggregate: 1st Peter Haxell 0.2999; 2nd Graeme Smith 0.3424; 3rd Malcolm Perry 0.3432. And the top prize of the weekend, 2 gun aggregate: 1st Peter Haxell 0.2794; 2nd Graeme Smith 0.3421; 3rd Tony Titheridge 0.3729. This weekend was a most enjoyable event and my thanks go to all the participants that all pitched in to help make things run very smoothly.
5 Aggr Place
LV100
Peter Haxell Malcolm Perry Graeme Smith Peter Haxell Graeme Smith Tony Titheridge Peter Haxell Malcolm Perry Mike Peacock Graeme Smith Peter Haxell Malcolm Perry Peter Haxell Graeme Smith Tony Titheridge Peter Haxell Graeme Smith Malcolm Perry Peter Haxell Graeme Smith Tony Titheridge
0.245 0.277 0.245 0.602 0.797 0.492 0.091 0.295 0.260 0.742 0.621 0.637 0.2589 0.3417 0.3630 0.2999 0.3424 0.3432 0.2794 0.3421 0.3729
0.210 0.370 0.368 0.744 0.715 0.517 0.219 0.246 0.264 0.599 0.477 0.485
Place
0.228 0.447 0.401 0.671 0.673 0.743 0.195 0.186 0.216 0.451 0.923 0.621
0.145 0.378 0.385 0.623 0.449 1.065 0.302 0.435 0.411 0.748 1.063 1.711
0.158 0.190 0.407 0.565 0.588 0.671 0.356 0.275 0.320 0.564 0.587 0.536
0.1972 0.3324 0.3612 0.3205 0.3222 0.3488 0.2326 0.2874 0.2942 0.3104 0.3671 0.3990
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
LV200
HV100
HV200
Grand Aggregates
LV Grand
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
HV Grand
2 Gun
46
RUAHINE BRANCH CENTREFIRE FIELD SHOOT JANUARY 2012

By Simon Gillice, Nor th Taranaki Branch
Gary fires a shot with his Spikes Rock River AR15
Steve lines up on the first of two targets he is faced with
Jeff shot very well under pressure to take out first place with his Tikka LSA 55 in 22-250
The Ruahine NZDA Branch hosted their first centrefire field shoot in January on a club members property at Maharahara, just south of Dannevirke. Fourteen competitors were not put off by a heavy rain shower earlier in the morning and turned up to pit their skills against the course. The weather turned fine and hot for the day. The wind was gusting and intermittent but was not enough for most people to have to worry about it. As this was their first centrefire field shoot the course was set up so not to be too difficult. The course was limited to targets at less than 300m. There were six separate shoot stages set up for the day, each required to shooter to fire at least two or up to five shots. Three of the stages required to competitor to move several meters while under a time limit before they could see the targets to be shot at that stage. All the stages were under tight enough time limits to make people try and shoot faster than they normally would in a target shooting environment. A reliable rifle was certainly an advantage on the day as any small jam just
Competitor Jeff B Simon G Malcolm G Scott B Branch Ruahine North Taranaki Rotorua Palmerston North Ruahine Ruahine Ruahine Ruahine CRC Bush Fielding CDFG Bush Ruahine
piled on the pressure and the time limits ticked away. The shoot was quite successful with almost everyone hitting more than half of their shots. A couple of competitors mentioned on the day that they had never tried shooting and reloading their rifle that fast before. They commented that from a hunting point of view the shoot was great practice. The race for first place was very tight with only three hits separating the first 6 competitors. Jeff (Ruahine Branch) took out first place (based on count back) with his Tikka LSA 55 in 22-250. The club put on a BBQ after the shoot that went down extremely well. The cold drinks were certainly appreciated by all. The Ruahine Branch hopes to make the field shoot an annual event. Malcolm Perry (Rotorua Branch) and I (North Taranaki Branch) both enjoyed the setting up and running the shoot. It provided us the opportunity to meet some new people and enjoy a day of challenging but fun shooting with them.
Score 90 / 100 90 / 100 90 / 100 85 / 100 80 / 100 75 / 100 65 / 100 65 / 100 60 / 100 60 / 100 60 / 100 50 / 100 50 / 100 35 / 100 Placing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Rueben lines up on three seperate targets on the far face with his Husqvarna .270
Scott competes with his Tikka .270 on his way to a well deserved 4th place
Rifle Tikka LSA 55 in 22-250 Sako 85V in 260Rem Sako 85B in .223 Tikka T3 in .270 Remington 700VTR in .308 Winchester Mod 70 in .243 Tikka T3 in .308 Brno .243 Husqvarna .270 Spikes / Rock River AR15 in .223 Ruger X7 in .223 Parker Hale .243 Mauser 6.5x55 Titan 6 in .243
Michael D Jason T Neil M Ken T Reuben H Gary J Steve S Chris S Glenn A Gary T
Jason lines up on a target through some thistles with his Winchester Model 70 in .243
Eventual 5th place getting, Michael searches for his next target as he reloads his Remington 700VTR V
47
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New Zealand Hunting & Wildlife - 180 - Autumn 2013

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AUTUMN ISSUE 180 - APRIL TO JUNE 2013

TRIP TO EREWHON PLACES TO HUNT HOW AN EPIRB CAN SAVE A LIFE

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NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

PRESIDENTS REPORT - AUTUMN

en. e s e b e Be saf than t a e M No Bet ter te No Ma

THE AFTERMATH OF VIOLENCE OVERSEAS AND HOW IT MIGHT IMPACT HERE

Chaz Forsy th, National Executive Member

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

HUNTING LOBBY GEARING UP FOR A FIGHT IN USA

IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE?

FISH & GAME VOTE TO REMOVE SUB-GAUGE EXEMPTION

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

NZDA HUNTS REPORT

HUNTS - TIME FOR REFLECTION

Bill OLeary National Coordinator, NZDA HUNTS

AIM BETWEEN THE SHOULDER BLADES

Percentage of Types of Firearms Seized 08/09

All the best son ling, Chairper Michael Dow

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

EXPERIENCE AND YOUTH

One of several Red hinds seen during the day

Campbell with his deer Jasper with his first deer

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

WILD GAME - ANOTHER ASPECT

RED DEER ODDMENTS

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

NEW ZEALAND DEERSTALKERS ASSOCIATION INC

New Zealand Big Game Record Series

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I enclose my cheque for $___________________________________ Or charge my Visa Mastercard

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NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

HOW I GOT INTO DUCK SHOOTING

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NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

Luke Jarvie (Upper Clutha

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

NATIONAL HUNTING ADVISOR

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

A VERY SIMPLE MEASURING SYSTEM BASED ON SYMMETRICAL OR BALANCED SIZE.

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

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NEK MINNIT NIGHTMARE

From left to right Jamie, John, Gary and Kerry -

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

Moments before disaster struck with John, Gary and Kerry

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

CLEANING TROPHY HEADS FOR ANTLER, HORN AND TUSK COMPETITIONS

NZ Hunting & Wildlife 180 - Autumn 2013

LOCK, STOCK & BARRELL

WHAT RIFLE TO USE FOR DEER? WHAT A GREAT QUESTION!

DEER HUNTING SKILLS

THE GEAR YOU MIGHT NEED

SHOOTING SKILLS NEEDED FOR DEER HUNTING

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