From the Hunting Report

The New Zealand Definition Of Free-Range


Continuing subscribers know we report regularly on what we have been calling free-range hunting opportunities in New Zealand. Turns out we should have been more careful with our use of that term. Seems some operations down that way claim to be free-range because they say their animals are able to jump fences found on their property.
Not so fast, one Kiwi operator told us recently. A fenced property that allows animals to escape is not considered free-range. In fact, it is actually against the law to allow fenced animals to escape.

For a straight answer on this matter, we turned to our resident New Zealand correspondent, Greg Morton, who had this to say: Free-range in New Zealand indeed means no fences. A free-range animal must be born and must live in the wild. In New Zealand, most genuine free-range hunting involves tahr, chamois, goat, wild sheep and wallaby. All and I mean ALL - of those monster SCI deer trophies are from behind a wire, although some good free-range fallow buck and sika stag are occasionally free-range shot. Good free-range red stag are shot from time to time, but they are bronze or silver medal quality at best. NO gold medal animals are shot free range.

The free-range devotee should not be fooled into believing that those monster trophies you see on many web sites are free-range animals. An outfitter would never allow such valuable animals to come and go at will. They have been bred for the park and are harvested soon after release. If there are fences on a monster-deer property that animals can jump over, don’t be fooled into thinking those are the only perimeter fences. They aren’t!


South Africa ( Lion Hunting ) and New Zealand ( Red Stag Hunting ) have many things together IMO...

Seloushunter

quote:

They have been bred for the park and are harvested soon after release.

"South Africa ( Lion Hunting ) and New Zealand ( Red Stag Hunting ) have many things together IMO"

Interesting quotes.
Peter.

good post mboga,yep it pees me off to see the pen stuff passed off as free range,supposedly to elevate the hunters(shooter?) status.

It's a pretty long bow to draw to say that NO true free-ranging reds would be gold medal quality. I mean GM is about what 320SCI and there have been plenty of them shot in the wild (even in Australia).

I think there could also have been a distinction in what qualifies as a 'fence'. I mean they should be talking about high-fences. Cattle and other short fences just dont count with deer IMHO. Its like they arent even there!!

There are an aweful lot of tahr and chamois shot inside game parks too and this does not acknowledge that.

Short answer; Welcome to the slippery slope!

Longer version; They are on an island man they can't get away and they have no guns of their own and they may have been born there but are not native and lifes not fair and free....

Well at least for a while longer we are all still "free" to form or own opinions!!!!!!!

quote:

I think there could also have been a distinction in what qualifies as a 'fence'

As a president once said "It all depends on the meaning of the word "Is"!!!!!
Peter.