Online petition STOP guided helicopter-hunting in NZ

29 April 2009, 01:30

ethical-freeranger

Hi all

DOC (the New Zealand Department of Conservation) is going to make guided helicopter hunting a legal activity on public lands come September. The writing is on the wall 3 operators have already been granted an interim decision to carry out this activity until heli-hunting permits become available in September.

The petition below may achieve nothing, but at least in 5 years time when our public land tahr and chamois herds have no trophy animals left and our pristine and peaceful backcountry is jammed full of helicopters you will be able to say I tried to stop this!

Please take 1 minute of your time click on the link below and sign this petition, it is simple and easy.

http://www.gopetition.com/peti...icopter-hunting.html

You can add further comments to the petition if you wish

Please forward this link to everyone on your mailing list. This petition has only been up 24 hrs and already we have 305 signatures, please do your bit to help this snowball.

Regards and thankyou

Chris McCarthy

DOCs definintion of heli-hunting

“This activity involves the conveyance of a client (and guide) in search of a trophy animal. The helicopter positions the client on the ground and the client shoots the trophy from the ground, or the client shoots the trophy from the helicopter and the helicopter then conveys the client, guide and trophy home.” “Wild Animal Recovery Operations framework 15-4-09.”

What this definition really means:

1. Searching for a game animal from the helicopter and chasing it until it is physically exhausted then landing at a random site client and guide disembark to shoot the game animal and retrieve it.

2. Searching for a game animal from the helicopter. Once an animal is located a random landing is made and client and guide get into position for a shot. The helicopter is then used to herd the game animal back toward the client and guide; the animal is shot and the helicopter lands a second time to retrieve the animal client and guide.

3. Searching for a game animal from the helicopter and shooting a game animal directly from a helicopter. The helicopter then lands at a random site to retrieve the animal.

My personnel opinion is that point 3 will not be allowed. Points 1 and 2 are known as “spot and drop” and are most likely to be legalised.

29 April 2009, 02:20

HighlandStalker

Hi Chris,

I have posted a link to the petition on the Nitroexpress forum to help with the cause.

All the best,

Joe

29 April 2009, 03:28

wirehunt

Good on you for getting this going, I've put it up in another couple of spots as well.

29 April 2009, 05:00

shankspony

Just checked out the petition, I'm astounded by the number of Aussie's who have signed, Thanks guys, and thank to all the other nationalities as well.

29 April 2009, 08:48

ethical-freeranger

Thanks men for your help

by 5.00 pm tonight we should hit 500 signatures.

The response has been overwhelming but we need to keep it moving.

29 April 2009, 11:36

xxxshooter

561 signatures so far, not bad!

Chris, I have put a link to the petition on a European forum, which seems to attract a number of signatures already (daylight just starting there). It would pay out to mention when you hand the petition in that XXX signatures where from Europeans (maybe give the number of countries they come from) where such practice - Heli Hunting - would be despised by all outdoor users, hunters, conservationists, walkers and animal rights activists alike.

29 April 2009, 11:56

TOP_PREDATOR

What about US big game section on here??

Hunting groups on facebook

"animal rights activists" on our side

29 April 2009, 12:03

scubapro

done - nr 575 ...

29 April 2009, 12:12

xxxshooter

ah, welcome scubapro my brother, the internet is such a small world, isn't it?

29 April 2009, 12:52

scubapro

it is...

29 April 2009, 18:45

Boghossian

Number 702....hope it makes a difference!

30 April 2009, 09:46

ethical-freeranger

Bump 900+ signatures

30 April 2009, 10:19

xxxshooter

yep, the forums in Europe and the US add quite a bit to it. in my humble opinion it shows there is indeed a market for ethical hunting tourist operations!

30 April 2009, 14:16

Hamish

Gidday Guys,

#998 for me.

Is it on the Campfire yet? I better go check.

Happy Hunting

Hamish

01 May 2009, 10:37

ethical-freeranger

1000 sigantures achieved in 60 hrs

Some have been asking for a defintion of heli-hunting on the petition this is underway.

I have printed a 73 page document made up of signatures and all important comments..

Might not hear from me for a day or two, opening morning duck shooting tomorrow.

01 May 2009, 13:04

303Guy

122? for me! Hell, what they up to?

05 May 2009, 04:17

ethical-freeranger

Some people have raised the point that the petition statement is not specific to public lands.

The petition satement has been amended

We the undersigned are totally opposed to guided heli-hunting being able to be conducted on a WARO (Wild Animal Recovery Operation) permit and are totally against this activity on public lands altogether.

1500 sigantures have been acheived first media coverage also underway.

As to DOCs view that heli-hunting will bring $$$ to NZ check out Wals view signed at number #257

"If heli hunting is permitted I shall no longer come to New Zealand to hunt. I hunt regularly in NZ - 3 trips in last 5 years - and heli hunting will destroy the true wilderness hunt which is what NZ is all about. Heli hunting is NOT hunting - it is shooting from a helicopter. There are no ethics in heli-shooting and it is totally against any creed of any reputable hunting organisation anywhere in the world."

This sort of view has been repeated time and time again and is just the sort of good stuff we need to put to DOC.

<a href="http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-guided-helicopter-hunting.html">Online petition - Stop guided helicopter-hunting in New Zealand</a>

06 May 2009, 01:21

ethical-freeranger

This was published in the Southland Times this morning, its a start.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southla...eli-hunting-proposal

14 May 2009, 13:14

mboga biga bwana

From the www.huntingreport.com

Big Fight Brewing Over Helicopter-Assisted Hunting in New Zealand

(posted May 13, 2009)

Are you planning to hunt New Zealand for tahr or chamois with the aid of a helicopter? Well, a big fight is brewing within New Zealand's hunting and outfitting community over this kind of hunting. Seems resident hunters and a number of outfitters who specialize in foot-hunting for these species have challenged the legality of these hunts and are circulating a petition for an outright ban on helicopters for all hunting.

For more than 30 years, outfitters in New Zealand have used helicopters to access the most rugged mountain terrain to hunt tahr and chamois. But the practice has come under serious scrutiny and criticism in the last few years. The catalyst for that seems to be a fatal hunting accident that occurred in 2006 when an American hunter slipped and fell to his death while exiting a helicopter during a chamois hunt. The investigation and high-profile court case that followed led to speculation and rumors that helicopter-assisted hunting would be outlawed in New Zealand.

Although helicopter-assisted hunting has been allowed in New Zealand for 30 years, the regulations seem to have been a bit ambiguous. Last October, the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association held a members meeting to sort out the issues and hammer out some guidelines on the ethical and legal use of helicopters during a guided hunt. The Hunting Report posted those guidelines on its web site. Recently New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC) announced some new procedures to ensure all helicopter-assisted hunting is done by officially registered operators. The new system is scheduled for implementation this coming September, but the department has moved forward with early registrations. A number of outfitters who do not use helicopters have now moved to have the entire practice banned and are collecting signatures through an online petition.

I should note that some of the behavior the petition objects to is already illegal, such as hunting clients shooting from the helicopter. Only registered shooters with a commercial game recovery operation are legally able to do that. Also, the use of helicopters on private land requires specific permission from the landowner. Public land hunts using helicopters already require a concession permit from the DOC. We spelled out all the requirements and restrictions in our New Zealand Country Report.

For now, helicopter-assisted hunting continues to be legal in New Zealand under certain restrictions, as mentioned above. I'll have a more in-depth report on this development in the upcoming June issue of The Hunting Report. In the meantime, hunters with strong convictions about helicopter-assisted hunting are welcome to send me an e-mail with their views at Barbara@huntingreport.com. If I receive enough thoughtful responses about why helicopter-assisted hunting should or should not be allowed in New Zealand, I'll start a forum on our web site about the issue. - Barbara Crown, Editor.

Seloushunter

14 May 2009, 16:33

Matt Graham

Typical of The Hunting Report....sensationalise, scare AND get it all wrong!!

14 May 2009, 17:51

BwanaBob

My signature makes 1995 signatures!

14 May 2009, 19:38

mboga biga bwana

quote:
Typical of The Hunting Report....sensationalise, scare AND get it all wrong!!

Seloushunter

15 May 2009, 05:21

Weathered

quote:
Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:
From the www.huntingreport.com

Big Fight Brewing Over Helicopter-Assisted Hunting in New Zealand

(posted May 13, 2009)

Are you planning to hunt New Zealand for tahr or chamois with the aid of a helicopter? Well, a big fight is brewing within New Zealand's hunting and outfitting community over this kind of hunting. Seems resident hunters and a number of outfitters who specialize in foot-hunting for these species have challenged the legality of these hunts and are circulating a petition for an outright ban on helicopters for all hunting.

For more than 30 years, outfitters in New Zealand have used helicopters to access the most rugged mountain terrain to hunt tahr and chamois. But the practice has come under serious scrutiny and criticism in the last few years. The catalyst for that seems to be a fatal hunting accident that occurred in 2006 when an American hunter slipped and fell to his death while exiting a helicopter during a chamois hunt. The investigation and high-profile court case that followed led to speculation and rumors that helicopter-assisted hunting would be outlawed in New Zealand.

Although helicopter-assisted hunting has been allowed in New Zealand for 30 years, the regulations seem to have been a bit ambiguous. Last October, the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association held a members meeting to sort out the issues and hammer out some guidelines on the ethical and legal use of helicopters during a guided hunt. The Hunting Report posted those guidelines on its web site. Recently New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC) announced some new procedures to ensure all helicopter-assisted hunting is done by officially registered operators. The new system is scheduled for implementation this coming September, but the department has moved forward with early registrations. A number of outfitters who do not use helicopters have now moved to have the entire practice banned and are collecting signatures through an online petition.

I should note that some of the behavior the petition objects to is already illegal, such as hunting clients shooting from the helicopter. Only registered shooters with a commercial game recovery operation are legally able to do that. Also, the use of helicopters on private land requires specific permission from the landowner. Public land hunts using helicopters already require a concession permit from the DOC. We spelled out all the requirements and restrictions in our New Zealand Country Report.

For now, helicopter-assisted hunting continues to be legal in New Zealand under certain restrictions, as mentioned above. I'll have a more in-depth report on this development in the upcoming June issue of The Hunting Report. In the meantime, hunters with strong convictions about helicopter-assisted hunting are welcome to send me an e-mail with their views at Barbara@huntingreport.com. If I receive enough thoughtful responses about why helicopter-assisted hunting should or should not be allowed in New Zealand, I'll start a forum on our web site about the issue. - Barbara Crown, Editor.

Seloushunter

Thanks for putting it up guys.

I am too tired to point out the lack of info and absloute inaccuracies of this document do people actually pay money to this national inquirer of the hunting world for a subscription ? print this one on thick soft paper for me please.

.

23 May 2009, 11:09

creed

funny again Weathered

24 May 2009, 14:46

creed

Go for it Weathered!

12 June 2009, 05:55

ethical-freeranger

Hi all

The petition has been sent in both email and hard copy to Mike Cuddihy (Canterbury Conservator).

The response I got from Doug Sowman was pretty standard as to all who have submitted on the heli-hunting issue.

"Thank you for your email to Mike Cuddihy. The Department accepts that there will be a range of views expressed regarding the matters raised in the Framework document and acknowledges your comments. These will be considered along with others received on the Framework."

Regards

Doug

The petition does not fit the required criteria to be put to parliament, but it does carry a lot of weight. To name a couple of places it has popped up.

The hunting report: check it out here on the home page under "Email extra bulletins"
www.huntingreport.com

Also "The Scope" magazine published by the NZPHGA has some very interesting reading regarding heli-hunting. If you know of someone who is a member get your hands on a copy.

Qoute from The Scope magazine.

"This is a course of action a minor few have taken on to disrupt the very core of accessing some of the best areas of New Zealand hunting - utilising helcopters to access the high/backcountry".

This is not what we are out to do at all and is a very misleading comment. Many hunters and guides are using helicopters right now in the tahr and chamois rut to land at designated sites and hunt on foot from there.

I have just finished 3 one week hunts on public land and used a helicopter for access on each hunt.

As the petition states

We the undersigned are totally opposed to guided heli-hunting being able to be conducted on a WARO (Wild Animal Recovery Operation) permit and are totally against this activity on public lands altogether.

DOCs definition of heli-hunting is below.

“This activity involves the conveyance of a client (and guide) in search of a trophy animal. The helicopter positions the client on the ground and the client shoots the trophy from the ground, or the client shoots the trophy from the helicopter and the helicopter then conveys the client, guide and trophy home.” “Wild Animal Recovery Operations framework 15-4-09.”

So where to from here?

If this is such a great tourism idea maybe our minister of tourism who is also our prime minister needs to hear about this activity called heli-hunting.

Please keep encouraging people to the sign the petition, along with your submissions and letters it has a lot of work to do yet.

Apologies for the long time between drinks, genuine hunting guides actually have to spend time in the mountains with their clients.