quote:

Originally posted by Weathered:

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
I purchased this hunt at the SCI convention and find that my wife and I will, in all likelihood, not be able to attend. This is a dream hunt with a top outfitter. This hunt is valued at over $11,000.00, but I am only asking what I have into it.

Outfitter:
Shane Johnson
Four Seasons Safaris New Zealand
www.hunting-fishing.co.nz

The hunt will be based at the luxury resort of Terrace Downs, set in the foothills of the South Island’s Southern Alps.

Cost: $5,500 (May be split between two hunters)

Dates: June 10-14, 2013. Dates are firm.

Includes two hunters hunting 2x1 for 5 days out of a luxury lodge for either one tahr each or one hunter takes a tahr and the other a chamois, or one solo hunter taking both. Included are the trophy fees, daily guiding fees, food, $250 towards transfer fees outside of the 5 days and one luxury room for 5 days.

This is a heli assist hunt, meaning the hunters will be flown into the hunting area via helicopter and dropped off in an area with the desired animals. The hunt is conducted on foot. The helicopter will also be used to retrieve game shot and transport hunters back to the lodge. The will be no shooting from the helicopter or herding of animals.

Additional costs to hunters, $350 room night for additional room or additional days per room; $500 govt fee for each animal taken; helicopter time for heli assist from $1450 hr; hunters can hunt additional species on trophy fee basis; taxidermy; export permits; $25 firearm import fees; or transfers to/from Christchurch outside of stipulated guiding days

Four Season Safaris have hundreds of thousands of acres of land which they have gov’t concessions to hunt tahr and chamois. In the 18 years they have been outfitting and guiding the area, they have never seen other hunters while out hunting.

Shane has approved the selling of this hunt and the language used to describe it.

Good luck selling that one one, Shanes description of this hunt does not match the DoC defined AATH access concession conditions.
The use of a helicopter for AATH or heli-assisted access under an AATH concession is required to be continous
Excerpt DOCDM-804025 - PAC-12-15 Provisional heli-hunting report

Definition of the activity
Heli-hunting, or aerially-assisted trophy hunting, as it is also known, is defined as a
continuous activity involving searching for an animal by helicopter, the positioning of hunter and guide on the ground to allow shooting of the animal, and then uplifting of trophy, hunter and guide to return to base.
The difference between aircraft landing concessions, where aircraft are used to convey
and position hunters directly to specified landing sites and then return for pickup at a
predetermined time days to weeks later, and heli-hunting concessions, is that in helihunting
the aircraft is used to search for a trophy and is integral to a continuous
operation where all on board return to the base.

Ask your outfitter where he is intending to land you, access and how it is granted varies significantly. If you are using a helicopter to access an irregular access zoned area not in the national parks and an access concession is held you are fine.

Try this under an AATH concession you will find you cannot be dropped off to ground hunt and picked up hours later that day (ask Doc or Shane for a definition of this "time" I doubt they will give you a figure). The helicopter is required to be used continuously as part of any AATH activity.


By definition the use of a helicopter is integral to any AATH assisted access and cannot by law be removed from the activity, even to allow you to ground hunt for the day.
I did not write the concession just telling you that outfitters cannot deviate from the terms of their access conditions with regard to AATH

I am expecting the shit storm to descend, makes no difference to me, just telling you the facts as defined is all.