Many of you will know something of the situation here in New Zealand that surrounds the practice known as Helihunting.
An unfortunate turn of events is that it has become clear that the government department (DOC) responsible for public lands, and the animals on it, has decided to legalize this activity for foreign hunters in an effort to earn income by way of a trophy fee Suggested as being $500.00 which in turn will be used to fund eradication programs for these same animals. Just how this will eventuate, will be decided after the Reno SCI show in January.
The Departments statutory mandate is not one of game animal management, but of extermination where funding and methods are available. To put it bluntly, by coming to New Zealand, and buying a hunt, you will be aiding the destruction of the resource in this country. I cannot put it more clearly, than to say that there is no intention to manage this activity in any way, and it’s simply first in, first served as to available Bulls and Bucks. With 10 operators, each capable of taking 120 of each species per season, when in the first year there is only approx 1600 true trophy bull Tahr in existence, it will not take more than a couple of seasons to destroy this herds trophy potential, and given that a bull doesn’t reach maturity until 4 years of age, the health of the entire herd is at risk.
This has a number of effects on, not only native New Zealand hunters, but also any hunter wishing to hunt from afar.
Firstly for anyone who has, or wishes to take a Tahr, Chamois or Red Stag by free range or fair chase methods in this country. It will mean your trophy is valueless, in that there will be no distinction between ethically taken animals, and those that aren’t. Any head on the wall from NZ will be viewed from the lowest common denominator
It’s likely that all trophies’s exported may be charged this fee, thereby helping to destroy hunting in this country.
It is the first step in the destruction of the only currently viable hunting population of Tahr in the world, which was saved from destruction in the 1980’s by New Zealand hunters when numbers were reduced to 1500, and brought back to the current population of 10,000. Unfortunately the New Zealand hunting organization responsible for saving them then, is now broke and bleeding and unable to step up again.
Because these hunts are cheap (and nasty), they also put pressure on well run guiding buisiness's who offer ethical public or private land hunts, but whos costs are higher.
With applications from helicopter operators coming in, it’s clear that more species than Tahr are to be targeted, as almost all of the South Island is covered with 9 or 10 different operators applying at current time and more to come.

A small but dedicated group of us are putting up an attempt to fight against this, but we need help! It’s important to note that we are not trying to stop foreign hunters from using or accessing the New Zealand public land resource. And we are not attempting to stop legitimate use of helicopters for access to the mountains. We are though, intent on bringing some level of ethics into the way guided hunting is conducted on public land so that the harvest is sustainable, the trophy is of quality, and indeed that the experience the client has is of quality. Also, those hunters who don’t wish to use a guide are not forced to take a back seat. Ultimately we would like to see the trophy fee used for proper management of this herd.
Below is a copy of the Dept of Conservations letter touting concessions



9 December 2009
HELI-HUNTING CONCESSION APPLICATIONS
You have been sent this letter and will shortly receive in the mail a disc because the Department of
Conservation understands that you may be interested in applying for a concession, or currently have
an application lodged, to undertake the activity of heli-hunting for Himalayan tahr and chamois on
public conservation land in the South Island.
By way of background, heli-hunting is specifically excluded from the new Wild Animal Control
Operations (WARO) concession that became operative on 1 December 2009. This concession
replaces the previous 2004-2009 WARO concession. The new concession regime under the Wild
Animal Control and Conservation Acts is specific for the activity of helicopter recovery of wild
animals (deer and minor game species) for food processing and for the activity of live capture of
deer for farming. The new concession has standardised conditions.
If you have an interest in undertaking heli-hunting on public conservation land you need to apply
for a concession. So that you are clear about what heli-hunting is, it is defined as “an activity where
an aircraft is used to take a paying client hunting (generally for chamois or tahr) and possibly a guide
for trophy animals only. The guide and client are not interested in hunting all animals - only those
with trophy interest. The activity generally involves the helicopter being used to search for and find
the trophy, to position the hunter on the ground and, if necessary, the helicopter prevents the animal
from escaping until it is shot by the hunter. The helicopter then recovers the hunter and the trophy.
The disc you will receive contains mapping that you are invited to use for your application. A copy
of the application form and some other documentation you may find useful will be emailed to you
by Haydn Porritt. The Southern Helicopter Operators Association may be able to provide support
for applicants who need assistance with completing their applications. The chair of the Association
is Doug Maxwell.
All completed heli-hunting applications are to be sent to:
Department of Conservation
Private Bag 4715
CHRISTCHURCH 8140
Attention Haydn Porritt
Yours sincerely
Mike Cuddihy
Conservator Canterbury

What is not stated, but is regular practice in helihunting is the way in which the helicopter prevents the animal from escaping, which usually means it is driven too exhaustion, and near collapse, or on occasion when they find an effective hiding place, driven out with birdshot or sirens .I have witnessed this type of activity on 7 occasions, and the extended chasing of animals until they give up, the use of shotguns to slow them, and some of the tumbles these animals take in an attempt too escape, are appalling. This is not like animal control for pigs or deer where the animals are killed quickly by a professional, they have to crush the animals will first and drive it to a spot where it is recoverable.
Mike Cuddihy, the regional conservator in charge of this program, will be visiting the SCI Convention in Reno this January. Any member who attends can help dramatically by voicing your disdain of helihunting to him and to the SCI officials he is talking with.
In reality, SCI can stop this in its tracks by actively disallowing helihunted trophies’, or participants in its organization, and I don’t see how SCI could claim this as a legitimate method of hunting, given its potential to destroy Hunting in this country.
If you have any more in depth questions that you feel need answering, please ask away, or contact me at
shankspony@xtra.co.nz

Thank you
Craig Carey

Mate I dont think SCI does allow heli-copter hunting... correct me if Im wrong...

You are right, but the guides who are pushing this are almost all members of SCI, and If my knowledge is correct, some will have stands at the convention and will be touting the activity.
Also the information I have from within the industry, is that the decission on how this go's ahead will be made after the visit to the SCI convention.

Mate I dont think SCI does allow heli-copter hunting... correct me if Im wrong...

As a past member of SCI and reasonably conversant with their ethics which are on paper for all to view etc I know and I`m bloody sure you are too Matt (conversant) that there are many that dont give a toss as to SCI ethics (or others) in the unscrupulous quest for "the big wall hanger"

Its not the Org`s,Clubs or Associations at all as it does come down to the unscrupulous operators and the unscrupulous clients that will willingly flaunt such ethics.. dont worry Matt I aint poking you at all.

Now thats been well charted in NZ especially where chopper hunt guides over step (fly) the boundaries all the time..one can read many refs to such on NZ`s two biggest hunt sites.

It should be condemned by each and every one of us and to me is an underhanded attempt by the green rule makers to reduce yet again hunting opp`s in NZ....no game left? No need to hunt or have a rifle!

quote:

Originally posted by gryphon1:
It should be condemned by each and every one of us and to me is an underhanded attempt by the green rule makers to reduce yet again hunting opp`s in NZ....no game left? No need to hunt or have a rifle!

That would be an added bonus for these scum sucker's.

However, the DoC is after money. It seems they have blown so much on 1080 (which is still going on the ground flat out) that they don't have enough to go round, there is even talk of lay off's. Unfortunately this won't be the xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxx at the top.

In case your wondering I'm wild about this. We here in New Zealand are forced to watch as these caretakers of our's ruin OUR country and it seems there is not a damn thing we can do about it.

For anyone that partakes in one of these hunt's, you would then rate as well as our top DoC officer'.

If this idiot comes back and does this even after talking with SCI then we all know how the conversation went.....