When I was in New Zealand for my hunt I watched a video of a Tahr Culling event sponsored by the N.Z. Govt. I can't believe that they just blast those Magnificent animals from the Helicopters!!!!! The Govt. official stated that she would only be happy if they could shoot them all. Is there nothing the local people can do to stop this? If there are too many Tahr I can see maybe culling some Females or yearlings but shooting those big males just made me sick. They are such a Magestic, Regal looking animal.

Hawkeye47

Once again, man versus wildlife. I have been in New Zealand and hunted Tahr. I cannot believe they are that numerous to require a culling operation. I would be curious to know how many Aziz saw on his wonderful hunt.

billinthewild,

My friend Boise just PM'd me after he returned from his hunt and the area he hunted had been culled so heavy that he was unsuccessful in his hunt. I don't think he even saw a Tahr but did manage to take a Chamois.

Hawkeye47

Crazy, is it not? to the innovative wildlife managers who felt a need to cull.

Gidday Guys,

We do about all we can to try and put a stop to this lunacy and we are starting to win the public opinion war.

Now the majority of New Zealanders see game animals as a valuable resourse to be managed and looked after. On the other hand the government Department of Conservation and the eco terrorist Forest and Bird Society have launched a campaign to change public opinionas they feel that their job is not to carry out the publics wishes but to change what they wish for.

As a result we see deer being poisoned with 1080, tahr and chamois shot from helicopters and left to rot where they fall.

The government is being slowly turned around by the money flowing from hunters from overseas coming here to hunt.

The best you can do to help the situation is to come here for a hunt and that way the dollars you bring speak louder than the eco nazis.

A sad but true indictment of the mercenary values shown by our leaders.

Happy Hunting

Hamish

Re; "just blast those Magnificent animals from the Helicopters"

Magnificent indeed!

As an American Hunter in NZ I found myself welcome everywhere. But it was disturbing that the common wish was for good luck and to shoot them all.

Seems that the eco-excentrics are pushing and gaining some sympathy to return NZ to the birds. Strange for a country with many times more sheep than people.

You know the Brit fox hunters were pretty smug for many years touting tradition and ecconomics.....

We need to be careful to condem the waste and loss of income and not the killing, lest the anti's turn it back on us for blasting even one of those magnificent beast"

Madabula,

I was really surprised at how many people voiced the kill all of them opinion! I can't believe that little old ladies are saying Kill Them All!!!!

Hawkeye47

Ita not all bad news guys, as Hamish alluded to there are some very positive things going on at the moment that should address alot of the issues that arise in regards to the lack of wildlife management in NZ.
The botttom line is that all animals,and lets include sheep and cows as well as humans in this, are introduced species and as such the game animals are still seen as pests and the bottom line is to have zero levels.
The only way to go about changing this is though the political process and at the moment we do have a review of the wildlife act underway, the first time in close to 25yrs that such a reveiw has been undertaken, It has largely been hunter groups,likes of Game and Forest that have pushed for this.
If, and its always a big if, we as NZers can stand as ONE on this issue we have a very good chance of winning the day, the real fear is the apathy of the hunter and single agenda's of some hunting groups.
That aside i'd generalise and stay we have the best hunting in NZ that we have seen for the past 30yrs.
That alot of the better hunting is on private land is another issue for debate, as it gives first hand thae positive results of game management when viewed along side the complete lack of management on Government land. This private land management is directly linked to the continued development of the guided hunting industry, so again as Hamish said ,keep coming to NZ as the $$ you spend here do filter thru the system and buy votes at the end of the day.

Its a real pitty that this magnuificient animals were killed in this form ,but here this stupid ecologists said the same and dont permit the thar to be released from hunting farms and made cullings in some ares of red stags.Juan

I'm awfully late on this thread, please forgive me.

I'm the Boise Hawkeye47 mentioned. We hunted three days and spotted Tahr both days we managed to gain the altitude. There were two groups of three and it was definitely six different animals. I shot the only chammy we saw and it was small but having never seen one before and ...

I did receive an article from NZ mentioning the efforts to manage a huntable population of big game. It sounded as though the government has received enough positive hunting messages to attempt a management program. Open range Tahr hunting (and I don't mean jumping out of a heli and then shooting) is one of the most demanding hunts I have undertaken. The country is breath taking - can't imagine why all the Californians have begun moving there.

I'm returning again for a Tahr over the Christmas holiday - I've made a lot of mistakes im my life but I sure chose a treasure for a wife.

If i had the money to go on a foreign hunt i would go to Aust. or NZ instead of Africa.I might make it one day