NZDA H&W 198 WEB

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with pest control in many places throughout the country. DOC works in partnership with about 900 voluntary community groups and NZDA is a significant part of conservation success stories. A few years ago, DOC turned outwards more than ever to seek partnerships in conservation. When the need arose to prioritise where the effort should go, NZDA actively stood up and filled the gap. I want to say thank you. NZDA has taken ownership of changes they want for themselves and their community. Recreation and access Access to the hills is changing. New Zealand’s next Great Walk is on the West Coast, with access from Greymouth. When it eventually opens, the Great Walk in the Paparoa Range will take you across alpine tops, limestone karst landscapes and rainforests, and provide breathtaking views. But the difference is that there are elements of easier access to the outdoors: a purpose-built, shared-use walking and mountain biking track in the Paparoa National Park. It reminds me that the people we relate to need to reflect a broader spectrum of New Zealand society. We need to make sure that conservation is in everyone’s set of values. Last year I was fortunate enough to get away to the northern hemisphere for a break and spent time around the Baltic. Up in the taiga forests of northern Europe they have a similar suite of wildlife to North America. I did not get off the beaten track but I did notice that, with the whole of Europe on their doorstep, the people pressure on the environment is enormous. Because of this, hunting opportunities in the Baltic states are managed tightly. It was not easy to step outside for a hunt. From what I could see, there was not much opportunity for free hunting and the cost of a trophy fallow deer in Lithuania was determined by the size of the antlers. For antlers that weighed 2.5 kg the cost was about NZ$4,000 and you paid $6 for every 10 grams over! In Latvia the cost per season for a hunting permit was more than $180 and there were many other costs on top of that. Although one-third of the woods of Latvia are under protection, the designated hunting area in total was about 40,000 ha – one-tenth of the size of Kahurangi National Park. What New Zealand urban societies, take for granted as access to the outdoors, is distant dream for most people of Europe. From here in Christchurch, you can look out the window and decide that you want to go into the hills. You can be there in not more than a couple of hours. There are no hidden costs. The accommodation is generally cheap – I know, I set the fees for DOC huts! The only unnatural noise will be the banter with your friends and the fall of your feet. There’s the smell of bush and now, at this time of year, the rain on your head. And we take it for granted. In the words of Fred Dagg, alias John Clark, ‘We don’t know how lucky we are’ … As I said earlier, relationships are based on trust and shared values. We look forward to an increasingly healthy relationship. Regardless of your vote in September, DOC will still be here to help manage your outdoor interests and to grow your business. Thank you. Hammond: How can recreational hunters do their bit for game management and enhancement? This article is based on Game Animal Council (GAC) Chair Don Hammond’s speech to Conference 2017 The importance of developing unity among game animal interests was a key theme identified by GAC chair Don Hammond in his speech to the Conference. “We as hunters are an important part of protecting what we all value in our natural places and should not be seen fighting among ourselves when there are much bigger issues to address,” he said. “What we must also keep in mind is ensuring that we retain our societal licence to operate and that is the most important piece of work that GAC is responsible for. To do this, the hunting sector, recreational and commercial, must work alongside our ‘landlord’ – the Department of Conservation – to resolve issues and seek solutions out of the public glare.” “The GAC Act defines game animals as a resource to be managed, not as pests to be removed.” Key messages for NZDA He listed five key messages for NZDA members: »» For the first time in 80 years, hunters have a statutory body to represent hunter interests, both commercial and recreational; »» The GAC has made considerable progress over the past 2 years; »» The GAC has a very strong and sound relationship with NZDA as an integral part of the wider hunting community; »» NZDA President Bill O’Leary has been a very strong and successful advocate for NZDA and for recreational interests; and »» The world is changing and we must change too. In particular, there is now a need for recreational hunters to financially support advocacy and management of their recreation. 14 NZ Hunting & Wildlife 198 - Spring 2017
Mandatory consultation As a statutory body, the GAC had some special powers, he said. “Other government agencies must consult with us – whether they wish to or not. This is a very powerful and fundamental change we have to protect at all costs, and we must leverage the opportunities it generates. The GAC Act defines game animals as a resource to be managed, not as pests to be removed.” He said that the GAC was not well resourced and so had tried not to create expectations that couldn’t be met. “We have over the past couple of years developed a strategy, worked on creating Herds of Special Interest, built understanding among politicians and officials, and worked with other agencies on matters like 1080 operations and a review of wild animal recovery operations (WARO). We have built relationships and trust and are making good progress with a levy on exported trophies. Levy on exported trophies However, that levy was only the first step towards a well financed GAC, he said. “The next question is: how do recreational hunters contribute their fair share of the cost? “How do recreational hunters contribute their fair share of the cost?” “The commercial sector feel they are being asked to fund the entire GAC and all the work it does. Initially that will be the case through the Export Levy, but we must quickly move to a situation where recreational hunters are paying their share. If they don’t, I am sure you can appreciate that the commercial sector will begin calling for changes so they don’t have to pay.” He said that some hunters would not expect to have to pay for the opportunity to hunt. “However, we said that about paying to stay in back country huts 30 years ago; we said that about paying to use the phone or for drinking water and so many other aspects of our lives that we now take for granted.” Just how we will pay would require a lot of thought, he said. Options included a license, as in many countries; a levy on ammunition, and other mechanisms. “I don’t have the answers, but I am challenging you all to consider how this can happen so we all retain the right to hunt, especially on public land. I anticipate that the situation will be very different this time next year as the Council begins to have resources to progress many other matters of vital importance to hunters.” NZDA “key stakeholder” He said the work and achievements would not have been possible without the strong ongoing stakeholder support. “Key among these stakeholders is the NZDA, representing as you do thousands of recreational hunters and encouraging and supporting the next generation of hunters out into the hills. A key focus on safety, as evidenced by the HUNTS programme, is vital to the development of new hunters.” He mentioned specifically the work of NZDA President Bill O’Leary, who “has put a huge effort into all aspects of representing recreational hunters and NZDA at all levels. I believe you should all be very appreciative of his work, patience and wisdom … We now have some new members of Council appointed by the Minister recently. At that time Bill (and others) took the opportunity to step down from the Council and I would like to publicly acknowledge his contribution to getting the Council up and running and on a sound footing.” Hammond also acknowledge the support of other Councillors, the Minister, Peter Dunne, and the senior management team in DOC. “The world is changing and one thing we all must accept is that for us to ensure there will be hunting opportunities in the future for our kids and grandkids, we will need to contribute to the work required. There is a special need to build relationships with government and the urban population. He concluded: “I urge you to look beyond today and tomorrow and think about what we need to have in place in 5, 10, 20 years’ time for ourselves as hunters, our children and their children. “What is the legacy we will leave them?” Paul Peychers, "Female Sea Lion", 1st, B2 Joshua Keen, "Lake Summer", 1st, G NZ Hunting & Wildlife 198 - Spring 2017 15
Page 1 and 2: Hunting NEW ZEALAND SPRING ISSUE 19
Page 3 and 4: Joshua Keen, Tahr, 3rd, G Jamie Fai
Page 5 and 6: Contents News and features Reports
Page 7 and 8: For the past 10 years Natex has pur
Page 9 and 10: Kirstie Wilson and Sue van den Bers
Page 11 and 12: Speech by Hon Peter Dunne, MP for
Page 13 and 14: Tale material produced a number of
Page 15: Keith Milne, "Purple Flower", 1st,
Page 19 and 20: Joshua Keen, "Frosty Morning", 2nd,
Page 21 and 22: TREVOR CHAPPELL TROPHY - Wild sheep
Page 23 and 24: Game management Sika poised for Her
Page 25 and 26: forests at higher altitude within t
Page 27 and 28: Four management units A mixture of
Page 29 and 30: POWER & PRECISION FOR A DEVASTATING
Page 31 and 32: A closer look at Pete’s trophy. T
Page 33 and 34: Jack and Alfie’s first tahr hunt
Page 35 and 36: KIDS' PAGE Stephanie Waghorn (14) s
Page 37 and 38: the things that don’t go as well
Page 39 and 40: Game animal management Wakatipu whi
Page 41 and 42: Action plan What actions could be i
Page 43 and 44: “A change of tactics was called f
Page 45 and 46: World Benchrest Championships prepa
Page 47 and 48: for the Chinese. It could be argued
Page 49 and 50: The pathologist at work: Jim used e
Page 51 and 52: McCONACHIE TROPHY (chamois) & EGMON

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