NZDA H&W 198 WEB

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and side roads providing access to the proposed HOSI area, and facilities like huts and tracks are well developed. Some of the land involved is of lower conservation value, being front country that has been farmed or logged in the past. The varied terrain and good access also provides training opportunities for young hunters, and economic benefits of sika hunting are significant, especially around Taupo, Taihape and inland Hawke’s Bay. These enhanced hunting experiences are another cornerstone of the plan. A HOSI must also have no unmitigated adverse effects on neighbouring areas. The proposed HOSI area is surrounded by private land, most of whose owners value sika as an economic resource and manage them on their land accordingly. Cross-boundary issues are also critical because of the seasonal movements of trophy stags, many of which migrate on to mostly public land during the rut. “The maintenance of a low to moderate number of quality animals via careful management of herd density and structure in parts of Kaweka and Kaimanawa Forest Parks is likely to create positive outcomes on neighbouring habitat/ land areas. As the benefits of such a management approach become more widely understood and supported, management could expand to a wider landscape scale over multiple land tenure, including neighbouring private land, if those landowners so wish.” Costs and funding The draft plan lists a number of funding streams, including the annual Sika Show and the Sika Foundation. Voluntary contributions from sika hunters are also anticipated (the Sika Foundation already receives significant funding this way) and there are possibilities for sponsorship from among the many businesses that benefit from the estimated $18 million spent per year in association with sika hunting. While hunter participation and compliance would be largely voluntary, the opportunity does exist under the Act to set regulations and provide some enforcement if necessary. New and additional hunter services on a paying basis may also be provided in the future. Meeting the criteria for a HOSI Notably, the New Zealand (Central North Island) sika herd is the only legal wild herd of huntable sika in the southern hemisphere. “However, there is an ongoing risk of further illegal liberations within New Zealand. A well managed sika HOSI will help reduce this risk. Illegal liberations will be actively discouraged to ensure the Central North Island remains the only sika focus for New Zealand sika hunters.” Threats to conservation values are another issue to be considered before establishing a HOSI. The draft management plan notes that many highly deer-palatable tree species have now been largely removed from the browse tier within the Central North Island Sika range (by both red and sika deer), but are still present as epiphytes (perching plants) on trees and on steep stream banks or bluff systems, and no plant extinctions have been attributed to sika deer. However, when sika densities exceed measured thresholds their browsing has a detrimental influence on regeneration and species composition in mountain beech forests. Silver beech and mountain/silver beech forests also appear to be vulnerable, while impacts on red/silver beech are variable, with some impact recorded after canopy collapse in places where sika densities are higher as a result of restricted hunting access. The plan proposes to improve this situation by managing deer densities, based on the achievable measure of retaining beech canopies. “Other benefits could include development and participation in predator trapping programmes to benefit species such as kiwi, blue duck, kaka, kakariki and more participation in facilities (track and hut) maintenance.” Some specific objectives Some of the objectives are very specific in detail, such as: »» Low to moderate sika densities (5– 10 animals per sq km, depending on the habitat); »» Successful canopy replacement within 40 years of natural canopy collapse, in all broad vegetation types; »» Well-conditioned sika with moderate to high fat content on most animals, most of the time; »» Access to quality habitat to produce significant numbers of mature sika stags (older than 4 years); »» A herd structure managed for sex ratios (1 male : 1 female), leading to high reproductive rates from well-conditioned hinds and quality hunting experiences during the rut (stags vocal with intense “single” calling). What happens next? GAC Chair Don Hammond said that the GAC is excited by the prospect of HOSIs, but wants to ensure they are done properly right from the start, and sounded a note of caution against high expectations. He told Hunting & Wildlife that the GAC was still severely hamstrung by inadequate funding and “at this point our main work regarding Herds of Special Interest is about managing expectations, and nothing is likely to happen very quickly.” He said that the HOSI process was a first for New Zealand, and that DOC and the GAC were working on developing a basic template for HOSI proposals. “We need to have DOC involved in the process right from the start,” he said, “because whenever the GAC puts up a HOSI proposal to the Minister, the first thing he or she will do is to refer it to DOC for scrutiny and comment. Thus it seems logical for a proposal to be supported by both DOC and GAC before going to the Minister, rather than after.” He said there was a lot to be worked through as the Game Animal Act had created a new legislative environment, right down to completely new terminology like “over-riding considerations” whose strict legal meaning is not immediately established but will evolve over time. “We have to get agreement between DOC and GAC on these crucial details and how HOSIs are to be set up and managed, and that will be an evolving process.” 26 NZ Hunting & Wildlife <strong>198</strong> - Spring 2017
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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 and 16: Keith Milne, "Purple Flower", 1st,
Page 17 and 18: Mandatory consultation As a statuto
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: Four management units A mixture of
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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NZDA H&W 198 WEB