Help us save our Hunting!!

[JP100]

I do not like to get political, but this has become a very serious matter. I know a alot of guys on here have been to NZ, or plan to go there as we have some amazing public land hunting. All that is about to change.

We have recently had an election, and our new Conservation minister is planning to destroy our Tahr herd in a week or so. We have only been given 12 days notice of this, and there has been no consultation with hunting groups,guides,outfitters ect.
This is the largest herd of Tahr in the world, and only the beginning. There is nothing stopping the government starting on Chamois,deer etc if this goes through.

Yes these animals are 'introduced', and some of you may class them as 'pests', but replace Tahr with Big horns,elk or Stone sheep and would you have the same view? I doubt it. We have NEVER been allowed to have a proper management system for our game in NZ, and this is our last chance to get one.

We have formed a Tahr Foundation, which can be found here-https://www.facebook.com/nztahrfoundation/

and funding through a give a little page went live yesterday-https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/nz-tahr-foundation/donations#

We are seeking legal action, and this money will be used on court fees to begin with.

This seems to be a theme world wide, our Canadian friends have had their bears pulled from under them, we are seeing the same in the US as well now. Wales has just had is public hunting land closed, and I am sure there are many more I am unaware of.

Public land and hunting worldwide is being stripped from us, and we all need to stand up and fight.

If anyone is planning a trip to NZ, or has hunted here, please donate the best you can. It all helps

Thank you

 

[Shrek]

I chipped in a little. I hope this helps hunters in New Zealand get organized to protect your hunting !

 

[dtrkyman]

What is their reason to eliminate this herd?


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[Shrek]

What is their reason to eliminate this herd?


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Reading just a little it seems there is a law that capped the Tahr popular and it has been exceeded by about double for decades. The new conservation minister says the tahr eat the native grass and “destroy” the environment. It seems mostly that the minister is a utopian greenie and is using the law as an excuse to wipe out the tahr. Every non native animal is in their sights to be destroyed. For hunters the large tahr herd and other game makes hunting them on public lands accessible , productive , and affordable for all. The way the NZ government is going to do this is fly around in helicopters and mow them down.
As I understand it to reach the population goal they’ll kill just about all the public land tahr.

 

[dtrkyman]

That’s a tough one, obviously as a hunter I would prefer that these herds are available to hunt, unfortunately being invasive the powers that be have a leg to stand on in regards to environmental damage.

Do they publish any facts about the detrimental effects the tahr are having?

Maybe some animal lover types can side with hunters to keep them from slaughter?


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[JP100]

What is their reason to eliminate this herd?


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There is alot going on here, ALL our mammals are introduced, so NZ is a very unique situation, all our 'game', 7 species of deer, Tahr, Chamois, pigs,goats,sheep are listed as PEST status by our government. They have the same value as rats, from the governments view.

Generally most governments have tolerated their assistance to a point, but out new coalition has some rather extreme people in it. The Greens are very against introduced animals, and some want ALL of them dead.

This is the beginning of that plan.

Tahr do eat native plants, thats a fact, and too many Tahr can be detrimental to our biodiversity. but all we as hunters want is the chance to manage the herd at a stable level, for both hunting and biodiversity goals

 

[JP100]

I chipped in a little. I hope this helps hunters in New Zealand get organized to protect your hunting !

Thank you very much! your welcome here anytime!!

 

[JP100]

That’s a tough one, obviously as a hunter I would prefer that these herds are available to hunt, unfortunately being invasive the powers that be have a leg to stand on in regards to environmental damage.

Do they publish any facts about the detrimental effects the tahr are having?

Maybe some animal lover types can side with hunters to keep them from slaughter?


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There is a number of papers on damage to plants from Tahr, and other species.
Hunters are not arguing that.

Each Tahr is worth $14,000 to our economy, this cull will destroy a HUGE commercial and recreational industry.

They are introduced, just like the Goats on Kodiak.

Imagine if the US government wanted to kill all those goats cos they are introduced!

I have seen a plan to kill all the goats in a national Park in the US where they were introduced, did that plan go through??

 

[dtrkyman]

I have hunted there, killing them off seems drastic and I am on your side.

I am just curious what their agenda is?
Seems antis will go to extremes to stop hunting, but not sure killing off a herd is inline with their beliefs.

The western United States is full of invasive species, one of which is highly regarded and supports a huge industry that I even made a living off, imagine if they tried to eliminate all the non native trout out west


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[Formidilosus]

I have hunted there, killing them off seems drastic and I am on your side.

I am just curious what their agenda is?
Seems antis will go to extremes to stop hunting, but not sure killing off a herd is inline with their beliefs.

The western United States is full of invasive species, one of which is highly regarded and supports a huge industry that I even made a living off, imagine if they tried to eliminate all the non native trout out west


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The NZ thought towards mammals is unique. There isn’t anything like it in the US, and it won’t fit into anything you will really understand.

Its about like this with a portion of their government and population- “every species that was introduced is a pest that should be eliminated at all costs”. That’s it. There isn’t much anti-hunting, “save the animals”, “it would be better without people”, etc nonsense that we deal with.

Literally people want to exterminate them because they aren’t from there.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

I bet the invasive humans destroy way more vegetation than any wild animal.

 

[BroodBuster]

I have seen a plan to kill all the goats in a national Park in the US where they were introduced, did that plan go through??

They just got started on this last week. Goats were introduced to Olympic Monument by some hunters and then it got designated a National Park, thus no hunting, shortly thereafter. With no hunting their population boomed and they have become a pretty big problem. A hiker got gored and killed a few years ago which sort of jump started this. They have done a ton of damage to a really unique area since it's a peninsula which is pretty much isolated from the rest of N. America. For instance there is the Olympic marmot which is only found on the OP but are being eaten out of house and home by the goats.

Mountain goat relocation begins in Olympic National Park | The Seattle Times

 

[Bruce Culberson]

I'm pretty tapped out right now but did chip in a little. Every bit helps. We gotta stand up and help each other out as hunters around the globe.

 

[JP100]

I'm pretty tapped out right now but did chip in a little. Every bit helps. We gotta stand up and help each other out as hunters around the globe.

Thank you sir!!!

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[JP100]

They just got started on this last week. Goats were introduced to Olympic Monument by some hunters and then it got designated a National Park, thus no hunting, shortly thereafter. With no hunting their population boomed and they have become a pretty big problem. A hiker got gored and killed a few years ago which sort of jump started this. They have done a ton of damage to a really unique area since it's a peninsula which is pretty much isolated from the rest of N. America. For instance there is the Olympic marmot which is only found on the OP but are being eaten out of house and home by the goats.

Mountain goat relocation begins in Olympic National Park | The Seattle Times

What are most peoples thoughts on this?? Seems like a waste of a resource.

Granted introduced animals need careful management but eradication is rather extreme

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[JP100]

I have hunted there, killing them off seems drastic and I am on your side.

I am just curious what their agenda is?
Seems antis will go to extremes to stop hunting, but not sure killing off a herd is inline with their beliefs.

The western United States is full of invasive species, one of which is highly regarded and supports a huge industry that I even made a living off, imagine if they tried to eliminate all the non native trout out west


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Our situation is very unique. We have no 'antis' here.
Our greens/conservationists want to kill everything thats not native.

We have a plan called predator free 2050 we plan to kill all predators by 2050, excluding cats of course, because the conservation minister has a pet one.....

They are just working on a bill so our goverment can remove trout and salmon from any water way with out consultation with Fish and Game who have managed the fish since their introduction.

What out Government is trying to do will end all hunting, fishing, trapping etc and a huge part of our tourism

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[AndyB]

JP, How does this government view invasive sheep? are there any papers on the damage to native plants by sheep? Maybe someone should ask them. I'll chip in, always wanted to try Tahr in your country. And yes, pheasant hunting on all public land is now banned in Wales.

 

[JP100]

JP, How does this government view invasive sheep? are there any papers on the damage to native plants by sheep? Maybe someone should ask them. I'll chip in, always wanted to try Tahr in your country. And yes, pheasant hunting on all public land is now banned in Wales.

Thanks mate!
Luckily those invasive sheep are all on farms, but honestly would not put it past them try and shut down farming.

Since the election our business confidence levels are the lowest in history
all mining,gas etc has been halted
hunting and fishing is trying to be shut down
fuel prices gone up over a dollar a liter

 

[Thunder head]

JP100,
Seems like I'm always a day late on hunting opportunity's. I just started seriously researching a Tahr hunt. Now this comes up.

Ill chip in a some. Hopefully yall can get it stopped before it goes to far. Please keep us posted.

 

[BroodBuster]

What are most peoples thoughts on this?? Seems like a waste of a resource.

Granted introduced animals need careful management but eradication is rather extreme

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I don't really know of anyone who is against this for several reasons. Their habitat is wholly contained within the Park so nobody can hunt them. They were introduced at about the same time as the last wolf was killed so they have no predators. Plenty of mountain lions but there are also a ton of elk and deer so they don't bother with the goats. So hunters would much rather see them killed than have wolves re-introduced which seems to be the only natural way to deal with them.

There are no natural salt licks on the peninsula so they harass hikers waiting for them to pee and there have been instances where they claim folks packs/tents/gear and you have to beat them off with a stick. As noted a hiker got killed. He turned his back on one who gored him in the femoral artery so the poor guy bled out over ten minutes or so in front of family. It's gotten so bad many popular trails have been closed.

Finally they are an ecological disaster to an area that is completely unique from the rest of N. America in many ways both flora and fauna.

So we have the rare trifecta where hunters, tree huggers and bio's all would like to see them eradicated from ONP. Add to the fact that the herd on the North Cascades is sort of isolated themselves and are having inbreeding issues this will bring them much needed new blood. And into an area that we can hunt them, albeit with an OIL draw tag that can take a lifetime to draw. So yea move them all is an easy thing for everyone to support.

Of course us hunters would rather see an all year open season on them until gone though but that aint happening.

So we have decisions being made for ecological/scientific reasons and not emotions or politics. I wish you well as your situation sounds like the normal liberal garbage of, "This doesn't effect me in any way so I'm outraged and demand you give up something that is dearly important to you for no other reason than I have a little itty bitty tiny penis and this is the only way I can feel like a man."