The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association has expressed disappointment over the Department of Conservation breaching assurances. In the NZDA’s latest newsletter a recent “Timaru Herald” article 23rd October 2020 noted DOC undertook about 200 hours of tahr control across the seven tahr management units on public conservation land within the feral range.
“Frankly, it is disappointing to read in the article mis-information being quoted, which we also saw in the High Court too, for example, the “limit” of tahr is not 10,000 in the 1993 Plan. The plan actually says between 10,000 to 50,000 tahr should not cause adverse impacts to the environment, and that 10,000 animals will not cause damage. Hunting organisations like NZDA and the Tahr Foundation need to keep DOC honest and make them understand and implement the plan without bias. One aspect NZDA insists on is that data and science should underpin official DOC control intervention levels,” said NZDA’s newsletter.
NZDA had also received, and heard of many reports contrary to the statement that “We [DOC] made a decision to avoid popular hunting spots and huts and have instead focused on controlling high densities of tahr within terrain that is less suitable for ground hunting.”
NZDA had also received, and heard of many reports contrary to the statement that “We [DOC] made a decision to avoid popular hunting spots and huts and have instead focused on controlling high densities of tahr within terrain that is less suitable for ground hunting.”
It seems the helicopter crews carrying out the culls are not meeting this standard and NZDA have made an official complaint to DOC seeking an investigation. NZDA is awaiting an answer.
Leave them alone they have done more good then harm. No one was concerned about them when there were no helicopters but now we can muck it up we will. They are a resource and should be seen as that. All the shooting and poisoning will never do any good so work with them not against them.