“Take a kid pest hunting” business

If there was someone who offered private pest hunting opportunities for kids locally would you be interested in taking your kids? An abundance of pests such as rabbits/ hares/ possums/ turkeys and peacocks and even goats, suitable firearms and training can be provided if necessary. Even the chance of camp outs and campfires for small groups of kids.
I won’t get into much detail because this is just following on from a conversation with a group last night.
If not why? Aside from having your own private land options.

the health n safety ticket clippers will be the biggest hurdle to overcome...Im told school groups can no longer go abseiling or rock climbing because of them..... but awesome idea,but suggest on the down low and "donations for fuel" could be only way around it..as soon as $$$ change hands the ticket clippers rub greedy mits together.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the health n safety ticket clippers will be the biggest hurdle to overcome...Im told school groups can no longer go abseiling or rock climbing because of them..... but awesome idea,but suggest on the down low and "donations for fuel" could be only way around it..as soon as $$$ change hands the ticket clippers rub greedy mits together.

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I’m picking our health and safety Plans for the farm would cover this with some adjustments to the hazards etc and our public liability would need adjusting but it’s already pretty comprehensive so may even already be fine but yes in the short term would do it as you suggested to see if we get interest. I was just thinking a good safe environment for kids to hunt with low pressure. Of course the parents can shoot too but aimed towards kids hunting really. I think our location is great for this especially for aucklanders and their kids.

Sounds like a good idea if you can get the approvals and insurance.
I suggest parents would be observers otherwise they may as well just pay for access and guide their own.

If you are suitably experienced and safe the parents need to let you guide the hunt and familiarise the kids with your Firearms and your ways. If they really don't like your ways they can choose to find another option.

I've been at courses for employment where registered trainers or senior staff talk out of their butt. This has included firearms use as well .

If you are down to earth and know your subject then the parents should observe.

If there is no substantial start up then give it a go but I am cautious about starting a new venture but that is in my nature.

Speak to your local NZDA they will have someone who runs Hunts who should be only to happy to help you out and will know all the legal things you need to comply with

Bloody love this idea! I'm with Micky Duck though... I fear the Fun Police could push it into the too hard zone. It could also depend a lot on whether the parents were into it - not one myself, but from my observations, the parents network has power if their precious little Johnny or Jenny might be put in 'danger'.

I used to work on kids nature camps in London - I was the 'lighting fires/building huts/walking in the bush' guy. After seeing the incredible impact on these kids, I had grand plans for doing something similar here, but was a little put off by the actual or assumed level of red tape to cover.

In your case, I think there would be a lot of child protection/safety stuff to cover. Think of things like:
- food safety - for some reason I'm imagining some sort of 'kill it-cook it" element? A food poisoning incident could be just as damaging to reputation as it could be to undies.
- firearms safety (pass the 'headline test' over everything... i.e. how it would look as a headline) - the more people, the more cat-herding required, and room for unexpected/unmanageable stuff. Maybe someone on here with a range qual could write you a safety/management plan? Would you need a firearms safety instructor qual or something?
- fires (amazing how many times I had to pull a tripping/stumbling kid away from a fire!)
- safety around vehicles
- how to manage toilets etc. if it's an overnighter thing.
- not sure if there's equivalent here - safe to say there will be - but all staff had to have a police clearance to work with kids. Also if there were girls on the camp, there had to be a certain ratio of female staff.

Don't let all that shit put you off though! Even if it was just offered to some people you know first, as an experience, rather than a business, you would learn very quickly what you'd need to consider. Ask them for brutally honest feedback afterwards.

Flick me a PM if you have any other questions, and I'm happy to share the little info I have.

Good shit, even if it does just stay as taking a family our for a bunny shoot and then a woast wabbit after, that's a family that will get access to an awesome experience they wouldn't have had otherwise! There are so many great outcomes: understanding management of ecosystems, connecting small furry animals to food, ethics of hunting, learning that firearms are safe when used properly, and for some, maybe having access to rural life they wouldn't have had otherwise. Bloody go for it!!

(shit that ended up way longer than I thought, sorry!)

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Originally Posted by yeah_na_missed

Bloody love this idea! I'm with Micky Duck though... I fear the Fun Police could push it into the too hard zone. It could also depend a lot on whether the parents were into it - not one myself, but from my observations, the parents network has power if their precious little Johnny or Jenny might be put in 'danger'.

I used to work on kids nature camps in London - I was the 'lighting fires/building huts/walking in the bush' guy. After seeing the incredible impact on these kids, I had grand plans for doing something similar here, but was a little put off by the actual or assumed level of red tape to cover.

In your case, I think there would be a lot of child protection/safety stuff to cover. Think of things like:
- food safety - for some reason I'm imagining some sort of 'kill it-cook it" element? A food poisoning incident could be just as damaging to reputation as it could be to undies.
- firearms safety (pass the 'headline test' over everything... i.e. how it would look as a headline) - the more people, the more cat-herding required, and room for unexpected/unmanageable stuff. Maybe someone on here with a range qual could write you a safety/management plan? Would you need a firearms safety instructor qual or something?
- fires (amazing how many times I had to pull a tripping/stumbling kid away from a fire!)
- safety around vehicles
- how to manage toilets etc. if it's an overnighter thing.
- not sure if there's equivalent here - safe to say there will be - but all staff had to have a police clearance to work with kids. Also if there were girls on the camp, there had to be a certain ratio of female staff.

Don't let all that shit put you off though! Even if it was just offered to some people you know first, as an experience, rather than a business, you would learn very quickly what you'd need to consider. Ask them for brutally honest feedback afterwards.

Flick me a PM if you have any other questions, and I'm happy to share the little info I have.

Good shit, even if it does just stay as taking a family our for a bunny shoot and then a woast wabbit after, that's a family that will get access to an awesome experience they wouldn't have had otherwise! There are so many great outcomes: understanding management of ecosystems, connecting small furry animals to food, ethics of hunting, learning that firearms are safe when used properly, and for some, maybe having access to rural life they wouldn't have had otherwise. Bloody go for it!!

(shit that ended up way longer than I thought, sorry!)

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That’s given me LOTS to think about, I think I’ll definitely just go down the casual family/ friends route for some time and see how that pans out and then look at it again later on. Your right about the parents though and all it takes is one easily offended parent to ruin a reputation or cause absolute havoc. I just feel we have such a great opportunity to offer to kids that wouldnt get the access and range of pests they could get here. I see plenty of outfits all in the CNI but many Aucklanders or north Waikato folk struggle to find access closer to home.

"Small game" hunting is a more appealing term. I think It's a great idea and could be expanded to tourism.

I think it's a good idea that you wouldn't need to invest too much capital other than your time and frustration with the pencil pushers. If a social club can go to the gun club and shoot a gun under supervision then I can't see why you can't set up something similar for kids. The parents that would use it are going to be the open minded ones. The Karen's won't come and that's a good thing.

Why die wondering.....

Think of at as a variation that a group of scouts would do.

A child/ youth safety training be a good idea. 1-2 youth/kids with one parent/ caregiver or other adult with child=youth safety training. Can be easier to do without parent/s hanging around. DO NOT go alone with one child/youth. Always two and preferably another adult for just in cases.

A 'koha' or envelope with cash 'left behind' the best way go start out and test the waters.

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Get amongst it chelsea, the country needs more of this sort of thing!!

Write your own health and safety plan or have someone in the know write one specific to what you are doing.

As long as you comply with what you have written it will be hard to fault you[emoji106]

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As a parent of 3 boys this would definitely be a cool thing - especially if you did the stuff yeah_na_missed talked about.

the Iwis are looking for stuff like this at the moment

a lot of it is to get kids from tough spots a bit of a positive influence
add a bit of fishing to the mix and you will be on to a winner. Iwi are not shy to pay for something If the results are good

you might need a big burley maori fella to keep things on track if you get a naughty bunch

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the health n safety ticket clippers will be the biggest hurdle to overcome...Im told school groups can no longer go abseiling or rock climbing because of them..... but awesome idea,but suggest on the down low and "donations for fuel" could be only way around it..as soon as $$$ change hands the ticket clippers rub greedy mits together.

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not sure where you heard that re abseiling and rock climbing MD... My daughter left on her overnight school trip this morning for her outdoor adventure class and they are going for the sole purpose of rock climbing and abseiling .....

I think it would be a great idea re a business but I think you would need an iron clad agreement of some sort that states "at your own risk" as with some of the muppets around nowadays I doubt they could even spell 'responsibility' (mind you I probably just spelt it wrong too , lol ) let alone be responsible for their own actions should shit go to custard .
And you may need to check the latest laws with the changes made /not made re age and 'range use' etc relating to kids . And I think I would also be discussing it with the local constabulary and get their take on the idea as they will be the ones coming after you should it go sideways .... and I would imagine the one rifle per firearm licence holder and being within arms length teaching
kids firearm use would possibly reduce any group size to one that may not be worthwhile doing it , at least as a full time thing ...

but all that said I think it's a great idea - just may be to much red tape and BS to make it worthwhile .

Kids not going on school trips have nothing to do with health and safety, but everything to do with teachers or leaders at their school who can’t be F’d organising it or completing the paperwork.

Go for it Chelsea, plenty of kids (and parents) who’d love to participate in that sort of thing.


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A teacher is currently being dragged over the coals for a dive trip that went "wrong". Interestingly, nothing very bad actually happened and it was under the supervision of a commercial dive outfit. Mate who is a teacher says an ever decreasing number of his colleagues want to stick their necks out and get involved with school trips now.

@Chelsea can I suggest if you go ahead wth this..... and yup I think it's fraught with complications maybe consider calling it "small game" hunting rather than "pest" it's a little thing but the word pest just has negative connotations to it and sounds far less attractive than "small game" just a thought :)

Fantastic idea! Im with the others and would prefer to see our game valued as a resource, not a pest. But thats just a small thing. Lots of good advice on here, lots. I wouldn't get too hung up on the Health and Safety issue, theres a lot of ways around all this BS regulation crap. Becoming part of the NZDA and offering what you are proposing to small groups like 3 or 4 kids at a time max should work without too much hassle. Theres plenty of keen hunters and shooters that would offer valuable real life assistance to help kids learn to hunt responsibly. Dont worry about the range rules thing - you wouldn't be offering this sort of activity on a "range". And the instruction needs to be one on one for safety reasons and the teaching side of it. I say go for it, do everything right, but fly under the radar. Word of mouth is a great advertising tool.