Thread: Hunting Schedule 5 animals with a slingshot

Hello ladies and gents

What an amazing resource this forum is! My name is Daniel. Am new here and new to hunting and I have a few questions that I have been unable to answer any other way.

I recently bought a slingshot and have been practising with it for the last couple of months. I think I am nearly ready to try and take some game.

My questions are regarding Schedule 5 animals.

Firstly, can I hunt schedule 5 animals with a slingshot on DoC land without a permit? Their website says I need a permit to hunt, but the small game permit only covers specific animals with specific weapons.

Secondly, I understand that I cannot hunt Schedule 5 animals in parks or reserves or anything like that, or on private land without permission. But what about in other publicly accessible areas? If a pigeon is on public land (like next to a road in the countryside), can I shoot it as long as I am not causing a danger to a person or property etc.?

Thirdly, is there some really bloody obvious place that I could easily go hunt schedule 5 animals that I haven't thought of? I am lucky enough to know a few people with big properties, and I have read your excellent advice about approaching landowners. But the wording of schedule 5 makes it seem like hunting them should be easy, so I am hoping I missed something.

That was a longer post than I anticipated...

Cheers

Originally Posted by FeralPhilosopher

Hello ladies and gents

What an amazing resource this forum is! My name is Daniel. Am new here and new to hunting and I have a few questions that I have been unable to answer any other way.

I recently bought a slingshot and have been practising with it for the last couple of months. I think I am nearly ready to try and take some game.

My questions are regarding Schedule 5 animals.

Firstly, can I hunt schedule 5 animals with a slingshot on DoC land without a permit? Their website says I need a permit to hunt, but the small game permit only covers specific animals with specific weapons.

Secondly, I understand that I cannot hunt Schedule 5 animals in parks or reserves or anything like that, or on private land without permission. But what about in other publicly accessible areas? If a pigeon is on public land (like next to a road in the countryside), can I shoot it as long as I am not causing a danger to a person or property etc.?

Thirdly, is there some really bloody obvious place that I could easily go hunt schedule 5 animals that I haven't thought of? I am lucky enough to know a few people with big properties, and I have read your excellent advice about approaching landowners. But the wording of schedule 5 makes it seem like hunting them should be easy, so I am hoping I missed something.

That was a longer post than I anticipated...

Cheers

I suggest that you go easy on cattle and horses. They and their owners may take offence fairly quickly.

Haha! Think the cows will even notice?

I was thinking more the pigeons, geese, magpies and such.

Hunting any animal it needs to killed humanly.
As for hunting Doc land i would say that would be a No but you would need to check. To easy for a person to start killing native birds

I may get criticised for saying this, but whatever. A slingshot doesn't draw anywhere near the same level of scrutiny as a firearm, plus it can be tucked away in a backpack. If you have permission to be on a piece of land (DOC/public or private), are targeting legal quarry and think you can make a humane kill, go for it. I would keep a low profile and avoid public places with lots of people around though.

Originally Posted by muzza

One does not hunt wtih a "weapon" . A weapon is what our highly trained police wear at work each day and kill innocent bystanders with.

Wow, how many innocent bystanders have the cops killed??

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Wow, how many innocent bystanders have the cops killed??

Be nice if it was none?

Originally Posted by Maca49

Be nice if it was none?

Of course!

trey that pre-fragmented ceramic slingshot ammo. seen goat taken with it

Originally Posted by gonetropo

trey that pre-fragmented ceramic slingshot ammo. seen goat taken with it

Thank you for the help. I have narrowed it down to two completely contradictory passages from two pieces of legislation. The Animal Welfare act that specifically states that there are no restrictions whatsoever on the killing or possession of schedule 5 animals. And the Conservation Act that specifically prohibits killing on conservation land without a permit...

It is described as both...public conservation land...

I see how the argument could go both ways, and I understand the law is somewhat open to interpretation by the police. Not a comforting thought.

I have seen a few posts about shooting along riverbanks. Is there some special provision for access and shooting along rivers?

Troll methinks

Actually all legislation is subject to interpretation. The court is the final arbitrator of what was intended by parliament. We need this to be so because parliament usually doesn’t know what it wants to achieve or what it intends.

Originally Posted by Sidney

Actually all legislation is subject to interpretation. The court is the final arbitrator of what was intended by parliament. We need this to be so because parliament usually doesn’t know what it wants to achieve or what it intends.

Sort of like the ‘loaded in breech, barrel or magazine’ fiasco?