Thread: trapping pukekos

Native and a pest...does not compute! It confuses people. Same with parries.

all bullshit aside, the matter of dispatch matters not, you risk a big fine if you do not go through there process of getting a permit. If they are in numbers that are causing you ongoing issues then it is "worth your time doing the metric shittonne paperwork"
Even though they can be a pest when numbers get up they are still a "protected species" and the penalty for hunting/culling them without a permit or licence during game bird season is up to 2 years in prison or up to $100000.
no hate here good luck

Originally Posted by dannyb

all bullshit aside, the matter of dispatch matters not, you risk a big fine if you do not go through there process of getting a permit. If they are in numbers that are causing you ongoing issues then it is "worth your time doing the metric shittonne paperwork"
Even though they can be a pest when numbers get up they are still a "protected species" and the penalty for hunting/culling them without a permit or licence during game bird season is up to 2 years in prison or up to $100000.
no hate here good luck

thanks Danny B - great and accurate advice - one can get a permit for nuisance paradise ducks and pukekos - my point was that pukes have been in NZ for thousands of years - they are not an introduced species like sparrows - give them a break

ahem "native"

https://ebird.org/species/purswa6


aka Australasian swamphen


Fucking pest

Originally Posted by 308

ahem "native"

https://ebird.org/species/purswa6


aka Australasian swamphen


Fucking pest

They also have similar species in other countries.
Its bit like the possums they have become a sub spiecies with enough changes to have unique markers ( genealogicaly), that stop them being that particular animal. Why you don't see possums getting sent back to aussie to help booster thier native numbers.

Originally Posted by 308

ahem "native"

https://ebird.org/species/purswa6


aka Australasian swamphen


Fucking pest

yes they are deemed native in NZ
Is a pukeko native to New Zealand?

The pūkeko is probably one of the most recognised native birds in New Zealand with its distinctive colourings and habit of feeding on the ground. Pūkeko is the New Zealand name for the purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio). There are many subspecies of purple swamphen. the bird pictured in the link above is an Australian subspecies

Originally Posted by dannyb

all bullshit aside, the matter of dispatch matters not, you risk a big fine if you do not go through there process of getting a permit. If they are in numbers that are causing you ongoing issues then it is "worth your time doing the metric shittonne paperwork"
Even though they can be a pest when numbers get up they are still a "protected species" and the penalty for hunting/culling them without a permit or licence during game bird season is up to 2 years in prison or up to $100000.
no hate here good luck

Shit, I’m lucky, I’ve never be caught them. You good accidentally run them over,

I think the guys at work got a permit for pukeko. One foggy morning I counted 60 in an area of about 6 hectares.
I know they got a permit for ducks, and it was very strict on how many they could shoot etc, but it wasn't hard to get.

I think it is fish and game rather than doc that give out permits, pūkeko are on the game bird licences ina number of areas I have shot.

Hate the bastard things and especially when they shit in the troughs. In my opinion, Pukes are like Possums. The only good ones are dead.

When I had a pond in Awaiti wetlands the cockie was overrun with Pukes,like dozens, the next season there was stuff all.
Apparently they can contract some virus when numbers are high.

Originally Posted by madjon_

When I had a pond in Awaiti wetlands the cockie was overrun with Pukes,like dozens, the next season there was stuff all.
Apparently they can contract some virus when numbers are high.

Awaiti wetlands you say. When was this? Been some pretty heavy botulism outbreaks in that part of the woods.

Originally Posted by HG Man

Awaiti wetlands you say. When was this? Been some pretty heavy botulism outbreaks in that part of the woods.

2002-2009 ish #3 built the hut there

Originally Posted by madjon_

2002-2009 ish #3 built the hut there

Well, shes still shooting very well, thats where our back up pond it.

I have hunted and trapped them more or less full time over the last 3 years. Mainly for market Gardners, Lifestylers, Orchard and Vineyard owners etc. They are super destructive and can cause $1000s worth of damage a day. In this region the numbers are very high which just can not be sustained in a food growing area. I counted over 400 of them in the front 3rd of an orchard I was working on, and that was after I had done a big cull back.

Yes they are considered a Native as it is believed they flew here on thier own, they are cute and have a bit of character but they are destructive little devils. As others have said they shit in troughs passing on salmonella to stock and horses etc, they rip out more or less any seedlings that you try and plant (but of course not to eat them, they just prefer to watch the seedlings die on the ground next to the hole), they will poke a hole in every single lettuce of the crop because they only like to eat the heart and they will strip and damage crops of pretty much any variety. I have even known huge Maize plantations to be mulched back into the earth rather than be harvested because the damage from the Pukeko is too high.... mix that in with the shit weather everywhere and the world wide shortage of Maize and you get an idea of why they have become the #1 pest I get called out for.

They are very smart and cunning, you only get a couple of opportunities to hunt them easily before they wise up and then it becomes an escalating war. Trapping is more effective in winter when there is less food around but I am still pulling good numbers every day at the moment, I havent tried using the small individual cage traps and I wouldn't bother - once they see one trapped in them the others will not go near it.

Best option while they are fairly tame is a good shoot up, but don't mess it up as you only really get one chance before they figure it out and stay 400m away from you.

Talk to F&G to get the permit, it's pretty easy to get if you explain the damage they are doing and if the numbers in the region are high.