Thread: For all the farmers complaining about deer, goats and other pests

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

The rabbit population is quite puzzling. I've been hearing about how bad the HB numbers are, yet I don't see many at all on my farm. Cape Kidnappers region is allegedly overwhelmed by rabbits, but less than 10kms away I don't see them. So I was starting to think this was a bit of a tall story, until 2 weekends back I took my 17yr old for a stroll up to Bell Rock, a bit inland from Tutira N of Napier. As we went up the road the number of rabbits slowly increased, until we suddenly hit a patch where there were rabbits everywhere. On the way back I counted, we counted over 100 rabbits just on the road edge of Pohokura Road in the 4-5km or so from the Bell Road Loop down to the kiwi sanctuary. Then beyond that the population reduced considerably to just one or two every km, back down to Tutira. This was the first time in my life I have seen this, almost like an invisble barrier over which there were suddenly masses of rabbits. It owuld be interesting to know why this occurs.

Not many out Cape Kidnappers anymore, lucky to see a single one. An eradication project has been started out there which I am fortunate enough to have been a part of.

Yeah out the back of Tutira there is a handful of farms with high numbers but I'm picking over the next couple of years that will change. Those farms have had high numbers on and off for a very long time. They seem to spread really slowly outwards, like an invisible barrier as you said.

This will be a gold mine for lawyers one day.

Farmer (business) makes verbal agreement (contract) with "Back Country Pest Control" to provide pest control service on his property. "Back Country Pest Control" come along, accidentally shoot the top performing cow, gun explodes, drive the ute over the cliff, someone of the "crew" breaks their leg and can't go to work for 3 month, leave a dead deer in the stream where the neighbor get's his water from, ...

Farmer gets in the shit with ACC, WorkSafe and his insurance laughs while slowly walking away backwards. Where does he go to recoup the costs - the institution he made the contract with. Surely they have H&S plans, regular vehicle, gun and gear checks, staff training and even a liability insurance, yes! How else could you provide a service like this theses days? Ups, "Back Country Pest Control" is actually not a registered company. WTF? But the flyer suggests it is and they even had references from previous customers, says the farmer. Farmers lawyer suggests to him to runs for the hills and guess what? NewbieZAR personally will be held liable for this little Red Tape episode.

Sadly there is a big difference between letting a friend on the farm to shoot a deer for the freezer and something like NewbieZAR and his "Back Country Pest Control" service is trying to do. Nothing personally, it's just the crazy world of regulations, laws and society we live in these days.

He's right tho even a verbal contract makes the farmer liable for it

Jasa....YOU might choose to live in that world.....the rest of us do not have to....a mans word is his bond still applies in some places. I fcuk it up I fix it up...end of story.

Banging on a cockies door and asking for permission to hunt and being granted it presents the least form of liability for farmer and hunter. A simple exchange that does not contain the elements of contract. The farmer and hunter meet their simple recreational user H&S obligations and everyone is happy. A relationship built on very simple expectations.

The other end of the risk spectrum is what the OP is offering. What is being offered is an exchange of promises. You give me something (the farmer receives specific and agreed pest control, for the price of fur -saleable- and meat, and access) and could be construed as a commercial contract of sorts and along with it some risk and liability for both parties. Personally I think that the advert is pushing the boundary and to an extent miss-represents these recreational hunters' as something that they are not (some sort of professional pest operators). Its loaded with ambiguity and so too would be any relationship arising from it.

The legal risk for the OP is not huge, but personally I don't think that it is worth it. And I think that it is too damn clever for its own good.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Jasa....YOU might choose to live in that world.....the rest of us do not have to....a mans word is his bond still applies in some places. I fcuk it up I fix it up...end of story.

You might not be able to fix it as a person. How do you pay for rehab that costs several $100k? How do you ever pay for a 500,000ltr vat of milk getting dumped at the factory because you left the gate open and the cows got into a sprayed paddock? As a company with all the process required in place and insurance - no problem.

No one plans for a disaster but they sadly happen. You can write all day long here with your chest puffed up about "a mans word is a bond", blah blah. When crunch time knocks on the door, reality sinks in and you realized you bite too much off to chew, a mans word suddenly means fcuk all to use your words - especially to a judge and a jury. That's sadly the world we ALL live in these days.

Do what Thar said. Keep it personal, knock on farmers doors but don't put a flyer with a "company name" in mailboxes and online that suggest something it isn't. Just asking for trouble. But that's just me.

my chest is not puffed up...I call a spade a spade....people who know me know that.
when I say I will do something....I do it,or do my damndest to do so and will not hide any shortcomings.
where in this fells advert does it say he DOESNT HAVE public liability insurance???
NZDA members used to have cover up to 1 million...that was 25 years ago.
milk in vat from spayed off paddock????? what dream world do you live in??? farm worker would KNOW paddock is sprayed off...when got cows in,would consult boss and take appropriate action...as for leave gates open.....yeah well thats ALWAYS been convenient to blame on who ever is visiting farm....I have understanding with cockies I visit in work day...I often leave gates open,my jacket will be hung on it....then my shirt,then my other jacket,then my hat...havent gone home naked yet,or had cockie return item of clothing AFTER I have left farm...... checks n balances....
so yes I keep it personal...the OP may not want to go that way and may take on board what has been said in the thread and get insurance etc etc etc..I dont believe its right to slam him without all the facts of matter a KNOWN quantity.
and a 500,000ltr vat!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats 500 cubic meters....each cow produced???? 5 litres average, 10liters we will use for sake of discussion,so 20 liters perday
man you must visit some HUGE DAIRY FARMS...... pretty sure any farm that can run that many cows wont be having a pest problem.

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

The rabbit population is quite puzzling. I've been hearing about how bad the HB numbers are, yet I don't see many at all on my farm. Cape Kidnappers region is allegedly overwhelmed by rabbits, but less than 10kms away I don't see them. So I was starting to think this was a bit of a tall story, until 2 weekends back I took my 17yr old for a stroll up to Bell Rock, a bit inland from Tutira N of Napier. As we went up the road the number of rabbits slowly increased, until we suddenly hit a patch where there were rabbits everywhere. On the way back I counted, we counted over 100 rabbits just on the road edge of Pohokura Road in the 4-5km or so from the Bell Road Loop down to the kiwi sanctuary. Then beyond that the population reduced considerably to just one or two every km, back down to Tutira. This was the first time in my life I have seen this, almost like an invisble barrier over which there were suddenly masses of rabbits. It owuld be interesting to know why this occurs.

Local gene pool immune to virus?

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

my chest is not puffed up...I call a spade a spade....people who know me know that.
when I say I will do something....I do it,or do my damndest to do so and will not hide any shortcomings.
where in this fells advert does it say he DOESNT HAVE public liability insurance???
NZDA members used to have cover up to 1 million...that was 25 years ago.
milk in vat from spayed off paddock????? what dream world do you live in??? farm worker would KNOW paddock is sprayed off...when got cows in,would consult boss and take appropriate action...as for leave gates open.....yeah well thats ALWAYS been convenient to blame on who ever is visiting farm....I have understanding with cockies I visit in work day...I often leave gates open,my jacket will be hung on it....then my shirt,then my other jacket,then my hat...havent gone home naked yet,or had cockie return item of clothing AFTER I have left farm...... checks n balances....
so yes I keep it personal...the OP may not want to go that way and may take on board what has been said in the thread and get insurance etc etc etc..I dont believe its right to slam him without all the facts of matter a KNOWN quantity.
and a 500,000ltr vat!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats 500 cubic meters....each cow produced???? 5 litres average, 10liters we will use for sake of discussion,so 20 liters perday
man you must visit some HUGE DAIRY FARMS...... pretty sure any farm that can run that many cows wont be having a pest problem.

Thats exactly what I thought to & Im a contractor on farms so unstand all the h&s have plans written up as any one ask him if he's got that's stuff

Originally Posted by turtle

Don't think this farmer is complaining, but I think the numbers are out of control here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXynj3u3kgQ

Life of a bushman seems to have a good rep. But Spot X certainly doesn't. Far too much pissing up at large with live gats, and thermal being used after dark on Doc land. Not a smart puppy.

Oh, and the music. Its obviously a generational thing. 'cause its crap!!!

Farmers love to moan, be careful if you solve problems for them as you can become the subject of their new moan.

Audience being behind your back, usually other farmers at the mart/sale day...

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

and a 500,000ltr vat!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats 500 cubic meters....each cow produced???? 5 litres average, 10liters we will use for sake of discussion,so 20 liters perday
man you must visit some HUGE DAIRY FARMS...... pretty sure any farm that can run that many cows wont be having a pest problem.

And that's why I wrote "at the factory" and not at the farm. Please read again

Re the spraying. Yes, farmer and workers know usually but sadly contractors and visitors of some sort sometimes forget to leave the gates as they were when they leave and the next morning, you have cows in paddocks where they should not be. Not a problem, insurance pays but excess goes up and not every farmer is happy about it so tries to avoid getting the insurance involved and recoups the money from whoever left the gate open. You would be surprised how many phone calls I get about the exact thing

But it all doesn't matter. It will hopefully never happen to "Back Country Pest Control" or to you and to be honest, chances are pretty slim it ever will which is good. So no stress, everyone can do what they want, we are all adults here that know the risks to their business and them personally