Thread: Ballots. Rigged or not

Thought I would start a new thread on this so as not to hijack the other any further.

There seems to be a real issue with the Haast roar and Hooker/Landsborough Thar ballots.

Mates and family of government employees being favoured and overseas hunters, mainly Australians flooding our ballots.

A lot of ozzys have paid for a guide on a first trip here and found out where to go and how to go about it. They now flood the ballot, particularly the Thar ballot.
We can't do anything similar in Australia or anywhere else so why can it happen here.
I have nothing against overseas hunters but there is no way a kiwi should miss out on a block for a non resident.
They should get a guide and pay a fee like we have to do, if we want to hunt elsewhere.

The safety aspect alone is a concern.
It is big mean country that kills plenty of kiwis that have a clue let alone someone from overseas. They all think they can handle it but I know shitloads that cry for a pickup as soon as it gets a bit cold or they see what the country is really like and then their ballot period is wasted when they run for home after a day or 2.


Happened in the Wapiti ballot this year.
A party from Oz 2 days in their block and were crying for the helicopter to come get them. Whole period wasted in that block.
If they need rescuing (Happens all the time. Not just hunters) it costs us as kiwis not them.


I know of a local person that gets the same period and Thar block every year and I am sure it happens for others as well.
It is bullshit.
How is that a fair ballot especially when you have to pay just to enter? I would go as far as calling it theft by DOC because for each back they scratch, they reduce the honest chances of anyone else and do this knowingly.

It costs $20 dollars just to apply. How does it cost that much to process an unsuccessful applicant?

I reckon only successful ballot winners should pay and pay more than the current cost if need be.
There is also the issue of people flooding the ballot by using everyone they know, to put in an application.
I assume the $20 fee is to stop that but it has not worked at all.
There must be other ways.....thoughts?

The GAC may in time take over some of the ballots, I don't know, but I bet if that happens it will be even worse regarding back scratching.

I recon the ballot should be drawn live online and with police or a JP present to ensure the process is fair and accurate.

I AM having a whinge but this bullshit is an issue and it is not just for my benefit.

I only enter the Thar ballot. If I miss out I have other options and am happy to use them.
I know of people who have missed many years in a row.
Getting rid of the dishonesty and overseas applicants will improve the ballot and the chances of people who have missed out for ages I reckon.





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R93 global market and wanting to give everything away would seem the norm for NZ. I would feel you have a valid point in making draws pubic and probably with an independent referee. I also agree ballots should not be open to overseas hunters, these are the people we need to be making good money from, not handing in out on a plate for free. Any recovery of overseas people using resources should be paid for by the customer or their insurance, not ACC, but welcome to the friendly, dumb country of NZ

Grumpy old man go home to Australia. . . . . .

Don't know about that particular ballot, but I was involved with the woodhill ballot, and it was as fair as it gets. Two of the 15 people there doing it got drawn, tough titties for the rest,that's how it works (and they spent an evening doing it: writing out blocks, addressing envelopes, etc etc). There were lots and lots of people drawn from outside the area code, furthest away was a fellah from Te Anau. No Aussies that I saw.

I don't generally enter any ballots but I agree especially about non residents.

Originally Posted by tui_man2

Grumpy old man go home to Australia. . . . . .

I am not Australian. I am a tribal Shaman from the PNG highlands.😆
I curse you to be a gingernut for the rest of your life.


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Yes Tommy but you can hunt fallow anywhere. NZ is the only place you can hunt Thar for free as a visitor?

Spoke to a bloke here in Hawkes Bay who has a sister or some other in DOC down your way. He was adamant if he wished he could secure a block, balloted or not. Bravado maybe, but transparency would be good.

True didn't think of that. Maybe best to separate out a proportion of 'local' slots and have a share of 'outside' slots, then bung them together after an initial draw to select blocks/times. Oh and if you're wondering, pop in and watch. Could even stream it online like powerball....

NZ is far from getting any where like the states of having resident and alien hunter clasification.

We cant even create or run a useful/valid permit system.

It is very odd that the recovery fee for foreigners ins't charged against them for their travel insurance to pickup.

If it's as corrupt as you make it out to be I would imagine it to be extremely difficult to get the head of the boards to go down a honest route, police supervision etc

Guess you could start with a facebook petition or the like? Try put some external pressure on them

The process needs to be fair and transparent. If there is no independent observer to the ballot process then its basically 'blocks for the boys' depending on who you know.

While I don't necessarily agree that overseas hunters should be excluded I do agree that the NZ hunter should have a grater chance at securing a block. Perhaps 1 block in each period could be allocated to an overseas party and run a separate ballot for it. You could potentially charge them more for the privilege to.

My thoughts.

Originally Posted by Maca49

R93 global market and wanting to give everything away would seem the norm for NZ. I would feel you have a valid point in making draws pubic and probably with an independent referee. I also agree ballots should not be open to overseas hunters, these are the people we need to be making good money from, not handing in out on a plate for free. Any recovery of overseas people using resources should be paid for by the customer or their insurance, not ACC, but welcome to the friendly, dumb country of NZ

Maybe we could sell em a house o their way thru Auckland.

FWIW my view is local hunter should be the ONLY ones able to enter the ballot, full stop. but then I happen to also have the view that in order to own/buy property or business here in NZ you should have to reside here There goes my "redneck" gene again

Thought the landsborough ballot was funny you only have to put one name on your application, gives you more chanes if all your party can put in an apllication, should be like the wapiti ballot where all party members are listed and those names can only appear on one application.

Originally Posted by mikee

Maybe we could sell em a house o their way thru Auckland.

FWIW my view is local hunter should be the ONLY ones able to enter the ballot, full stop. but then I happen to also have the view that in order to own/buy property or business here in NZ you should have to reside here There goes my "redneck" gene again

Local as in local to that area? Or local as in NZer? I think local to that area is bull shit, we can't all live and work at the Hermatige. Not all Aucklanders wish to live here but some of our jobs (and greed for dollar bills) dictates where we live.

I'm with you on the housing though.