Thread: Boutique hunting?

Originally Posted by Toby

Pigs in texas from choppers? watched a lot of videos of that

Yea that

Originally Posted by Toby

Pigs in texas from choppers? watched a lot of videos of that

That's culling, not "trophy" helihunting. Shooting a mob of pigs, is purely pest control. Chasing down and shooting a Bull tahr to hang on the wall IS NOT pest control.


I think some of you guys are getting confused with helihunting vs. culling.


We need machine assisted culling in NZ to manage our tahr, deer, chamois and pigs to a certain degree. Have since helicopter pest control was established. Most NZ hunters accept this. Ground hunters can't control/manage herd numbers on foot. It's impossible, and in most cases not in the hunters "best interest".


Helihunting is a completely different evil. It is paying ""hunters" forking out big money to target specific animals, ie a trophy bull tahr, red stag, chamois buck. It isn't to shoot cull animals, nannies, hinds, poor stags etc. In doing so they really knock the trophy potential of a herd around.

Originally Posted by JoshC

That's culling, not "trophy" helihunting. Shooting a mob of pigs, is purely pest control. Chasing down and shooting a Bull tahr to hang on the wall IS NOT pest control.


I think some of you guys are getting confused with helihunting vs. culling.


We need machine assisted culling in NZ to manage our tahr, deer, chamois and pigs to a certain degree. Have since helicopter pest control was established. Most NZ hunters accept this. Ground hunters can't control/manage herd numbers on foot. It's impossible, and in most cases not in the hunters "best interest".


Helihunting is a completely different evil. It is paying ""hunters" forking out big money to target specific animals, ie a trophy bull tahr, red stag, chamois buck. It isn't to shoot cull animals, nannies, hinds, poor stags etc. In doing so they really knock the trophy potential of a herd around.

Good point Josh i never thought about the trophy stocks!

I watched a american hunting show a while back in which the dude comes to nz gets heli'd right on top of a herd of with a nice bull thar, Walks about 3m throws tripod rest down, takes the shot, doesnt even have to hike the 200m or so to get the thar, heli does it for him. What is the point?

You might as well stand in a paddock and shoot sheep cowering in the corner. It sure aint hunting as I know it. The hard work makes the prize all that much more valuable.

Toby give the vid another go, its just stills to start with then flicks to video which may have tricked you to think your speed was kack, i nearly did the same.

stationair is operated by laurie prouting owner of mesopatamia station , he also does live capture for safari blocks

I asked dad he said the guy only got about 5 years for shooting that helicopter. Not much time really is it


@Gibo I tried thought I was in cause a pic came up of a black chopper but it took for ever to start.

Cock Smokers!!!!!

I see it as adventure tourism rather than hunting. Where there is a demand, some one will endeavour to make a dollar out of it.
It should be relegated to private land though, if he is found to have flouted the terms of his concession to operate on public land then hopefully he loses them altogether.
Good point about everyone being ok with it if it was a mob of pigs.

Originally Posted by Moutere

I see it as adventure tourism rather than hunting. Where there is a demand, some one will endeavour to make a dollar out of it.
It should be relegated to private land though, if he is found to have flouted the terms of his concession to operate on public land then hopefully he loses them altogether.
Good point about everyone being ok with it if it was a mob of pigs.

Its a bit different shooting a species that is easy and plentiful for everyone, especially if its not a species that is predominantly hunted for trophies. Those poor buggers on the camera had slogged their guts out to get up to their hunt only to watch those idiots turn up and stir up the whole hill side.

The only reasonable excuse I could see for someone to take and animal in this fashion is if they were disabled to the point where they couldn't negotiate the terrain on their own two feet.

Originally Posted by big_foot

Its a bit different shooting a species that is easy and plentiful for everyone, especially if its not a species that is predominantly hunted for trophies. Those poor buggers on the camera had slogged their guts out to get up to their hunt only to watch those idiots turn up and stir up the whole hill side.

The only reasonable excuse I could see for someone to take and animal in this fashion is if they were disabled to the point where they couldn't negotiate the terrain on their own two feet.

Agreed, the guys filming we're let down by the concession system.
I assume old mate was blatantly flouting the rules allowing him to operate commercially on public land, hopefully he is taken to task for it.
Anyone would be upset to have their day ruined like that and rightly so, that's why it should be kept to private land.
I don't get the extra emotion attached when it's game animals being hazed, over feral animals ?

Originally Posted by Moutere

Agreed, the guys filming we're let down by the concession system.
I assume old mate was blatantly flouting the rules allowing him to operate commercially on public land, hopefully he is taken to task for it.
Anyone would be upset to have their day ruined like that and rightly so, that's why it should be kept to private land.
I don't get the extra emotion attached when it's game animals being hazed, over feral animals ?

Please define "game and "feral"

I dont have an issue with choppers being used as a control measure for an out of control population,Ie pigs in parts of America at the moment and deer here in the past.
And while Im not for it I am neither against WARO as generally it is only when populations are highish and the game is being "used" as opposed to poisoned and it is providing jobs and revenue for the country.
One could argue herding/hazing is also providing revenue/jobs but it is relatively insignificant compared to "real" hunting and the dollars spent.
Hey if you want to provide that service on privately owned land the public cant access to make a mint out of rich useless fat wankers well and good but i still dont think its fair to the animals.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Please define "game and "feral"

I dont have an issue with choppers being used as a control measure for an out of control population,Ie pigs in parts of America at the moment and deer here in the past.
And while Im not for it I am neither against WARO as generally it is only when populations are highish and the game is being "used" as opposed to poisoned and it is providing jobs and revenue for the country.
One could argue herding/hazing is also providing revenue/jobs but it is relatively insignificant compared to "real" hunting and the dollars spent.
Hey if you want to provide that service on privately owned land the public cant access to make a mint out of rich useless fat wankers well and good but i still dont think its fair to the animals.

Hunting is not fair on animals full stop. Is it fair that a pig gets chased by a pack of dogs then stuck. It's just about peoples hunting ethics and everyone's different.

Your not really naming and shaming ether because I doubt they will be ashamed about it. I know a number of operators do this and one every man and his dog uses.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Please define "game and "feral"

Sure, my view is that..... game is the deer species, tahr & chamois. Ferals are goats & pigs. I just find it an interesting discussion point that there is often different attitudes towards their respective welfare, personally I'm fairly neutral on it either way.
I think @username summed it up perfectly, "It's just about peoples hunting ethics and everyone's different."
These people are simply paying for an experience, I doubt ethics come into it for them in the same manner that they would for you and I.
Shame of it is, all the above are collectively viewed as pests by DOC & any control methods are entertained.
For me, the bigger issue here is the impact the 'commercial' helicopter operation is having spoiling peoples hard earnt trips into the wilderness on public land.

@Richie