Thread: Fiordland Moose

Dunno if there are Moose remaining in Fiordland, but, for one, I hope so.
Would love to see a new long running thread start up ".223 on Moose"

Originally Posted by 30.06king

Dunno if there are Moose remaining in Fiordland, but, for one, I hope so.
Would love to see a new long running thread start up ".223 on Moose"

That would drag out a few with egos bigger than their abilities.

Have a look at Ken Tustins latest interview
No question he's a believer, but how he explains the moose story has some practical arguments; eg the impact that red deer have on the mooses habitat
He even says that the guy that spotted one a few years back had hunted moose, knew what they looked like, and had even seen some red deer earlier that morning with their chestnut coats. What he saw was grey and drab by comparison and a totally different animal.
Tustin says that if they are still there, there will only be a handful at best, maybe even one or two, but they are doomed to extinction
Interesting story whether you believe or not

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

That would drag out a few with egos bigger than their abilities.

One probably needs to be of North American indigenous blood to attempt it. I have been told that in Alaska where native peoples have some customary use rights to harvest game such as Caribou and Moose that .223 rifles are used quite a bit, and supposedly work well.
Bit different for a paying hunter with big dollars riding on a hunt result. Personally I would only hunt with a calibre possessing much more oomph.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

That would drag out a few with egos bigger than their abilities.

It might be enough to tempt Bunji out of hiding !!

Originally Posted by 30.06king

Wow @Happy Jack, you have a remarkable resemblance to an old mate I used to hunt with years ago. Are you wearing a loincloth under that beard ?
More to the point - did you end up nailing that Moose ??

Not that particular moose, might have in my younger days but Mrs Happy Jack keeps me on a tight leash. It could be a loincloth.........

For a hell of a big animal Moose can be very very hard to see. I have never been to Fjordland but I could imagine there are still Moose there,its not like they would be grazing on the tops or sunbathing on the beaches.

I used to have the buggers walk along my veranda in Alaska.

Originally Posted by norsk

For a hell of a big animal Moose can be very very hard to see. I have never been to Fjordland but I could imagine there are still Moose there,its not like they would be grazing on the tops or sunbathing on the beaches.

I used to have the buggers walk along my veranda in Alaska.

I agree.
And it's funny how a lot of the interweb Fiordland moose experts have never actually seen a live moose (anywhere) or been to Fiordland. But they are adimant they don't exist.

By coincidence today’s edition of Stuff has an article re ‘could moose still be in Fiordland’

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

By coincidence today’s edition of Stuff has an article re ‘could moose still be in Fiordland’

Not really a co-incidence me think, either we have a new age reported among us here or for some reason Youtube algo throwing up the same video to many ppl.

To surive they need to breed. If they're breeding then the population would increase. Since no one is shooting them and they have no natural predators, other than perhaps inbreeding from a small gene pool to lower the population. Then with an increasing population and the amount of hunting, tramping, flying, fishing, research that happens in the area. By the law of averages, sightings must start occuring. But there aren't any really proven sightings. So it's probable they are no longer there. Or if there is any, they are incredibly old and certainly not breeding.
A dead one will be the only conclusive evidence. Anything else can be doctored or planted too show what people want others too believe.
Just a thought.

Sent from my SM-A145F using Tapatalk

[QUOTE=r87mm;1537885]To surive they need to breed. If they're breeding then the population would increase. Since no one is shooting them and they have no natural predators, other than perhaps inbreeding from a small gene pool to lower the population. Then with an increasing population and the amount of hunting, tramping, flying, fishing, research that happens in the area. By the law of averages, sightings must start occuring. But there aren't any really proven sightings. So it's probable they are no longer there. Or if there is any, they are incredibly old and certainly not breeding.
A dead one will be the only conclusive evidence. Anything else can be doctored or planted too show what people want others too believe.
Just a thought.

Sent from my SM-A145F using Tapatalk[/QUOTE

Yes I like your thinking on it - there simply is no proof and has not been any for years - saw the moose search program some years ago and one very out of focus photo of an animal that is a deer species and some high browsing is not proof - I have seen reds stand up on hind legs to reach Mahoe

They may be hard to see, but they also need to poo, walk, breed and die. Most of that leaves dna behind.

For some 15 years there was an airforce of about 35 helos pushing the operating envelope of their machines searching, looking, always looking for another 4 legged 3-5K pay cheque. If they were there the odds are they would have been seen.

I've been to Herrick Creek. What a sodden, dank god forsaken place to go spend 2 months looking for moose. Apparently he flew in 2 ton of coal to keep camp warm

Anything is possible. The South Island Kokako - another mystery if they still exist.

https://www.southislandkokako.org/

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3501...g-south-island