Thread: FWF Ban for Non Attendance

Originally Posted by Husky1600

Have just read the post on VH, the whole 200 odd of them. As has been pointed out, the rules do state that if you pull out after the 20th Feb, you will get a 4 year ban. If they turned up to the briefing and then didn't go, would there have been a 4 year ban? Who knows at this point, but it would have been a considerable amount of driving to comply with the briefing ruling. Some hunters have posted that they went in for the same period and had some hunting, but aint hindsight a wonderful thing! How would we feel if those hunters that chose to fly in for that period, having taken all the weather forecasts and local conditions in to consideration, and then the shit hit the fan and we lost some of those fellow hunters. I dont have the answers, but what I do know is the hunter that was banned for 4 years, and then a further 6 years, was a very experienced hunter, like very bloody experienced, and has considerable experience in South Westland and shit weather. He checked all the available info on the weather, he talked to the chopper pilots and decided that the personal risk wasnt worth it. I would prefer that all of us hunters made responsible decisions like this rather than us having to read on FB that we've lost them because of poor decisions. It is completely irrelevant that there was a few hours of better weather than was predicted, its the bloody weather! We aint got any control over that.
And then for a member of a very well respected organisation, the FWF, to lose his shit because he cant handle the pressures associated with his position and arbitrarily ban the hunter for another 6 years is just plain BS! If you cant handle the jandal, then get the hell out of Dodge! At the very least I would expect a public apology for his lack of ability to deal with a stressed out hunter on the phone. And I would expect the FWF to withdraw the 6 year ban.

I understand your point but if he had shown up to the briefing and hung around (perhaps hunted the general country around Fiordland) the improved weather could have meant he could have hunted still. He took that opportunity from another group.

I understand the not doing dumb shit but I doubt it's the worst weather anyone been stuck in fiordland with.

Do you know him personally?

I'd say if he turned up to the briefing then he wouldn't have got a ban. It would have gone a long way to show it wasn't just not wanting to hunt in the rain. It's impossible for them to know anyone's background.

As for Roger Footes reaction we only know one side of the story and I think while harsh if someones a rude prick (not saying he was) then I wouldn't blame him for extending the ban (even if they don't enforce that part).

I agree we want everyone to be safe but when you apply for Fiordland you should be planning for what that entails which is terrible weather. And realistically you should be making every effort to attend as it's a trip of a lifetime for many.