Thread: Haast Roar Ballot

First period crews in today

Good luck all - Enjoy your adventures

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Keen on any reports if anyone is out of a block recently.

Heading that way with my two boys this week. In for 4th period/1st week of school holidays

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

We were in first period and a couple were just starting to roar. Unfortunately there had been some guys in a Robinson shooting up some of the blocks right up until first period fly in day. Not local machine - apparently from Westport? They also dropped a guy in ground shooting with a thermal. Mate saw them bring a load in and land on strip just above Waiatoto bridge when he was waiting there to fly in for first period. I have spoken to DOC Haast, they are very interested and I'm trying to find out names, etc for what it's worth.

Just got out last Saturday (period 2). Hard going out there. Not much roaring and not a lot of animals. I’d believe the story about the robbie. We had the same block three years ago and it was chocka full of deer.

Cheers for the info guys. Interesting

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Found a dozen gutbags in our 2nd period block, Drake Flat. Still plenty of animals around though, most flooding out right on dark.

Driving south early doors tomorrow. In on sat, first time in the chopper for both my two lads so they are super fizzing.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

30 odd fresh gut bags, in 4 gut heaps, in our block. Last year deer were out well before dark - sometimes two hours before. This year around 8pm (before daylight saving ended). Still heaps around though so you should see plenty. Pretty good forecast - just one wet day - Monday. Good luck.

Yea thats right mate. Monday a camp day by the looks. Oldest lad has over a 100 goats with his bow but is chasing his first deer so any will do

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

DOC reply :

Morning xxxxxx

Your email has been passed onto me to respond to, I had heard of a similar situation in the Waiatoto Valley so was interested to hear of your experience as well.

I have gone through the Permissions Database and can see that Northwest Livestock Ltd (with those party details) do hold a WARO permit for the South Island. Conditions of this permit allow WARO activity in the area with the exclusion period for the ROAR being the last Sunday in March until the last Saturday in April or the dates as in the table below.

Roar Closure Periods

Standard Closure Dates (Inclusive)

ADDITIONAL CLOSURE DATES (Inclusive) where Easter falls outside Standard Closure Dates

2024

29 March – 15 April


2025

29 March – 15 April

18 April – 21 April


2026

29 March – 15 April



2027

29 March – 15 April

26 March – 28 March (Easter Monday is 29 March)


2028

29 March – 15 April

16 – 17 April (Easter Sunday and Monday)

In addition to the Standard Roar Closure Period in Schedule 4 item 1, the Concessionaire must not undertake the Concession Activity in the South Westland Roar Blocks
listed below during the period from the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in April (inclusive) annually:

WARO permits were renewed in 2018, and this timeframe was agreed upon with stakeholders and the Department. Unfortunately, with the Ballot periods being fluid this wasn’t taken into consideration, and it would have been more prudent to refer the permit holder to the website for the specific dates each year. I acknowledge that this is not ideal, that our information on the ballot pages of the DOC website could be updated to include this information and that it is not ideal timing for recreational hunters. The only work around for this is to change the ballot dates for 2026 onwards to occur in the WARO exclusion times or recognise that WARO may clash with the ballot timeframes and ensure recreational hunters are aware of this when booking their blocks.

I do appreciate you raising your concerns, whilst not ideal timing for yourself it did raise awareness of the issue for us, and we will endeavour to resolve the situation happening again to others.

Regards

xxxxxxx

What a fucking joke. Let's hope they 'resolve the situation' quick smart.

How long do they get a free pass for continuing to fuck up like this!!!

Its not as if its 1980, and someone forgot to use the party line to pass on the message. Its 2025 and all departments are computerised up the waazoo. "...will endeavour to resolve the situation happening again to others." FFS

It’s pretty piss poor and has been happening for years

Originally Posted by Camel

DOC reply :

Morning xxxxxx

Your email has been passed onto me to respond to, I had heard of a similar situation in the Waiatoto Valley so was interested to hear of your experience as well.

I have gone through the Permissions Database and can see that Northwest Livestock Ltd (with those party details) do hold a WARO permit for the South Island. Conditions of this permit allow WARO activity in the area with the exclusion period for the ROAR being the last Sunday in March until the last Saturday in April or the dates as in the table below.

Roar Closure Periods

Standard Closure Dates (Inclusive)

ADDITIONAL CLOSURE DATES (Inclusive) where Easter falls outside Standard Closure Dates

2024

29 March – 15 April


2025

29 March – 15 April

18 April – 21 April


2026

29 March – 15 April



2027

29 March – 15 April

26 March – 28 March (Easter Monday is 29 March)


2028

29 March – 15 April

16 – 17 April (Easter Sunday and Monday)

In addition to the Standard Roar Closure Period in Schedule 4 item 1, the Concessionaire must not undertake the Concession Activity in the South Westland Roar Blocks
listed below during the period from the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in April (inclusive) annually:

WARO permits were renewed in 2018, and this timeframe was agreed upon with stakeholders and the Department. Unfortunately, with the Ballot periods being fluid this wasn’t taken into consideration, and it would have been more prudent to refer the permit holder to the website for the specific dates each year. I acknowledge that this is not ideal, that our information on the ballot pages of the DOC website could be updated to include this information and that it is not ideal timing for recreational hunters. The only work around for this is to change the ballot dates for 2026 onwards to occur in the WARO exclusion times or recognise that WARO may clash with the ballot timeframes and ensure recreational hunters are aware of this when booking their blocks.

I do appreciate you raising your concerns, whilst not ideal timing for yourself it did raise awareness of the issue for us, and we will endeavour to resolve the situation happening again to others.

Regards

xxxxxxx

Forward this to the National Office NZDA with an explanation. They need to know so they can advocate.

What it shows, is the lack of community regard in the helicopter industry. Whether its permissible or not, there is no good reason to hunt that area close too that time, and create conflict and ill will. Yet they do it and similar with regularity.