Thread: Molesworth

Depends on which helo company too, one in particular doesn't have a reputation for leaving anything.

Originally Posted by woods223

Big assumption there. According to someone involved in operation they shot animals as they came across them. Were meant to leave big stags but that sometimes goes by the wayside in the heat of the moment, mindful of flying costs/efficiency. There’s way too many deer in places on the station. Head quality has gone down over the years since DOC management restructuring. Jim still has to run an economic farming operation while catering to public access expectations.

Exactly an assumption. And of course they shot animals as they came across them, you don't shoot any if you don't come across them.
Head quality in general has gone down not because of DOC, feed etc. It's because of recreational hunters targeting stags and generally shooting them too young just like YouTube shows. If there is way too many deer in places you don't solve it by shooting stags.
Also bigs mature trophies were once spiders, don't think the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation goes round shooting Wapiti spikers.

Not my book @cb14 so can't lend it or sell it sorry. It has been an interesting read tho. Lots of old farming history.

One thing I have learnt is they have been shooting shit from the air in there for a long time!

This from 1968....




Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Yes, chopper shooting is very effective but also expensive. $6 was good coin back in ‘68. About 13 year’s ago Nokomai stations Hughs 500 cost something like $374/hour to sit in the hanger let alone fly. So you try and maximise animals shot per hour.

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Not my book @cb14 so can't lend it or sell it sorry. It has been an interesting read tho. Lots of old farming history.

One thing I have learnt is they have been shooting shit from the air in there for a long time!

This from 1968....




Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

All good, thanks for letter me know.

@cb14 I think I have a copy somewhere. Will have a dig around and let you know.

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Not my book @cb14 so can't lend it or sell it sorry. It has been an interesting read tho. Lots of old farming history.

One thing I have learnt is they have been shooting shit from the air in there for a long time!

This from 1968....




Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Surprisingly few goats back then. Some areas are riddled with them now.

For 52 hours flying in the Clarence now you'd get closer to 15,000 goats

Originally Posted by gimp

For 52 hours flying in the Clarence now you'd get closer to 15,000 goats

I'm rafting it in a months time with the family, hopefully won't run out of ammo on the first day !

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by gimp

For 52 hours flying in the Clarence now you'd get closer to 15,000 goats

Utterly incorrect, more like 30,000. It's bad in parts and DOC do a skim through in a 500 occasionally, expensive and in the big picture ineffective. The last time goats were reduced to low numbers in there it was because of foot cullers

Originally Posted by Puddleduk

Utterly incorrect, more like 30,000. It's bad in parts and DOC do a skim through in a 500 occasionally, expensive and in the big picture ineffective. The last time goats were reduced to low numbers in there it was because of foot cullers

There are still ground hunters working in there regularly taking 300-700/ block /trip.

Originally Posted by rimubay

@cb14 I think I have a copy somewhere. Will have a dig around and let you know.

Thanks! Appreciated.

Originally Posted by woods223

Big assumption there. According to someone involved in operation they shot animals as they came across them. Were meant to leave big stags but that sometimes goes by the wayside in the heat of the moment, mindful of flying costs/efficiency. There’s way too many deer in places on the station. Head quality has gone down over the years since DOC management restructuring. Jim still has to run an economic farming operation while catering to public access expectations.

In terms of head quality did it used to be open to the public pre the restructuring? There definitely a bunch of deer and pigs when I've been in there.

Originally Posted by woods223

Yes, chopper shooting is very effective but also expensive. $6 was good coin back in ‘68. About 13 year’s ago Nokomai stations Hughs 500 cost something like $374/hour to sit in the hanger let alone fly. So you try and maximise animals shot per hour.

That dude on the shottie was on point. Hardly a one got away from him. Excellent YT footage.

Originally Posted by Shearer

There are still ground hunters working in there regularly taking 300-700/ block /trip.

DOC shooters, six I think, flew into Molesworth on morning of 04/11/24. They used the same chopper as us before we flew out of Upper Spray. We used to see bugger-all goats over most of station in the 80's-90's, bit different now. There's always been heaps of goats in the Clarence. Rafted down the river from Accomodation House back in 80's, we all ran out of ammo from memory before we got to Gibson Stream. Two .222's, one 270 and a 308 in the group from memory. Good times.