Originally Posted by
Lauries Hut
The beauty of collective knowledge on here (think tanks) solutions can be found.
There’s plenty of grumbling for various reasons about Helisika.. Perhaps a bit of a stretch, but it’s possible they’re a big part of the problem.
Logically they want reasonable numbers to keep their clients coming back.
They have no competition.
Iwi and Doc are wanting to collect $$ along the way so it must surely contribute to the absurdly high flight costs, which discourage hunters such as Tahr, which in turn reduces pressure or population control.
Perhaps climate change also plays a part? If the winters aren’t as long and hard, it’s probable more animals survive the winter that may not have made it 20 or 30 years ago?
My assumption is: despite the growing popularity of hunting, the time-cost pressures mean the number of younger hunters who head into the hills compared to the 60’s 70’s 80’s is less.
I grew up as a kid in Tok hearing stories of shift workers heading into Kaimanawa’s Kaweka’s on their 4 days off. On CT 90’s poaching the back of stations, spotlighting, and selling, distributing meat around town. Flying for a very low cost in a fixed wing deep into the park.
Thinking back now; it was considered a Robin Hood type endeavour, whereas now days it’s criminal, and we frown upon it.
They were fit hard men, who were hunters, not road end, can shooting pissheads. They shot a lot of deer, everything was fair game, no leaving hinds and stags that weren’t old enough, or didn’t have enough length on one tine.
They could sell their meat, and provide for their families.
Even our societal changes have an impact. These same men were hard fellas who had the treat em mean keep em keen attitude, where their wives families were concerned.
They were the sole breadwinner for the family. They did what they wanted, when they wanted. They most certainly didn’t need to earn “brownie points” to get a “leave pass” to go hunting…
A raft of health & safety measures from food safety to personal safety, have made us risk adverse weaklings.
Even thinking about the gang problems (a bit of a tangent I know) I recall a gang getting a bit out of control and dominant in town. It was these same shift working forestry men who sorted it out. Big dust up out on state Highway 1.
Lead news story on national news the next night, but problem solved. The gang members slunk off back to their pads and pulled their heads in.
To summarise before I get into my Sunday:
I think it’s fairly reasonable/obvious to assume the reduced hunting pressures, and changes in hunting and societal attitudes have led to the growth in numbers.
The question is how do we get hunters who aren't time poor, into the hills?
Perhaps with the possible changes in the wind, and a minister for hunting and fishing there can be some constructive collaboration with Doc.
They need to build a collaborative relationship with hunters and utilise these resources at their disposal. Find a way to economically put hunters into the areas they need to be.
This will raise the hackles of the farmers on here, but they need to ensure access to doc estate across private land, they need to punish those who prevent and allow the build up of numbers.
Lastly content producers like the Duley’s, Red Stag hunters, and those of you who are into your video/YouTube production.
Start knocking over hinds and lots of them. Rather than taking all the meat of one, leaving nothing. Take the back steaks and hind quarters, but take 3 or 4, 6 or 7.
Film it, normalise it.
I’m as guilty as anyone, last few trips down south I’ve seen/watched 30 - 40 deer a day, taken ONE.
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