Thread: NZ Hunter Adventures - Red Roar - Part 2 - tonight!

Originally Posted by R93

Hearing of parties hunting the Wapiti in January because February is now closed in certain areas is sickening and just fucking selfish.

I agreed with everything you wrote in your post except this line. Part of chasing wapiti in fiordland is the majesty of the place, the flora and the fauna and the experience of just being there. Should a hunter wait years and years on the hope that they get a ballot?...that might never happen for them. Would you deny a hunter the experience of hunting in firodland? I don't believe any kiwi hunter can deny another that chance.

So a hunter hunts in there in January and shoots a deer that to him means the world, that he has climbed for, bled for and exhausted himself for. Now if he leaves that animal and someone else shoots it in April then that animal becomes that other hunters prize. But why is one hunters memories more important than another's? Why should they be denied the fiordland experience on the hope that they may one day have their name pulled out of the hat? I also think it is selfish for hunters in the ballot to think that all deer in the park are to be left for them and them alone. That's not how hunting works.

Now I don't shoot pregnant hinds, that's just me. And I have been in a position where I have seen some and left them only to hear a shot half an hour later. When I have checked it out I've found someone has shot one of the hinds that I let go. I didn't get upset as I know I have my own set of hunting ethics and I can't force those onto others. For all I know his family could be struggling and that hind will feed his family for a while.

I am in agreement with you about locking up these special herds for a few years, but I know it will never happen.