Thread: Spotlighting on DOC Land

Yup, and you can wander around shining lights at animals all you want if you aren't planning to kill any of them.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

Yup, and you can wander around shining lights at animals all you want if you aren't planning to kill any of them.

Wrong...if on DoC land...download a permit and read it

There is a bit about 'use of a spotlight' (as Spook has said) doesn't even have to be for hunting. I'm sure someone somewhere that is grumpy enough might be able to slap you on the wrist for a high powered head lamp (am I right that there is no definition for 'spotlight' in that legislation?)

Originally Posted by Spook

Wrong...if on DoC land...download a permit and read it

If you aren't hunting you aren't subject to the conditions of a hunting permit, so its irrelevant.

Obviously this means being unarmed when you're there.

I guess there could be a grey area if you entered the permit area armed but left your weapon at camp while going for a walk with a light later - you aren't hunting because you aren't armed, but you did enter the area under the conditions of the permit. If they charged you they might have to prove in court that you weren't just looking for a good toilet spot though.

Just had a look at the bits of legislation referred to in the hunting permit, there is no mention of spotlighting or night hunting specifically just that DOC can impose conditions on hunting. The permit itself gives no definition of 'spotlight' or 'spotlighting', but the condition that mentions it is fairly clear in specifying that 'hunting wild animals during the hours of darkness' is prohibited - which obviously doesn't affect you if you aren't hunting.

Nice, good, er, spotting!

This is the dictionary.com definition of SPOTLIGHTING which dosent realy leave us any wiser i think.


spot·light
[spot-lahyt] Show IPA noun, verb, spot·light·ed or spot·lit, spot·light·ing.

noun
1.
a strong, focused light thrown upon a particular spot, as on a small area of a stage or in a television studio, for making some object, person, or group especially conspicuous.

2.
a lamp for producing such a light.

3.
a brilliant light with a focused beam, mounted on the side of an automobile and used for illuminating objects not within range of the headlights.

4.
the area of immediate or conspicuous public attention: Asia is in the spotlight now.

verb (used with object)
5.
to direct the beam of a spotlight upon; light with a spotlight.

6.
to make conspicuous; call attention to: Newspapers spotlighted the story for a week.

7.
to hunt (animals) using a spotlight in order to temporarily blind or confuse them.

Ahhhh Benny boy, my dear dictionary meanings mean not much in law, usually if it's deemed an important term then it will be included in the Interpretation section of the act, usually at the beginning.

True but i cant find anything that that states a definition. Typical of the law... leave it open so no one has any idea untill they get a fine slaped on them.

There are eleven regulations which have the word spotlight in them , they are in the Bylaws for the various National Parks , in the bylaws they all say
Use of spotlight for hunting prohibited:
A person must not use a spotlight in the park to identify or dazzle prey in the park
None define spotlight in the interpretation and only one I could find has an interpretation for hours of darkness .

It gets awfully complicated and there is more in Wildlife leglislation in general about dogs than there is about firearms or spotlights .
If you are interested click on New Zealand Legislation and do a search