Thread: The state of pest populations in NZ

Originally Posted by Woody

No way do I work for doc or any other poisonous outfit.
As an example of the insidious nature of brodifacoum;
You may recall a recent revelation of tuataras dying in a reserve managed by "conservationists", whom you might assume would know the dangers of brodifacoum. Well, these bods used brodifacoum to deal to other pests. The tuatara were dying. Oh dear; what could be causing it? Well, one of the bods happenned to stand on a bug and the squashed remains were the brodi dye ! Oh golly gosh ! Tuatara eat invertebrates ay ! Analysis showed the tuataras were being killed by secondary poisoning of brodifacoum.
So, "kiwi hunter", pull your bl--dy head back into your ignorant skull.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/...tuatara-deaths

Yup. Brodi is bad shit. Far worse than 1080

Here in the top of the south Kahurangi National Park deer numbers are now low enough Id call anyone a prick for shooting one, they have been poisoned and culled almost out of existence and it is only the private land and forestry bordering it that is reseeding it.
Able Tasman National park is pretty much deer free where even 15 years ago it was quite common to see deer in the campgrounds at night with ya headlamp.
Nelson Lakes National park has moderate deer numbers and a few chams about, but not in the "Kiwi" areas so much.
Mt Richmond Forest park used to have very high numbers in areas we were not allowed to hunt because we may leave them in a waterway.....so recently they were shot to waste and left to rot at taxpayer expense, the rest of the park has reasonable numbers.

As @deer243 said best numbers are "fringe hunting" or a couple days walk.

Like almost all use of poisons in our country. Dangers are understated by the dominant users, sellers and applicators.

Originally Posted by Woody

Like almost all use of poisons in our country. Dangers are understated by the dominant users, sellers and applicators.

Yes Woody, I understand you don't like poisons and like the focus of chch, which turned on the guns instead where it should be on the one who pulled the trigger! That's where responsible should be the on the person.! Poisoning has a place, but application is everything, can't blame the poison , that's a shift of focus.
I am not here saying I am right about poisoning, but l know it takes all types of application's to manage pest control.
Dropping of 1080 isn't what I like to see either and I don't agree with it ! That's not controlled application either.
When we take responsibility for our actions then we can be called to account.
Finger pointing is usually out of focus.

KH

Today I was told by someone who works at a rural business that farmers in the Pio Pio/Aria are saying rabbit and hare numbers have exploded recently, with some saying they have never seen so many.

@gilly
Next door neighbour (fit, young and keen), has been out down around Ocean Beach and a few of the gullies running up into the Park there.
Reckons next time, the 270 will got some exercise, as he too has seen quite a few mobs around that area.
I need a quad bike and then I'll do my bit there with the 308.
Unfortunately, the 6.5 x 55 ammo that you dropped off to me, never got used as other things cropped up and the rifle under consideration never got bought.
So it's still available for a non-CM fanboy to use.

Originally Posted by WallyR

@gilly
Next door neighbour (fit, young and keen), has been out down around Ocean Beach and a few of the gullies running up into the Park there.
Reckons next time, the 270 will got some exercise, as he too has seen quite a few mobs around that area.
I need a quad bike and then I'll do my bit there with the 308.
Unfortunately, the 6.5 x 55 ammo that you dropped off to me, never got used as other things cropped up and the rifle under consideration never got bought.
So it's still available for a non-CM fanboy to use.

CM?


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Despite the council poisoning the crap out of my possum area they are back. Apparently rabbits too. I think the explosion of lifestyle blocks populated by tree hugers is probably having the biggest impact as they don't shoot, poison or trap.

As far as deer go I think you have two extremes, although speaking generally as different all over country. Where land is able to be publicly accessible and hunting allowed numbers get hammered and deer are far more cunning and nocturnal to survive.

On restricted areas of forrest blocks and farms excellent numbers and the deer are way dumber. In these areas owners and managers will also rather cull than let people in due to the hassle unfortunately.
Its also a reflection of how society has changed in NZ about trusting one another.

So feast or famine it seems.

Yes it's certainly possible to shoot a deer on public land but usually takes a fair amount of effort. If like me you are busy with young family and work it's not easy just to take a week off. So if you don't have private land contacts this pretty much puts deer off the menu. Apart from possums and the occasional goat my main shooting activity was service rifle...

You don't need to take a week off to get a deer. I don't have any private land deer hunting spots on private land but still do alright.
I would prefer to earn my venison anyway so paddock deer don't interest me.

Certainly does seem to be far more rabbits and hares around this year. I'm chilling by the lake in Motuoapa as I write this and the buggers are everywhere.

The powers that be could do a lot.more to promote hunting of small game. Its a shit load of fun, can be really good chewing and helps keep things in check.

I personally would love to do more small game hunting but have zero access to suitable areas. I've got 2 hungry dogs that would happily make use of about as many rabbits as I could shoot.

Can't help this comment, but who on this earth is given the authority to class a animal as a pest, all here for a reason.

Originally Posted by tetawa

Can't help this comment, but who on this earth is given the authority to class a animal as a pest, all here for a reason.

Has something to do with bring an introduced species you will find

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