Thread: Tahr cull- where are we at now?

A team of Coasters spent a week up the Rangitata coupla weeks or so back,bad weather, got nothing but found dead Thar scattered here and there..heavy frost must have killed them eh.

Originally Posted by gimp

ZIP were culling tahr to use the carcasses as a distraction for kea, to try minimise by kill in their operation. It was fairly well reported at the time.

As a mate said....When did Kea do best? When the cullerz were going.
Could doc use that knowledge to their advantage.? Of course. Slip into Kea areas and blow a feed over for them, come back a few weeks later and blow another feed over. It wouldn't take to much I hazard to work out how often it would need to happen

Originally Posted by doinit

A team of Coasters spent a week up the Rangitata coupla weeks or so back,bad weather, got nothing but found dead Thar scattered here and there..heavy frost must have killed them eh.

Rough for them, where'd they go exactly

Not sure but I'll find out.They were a tad pissed I believe.
Bunch of cockies on their annual Thar hunt.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

As a mate said....When did Kea do best? When the cullerz were going.
Could doc use that knowledge to their advantage.? Of course. Slip into Kea areas and blow a feed over for them, come back a few weeks later and blow another feed over. It wouldn't take to much I hazard to work out how often it would need to happen

Maybe too logical?

Originally Posted by doinit

A team of Coasters spent a week up the Rangitata coupla weeks or so back,bad weather, got nothing but found dead Thar scattered here and there..heavy frost must have killed them eh.

Why coasters would bother to hunt Canterbury has me stumped unless private land? Must have been frustrating for them seeing dead animals everywhere.

I have just finished 2 and a bit months chasing them here on the coast. Our weather saves them from being decimated more than anything I reckon.

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On the note of dead tahr left lying around, years ago when they first opened up the Macauley River after releasing to crown / public ownership, I was in one of the early groups that went on NZDA organised culls straight after the machines had been on search & destroy. What a bloody sight seeing dead carcasses everywhere, so many that the valley was full of seagulls

Those look really tasty? Are they any good to eat, or musky tasting?

Originally Posted by Got Juice?

Those look really tasty? Are they any good to eat, or musky tasting?

Mature Bull Thar are not very good eating at imo. OK in sausages and salami.
Nannies and juvenile animals are as good as any game meat I reckon.
I always try and shoot a few nannies late summer when they're fat. Great chewing.

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Originally Posted by scotty

they predate the mountain daisy........bloody vegan mountain goat.........

Has Tahr lead to the extinction of the mountain daisy in any of their range? No!!

Originally Posted by R93

Mature Bull Thar are not very good eating at imo. OK in sausages and salami.
Nannies and juvenile animals are as good as any game meat I reckon.
I always try and shoot a few nannies late summer when they're fat. Great chewing.

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So mature one's taste similar to mutton>?

Originally Posted by Got Juice?

So mature one's taste similar to mutton>?

Dunno about that. But I have never had a good steak off a mature bull.


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Originally Posted by Got Juice?

So mature one's taste similar to mutton>?

wash your mouth out you heathen you........... if you dont like the taste of mutton either you have no tastebuds or your cook needs the sack. or both. we in our house wont kill a sheep untill its at least 3 years old,far bigger roasts and they have some taste.....you Philistine you!!!!!

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

wash your mouth out you heathen you........... if you dont like the taste of mutton either you have no tastebuds or your cook needs the sack. or both. we in our house wont kill a sheep untill its at least 3 years old,far bigger roasts and they have some taste.....you Philistine you!!!!!

hahahaha, I have eggie on my face mate, I can honestly say I am totally out of my depth here. And FYI I make a killer mutton stew

Just trying to equate it to something I may have eaten here in the Frozen North. Perhaps like a Dall Sheep?

LOL, Philistine!!! Gdamn, that made my day. Thank you!!!

Emailed doc in April before a tahr hunt and got this reply guessing he meant June 2019?




The last tahr control activity in the Rangitata catchment was in July 2018 and was confined to the true right (Southern Side) and only likely affected the headwaters of Bush and Forest Streams. We will not be undertaking any aerial control within the Rangitata catchment until after June 2018.



Hope you have a great hunt.