Thread: Are you a member of NZDA?

I think NZDA membership should be compulsory, National office does do a lot of promotion, research and makes a lot of submissions on hunting and access issues plus animal mangement plans, this benefits ALL hunters not just NZDA members. If you are planning on being a member for a number of years and can afford it an endowment membership is good value.
The $40.00 range fee is pretty cheap as well, and while my local branch doesn't have any organised range shooting or even a range that has easy access and no facility for shooting beyond 100m I am still a NZDA member, just at a different branch that caters to my needs. The fees we pay to join NZDA are certainly cheaper than joining a golf club.

Hunter308 I'm surprised there isn't much hunting related stuff at the Tokoroa branch I know a few members and I know they all hunt. From what I understand the complex was built mainly by employees of the mill so I can imagine why it has such a strong target shooting following..........there are also branches of NZDA that are strong on hunting with no target shooting.

I was talking to a new shooter the other day and they were quite surprised that there was no real practical instruction on using firearms or hunting to get their firearms license, it got me thinking about the number of firearm "accidents" that seem to be occuring.........is it because of the lack of this instruction.

To give a comparison of club membership fees, I was talking to a friend in the US a while ago and he mentioned about joining his local rifle club so he could use the range facilities..........the joining fee was something like US$800 and a 2-3 year wait........imagine having that many members that you had to limit the membership.

Originally Posted by Kiwishooter

I think NZDA membership should be compulsory, National office does do a lot of promotion, research and makes a lot of submissions on hunting and access issues plus animal mangement plans, this benefits ALL hunters not just NZDA members. If you are planning on being a member for a number of years and can afford it an endowment membership is good value.
The $40.00 range fee is pretty cheap as well, and while my local branch doesn't have any organised range shooting or even a range that has easy access and no facility for shooting beyond 100m I am still a NZDA member, just at a different branch that caters to my needs. The fees we pay to join NZDA are certainly cheaper than joining a golf club.

Hunter308 I'm surprised there isn't much hunting related stuff at the Tokoroa branch I know a few members and I know they all hunt. From what I understand the complex was built mainly by employees of the mill so I can imagine why it has such a strong target shooting following..........there are also branches of NZDA that are strong on hunting with no target shooting.

I was talking to a new shooter the other day and they were quite surprised that there was no real practical instruction on using firearms or hunting to get their firearms license, it got me thinking about the number of firearm "accidents" that seem to be occuring.........is it because of the lack of this instruction.

To give a comparison of club membership fees, I was talking to a friend in the US a while ago and he mentioned about joining his local rifle club so he could use the range facilities..........the joining fee was something like US$800 and a 2-3 year wait........imagine having that many members that you had to limit the membership.

In reply to statement that the Range was built by Mill Staff I was involved at the Time . The Mill was being was being restructured at the time and certain people from the local clubs had the right contacts to get stuff donated but others who did not work there had the foresight that the shooting scene was changing so went to Council and sorted current lease.The Range that is Now At Tokoroa was build by the members who were mostly Hunters.It has since been added to and build up by target Shooters to the fine rooms and facilities that are available for use of any member.