Tahr Eradication Plan - New Zealand

[Sitting Bull_Chris]

Not sure if this has already been posted.
The NZ Department of Conservation has planned to eradicate all free ranging Tahr on public land in the New Zealand southern Alps. They were meant to begin the aerial helicopter shooting of around 30,000 animals with none to be recovered on 1st July. Thankfully the NZ Tahr Foundation has stepped in and managed to get a court injunction as this announcement is at odds with the current Tahr Management Plan and no opportunity was provided for all stake holders to be given a chance to respond to the eradication plan.

The process is now in the courts so it will begin to get expensive very soon. The Tahr Foundation is asking for people to voice their opposition on a petition and if they can donate a few dollars to do that also.

It is criminal to destroy the only free range herd of hunt-able Tahr that is accessible to all hunters. If DOC win this one then other species are very likely to follow including Chamois, Red deer and Wapiti.

TAHR FOUNDATION MEDIA RELEASE

HUNTERS ASK CONSERVATION AUTHORITY TO WORK FOR ALL NEW ZEALANDERS

3 July 2020

For Immediate Use

The Tahr Foundation is asking the Conservation Authority to represent all New Zealanders and their recreational pursuits in National Parks, including the tens of thousands of hunters who flock to them every year.

The Foundation’s plea is in response to the Conservation Authority’s decision to come out in support of DOC’s controversial plan to exterminate Himalayan tahr in national parks.

But Tahr Foundation spokesperson Willie Duley says tahr were living in the mountains before national parks like Aoraki/Mount Cook were created and exterminating them conflicts with the Authority’s role to protect our cultural heritage.

“The Authority is supposed to balance recreation and conservation and its mission statement makes it clear that its role is to ensure that our cultural heritage is valued, restored, maintained, and cared for,” Mr Duley says.

“Hunting is very much part of this country’s cultural fabric and heritage, and we want them to ensure it continues, especially in national parks” Mr Duley says.

“National parks are important to hunters. Every year, thousands visit them to hunt and enjoy their magnificent scenery.

“If the Conservation Authority wants a true picture of our numbers and feelings, have a look at the petition calling for a halt to the tahr extermination plan which has now soared past 30,000 signatures.

“This clearly shows hunters are significant recreational users of national parks and key stakeholders, yet our views are being ignored and our rights trampled,”

Willie Duley is also correcting claims the Conservation Authority is making about tahr.

“We respect the Conservation Authority for its vital role as a kaitiaki so it is disappointing that such an important organisation is using misleading figures and making incorrect claims and accusations to bolster its argument,” Willie Duley says.

“There are not 35,000 tahr roaming our mountains – that figure is out of date and is based on populations before the major culling operations took place. The cull has cut numbers to 20,000 tahr of which only 5,000 are nannies or breeders. Those are the figures that should be used in this debate,” he says.

“And the Authority’s claims that herds of hundreds of tahr can be seen roaming the countryside just leaves me flabbergasted. I spend over a hundred days a year in the mountains filming, exploring and hunting and I have never seen such herds.”

“We support the proper management of tahr numbers and invite the Conservation Authority to properly engage with us as key stakeholders and work out a solution that doesn’t involve demonising hunters and tahr.”

ENDS

CONTACT:

Tahr Foundation spokesperson

Willie Duley: +64273338424 / willie@nztf.org.nz

Link to Change.Org petition to save the Tahr http://chng.it/yjp9f2RJcy

Link to Give A Little Page https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/nztf

 

[Newboomer]

Sounds like a bureaucratic SNAFU and FUBAR.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Just curious but are they destroying something? Our feral hogs destroy billions of dollars yearly of farmers crops, thus they need controlling. I read a book while in NZ once upon a time all the big game in NZ were needing culling. Hunters were actually given a couple of boxes of ammo to use. Once they ran out, they received more.

 

[404Jeffry]

Just curious but are they destroying something? Our feral hogs destroy billions of dollars yearly of farmers crops, thus they need controlling. I read a book while in NZ once upon a time all the big game in NZ were needing culling. Hunters were actually given a couple of boxes of ammo to use. Once they ran out, they received more.

Fake news DB

 

[stug]

Hunters in NZ agree that the tahr need to be culled to keep numbers compatible with the environment. The problem is no one has done a proper survey to see how many are actually there.
The last estimate by the Department of Conservation was 17-50,000 so they settled on 35,000.
15,000 were culled last year. The female population is suppose to be down to 5,000.
Our National Parks act calls for ALL introduced species to be removed from National Parks. A conservation group has taken DoC to court to make them eradicate all Tahr. But the Conservation Act requires DoC to foster recreation in public land. So it is a messy situation, but DoC were suppose to working with interest groups on a tahr plan. DoC gave them 2 days notice of the latest culling starting.

 

[enysse]

Sad, I wish the hunts were more reasonable priced. I would have liked a chamois and tahr.

 

[K-man]

As you can see from my avatar, I have recently been there. We had much discussion while I was there about the overpopulation of the Tahr, and have seen the damage being done to the high country ecosystem. I feel if the current number of hunters already going were allowed to take multiple Tahr in the time frame of helicopter time already booked, the population of Tahr could be greatly reduced without cost to the people of New Zealand or the hunters. A small bounty could also be added so that helicopter time could be added and offset by the bounty. Lots of politics to the situation, especially since they are an introduced species. I hope the people of New Zealand can find an acceptable solution without complete eradication.

 

[stug]

If you are an experienced mountain hunter you could hunt tahr and chamois by yourself without a guide. You could probably do 2 or 3 trips for the cost of one guided hunt.

 

[stug]

@K-man there are no limits on tahr shooting, apart from what your guide put on you.
In NZ there are no licences or tags needed to shoot any tahr, deer, chamois or pigs. If you wanted you could legally shoot 100 tahr of any sex anytime you wanted. There are no seasons for game animals in NZ, except for gamebirds and trout.

 

[K-man]

If you are an experienced mountain hunter you could hunt tahr and chamois by yourself without a guide. You could probably do 2 or 3 trips for the cost of one guided hunt.

@K-man there are no limits on tahr shooting, apart from what your guide put on you.
In NZ there are no licences or tags needed to shoot any tahr, deer, chamois or pigs. If you wanted you could legally shoot 100 tahr of any sex anytime you wanted. There are no seasons for game animals in NZ, except for gamebirds and trout.

Agreed. But time and distance makes it difficult for the hunters coming from overseas to go multiple trips or spend a couple days getting to the backcountry. I was using an example that used the existing framework of guided hunts. I think the guides could market cull hunts that would help the situation. I have culled in New Zealand and shot till my gun was too hot to touch.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Any idea as to where this stands to date?

 

[mark-hunter]

I think the political focus has shifted to takle covid pandemics.

 

[stug]

Tahr culling is still taking place, as expected but the emphasis is not eradication. There is better consultation with hunters etc. Inside the relevant national parks all tahr are targeted. Outside of national parks nannies are targeted and bulls are left alone. Doc are posting maps of where they have been shooting tahr.

Himalayan tahr sightings and control maps

View maps of tahr control operations and population surveys.

www.doc.govt.nz

 

[Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy]

What a shame. Misguided if this is based on the acceleration in mountain erosion caused by tahrs. Mountains naturally erode over time. Was there a few years ago. Did not witness gross overpopulation during my hike in / non heli hunt. Spent nearly a week in the Aoraki / Mt Cook wilderness.

 

[Cervus elaphus]

Any idea as to where this stands to date?

I haven't heard anything. As far as Chamois go, I know places in North Canterbury where they can be seen from the road. I have shot quite a few and their winter coats are great. The Tahr controversy has been going on for many years and DOC (Dept of Conservation) which is run by radicals, has carried out culling by helicopter. They want to eradicate EVERY introduced species in the country but can't tackle the real problem animals - Brushtail opossums who cause immense native bush and fauna damage. Same with Elk (NZ Wapiti) in Fiordland where they relocated the herd to it's great detriment. Overseas hunters paid thousands to hunt these animals - DOC is not considered the brightest bulb in the cluster.

 

[Vintageguy]

Agreed. But time and distance makes it difficult for the hunters coming from overseas to go multiple trips or spend a couple days getting to the backcountry. I was using an example that used the existing framework of guided hunts. I think the guides could market cull hunts that would help the situation. I have culled in New Zealand and shot till my gun was too hot to touch.

Check out Brian Call "Gritty" on Youtube. They do it with helicopter access to the backcountry and breakdown the entire trip cost. Great looking hunt but not for the faint of heart or flabby.

 

[Cervus elaphus]

Check out Brian Call "Gritty" on Youtube. They do it with helicopter access to the backcountry and breakdown the entire trip cost. Great looking hunt but not for the faint of heart or flabby.

I'll vouch for that !. If you want to get in and out of the back country where the good stuff is, then chopper is the way to go, not just for hunting but trout fishing also. The last commercial hunt for Tahr that I remember was on Lilybank Station at the back of Lake Tekapo. That place has been sold so I don't know whether access is still available.

 

[Justbryan]

I had a hunt cancelled for last July and rescheduled for this July. I am not sure I will get to go. I went two years ago on a Stag hunt and was looking forward to going this year. I don't expect the hunt to open up by July.

I have a very large deposit for a helicopter backcountry hunt that I may have to try and refund if it cancels again. I have had the hunt scheduled for over 2 years now. This is a lot of my hunting money tied-up for a long time. I am sympathetic to the guide and that is why I continue to work on completing the hunt.

 

[Cervus elaphus]

I had a hunt cancelled for last July and rescheduled for this July. I am not sure I will get to go. I went two years ago on a Stag hunt and was looking forward to going this year. I don't expect the hunt to open up by July.

I have a very large deposit for a helicopter backcountry hunt that I may have to try and refund if it cancels again. I have had the hunt scheduled for over 2 years now. This is a lot of my hunting money

I had a hunt cancelled for last July and rescheduled for this July. I am not sure I will get to go. I went two years ago on a Stag hunt and was looking forward to going this year. I don't expect the hunt to open up by July.

I have a very large deposit for a helicopter backcountry hunt that I may have to try and refund if it cancels again. I have had the hunt scheduled for over 2 years now. This is a lot of my hunting money tied-up for a long time. I am sympathetic to the guide and that is why I continue to work on completing the hunt.

That's a bummer, covid-19 has stuffed up a lot of plans including mine. I used to hunt private land in the Hihitahi bush north of Taihape in the north island for big stags and good dark timber. Hope you get your trip. If the Dept of Conservation hadn't been overrun with the anti-introduced species crowd, you could have had a hunt after Elk (NZ Wapiti) down in Fiordland, mind you the sandflies down there are ferocious.Cheers

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Not sure if this has already been posted.
The NZ Department of Conservation has planned to eradicate all free ranging Tahr on public land in the New Zealand southern Alps. They were meant to begin the aerial helicopter shooting of around 30,000 animals with none to be recovered on 1st July. Thankfully the NZ Tahr Foundation has stepped in and managed to get a court injunction as this announcement is at odds with the current Tahr Management Plan and no opportunity was provided for all stake holders to be given a chance to respond to the eradication plan.

The process is now in the courts so it will begin to get expensive very soon. The Tahr Foundation is asking for people to voice their opposition on a petition and if they can donate a few dollars to do that also.

It is criminal to destroy the only free range herd of hunt-able Tahr that is accessible to all hunters. If DOC win this one then other species are very likely to follow including Chamois, Red deer and Wapiti.

TAHR FOUNDATION MEDIA RELEASE

HUNTERS ASK CONSERVATION AUTHORITY TO WORK FOR ALL NEW ZEALANDERS

3 July 2020

For Immediate Use

The Tahr Foundation is asking the Conservation Authority to represent all New Zealanders and their recreational pursuits in National Parks, including the tens of thousands of hunters who flock to them every year.

The Foundation’s plea is in response to the Conservation Authority’s decision to come out in support of DOC’s controversial plan to exterminate Himalayan tahr in national parks.

But Tahr Foundation spokesperson Willie Duley says tahr were living in the mountains before national parks like Aoraki/Mount Cook were created and exterminating them conflicts with the Authority’s role to protect our cultural heritage.

“The Authority is supposed to balance recreation and conservation and its mission statement makes it clear that its role is to ensure that our cultural heritage is valued, restored, maintained, and cared for,” Mr Duley says.

“Hunting is very much part of this country’s cultural fabric and heritage, and we want them to ensure it continues, especially in national parks” Mr Duley says.

“National parks are important to hunters. Every year, thousands visit them to hunt and enjoy their magnificent scenery.

“If the Conservation Authority wants a true picture of our numbers and feelings, have a look at the petition calling for a halt to the tahr extermination plan which has now soared past 30,000 signatures.

“This clearly shows hunters are significant recreational users of national parks and key stakeholders, yet our views are being ignored and our rights trampled,”

Willie Duley is also correcting claims the Conservation Authority is making about tahr.

“We respect the Conservation Authority for its vital role as a kaitiaki so it is disappointing that such an important organisation is using misleading figures and making incorrect claims and accusations to bolster its argument,” Willie Duley says.

“There are not 35,000 tahr roaming our mountains – that figure is out of date and is based on populations before the major culling operations took place. The cull has cut numbers to 20,000 tahr of which only 5,000 are nannies or breeders. Those are the figures that should be used in this debate,” he says.

“And the Authority’s claims that herds of hundreds of tahr can be seen roaming the countryside just leaves me flabbergasted. I spend over a hundred days a year in the mountains filming, exploring and hunting and I have never seen such herds.”

“We support the proper management of tahr numbers and invite the Conservation Authority to properly engage with us as key stakeholders and work out a solution that doesn’t involve demonising hunters and tahr.”

ENDS

CONTACT:

Tahr Foundation spokesperson

Willie Duley: +64273338424 / willie@nztf.org.nz

Link to Change.Org petition to save the Tahr http://chng.it/yjp9f2RJcy

Link to Give A Little Page https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/nztf

@Sitting Bull_Chris
Typical of uninformed politics, destroy an income from hunters that is probably a million dollar industry .
Don't they realize thar are a valuable resource that should be conserved.
Bob