The Mountain Safety Council is urging all hunters heading out for this year’s roar to think twice before pulling the trigger. ‘No meat is better than no mate’ is the mantra that all hunters should know and remember says Firearms & Hunter Safety Programme Manager Nicole McKee. With increased hunting activity expected, especially on public … [Read more...]
Branch Hunt – Rewa Bush Reserve, 28-30 August 2015
The chance to see a new bit of public land that is normally inaccessible was too much to resist - even after three weeks away at sea and only one night at home! So it was that I met up with seven other keen Branch members and Joe Hansen from DoC at McDonalds carpark in Masterton on the last Friday in August. After a lengthy period of negotiation, … [Read more...]
Napier Visit 8th Aug 2015 by Aidan Bichan
A few months ago I was rung by Murray Shearer of the Napier DA - would we be willing to host some of their members for a weekend? They had seen Graham Sinclair's Gone Fishing on TV and were keen to see the Parkvale Hall and hear some of the stories behind the heads. After a few calls the idea had turned into a shooting competition, lunch at the … [Read more...]
Stewart Island Revisited
On the afternoon of Sunday the 15th March Wairarapa Branch members Sharon and Steve Playle, Steve Martel, Chris Johnstone and Taranaki Branch members Alan and Mel Candy and including a non-member Neil Johnstone all headed across Foveaux Strait on our annual pilgrimage to Stewart Island for 10 days of R & R with the emphasis on hunting and … [Read more...]
WARO (wild animal recovery operations – helicopter culling of deer on public DoC land)
As you may be aware the new WARO concessions (effective 1st July 2015) were arrived at after DOC deliberately excluded recreational hunters from the decision making process and resulted in a number of significant detrimental changes for us including removal of the 5 month summer exclusion in the Ruahines (year round WARO can now occur), the removal … [Read more...]
The Case for Managed Hunting by Howard Egan
This newsletter is obviously not read by a vast number of people. But at least they have the same general interests as myself. Although mine have become more singular as my life has quickly passed. My passion as you know, is Fallow deer. And the seed that was sown decades ago, mixing with European immigrant hunters, absorbing their ethic and … [Read more...]
Hunting Report on Tararua Flyin
Hunting Report on Tararua Flyin for Queens Birthday weekend 29th May to 1st June 2015 by Ian Kebbell So, as a newbie, both to the club and hunting, when the opportunity for a fly in hunt to the Tararua's was made available, I leapt at it! But because I still needed to learn so much, I needed a strategy. I decided to target the oldest, most … [Read more...]
Fly in trip to Tutawai Hut
Queens Birthday Weekend Fly in trip to Tutawai Hut by Brad Gardiner Four of us, Tim, Paul,Claire and Myself flew into Tutawai Hut just after lunch Friday. Went for a look around friday night but no game seen by anyone. Saturday morning was fine and still with Paul getting a good boar on the flats just down from the hut, around 130 pounds … [Read more...]
The Fallow Deer Rut by Howard Egan
This once over lightly of the fallow deer rut (my lifetime interest) will look at: 1) The timing of the rut and the use of the scrapes. 2) The buck – all attitude, and his use of the lek. 3) Hunting techniques in the fallow rut. 1). The timing of the rutting activities of a fallow buck depends upon the mature does. The big fellow isn't going … [Read more...]
