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Hunting is a recreational pursuit and a tourist activity in New Zealand with numerous books and magazines published on the topic.

Introduced species

Prior to human settlement New Zealand had no land based mammals other than two or three bat species. European settlers introduced a wide range of animals including some specifically for game hunting.

Acclimatisation societies

Acclimatisation societies were active for a period of 60 years from the 1860s in having introduced animals established in New Zealand. The majority were introduced for food or sport.

Government sanctioned deer culling

By the 1950s red deer were recognised as an animal pest which damaged the natural environment and the government began employing hunters to cull the deer population to prevent this damage. Networks of tracks with bridges and huts were set up to gain easy access into the backcountry. These tracks and huts, now maintained by the Department of Conservation, are popular for tramping.

Commercial hunting operations

Foreign tourists come to New Zealand for hunting as part of guided tours or as independent hunters.

Types of hunting

Chamois

Chamois is a goat-antelope native to Europe. Alpine chamois arrived in New Zealand in 1907 as a gift from the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I. The first surviving releases were made in the Aoraki/Mount Cook region and these animals gradually spread over much of the South Island. They are often referred to colloquially as "chamy" (pronounced "shamy").

In New Zealand, hunting of chamois is unrestricted and even encouraged by the Department of Conservation to limit the animal's impact on New Zealand's native alpine flora.

Deer

Fallow Deer (Dama dama)

Red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus)

The red deer in New Zealand produce very large antlers and are regarded as amongst the best in the world by hunters. Along with the other introduced deer species they are however regarded as a pest and have at times been heavily culled using professional hunters.

Rusa Deer (Cervus timorensis)

Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor)

Sika Deer (Cervus nippon)

Sika Deer were confined to the Kaweka and Kaimanawa Ranges but have been discovered in the Tararua and in Coromandel Ranges. It is thought that they had been transferred by recreational hunters. In 2009 it was discovered that they had been illegally released in the Toatoa Valley.

Moose (Genus Alces)

Ten moose were introduced in Fiordland in 1910, but they were thought to have died off. Nevertheless, there have been reported sightings that were thought to be false until moose hair samples were found by a New Zealand scientist in 2002.

Wapiti (Cervus elaphus nelsonii)

Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Pigs

Tahr

Himalayan Tahr, also known as "thar", is a species related to the goat that was introduced into New Zealand in the 19th century. The Department of Conservation control numbers to below 10,000.

Duck Shooting

Waterfowl hunting

The New Zealand Duck Shooting season opens in the first weekend of May and runs for 3 months. A license must be obtained from Fish and Game New Zealand every season, at a cost of $80NZD (2010 Adult). These can be purchased from most outdoor sporting stores. Strict laws govern the number of birds which are allowed to be taken daily and may change between provinces. Laws also state that ducks must be shot with a shotgun while on the wing (flying). Although a mercy shot on the ground or water is an ethical responsibility of the hunter should a bird be injured during the initial shooting. In 2006 Lead Shot was banned from use while using 10 or 12 Gauge Shot on game birds within 200m of any waterway. Non toxic Shot, mainly steel is being used as a replacement.

Hunters often build Blinds known as Maimai's to conceal themselves from ducks, often these are permanent structures besides or on rivers, lakes, lagoons or ponds. They vary in size from small (3x3m), to two storied house sized buildings, complete with running water and electricity. These Maimai's are then elaborately camouflaged, usually using a combination of live and dead vegetation, camouflaged paint jobs and camouflaged netting. Hunters will also hide in the vegetation near a waterway as a temporary Maimai.

To aid luring ducks in, a variety of decoy ducks and duck callers can be purchased commercially, although some hunters prefer to make their own.

Duck species commonly hunted include Mallard, Paradise Shelduck, Pacific Black Duck (known as Grey Ducks)and Northern Shoveler (known as shoveler Ducks)

Most hunters use specially trained dog's to retrieve ducks which land on the water, and many discussions are held about the best breed for the job, although most will agree that almost any breed can be trained to retrieve.

Organisations

• Fish and Game New Zealand
• New Zealand Deerstalkers Association

Hunting in literature

Barry Crump, a popular New Zealand writer, often incorporated his experiences as a government deer-culler into his books.

See also

• Helicopter-based hunting in Fiordland
• Muttonbirding
• Fish and Game New Zealand
• 1080 usage in New Zealand

References

1. King, Carolyn (1984). Immigrant Killers. Auckland: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-558121-0. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
2. A Note on the Chamois in New Zealand at New Zealand Ecological Society
3. ^ Recreational hunting in Nelson/Marlborough - Chamois at the Department of Conservation
4. Heritage Preservation (p. 40 and 45) at the Department of Conservation
5. The State of New Zealand,s Environment. Wellington: Ministry for the Environment. 1997. pp. p 9.31. ISBN 0-478-09000-5. Retrieved 2009-08-18. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
6. "Illegal release of sika deer". Department of Conservation. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
7. Hairs move NZ moose out of realm of Nessie - 06 October 2005 - NZ Herald
8. DOC's work with tahr

External links

• Fish and Game New Zealand
• Department of Conservation - hunting page
• New Zealand Deerstalkers Association
• Fishing and Hunting New Zealand - a hunting resource website

• Hunting in New Zealand