Southern Lakes Deerstalkers Association is opposing plans by
the Department of Conservation (Doc) to allow heli-hunters to
operate this season without concession permits.
Doc has invited feedback on its new concession process for
heli-hunting for Himalayan tahr and chamois on public
conservation land in the South Island.
Submissions closed on the proposals on Friday.
Heli-hunters had until January 15 to apply for a concession,
but the applications would not be decided until July.
"This process will not be completed before the new
heli-hunting season commences, so the department will allow
the activity during the period from February 19, 2010 until
the applications are decided," Doc's website says.
Queenstown deerstalker Shaun Moloney said Doc would
effectively be allowing unlimited helicopter access to areas
of public conservation land around Queenstown and Wanaka.
"It's an unsustainable harvest of trophy animals like chamois
and tahr. We're hoping to persuade the department to outlaw
heli-hunting, rather than permit it," he said.
He said the association would be lobbying Conservation
Minister Kate Wilkinson to show its "growing unease" about
heli-hunting and how Doc was allowing it to happen.
Canterbury Conservator Mike Cuddihy said 16 heli-hunting
applications had been received by the department.
They would be publicly notified by early March.
The public could submit their views and be heard at a hearing
as part of the normal concessions process.
However, heli-hunters with complete applications lodged would
be allowed to operate for the 2010 season while their
applications were being processed.
Any operator who had not lodged a complete application would
not be allowed to operate.
The activity would be restricted to agreed areas, under 11
proposed conditions, including avoiding huts, tracks,
campsites and hunting parties on the ground and liaising with
heli-ski operators.
He said the deerstalker association's concerns were "an
issue".
"We are allowing access to areas heli-hunting operators have
applied for. The reason why that has been done is because the
independent operators have, for some time, operated correctly
under an old concession," he said.
"Pieces of land precisely mapped" around Wanaka and
Queenstown had been applied for, he said.
A letter to helicopter operators from Doc says land without
National Park or Conservation Act general policy,
Conservation Management Strategy or management plan
constraints is available for heli-hunting application and
consideration through the concessions process.
The letter to operators also says some land within national
parks was identified as important to heli-hunting, but is not
open for application.
"The department has, therefore, undertaken to consider
amending the relevant management plans where there is a good
case to do so.
The first to be considered is the Aoraki/Mt Cook National
Park Management Plan."
Submissions on the proposal to allow heli-hunting within
parts of the Murchison, and possibly Godley, valleys closed
on February 1.
The department will consider submissions and consult the
Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board, before deciding whether
to seek an amendment to the plan this month.
Heli "hunting"
It's not hunting, it's inhumane- chasing down and wearing out an animal by helicopter, before dispatching it- and goes against the clean green image of New Zealand alongside the 1080 fiasco. It makes you wonder how this country can hold its head up high when such practices are banned by other civilised countries throughout the western world.
'Only one thing worse than this'
The only practice which could possibly be more repugnant that 'heli-hunting', is the penning-up and partial tranquillising of captive animals, so that 'hunters' can get a 'clear-shot' at them. Heli-hunting flies in the face of everything which I take to be 'New Zealand', in my view. Any such concession, applied to Aoraki - Mount Cook area, especially, diminishes in value, the experience of stalking and shooting of chamois, tahr and other species on foot, and for the gain of an affluent few, will probably diminish the value to 'real' sportsmen of bagging a 'trophy-head'; so, up to a point, '
Heli-hunting' will probably backfire on our tourist industry in unintended ways. There is also the risk of gun-happy visitors opening-up on anything-which-moves in areas frequented by trampers, climbers and other recreational users. Not that 'Heli-hunting' is to be confused with legitimate noxious animal control, which was usually undertaken by skilled and highly experienced, local operators. In no way, either, is the 'back-country' experience enhanced by the constant roar and clatter of helicopters continuously roaring overhead, as a walk up the valley from Franz Josef to the glacier face amply demonstrated to us a few years ago. No, this is one activity we should 'run-a-mile-from' and actually discourage what there is of it operating already.
Heli hunting
I am appalled by the attitude shown from Doc regarding the issuing of consents to heli hunt Tahr and chamois in our southern alps. This practice of chasing the poor animals till exhaustion, then letting a wealthy guided shooter dispatch the animal is particularly immoral and cruel. How can a government department condone such an unsporting, unethical and unsustainable activity?
Helihunting
How does the Department of Conservation allow a user group - helicopter hunters - preferential access to our backcountry?
The helicopter industry brought us greenstone theft, illegal poaching and a six-year collapse of our venison industry for breaking the law (1080 contaminated carcasses).
They also brought the death of a helicopter hunting tourist in the Albertburn.
DOCs response to this illegal behaviour is to allow it!
Helicopter hunting illegal, dangerous unethical and negatively impacting every other back country user group. Coming soon to a hilltop near you.
Heli-hunting/coarsing
This is a disgusting inhumane practice, not allowed in any other civilised country. Coarsing animals to exhaustion for a tourists sport is sick. How come DOC can allow this to go ahead illegally and without a concession yet prosecute anyone other than helicopter operators guiding on the DOC estate without a concession?
Heli-hunting - what is DoC thinking?
The fact that DoC are even considerding allowing heli-hunting is unfathomable...If this is the direction our back country is going, and the image we want to project to the world, DoC need to be disbanded and other alternatives considered to manage our back country. The activity is a disgrace.
Helihunting
Helihunting is banned in all other western countries. It is totally unethical and involves flying a paying tourist in pursuit of wild animals, chasing down the animal and even wounding intentionally with a shotgun to slow it down for the "hunter" to get a shot.
This is without even considering the implications of allowing gun-toting cowboys unfettered access to our peaceful backcountry to the detriment of every other New Zealander who uses our conservation estate.
Anyone who cares about animal welfare or our wilderness areas should make their feelings known to DOC and their local minister.
Appalling
That the Dept of Conservation is allowing this reprehensible (and previously illegal) activity to continue on the basis of "we've always done it though" is astounding. Helihunting is not fair chase hunting, it is a disgusting practice that the rest of the world has banned and any hunter with a conscience deplores. It is the result of a few operators wanting to take an unsustainable harvest across huge swaths of public land. If they try to take all they've applied for, there will be over 3000 hours of helicopter time across our "quiet" backcountry.
Helihunting
Readers may like to view this video that illustrates helihunting in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcDMX4tQTy4