Hunting wild goats is a great way to fill a freezer with flavourful meat, Dunedin mum says

Wild goat meat is a great way to feed a family, Dunedin mum Chantalle Harrison says. After shooting a goat, she guts it and carries it out to butcher at home. “Goat meat is so lean and flavourful, so why not?” Goat meat accounts for a massive share of global red meat consumption but was undervalued in New Zealand. “We have an abundance of them in New Zealand and no-one seems to be eating them. To me it seems logical to shoot and eat them because there is so many around.” Wild goats were a pest, eating native vegetation and putting pressure on farm systems by eating grass and crops. A farmer in Hindon allowed her to hunt on his property this month, as goats were eating swedes he planted to feed his cattle. Goat hunting was a great way to enjoy the outdoors, she said. “You get to see some cool rugged places in New Zealand.” She enjoyed a challenge, which goat hunting provides. Goat hunting was easier on the body than deer hunting, she said. “Goats are a lot easier to carry than a deer. I’d quite like my knees to keep functioning as long as they can.” Her favourite way to cook goat was in a curry but it was also great in a bolognese or lasagne. “You can’t go wrong.” She had entered the National Wild Goat Hunting Competition, which was on now. To enter hunters could enter wild goat tails and heads to win prizes. She was open to invitations to hunt goats on properties across Otago. Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai wild animals manager Mike Perry, of Napier, said the annual competition was in its fourth year. About 33,000 goat tails had been entered in the history of the competition. Goats were being targeted due to the big agricultural and conservation impact they posed, such as destroying native bush. The pest was often overlooked as a target species by hunters. “People will walk past a goat to shoot a deer.” Wild goats lived across about 15% of New Zealand and were more problematic in regions including Central Otago. “A goat population can double about every two years with good food and a lack of hunting pressure so you’ve got to stay on top of them.” The competition was a partnership between the Department of Conservation (Doc), NZDA, supported by Federated Farmers, Hunting & Fishing NZ and Te Tari Pūreke/Firearms Safety Authority. An aim of the competition was to educate people on a need to control the wild goat population. “A lot of people don’t realise the impact they can have … we can’t leave them alone or the [wild goat population] will skyrocket across the country and we’ll have major problems.” The competition offers about $70,000 of prizes and opened to hunters on August 1 and closes on November 26. Landowners could register interest to allow a vetted New Zealand Deerstalkers Association member to hunt on their land up to November 26. The timing of the competition was to avoid a clash with other hunting periods such as duck-shooting or the autumn mating season for red deer. “We are trying to encourage people to get out over the quiet time and go shoot some goats.” Goat recipes were available on the Doc website. Chantalle Harrison’s goat curry recipe Ingredients 1kg goat pieces, washed and drained 4 to 5 Tbsp ghee Whole spices: 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fenugreek seeds 1 cinnamon stick 3 to 4 cardamom pods 3 to 4 cloves Bunch of curry leaves 1 onion, sliced 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp ginger, minced 2 to 3 fresh chillies Powdered spices: 1 tsp turmeric 2 Tbsp curry powder 1 tsp garam masala ½ tsp chilli powder Method: 1. Heat ghee in a heavy pot. 2. Add the whole spices and curry leaves. Let them sizzle, pop and make the kitchen smell dangerously good. 3. Add onion and cook until golden. 4. Throw in garlic, ginger and chillies and cook until the smell starts attacking your nostrils in the best possible way. 5. Turn heat to medium. Add the powdered spices and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, splashing in a little water if needed. 6. Add goat and salt. Crank the heat and sear for 10 to 15 minutes, coating every piece in that glorious masala. 7. Add about 1 cup water, bring to a boil, then turn it right down. Lid on. 8. Simmer gently for 1½ to 2 hours, adding small splashes of hot water as needed to keep that rich gravy happening. 9. When the goat is fall-apart tender and the gravy is thick and glossy turn off the heat. 10. Finish with fresh coriander. 11. Serve with hot roti. shawn.mcavinue@alliedmedia.co.nz

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