NZ Hunter – August 2019

GAC

Update

Himalayan tahr

Management

The Department of Conservation’s

operations to contribute to the cull

of 10,000 tahr commenced on July

1st. Control through recreational hunting

in the tahr ballot areas, by AATH, and by

hunting guides took place before this

date. At the time of writing there have

been approximately 3,300 tahr culled and

projections are that the 10,000 will be

achieved.

We have been very disappointed that DoC

has refused to give any advance notice

of where and when culling would occur.

Whilst July and August can be slower

in the world of tahr hunting there are

still people in the hills and the potential

for parties to be in the same place as

helicopters culling tahr is real. Not only

will they have their hunting ruined but

there are significant safety concerns over

avalanches and rock falls.

The promised App for recording

recreational hunters’ kills has also not yet

seen the light of day. This is a significant

concern for recreational hunters who want

their contributions to tahr control from

1st September 2019 to be counted in the

total.

We are also currently investigating

a claim that a helicopter doing tahr

culling for DoC shot recognisable

bull tahr. We have confirmed that culling

took place at the time and place claimed,

and will be conducting a ground search to

check carcasses. Keep an eye on the GAC

website and face book page for further

information.

The real issue is what happens in the next

12 months. Whilst the population can

withstand one year of culling at this level it

cannot stand another year of 10,000 tahr

being killed.

The focus going forward should not be

on the number of tahr on the ground

but, as we have said previously, it is

their effect on the environment that is

important. Actually, this is the key premise

underpinning the Himalayan Thar Control

Plan.

The objective of that plan is:

“To manage the Himalayan thar herd to

ensure indigenous flora is in an acceptable

state and that reasonable hunting

opportunities remain for all hunters.”

The focus for the coming year should be

on high concentrations of tahr and the

severity (or not) of problems they are

causing. We can then deal with locations

on an individual basis through targeted

control efforts.

Ongoing background tahr control will be

required to avoid populationto increase,

but modelling suggests that this can be

accomplished using a combination of

recreational hunting, WARO, AATH offsets

and a very limited amount of targeted

official control.

ZIP trial, Perth River,

South Westland

The second application of toxic baits

did not take place in June as hoped

but is now programmed for the week

The

94 NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE ~August / September 2019

Events

& Politics

Update

Himalayan tahr

Management

TheDepartmentofConservation’s

operationstocontributetothecull

of10,000tahrcommencedonJuly

1st.Controlthroughrecreationalhunting

inthetahrballotareas,byAATH,andby

huntingguidestookplacebeforethis

date.Atthetimeofwritingtherehave

beenapproximately3,300tahrculledand

projections are that the 10,000 will be

achieved.

We have been very disappointed that DoC

has refused to give any advance notice

ofwhere and when culling would occur.

Whilst July and August can be slower

inthe world of tahr hunting there are

still people in the hills and the potential

forparties to be in the same place as

helicopters culling tahr is real. Not only

will they have their hunting ruined but

there are significant safety concerns over

avalanches and rock falls.

The promised App for recording

recreational hunters’ kills has also not yet

seen the light of day. This is a significant

concern for recreational hunters who want

their contributions to tahr control from

1stSeptember 2019 to be counted in the

total.

We are also currently investigating

a claim that a helicopter doing tahr

culling for DoC shot recognisable

bull tahr. We have confirmed that culling

took place at the time and place claimed,

and will be conducting a ground search to

check carcasses. Keep an eye on the GAC

website and face book page for further

information.

The real issue is what happens in the next

12 months. Whilst the population can

withstand one year of culling at this level it

cannot stand another year of 10,000 tahr

being killed.

The focus going forward should not be

on the number of tahr on the ground

but, as we have said previously, it is

their effect on the environment that is

important. Actually, this is the key premise

underpinning the Himalayan Thar Control

Plan.

The objective of that plan is:

“To manage the Himalayan thar herd to

ensure indigenous flora is in an acceptable

state and that reasonable hunting

opportunities remain for all hunters.”

The focus for the coming year should be

on high concentrations of tahr and the

severity (or not) of problems they are

causing. We can then deal with locations

on an individual basis through targeted

control efforts.

Ongoing background tahr control will be

required to avoid populationto increase,

but modelling suggests that this can be

accomplished using a combination of

recreational hunting, WARO, AATH offsets

and a very limited amount of targeted

official control.

ZIP trial, Perth River,

South Westland

The second application of toxic baits

did not take place in June as hoped

but is now programmed for the week

The

94 NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE ~August / September 2019

Events

& Politics