Thread: $80,000 Sika hunting comp

Article in the Taupo & Turangi News

A hunting contest with more than $80,000 in prizes has been launched to help reduce the sika deer population in the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forests.

https://www.tauponews.co.nz/stories/...-you-will-find

with a bit more detail here - https://sikahindhunt.co.nz/

Reading through the information it looks like entry fee is $100 for adults and $50 for kids or book a hunting trip with Helisika!

Will be curious to see what the buy-in but good to see the Sika Foundation trying something a bit different.

That's cool, I had a look, I'd like to do something like that one day but it doesn't look like people are allocated blocks, even informally. Freaky looking deer. If I lived around there I'd hunt the core areas and stay away from the fringes, let them spread. It's not the deer's fault DOC is woke.

yeah SneedFeed they have spread but not that far and very slowly not like red and fallow - Rusa have not spread much either- Sambar bit of an unknown but slowly spreading - what would have been neat in North Island would have been whitetail ( has been tried but shot out )

But not one mention of the ever decreasing access to the Kaimanawas and Kawekas the average kiwi hunter is experiencing, apart from the money'd that fly.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

yeah SneedFeed they have spread but not that far and very slowly not like red and fallow - Rusa have not spread much either- Sambar bit of an unknown but slowly spreading - what would have been neat in North Island would have been whitetail ( has been tried but shot out )

mate of mine reckons he saw 6 sika in ruahines rangiwahia area a while ago.hes reliable but of course could have been mistaken, they were one the run a couple of hundred away.

I'm no good at shooting them so not sure i'd pay money to enter.

If one wants to reduce the deer population, should there not be a prize for the highest number of jaws of hind shot?

@Friwi, there is! Read the categories...
Oldest hind jaw, most hind jaws, best 'live' stag photo, and more...

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

yeah SneedFeed they have spread but not that far and very slowly not like red and fallow - Rusa have not spread much either- Sambar bit of an unknown but slowly spreading - what would have been neat in North Island would have been whitetail ( has been tried but shot out )

Hunters need to do their part and let them spread. It's a natural inclination to shoot something rare but it should be the other way around

Originally Posted by Yesmate

mate of mine reckons he saw 6 sika in ruahines rangiwahia area a while ago.hes reliable but of course could have been mistaken, they were one the run a couple of hundred away.

Pretty distinctive deer so I'd believe it. It would be a shame if that information got out into the public domain though haha

Originally Posted by Pav

@Friwi, there is! Read the categories...
Oldest hind jaw, most hind jaws, best 'live' stag photo, and more...

Ok I had not seen it

Originally Posted by SneedFeed

Hunters need to do their part and let them spread. It's a natural inclination to shoot something rare but it should be the other way around

There are already little herds (of sika) around the north island.
And comments such as yours do nothing to convince officaldom that hunters are genuine about conservation.
My only concern about the sika comp is I think it goes a week or so too long.
There's a chance the odd hind will have dropped a fawn by the end, which may be left to starve.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

There are already little herds (of sika) around the north island.
And comments such as yours do nothing to convince officaldom that hunters are genuine about conservation.
My only concern about the sika comp is I think it goes a week or so too long.
There's a chance the odd hind will have dropped a fawn by the end, which may be left to starve.

Why must hunters be into conservation? Why must we pretend to prefer thousands of acres of sterile bush with like 1 tui in it over a gamepark sprawling with game? Deer are cool, I'd like to see them everywhere and that's not just to hunt them. From kindergarten onwards New Zealanders are convinced that we must love native bush and the B-grade birds in it, and that's fine if people actually do, but I don't want to pretend I care just so the entire taxpayer funded industry of babysitting weak animals isn't threatened.

Originally Posted by SneedFeed

Why must hunters be into conservation? Why must we pretend to prefer thousands of acres of sterile bush with like 1 tui in it over a gamepark sprawling with game? Deer are cool, I'd like to see them everywhere and that's not just to hunt them. From kindergarten onwards New Zealanders are convinced that we must love native bush and the B-grade birds in it, and that's fine if people actually do, but I don't want to pretend I care just so the entire taxpayer funded industry of babysitting weak animals isn't threatened.

That's exactly the attitude the likes of Forest and Bird portray of hunters.
Have you heard of Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, and the Sika Foundation?
Most of their efforts are along the lines of conservation and balance.
And they are making serious progress with ensuring we having hunting in the future.

F&B won't be reasonable or agree on a sensible middle ground. No amount of kowtowing will appease them.