Thread: Ballots. Rigged or not

Rigged? I'm not sure thats the word to use or not maybe more like system cheats? at the expense of kiwi hunters.

The problem with the tahr ballot is the system is very easily cheated same with Wanaka and Haast. You can enter without providing your party details so everyone thats in your party can put in for there own ballot with either your mums and dads names your cats whatever, as the hunters joining you knowing full well they wont go hunting. (not saying I do this but i know many that do exactly the above) Then your all your party members enter there own ballot application doing the same.

Then when all your party all gets there DOC letter in the mail guys simply pick the best blocks and ditch mum and dad and bring your real hunting mates (the ones that had entered there own ballot) The problem is obvious many genuine "one" entry hunters miss out and wonder why. Combine this with a heap overseas hunters the odds have severely diminished. Its sad but true, many hunters apply 3,4,5,6 even more ballots under names of mates or bow hunters that never intended hunting that particular ballot but are happy to hand over a block to there mate should they be successful. The problem is these guys will get maybe 2,3,4 blocks use the best one and keep the rest meaning many blocks sit empty throughout the best time.

To me the problem is the system... If every hunter had to have a full list of hunters joining them with the firearms licence number as well (same as the Wapiti ballot) and the on the application your name can only show up on one ballot form half the problem is sorted.

The next issue is kiwi tax paying hunters missing out to overseas hunters while i think its great that we have so many overseas hunters coming to this country every year i also believe they have it to easy. Guys entering the tahr ballot come once, like mentioned above with a NZ guide then turn up the following year with there mates. While i have no problem with overseas hunters hunting in NZ surely some loyalty towards kiwi hunters that have individually paid thousands and thousands towards funding in tax levys that goes into running this country and DOC should have first crack at hunting our own country.

Theres articles in Aussie and American hunting magazine on how to enter our ballots and how amazing the hunting is and its free. This is purely at the expense of genuine kiwi hunters they are the ones that miss out on hunting opportunities in there own back yard. I recently saw an Aussie hunting TV show running tahr ballot entry education nights teaching them how to enter and what blocks are best and charging them for it. Im not sure what the solution is for this but id like to see maybe some blocks set aside for overseas hunters and maybe the application fee $100 per person then if successful and extra charge of $100 or more with all money going back to running the system/program.

For me personally id be happy to pay extra in application fee if i knew it was a 100% fair system It just really frustrates me that the only person losing is your run of the mill hard working kiwi hunter who gets 10 days off a year to hunt and he's forced to miss out to an overseas hunter here for 7 days that then fly's home with his trophy.

And the biggest issue of all is DOC dont care anyway they just want animals dead...

just my 2cents

Happy and safe hunting.