Big Bush reserve south of Milton

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-re...hunt/big-bush/

Being close to Dunedin, this area seemed like a great area to pop into and have a nose around for goats, or a pig if i was to be lucky.
Ive been in before a couple years prior with no luck. Very little fresh sign. Decided to give it another go this year to check different areas for sign.

Yet again, very little sign even after 10 hours of climbing around all over the place. The only pile of goat poop I found appeared to be at least two weeks old. There were plenty of areas with uneaten young broadleaf.

There was a little more pig sign including fresh tracks and upturned earth but it was still few and far between, and probably not worth going for unless a pig dog is involved.

This area would be a possum trappers dream as there was fresh possum shit absolutely everywhere.

The area is surrounded by gorse, and the main southernmost trail was completely overgrown by gorse just 20 m in or so. The other two trails/roads were locked by a gate for some reason. Forestry gates?

Has anyone else gotten better luck than I have in this place? After my two sessions ive decided that I am never going back haha. Here are some photos.

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Gets hammered by pig hunters with dogs

I was in there about 15 years ago. Sounds like nothing much has changed (except maybe more gorse now).

Seems strange how Gorse is never a problem with DOC but a feral animal is a bloody national disaster.

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Originally Posted by viper

Seems strange how Gorse is never a problem with DOC but a feral animal is a bloody national disaster.

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Could be that gorse is a good nursery for native regeneration as it allows shade tolerant plants to establish over time, over top the gorse and then eventually shade out the gorse (which is a shade intolerant plant species). When I was involved in native regeneration proposals up north, that was the justification for keeping gorse on site, rather than wholesale removal and planting natives after gorse removal. The key to native regeneration in those gorse areas was removal of animals that ate the regenerating natives.

I went in once as a student and absolutely hated it. It gets dogged quite a bit and I doubt that will change.

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Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08

Could be that gorse is a good nursery for native regeneration as it allows shade tolerant plants to establish over time, over top the gorse and then eventually shade out the gorse (which is a shade intolerant plant species). When I was involved in native regeneration proposals up north, that was the justification for keeping gorse on site, rather than wholesale removal and planting natives after gorse removal. The key to native regeneration in those gorse areas was removal of animals that ate the regenerating natives.

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Yeah I know all that and have more than planted my share of Native plants. It's 100% true what you say. I wonder though if it is planted underneath or just land covered in Gorse and nothing much else.

I find it hard to believe that a sea of gorse can turn into native bush.

Edit: nevermind, schooled myself and apparently there is a documented case of broadleaf forest regeneration through gorse. Hinewai seems to be the case that gets cited over and over though. and succession through gorse ends up with ecosystem compared to the original.

https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/forest...se-and-kanuka/

It takes a very very very long time to regenerate. Needs birds like kereru flying over to seed it or people planting. There are still hills around Wellington still covered in gorse (if not more) since I was a kid.

Used to hunt BigBush 15 years ago. Quarry entry. Pretty ripe with goats back then. Used to support our meat eating habits so we could spend more in the pub. Follies of youth, I guess.😁