Thread: Commercial vs Recreational Hunting in NZ

Good topic and title! This should be a good discussion.

My personal opinion is that there should be no commercial hunting on department of conservation land. I do not like the idea of someone making money off what effectively is not theirs and belongs to all NZ'ers. However I realise that this would impossible to manage as an operator could just tell a client to say that he isn't getting paid if someone pulls them up, or that they are just mates.

I'll use Tahr as an example. I am sure if there is a guide in the Alps and the only shootable bull is an 11" they will probably pull the trigger as they want their client to go home with an animal. Where a recreational hunter would more than likely leave it to grow and look for a bigger one.

I want NZ's deer herds to be managed so that they are healthy for my kids or grand kids. If there is a commercial operation of any sort I don't believe this will happen as 9 times out of 10 the dollar trumps morals. In cases like the wapiti and whitetail on the mainland I would love for there to be no hunting for years or even a decade in the case of the white-tail, and heavy fines for people who breach this. As I am not worried about what hunting is there for me and would sacrifice my hunting for the benefit of the next generation.

......I won't say that I would also love to bring in pure wapiti semen and AI a few cows in the wapiti area as I realise that this is not allowed and very controversial.....