Thread: Fiordland Wapiti Bugle '13 - Bull shot?

If I had the influence, I would shut the ballot areas for 3-4 yrs and only allow selective waro. I would also have fines or banning imposed on hunters who took young, substandard animals in future.
The expense and chance of hunting in fiordland, is not an excuse to justify shooting non trophy animals. It is not for meat hunters. They are standards/rules set by FWF.
People just seem happy to ignore them and have to kill something to be the man? Some people on this forum find it acceptable too overlook FWF rules but God help anyone with a bolt or magazine in their rifle, while in a vehicle, for example

IMO, it is simply lack of experience, poor ethics and hunter attitude that make the area less and less likely to produce what the FWF are trying to achieve, if shooting for the sake of having something to show for a trip continues.
It is clear to me that, that attitude was not evident in taking the animal in the OP. Maybe just a lack of experience/judgement on size I reckon.
The animal, is on reflection, better than anything taken out of the ballot areas for a while but I have seen 5-6 red heads (uninfluenced by outside genetics) taken in the last few years in South Westland/Otago that will score way better. That is clearly not supposed to be the norm when comparing wap/cross and red trophies, is it?

This is proof to me that the Game council and its attempt at managment will/would be a huge waste of time.