Thread: I hope dog owners knew about this beforehand

Feral cats are increasing in the wild - I have never seen so many in the last 10 years in some valleys in Canterbury. During winter they can be seen a bit more during daylight hours catching the sun and around some huts looking for food scraps. Though you are likely to catch a possum first if setting cage type traps. Feral cats remain the hardest to catch/kill. Then there is a number of hunters taking their 'deer' dogs into areas where permit conditions say 'No Dogs permitted' due to either Kiwi present or on the fringe of Kiwi areas in Canterbury. They also need to sort their shit out.

Ah yes a good old fashioned 1080 related hysteria event. By gar it's been a while.

Originally Posted by Hunteast

Feral cats are increasing in the wild - I have never seen so many in the last 10 years in some valleys in Canterbury. During winter they can be seen a bit more during daylight hours catching the sun and around some huts looking for food scraps. Though you are likely to catch a possum first if setting cage type traps. Feral cats remain the hardest to catch/kill. Then there is a number of hunters taking their 'deer' dogs into areas where permit conditions say 'No Dogs permitted' due to either Kiwi present or on the fringe of Kiwi areas in Canterbury. They also need to sort their shit out.

The no dog area dictatorship needs to sort Thier shit out....loads of areas could be dog ok but aren't,for no apparent reasons at all

Originally Posted by Carbine

Ive been up there and seen and heard Kea so they are dead, pretty accessible aera employ people to do traps and ground control but DOC taking the easy way out

That valley has visitors just about daily in summer

Comon Micky Duck - provide an example please. I can only speak for Canterbury, not South Canterbury. DOC site - 'Additionally, dogs are not allowed in the Craigieburn Forest hunting area, as kiwi are present'. Plain English to me but often abused from my experience. Aside from all this, good comms to DOC asking 'why' is a reasonable approach and I would expect a reasonable answer? Remember earlier media reports about the quote of 34000 rec hunters in NZ? I suspect that figure comes from hunting permits requested for public land which obviously does not represent all hunter on private land plus many that don't apply for permits in the first place? We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to hunting and public backlash. Just my experience and observations.

I maybe wrong. But as far as I have seen no dogs in national parks. Which seem silly. Take Paparoa, which I border- no dogs, yet its not in any way more special that the land that surrounds it.

Getting back to OP. This operation was notified about June’24, brochures available both printed and online, notices posted on public entry points/boundary afaik. What more could be done? I’m not in favour of aerial 1080 application but it is by far the most efficient distribution method. As others have stated, cats are a menace to almost any wildlife and need eradicating. On St James and Molesworth they are multi-generational and highly adapted to survive in that environment, musterers were known to collect cats from around Ch-Ch and relocate them after annual stock scale muster back in early days. There are F-all deer of note in the trial area so not a problem in that regard, not that deer a known for eating sausage. Again. Not in favour of aerial 1080 application but if needs must, do it.

Originally Posted by Hunteast

Comon Micky Duck - provide an example please. I can only speak for Canterbury, not South Canterbury. DOC site - 'Additionally, dogs are not allowed in the Craigieburn Forest hunting area, as kiwi are present'. Plain English to me but often abused from my experience. Aside from all this, good comms to DOC asking 'why' is a reasonable approach and I would expect a reasonable answer? Remember earlier media reports about the quote of 34000 rec hunters in NZ? I suspect that figure comes from hunting permits requested for public land which obviously does not represent all hunter on private land plus many that don't apply for permits in the first place? We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to hunting and public backlash. Just my experience and observations.

Peel forest,rangitata. Mount Somers. Mount hutt.mt nimrod all no dogs . Tenahaun says dogs ok on permit but no dogs sign at gate. My dogs stay within fifty yards of me under control all the time so even IF they decided to "retrieve" a bird( my dogs do ducks too) they wouldn't do so unless told to. Funny as fook when walking down ridge with deer on my back and old bitch stops beside treepeers in hole,looks away,looks at me,wags tail.quick look,look away tail wagging. I come up to her and sure enough possum just inches away from her ...nope not allowed so "just showing you boss".I laughed so much I had trouble carrying deer. Plurry dogs are smart and if under control....awesome mates. I can take dog into a few open country blocks,heavily hunted. If no kiwi I struggle to see valid reason for blocks to be dog free.

Can’t see the problem.

I am aware of one fella in Canterbury about 3 yrs ago applying to DOC to take his dog into a non dog area. And permission was granted as a one off. The entire saga of non dogs permitted in the other areas I am not up to date on why - just the kiwi bit for Craigieburn. The Geraldine DOC guys are usually good for answers so some of the locals tell me. I was down that way last Weds - couldn't believe the number of wallabies I saw on one farm with the thermal. Can't use poison with sheep/cattle in the paddocks. Pest controllers at night probably the best way but need other properties to do the same to make a dent? Cats on public land - aside from traps that catch bugger all at the moment and the poison drop in part of the St James, thermal scopes likely the interim tool but that has its issues as recent night time fatalities have shown in the last 18 mths. Why cats were not identified as a issue 25 yrs ago and back further shows someone has f.ucked up? Remember the guy who did identify moggies as a growing problem in NZ but was put down in the media/cat lovers a few yrs back (forgot his name, that rich fella ex TM founder). He saw the issue coming.

Gareth Morgan. The wallaby issue is indeed caused by safe for them,non controlled areas. Cat issue was identified a long time ago.would be more than 25 years.there was study going on in area..THINK of one wee native bird,a cat went through and decimated numbers,when shot? Trapped?? Was found to half numerous bits of said Tweety birds inside. The cat ladies have been around since forever,so has dumping of kittens.... Until we have a no questions asked zero charge,drop off and go service to remove unwanted cats..and dogs for that matter,the dumping issue will continue

agree Mickey Duck and trash- must have organized picking up tons over the years and all to often it was traced to locals - District council had removed rubbish collection points that used to be in rural areas and locals to bloody lazy to drive into town dumps - bigger sheep stations and dairy farms not to bad many had a digger they hide rubbish well -cats control numbers is a start you can have one- must ne neuterued or castrated and wear a bell if let outside -- I bet if they were three times the size and bit humans there would be more done

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

agree -- I bet if they were three times the size and bit humans there would be more done

I take it you haven't met a "mainecoon cat" yet then lol

CatToxoplasmosis is an infection triggered by a parasite spread by cats. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Toxoplasmosis affects the sight of about 40,000 New Zealanders
The parasite - spread by cat faeces - infects one in three people during their lifetime

perhaps if this nasty was more widely known people would have a different view on moggys