Thread: Molesworth

Originally Posted by woods223

Big assumption there. According to someone involved in operation they shot animals as they came across them. Were meant to leave big stags but that sometimes goes by the wayside in the heat of the moment, mindful of flying costs/efficiency. There’s way too many deer in places on the station. Head quality has gone down over the years since DOC management restructuring. Jim still has to run an economic farming operation while catering to public access expectations.

Exactly an assumption. And of course they shot animals as they came across them, you don't shoot any if you don't come across them.
Head quality in general has gone down not because of DOC, feed etc. It's because of recreational hunters targeting stags and generally shooting them too young just like YouTube shows. If there is way too many deer in places you don't solve it by shooting stags.
Also bigs mature trophies were once spiders, don't think the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation goes round shooting Wapiti spikers.