Thread: Newshub attacking Sika

Originally Posted by STC

it is a shame some people are dumb enough to fall for such blatant propaganda.

Do you hunt the Kaweka's? What is your opinion of the deer/bush balance and the average condition of the Sika?

Originally Posted by Tahr

From a selfish perspective I would far sooner trudge down and up that shingle slide by the BR campsite once for a fat deer than 3 times for 3 skinny deer

That west facing shingle slide is getting steeper

Same ridge but on the east side the fresh toot is at a perfect height right now

The bases of the eastern spurs are hunting exceptionally well at the moment, dicks, ihaka, pinnacle, studholme etc

Can se 4-8 Sika feeding in a morning and can see three most mornings from Kaweka Flats biv door

Easy walk to Kaweka flats biv

Originally Posted by STC

it is a shame some people are dumb enough to fall for such blatant propaganda.

You call it ‘propaganda’, researchers, scientists and academics call it facts.

Originally Posted by STC

it is a shame some people are dumb enough to fall for such blatant propaganda.

Please explain.

Its not good. Thats just a fact. I started my hunting in the late 1980s. It was a deer per 7 days hunted on average back then in Pureora where I started. I soon graduated too the Ruahines and it became a deer per 2-3 day trip. Then quite quickly it became a case of limiting myself to shooting what I could carry because I learned quite quickly that 3 deer was an awful load! By 2000, my brother and I had gone from taking every scrap of meat and head/neckshooting what we could, to just putting one in the boiler and another for good measure and taking back legs and back steaks because we could see where it was heading. But I really did not beleive I would see the numbers on private land that we have seen in the past few years. The Ruahines are different from the Kawekas as the tops are very open. Plus much of them are quite easy to access. Hunters will keep the population semi reasonable there.
With all that said, we have an opportunity. One we most likely will not take up. Through our new minister of hunting and the GAC we really should be putting our hand up and saying that we will take a bigger role. Some of these areas we should be initiating a wapiti style year round ballot for access and paying through that for helicopter control.
Ive done very little Sika hunting, but there it not much more impressive than a big quality Sika stag. Creating the herd and environment that produces that should be our goal.

Their end game, no Deer no need for us to own firearms.

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

That west facing shingle slide is getting steeper

Same ridge but on the east side the fresh toot is at a perfect height right now

The bases of the eastern spurs are hunting exceptionally well at the moment, dicks, ihaka, pinnacle, studholme etc

Can se 4-8 Sika feeding in a morning and can see three most mornings from Kaweka Flats biv door

Easy walk to Kaweka flats biv

Sounds wonderful. Yeah - easy walk sounds good How I wish Chris could sweep me back up there!

In an area of the Kaimanawas where a few of us have hunted for 40 odd years the Sika are becoming far too numerous and the bush is showing the effects. But trying to get the young guys to shoot everything they see simply falls on deaf ears. Sitting in the hut at night and trying to get them to understand what will eventually happen (helo gunships) is really hard work.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Do you hunt the Kaweka's? What is your opinion of the deer/bush balance and the average condition of the Sika?

you don't have to hunt the kawekas to know that was a deliberate exaggeration piece/propaganda aimed to whip up hysteria.When the main bloke says "there is 4 deer/sqkm when there should be a max of 1" then proceeds to say "actually there's more like 30-40/sqkm".He clearly was on a rant and was getting carried away.
My opinion is that hunters need to push back hard against these F&B tactics-F&B are our enemie within the hunting context.numbers are higher than what they should be but not by much and it won't take to much to get them under control but if F&B get a say in the solution it will be a poisoning and hellfire solution that leaves us with one deer/sqkm.Fu#k that-all hunters want to get something when they're out there slogging away not maybe bag something once every 5 trips.

Haven't been up the Kawekas for a few years but when I was a regular the "Wilding" pines were a real problem as in habitat change. Are they on Twig & Tweets hit list ??

Originally Posted by Yesmate

you don't have to hunt the kawekas to know that was a deliberate exaggeration piece/propaganda aimed to whip up hysteria.When the main bloke says "there is 4 deer/sqkm when there should be a max of 1" then proceeds to say "actually there's more like 30-40/sqkm".He clearly was on a rant and was getting carried away.
My opinion is that hunters need to push back hard against these F&B tactics-F&B are our enemie within the hunting context.numbers are higher than what they should be but not by much and it won't take to much to get them under control but if F&B get a say in the solution it will be a poisoning and hellfire solution that leaves us with one deer/sqkm.Fu#k that-all hunters want to get something when they're out there slogging away not maybe bag something once every 5 trips.

Most of those who have known it for a length of time will say it's the closest to the truth F&B have ever been. If we cant agree that there are too many then we are dreaming and deserve the consequences. And they talked about control not eradication. There has never been a better time for us to get off our high horse because at the moment we have the high ground on this. And there sure as hell wont be poison as you allude to.

Whilst what you say is true Tahr, F&B have time and again proven themselves to be a bunch of fanatics who resort to emotive hyperbolae in their press releases.

People who don’t completely share their views have every right to (and probably should) be suspicious of their motives. They have always advocated extermination, not control, of introduced species.

"Newshub attacking Sika"
Sounds like a "Stuff" headline.

Originally Posted by Sauer

Whilst what you say is true Tahr, F&B have time and again proven themselves to be a bunch of fanatics who resort to emotive hyperbolae in their press releases.

People who don’t completely share their views have every right to (and probably should) be suspicious of their motives. They have always advocated extermination, not control, of introduced species.

True. A healthy (rational) cynicism helps keep us grounded without losing perspective, but thats different to knee jerk reactions and bridge burning. I think.

Every situation of differences needs compromising both ways, I don't believe F&B have compromise within them they have become an activist and political operation.With what they say re controlling numbers and hunting I reckon are totally untrustworthy when you know what there end game really is.When they say control I would bet large that means control the deer numbers close to 0.