I proudly have a 50 years of membership badge. I've never liked the old guys much either ... and here I am.
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I proudly have a 50 years of membership badge. I've never liked the old guys much either ... and here I am.
What @KiwiGreg said. I joined NZDA partially to support hunting and game representation in NZ. The AKL branch has excellent monthly club meetings. The next one is on reloading for $20. Pretty cool. I also appreciate access to a range here. The discounts are pretty good also, helped with my Swazi addiction. If you are able, pop along and join a meeting.
This is a good point. Thinking about it, NZDA has developed so much in the last couple of years that joining now is worth it for both hunting as a whole as well as yourself individually, I believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
I don't agree with everything NZDA does or how it does it - nobody will, nothing is perfect. But don't let the perfect be the enemy of the great, as the saying goes. Overall, there is no other force for hunters' interests out there that comes even close to the influence of NZDA, and that will keep growing. Issues like Wapiti in Fiordland are best managed locally (ie FWF) but need national advocacy (ie NZDA).
Personally, I can now save at least the annual sub if I pay attention to the perks members get (and the app is great for that). 25% off GoNative meals for trips so far this year has been great. 20% off online at BushlifeNZ saved some money. Noel Leeming and Warehouse Stationery saved a bit of money on kids' stuff.
It's a very different organisation from your Dad's NZDA, or even the NZDA of my younger years. If a Branch isnt your thing, you dont need to be involved in one. Can still join anyway.
Hey POST OF THE YEAR! (me too)Quote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
I said to the secretary at an AGM a 4-5 years ago with only around 30-35 members presentQuote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
"Do you realise I'm the second youngest here.......and I'm an old guy"
We have more younger members now thank goodness
I keep my membership up to be part of the collective. I have attended one meeting in the last 3 years and that was enough for me. United we stand divided we fall.
When I was a young fella - like 45 years ago - I went along to a Deerstalkers meeting and was totally ignored. Not one person spoke to me all night and I left very disillusioned....
Now I suspect , as a matter of political expedience , it may be worth trying again.
That old boy attitude got the shunt years ago. It was a common comment even 20yrs ago, but thankfully not so much now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fee Knicks
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whats memberships worth these days???
I stopped being member when family was young and $$$ were tighter than tight and just have never rejoined...funny was committee member and all,fully involved but it was toss up between membership fee or duckshooting and fishing licences....made some great friends there. really regret not having spare funds when the lifetime membership option came up..one lump sum for life.
This is good to hear @Mathias, I have an almost identical experience from about 25 years ago and have never been back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathias
They had a guest speaker there and once he was done I grabbed a beer at the bar and said hello to a couple of groups of guys who pretty much ignored my existence. I left thinking what a bunch of w@nkers.
Seems to be a common theme back then. I joined a club in the Nth Island in the 90s and apart from shooting holes in paper all they seemed interested in doing was talking about how good hunting was (and they were) in the "old days". Needless to say my membership only lasted one year.
Well I learned something last night at my first ever meeting since joining this year and got to talk to someone I had not seen for 20 years.
$140 is what I pay for the year
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Well - its $87 to join as a Superannuant . Didnt look to see what other levels of membership cost. Now that Im old I need all the help I can get financially :-)
NZDA auckland is worth joining just for the range. They have increased the casual range use fee enough that if you go a couple times a year it is worth signing up. When i used to go 4 years ago there were always younger demographics introducing themselves. usually 2 or more a month.
Their party hunts are not as "Party" as they used to be, not really a booze up but everyone hangs out and tries to shoot a deer
Just pulled the pin this year
I'm not a very social person and like to do my own thing. But to have 7 day 24 hour access to a range to shoot (Kaitoke) hell yes its worth it.
Personally, I don't get any value at all from my local club. It doesn't seem to focused on the actual hunting aspect of things.
That said, I support the work the NZDA is doing nationally, and based on that alone, I'll renew my membership.
I’m in the committee for a branch of the Aust equivalent . If younger members want to join the committee to promote a new activity or help we gladly grab them.
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What do they seem to be focused on? out of curiosity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pop Shot
MEDIA RELEASE:
Recreational hunters also contribute significantly to NZ’s conservation efforts despite advertising claims from Forest and Bird.
29 May 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Prior to the agreement by Forest and Bird to pause their legal action against the Department of Conservation and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority against Forest and Bird. The purpose of the complaint was to seek clarification and supporting evidence for Forest and Bird’s claim that “Forest & Bird is New Zealand’s leading independent conservation organisation”.
“I was surprised to see that claim across their marketing materials” said NZDA’s Operations and Marketing Manager Hugh Devereux-Mack. “When comparing their online figures to the results of our recent member survey, the effort that recreational hunters contribute to conservation seems to be significantly more, which made me question how they could be so confident in their claims’.
The recently completed NZDA 2023/24 membership survey sought to document the conservation work that their members have contributed to New Zealand’s conservation efforts. It found that more than 50% of their 12,000 members had been involved with conservation activity including pest control, trapping, organised culls, habitat restoration, native planting projects, and hut/track maintenance work.
“It was remarkable to see that of the 1,052 survey respondents, 872 were involved in conservation activity and they directly accounted for more than 57,000 hours of work. When this is extended to our wider membership base, it shows that potentially our members contributed hundreds of thousands of hours of conservation work” said Devereux-Mack. ‘This figure of around 460,000 hours does not include any volunteer hours for fundraising which the NZDA does not do, nor does it include the hours that recreational hunters spend hunting game animals, though the number of animals harvested is also significant’.
NZDA members harvested approximately 376,500 animals in the last 12 months with fallow deer (85k), and red deer (45k) being the most successfully hunted. As well as species that are considered pest animals such as goats (139k) and wallabies (61k). Pigs, rabbits, and small pests such as stoats and rats were also targeted.
NZDA President Craig Benbow said he was not surprised at the numbers saying “ hunters spend as much time as they can hunting, see the nature of work needing doing and simply get on with doing it” “What needs to be recognised is that our conservation work is done at no cost to the taxpayer which is why partnerships with DOC and others are critical to maintaining a working relationship that benefits the country”.
Devereux-Mack added that “although the NZDA is the largest non-profit membership organisation for hunters, our efforts do not include those of recreational hunters who are not members. The positive conservation impacts made by our members is only the tip of the iceberg meaning hunters need to be considered by the Minister for Conservation when making decisions around access and funding opportunities”.
The NZDA employs three full-time employees and is totally member funded. We are incredibly proud of the work that our network of 48 branches, and passionate members do for the country and are always welcoming those who would like to get involved.
For media enquiries and further information, please contact:
Hugh Devereux-Mack
Operations and Marketing Manager New Zealand Deerstalkers Association
Email: hugh.devereux-mack@deerstalkers.org.nz
About New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc (NZDA):
The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association is the national body representing recreational hunters, aiming to protect, advance, and advocate for the rights of hunters and shooting enthusiasts in New Zealand. We are committed to promoting safe and ethical hunting practices, educating hunters, promoting native flora and fauna, and ensuring access to outdoor recreational opportunities for all New Zealanders.
To learn more about NZDA or hunting in New Zealand, please visit https://www.deerstalkers.org.nz/
So what's happening about the hunting & fishing 10% discount is it been sorted across all stores or still hit & miss