Pest Control Job

**samiauto** · 13-10-2025, 01:59 PM

Hi,

Sorry, I am unsure if this post is in the right place. I am also unsure if it is allowed on this site. Admins please remove or delete to the right place if required.

I have a pest control company located in Taranaki. We are small, employing 3-5 sub-contractors continuously and mainly work in the North Island. The bulk of our work is deer and goat control but also some, hare, possum and rabbit work.
We will be looking to expand our hunter capacity and to this point I have always had the privilege of being able to employ someone I knew or someone that knows someone. Unfortunately, all of my leads have now dried up, and as I like to fly under the radar a bit - we have no social media following or website to draw from.
So, if anyone is serious about wanting to make a career out of hunting or knows someone that think they would seriously like to get into it then please PM me.

In a nutshell, the job I am primarily looking to fill is for our DOC and Council work side of the business. This is nearly all ungulate control, and you would need to be able to live away on a roughly 10 on and 4 off roster. You will need to be able to have the ability to train and keep dogs, at least 2. (These 2 criteria usually rule out a lot most candidates to start with).
All of the workers we currently have are sub-contractors and ideally it would be good to keep it that way. If you are not currently self-employed then ideally you would be willing to set up as a sole trader and purchase the gear required to do your job competently.
Professional hunting in today's world requires a high level of reporting on Health and Safety and the ability to report on your hunting. It is not rocket science, but I need someone that either has basic computer skills or willing to learn. You also need to be willing to get on board with the recording of health and safety matters and reporting or it won't work. This stuff is often overlooked or not known of when thinking about a hunting career so I thought I would make special mention of it. Unfortunately, the simple days of just going into the bush, wandering around, killing critters then going home are long gone.
You will need to be able to work in the rain, in crap bush and steep terrain on low animal number jobs.
My Senior Hunter for the DOC and Council side of the business is not that Senior at 21 years old, but has been with me for 4 years and has a sound knowledge of what is required. If you are not willing to take direction from him then don't bother either. He is a good bugger and easy to get on with.
I would rather train a less experienced hunter that has the right attitude than someone that has a lot of recreational hunting experience and has the wrong attitude. I have been there done that, and while it can be good to have someone that can kill critters to some extent immediately - the latter does not work out long term.

Hopefully that is not too much doom and gloom. There will be some awesome bits mixed in, but you do need to deal with the crap bits in between time. It ain't always as glamorous as it appears in the movies.

Cheers Sam

**Bent Barrel** · 13-10-2025, 02:37 PM

Having been there done that in pest control, it’s most certainly not for everyone, while it sounds like the perfect job as I thought as a dumb 19 yo, soon realised it was bloody hard work. When a hobby/interest turns into a full job it takes the shine off hunting with your mates

Hope your search goes well finding the ideal candidate for the position