Thread: Places/info about hunting near Daly's Clearing Hut

I live in Waitawheta - and look right at the park from the kitchen window - the place is crawling with tourists, mountain bikers, trampers now that the Hauraki Rail Trail is so popular. Its a very stupid area to still be a DOC hunting area. There’s been all sorts of problems with hunters who don’t know how busy it is scaring the bejeezus out of trampers, one confrontation between trampers and a couple of hunters at Dalys Clearing Hut was quite well publicised couple of years ago.

DOC came through the northern part of the park last year with a contractor and cleaned out goats and pushed a couple of small mobs onto the private properties bordering the park either side of Dickeys Flat where I finished the job. The one DOC officer who knocks around a fair bit (Thames based) is hard case and very full of himself - ex FAO I believe - anyway avoid him like the plague he’ll follow you everywhere ranting and raving. They are dead against hunters in that part now and I can see their point cos its so busy but its surely up to them to get the status of the area changed. They don’t want any game at all in the north.

Stretch’s comments in his 2015 thread about safety are right but its even busier now than it was then. I know the tracks from Taieri Rd and Franklin Rd like the back of my hand and if you do see goats they’ll be right on the track or in the river. There’s fuck all feed in under the canopy. Straight up mate I’d never go shooting goats on those tracks just not worth the risk, IMO.

Don’t confuse this advice as a local bloke who doesn’t want anyone else going in there. I never go in there with a gun. Its just not a good mix, tourists and hunting. The area has changed so much in the last few years with the rail trail and heaps more lifestyler subdivisions, so we’re off in 18 months or so, too busy for us.