Thread: TB control in Molesworth

Molesworth is exactly a place where hunter effort could be a very effective management tool. Shoot more hinds (and every goat you see)

Do something like the Sika Foundation is doing.
Hinds only deal.
Would work and allow scoping out roar hunting.

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Originally Posted by gimp

Molesworth is exactly a place where hunter effort could be a very effective management tool. Shoot more hinds (and every goat you see)

Shoot the doe. Let him grow really needs to be the attitude now.

Anyone notice how hard it is to get a permit for Molesworth, I have tried a couple of times and both times get told by email to check the calendar as the dates I want are already booked, so you go back and look at the calendar again and it is still showing available. That and the fact the bookings person only works a couple days a week.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Anyone notice how hard it is to get a permit for Molesworth, I have tried a couple of times and both times get told by email to check the calendar as the dates I want are already booked, so you go back and look at the calendar again and it is still showing available. That and the fact the bookings person only works a couple days a week.

Yes...I gave up

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yes...I gave up

Last year I was trying to get a permit onto some conservation estate central north island. Passed back and forth between 3 DOC offices. Nobody could help. Gave up and reckon its a handy little freezer filler for some of their staff that they want to keep to themselves.

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Yep, had the same issue Happy Jack a couple of weeks ago. Booked a vacant block, they replied 3 days later from the Renwick office asking which week? I had clicked on the Wed to Tues calendar, but the lass replied which week again though her email trail from me showed this below her reply. Hopeless so i went elsewhere as time was short. They want rec hunters to contribute to reducing deer numbers in Molesworth but appears with the office manned part time as you suggest, is a bit unhelpful in this world of 24/7?

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yes...I gave up

+1 on at least 2 occasions, have managed to get island gully before, middle of winter 2 foot of snow on the saddle to push through, no animals seen anywhere in 2 solid days of looking

Not going to bother again

Good opinion piece Woods223. I hope that the responses would have been the same if you said you supported 1080. Not because this is a 1080 discussion but the reason being that we need to have rational non emotionally based discussion where we are all free to differ in view but collectively reach good management decisions. I have hunted the area quite a bit and often bemoaned the fact that the country is locked up very early in winter. I have also met friends of management heading home from a successful hunt with lots of big heads in places the public are not allowed during the roar which is a lot of country. There are many things at play and I understand that to have hunters everywhere constantly could be an issue for farming etc. I also understand that this is actually our land. A balance must and can be found. A management agreement and the application of that by a hunting group outside of DOC etc is probably the best option. If DOC struggle to deliver what is needed within allocated budget and resourcing then that needs to be addressed. My view is that Molesworth is a sitter for a good management regime that ensures a sustainable herd of high quality (meat and heads) animals. Its open nature makes it a simpler option to manage if numbers need to be cropped and selected animals removed aerially. There are still currently too many hunters across NZ wanting too many and too many in public service management absolutely petrified of giving a little ground to hunters and having them involved more in active management. Middle ground with environment at the core can be reached and happily done by all. I still live in hope.

Found it easy to book to be honest. I’m booked for November, just get in early, pick up the phone if something is lost in translation by email, not that hard. Mate has got a block 4 years running with only once getting his secondary block.

Originally Posted by Hiawatha

Good opinion piece Woods223. I hope that the responses would have been the same if you said you supported 1080. Not because this is a 1080 discussion but the reason being that we need to have rational non emotionally based discussion where we are all free to differ in view but collectively reach good management decisions. I have hunted the area quite a bit and often bemoaned the fact that the country is locked up very early in winter. I have also met friends of management heading home from a successful hunt with lots of big heads in places the public are not allowed during the roar which is a lot of country. There are many things at play and I understand that to have hunters everywhere constantly could be an issue for farming etc. I also understand that this is actually our land. A balance must and can be found. A management agreement and the application of that by a hunting group outside of DOC etc is probably the best option. If DOC struggle to deliver what is needed within allocated budget and resourcing then that needs to be addressed. My view is that Molesworth is a sitter for a good management regime that ensures a sustainable herd of high quality (meat and heads) animals. Its open nature makes it a simpler option to manage if numbers need to be cropped and selected animals removed aerially. There are still currently too many hunters across NZ wanting too many and too many in public service management absolutely petrified of giving a little ground to hunters and having them involved more in active management. Middle ground with environment at the core can be reached and happily done by all. I still live in hope.

While I stated my opposition to aeriel application of 1080, due to previously indiscriminant application techniques and unintended by-kill of species that are endangered and/or in need of protection, I can also see the need for accurate targeted application such as via bait-stations. Over the years I have held vertebrate and other poisons licences and have used substances such as 1080, cyanide paste/pellets, phosphorus and a few others. I therefore know how effective these substances can be, it's a shame some are no longer available to use. But I didn't want to venture into that debate, there are too many rabid points of view on that topic for my liking.
As to access onto such places as Molesworth Station this is a complex situation of balancing such things as:
1. The requirements of effective stock management and farming practices.
2. Meeting the statutory requirements of the Conservation act, Health and Safety act and various others.
3. Meeting the wishes of the general public to have un-fettered access to DOC estate.
My opinion only but in some instances having too readily available access is not always the best situation.Regarding Molesworth and St. James, myself and others have had instances of meeting people 'out there doing it' who didn't have a f*cking clue of the danger they were putting themselves in by not carrying adequate equipment, not knowing their route and not having adequate/any knowledge of what to expect in an alpine environment. This applies to many places in New Zealand.
In the case of those who wish to gain better access to Molesworth, which I think is reasonably straight-forward, maybe they should put some effort into it by making submissions to things like: The Conservation Management Strategy, Molesworth Management Plan, Regional Conservation Committees.
It's serves no useful purpose to sit back and whinge about things if you're not prepared to get of your arse and have constructive input into enhancing the situation.
Just my 2 cents worth.

I would like to know more about the TB situation in the Molesworth cattle. Seems to me that they are continuously infected with never a 'clear' test. If TB is endemic in the herd it might be better to depopulate (slaughter) the lot and re stock with C10 status animals

Yes, but tbey would'nt have an excuse then would they.

Originally Posted by woods223

In the case of those who wish to gain better access to Molesworth, which I think is reasonably straight-forward, maybe they should put some effort into it by making submissions to things like: The Conservation Management Strategy, Molesworth Management Plan, Regional Conservation Committees.
It's serves no useful purpose to sit back and whinge about things if you're not prepared to get of your arse and have constructive input into enhancing the situation.
Just my 2 cents worth.

As a new hunter and a local of Molesworth it is bloody frustrating when they can't even be bothered to keep their online calendar up to date and in this modern online world not to have a 24/7 online response.
I don't expect to just be able to waltz in there and realise that it is a working farm. However I do expect modern up to date access to when it is and isn't available, they way they run the access application is a complete joke, you should not need to phone up when an true online booking system is so easy to set up.

Won't quite numbers but word on the street is the repellent worked very well.