Thread: Goose cull today lake Ellesmere

[QUOTE]I don't think much actually happened to the Feds last time, even with the media attention. As for DOC, just like deer - every dead goose is a good goose, regardless of how and who killed it.[/QUOTE]

its not so much what happened to feds but as it was explained to me it was the bad pr of the main culls in respect of a major financial supporter of the culls.the 100 grand government money doest go a long way spread over just nth canterbury and csi region even. so other intrested parties contributed to the elly culls, thinking its the source of all thier worries .were embarrassed by the mess left and shown on tv. actaully the estuary and the closer roosts would make more sence to target but with these having thier own set of problems and restrictions elly copped the flak.the opinion is now smaller culls will become the norm and a management plan still needs inception which without, efforts would seem to be scattered and losing momentum.the latest counts say there are 6 thousand geese spread round the lake a number i would have thought impossible by my limited scouting, but they are there, spread from arsehole to breakfeast in smaller to larger groups most apparently arriving as little as 2 days before they started moulting.
yes they are getting harder to hunt and pressure has been a factor but the surprising thing to me was that the informee detected a leesening of committment in goosehunters ?a result of pest status or expedential rise in thier unpredictability and thier smaller groups and more spread out behavior ?? take your pick. depending on what numbers return from the high country maybe even some west coast geese ??its not as gloomy as thought but its hard to be optimistic when your seeing f all where you saw hundreds if not thousands.we knew it couldnt continue at those numbers but it seems they are there and perhaps a year or 2 of settling down may be needed for things to be great again, not withstanding any kills needed to reduce problem hot spots hopefuly recllasfication back to gamebird status to. . another point the respondent ephasized is the timing of culls which he thinks should be late winter as they mob up more and hunters have aided reductiont ,then bring in boats choppers as a last resort rather than a constant threat..??ps would you think that less than one in twenty geese at the moment are breeding birds? thats the opinion and a fact apparently.