DOC hut book use

Important note to all you DOC hut and track users.

DOC urges backcountry hut users to record their visits

It doesn't matter what your opinion of DOC is ... if they don't know we are using these huts in the conservation estate they might not keep maintaining them.
Particularly the more remote ones we hunters prefer.
I've had a bit too do with DOC in the last few years and its all about the numbers for them.
If we don't enter information into the hut books then as far as they are concerned we do not exist !!!
So if like me you have a favorite hut you go to regularly and you don't put entries in the hut book because you don't want everyone to know where you got that big stag, bull or buck ? Then start putting entries in those hut books ... even if you use a pseudonym and enter that you are a "bird watcher".

This is not just the huts but also the maintenance of tracks, structures, road end parking and toilets etc
Comments on repairs and maintenance, track cutting required, signs, markers, noxious weeds .... whatever just put them in the hut book.
Contact the relevant DOC area office ( its pretty easy and I have always had some kind of response )
Its all about the numbers guys and the people who make these decisions are fixated on information in spreadsheets. If those spreadsheets are skewed towards international visitors then that's where the limited resources will directed.

Good luck to you all for the roar ( Im missing my second one in a row ) and don't forget to fill in the hut book with bird sightings !

If I use a hut I normally just put my first name, state I am hunting and leave it at that. I feel that it is important to let DOC know that hunters are using the hut.

I've always thought it was a dick move not fulling in the hut book.


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I know of many people who dont fill in the Hut book primarily because they didn't PAY!!!!!
Most of the backcountry huts we use are only $5 per night or $85 per annum for all backcountry huts.
This attitude I find very disappointing and as already pointed out is counter productive if we want to continue to enjoy these facilities.

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Originally Posted by BobGibson

I know of many people who dont fill in the Hut book primarily because they didn't PAY!!!!!
Most of the backcountry huts we use are only $5 per night or $85 per annum for all backcountry huts.
This attitude I find very disappointing and as already pointed out is counter productive if we want to continue to enjoy these facilities.

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I somewhat agree except I have already paid thru my not insignificant taxes, whatever you think. User pays for tourists and locals should be able to use for free.
If the govt chooses not to pass on enough of my money to DOC its not my fault!!

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Originally Posted by mikee

I somewhat agree except I have already paid thru my not insignificant taxes, whatever you think. User pays for tourists and locals should be able to use for free.
If the govt chooses not to pass on enough of my money to DOC its not my fault!!

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@BobGibson I think you're dead right there. People that dont pay dont sign, even if you didnt pay DOC is not going to send the hounds of hell to chase up $20 in lost hut fee's esp if they only have John or no name in hut book. I have always signed the book and put repairs or suggestions in there, after-all if you dont its not going to be repaired or remedied.
@mikee I ,to a point, agree. DOC dont get enough from Govt and what they get is prioritised, on where they spend it is another debate but thats where agree. we could spend hours as armchair critics breaking down how "we" think DOC best spend their (our) money but thats not going to stop DOC from closing "unused - low use" huts.
Paying for something we all see as ours is, lets face it its a kiwi thing, is repugnant to us. However the argument is flawed as this would mean for me to hop on the Tranz Scenic should cost nothing. Taxes paid for rail installation, upkeep and maintenance as too the wagons and loco's. Its staffed by a SOE so bugger it i'm not paying. I dont think that it would wash quite frankly. So no i dont agree that we shouldn't contribute by not paying meager hut fee's, but that just my opinion, I'll continue to pay.

Thats just the attitude I was expecting.
I pay of lots of stuff in my not insignificant taxes that I dont use thats just the way it is.
Too tight ass to shell out $5 per night for a dry reasonable comfortable bed really
I aways pay others can do what ever their moral compass dictates !!!

doc has a policy of not using hut books to find non payers as they feel that the search and rescue vale of info in books is more important than the $. If your going to use a fake name then make sure your family knows what it is so if search and rescue is needed that info can be used to narrow down the search area.

I have used a hut maybe once in the last 20 yrs and I am bush for at least 20-30 days a year.
I am happy to sign a book going past one or the rare times I use one with a pseudonym but tend to agree with Bob.

Maybe if DOC stopped freely giving our backcountry away to overseas people before we who pay their wages. I would be more supportive of their efforts.
Track maintenance on the west coast at least, is horrible. Unless of course they think some loopy will frequent the place.

As for SAR efforts, I can see the point.




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False names and SAR implication should not be over looked.
Hunter "A" tell family their going to Hut Alpa when leaving said hut sign book as "Joe Blogs"
Hunter "A" fails to return to family who then contact SAR.
SAR find no sign of "A" being at Hut Alpha NOW where do they start looking?
Hunter "A" is now a dumb ass, a tight ass and missing with no place for SAR to start a search from.

I always fill them in, and enjoy reading others entries too. They can be insightful, worrying, sometimes comical :) I know twoshotkill and myself have even dropped a few forum references in there in the hope someone spots them in the book :)

There's not much point lying about whether you've been there hunting or not in the hut book. If you don't put it in, I'll read the hut book and think "brilliant, a nice quiet spot with no hunters" and start going there. And I'm not going to get to a hut, read the book and see an entry saying "hunting, saw nothing, no deer here" and then go home, I'll go have a look around for myself since I've walked all that way anyway, so you may as well fill the damn things out honestly

I buy an annual hut pass.
Bloody cheap and comfortable (mostly) accommodation if you ask me.

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Originally Posted by gimp

There's not much point lying about whether you've been there hunting or not in the hut book. If you don't put it in, I'll read the hut book and think "brilliant, a nice quiet spot with no hunters" and start going there. And I'm not going to get to a hut, read the book and see an entry saying "hunting, saw nothing, no deer here" and then go home, I'll go have a look around for myself since I've walked all that way anyway, so you may as well fill the damn things out honestly

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While I agree in part not everyone has the same ability when it comes to hunting locally.😆

I learnt a long time ago to keep my gob shut and lie like hell when it comes to hunting locally. 😆

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Originally Posted by res

doc has a policy of not using hut books to find non payers as they feel that the search and rescue vale of info in books is more important than the $. If your going to use a fake name then make sure your family knows what it is so if search and rescue is needed that info can be used to narrow down the search area.

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Have seen books used in recovery, unfortunately it ended up being a body recovery but the book info made location a lot quicker

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Originally Posted by Pointer

I always fill them in, and enjoy reading others entries too. They can be insightful, worrying, sometimes comical :) I know twoshotkill and myself have even dropped a few forum references in there in the hope someone spots them in the book :)

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I know Twoshot saw a "Lentil and Reubags" entry in a hut book. I was just passing thru on a fly camp.

This is absolutely true, I done a roof on a hut in the Kaweka's late last year voluntarily for the free chopper ride and to help keep the huts good to go for us all and this is exactly what we were told by our doc correspondence.

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Originally Posted by mikee

I somewhat agree except I have already paid thru my not insignificant taxes, whatever you think. User pays for tourists and locals should be able to use for free.
If the govt chooses not to pass on enough of my money to DOC its not my fault!!

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I used to think the same, but when I thought through my conservative dogma I came to realise that thinking that my taxes paid for all of the social services that I used was just plain folly.

Everyone who is an earner needs to pay their dues, plus something else.

I guess if I didn't have a job and was on a benefit I would have MORE time to visit these back country huts. But working 8-5 5 days a week reduces my time hunting, at least I'm paying my taxes though

I don't stay in huts but when dropping by for a visit I usually write where I am hunting and when I expect to be gone - partly for SAR purposes but also as a courtesy to other bush users and hunters who may come through at the same time - not much effort and it is an easy system to use

Hi all
As an ex manager for DOC I can confirm that hut usage is measured through the entries in the hut book, and when it comes to allocating the funds for repairs and maintenance the higher use huts will get the bulk of the $$$. It was the bain of my life arguing for resources with no data of nights stayed at huts when all the firewood was gone and the bogger was full up. DOC hasn't the time or people to follow up on hut fees, and legally even if it is your name in the book when push comes to shove there is no real evidence that you stayed so cannot be acted upon. If we want to keep our huts put names in hut books to establish usage, when they are gone they won't be replaced!
Have a safe and successful roar, I am off to the Kawekas for a week on Sat, weather permitting (Not looking too good at the moment)

Regards
Ruger7mm

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Originally Posted by Ruger7mm

Hi all
As an ex manager for DOC I can confirm that hut usage is measured through the entries in the hut book, and when it comes to allocating the funds for repairs and maintenance the higher use huts will get the bulk of the $$$. It was the bain of my life arguing for resources with no data of nights stayed at huts when all the firewood was gone and the bogger was full up. DOC hasn't the time or people to follow up on hut fees, and legally even if it is your name in the book when push comes to shove there is no real evidence that you stayed so cannot be acted upon. If we want to keep our huts put names in hut books to establish usage, when they are gone they won't be replaced!
Have a safe and successful roar, I am off to the Kawekas for a week on Sat, weather permitting (Not looking too good at the moment)

Regards
Ruger7mm

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Check out the new rooves on the Harkness and the Te Puia huts ;)

I was brought up tramping and camping the lower and central North Island. Our family and friends stayed in huts and doc camp site very often. We always did and I still always will complete an entry in to the hut books.

When first getting to the hut, I enter names and intentions of the stay. Then on departure, enter the total number of nights stayed and weather or not animals were seen. Regardless of what other say or think of DOC or their assets in the parks, I'll always continue to enter in the book (even if just passing by a hut during the day). This is what we do as responsible hunters and back country uses.

We are extermly fortunate in New Zealand to have such a unique network of huts in the back country. There is nowhere else in the world that as a resource - pay you money for the huts that you need to and enter in to the hut books or lose these forever (and then the land will get flicked off as no one uses it). Basic huts and Bivvies are even free!

Always entered names and info in hut book,

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Originally Posted by Jexla

Check out the new rooves on the Harkness and the Te Puia huts ;)

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In there a couple of weeks ago.
Harkness in very good nick a pleasure to camp in.
They are worth looking after and if it needs your name in the book how hard is that.
These huts have plenty of hunting around them and you are not giving anything away by recording your name in the book.
You still have to get out of the hut door and find them.