Thread: Urgent Message For All Lake Lyndon Target Shooters

First line on a permit from April last year.

The permit authorises the above person to enter with a hunting weapon upon the specified permit area for the purpose of hunting or killing wild animals subject to the conditions printed on this permit and s38 of the Conservation Act 1987, s50 of the Reserves Act 1977 and s8 of the Wild Animal Control Act 1977

Originally Posted by Moutere

First line on a permit from April last year.

The permit authorises the above person to enter with a hunting weapon upon the specified permit area for the purpose of hunting or killing wild animals subject to the conditions printed on this permit and s38 of the Conservation Act 1987, s50 of the Reserves Act 1977 and s8 of the Wild Animal Control Act 1977

The question is, are you specifically prohibited from entering public land administered by DOC, with a firearm, for any other purpose than hunting? Has this ever been taken into consideration? Is there any passage in legislation that says you cannot target shoot on PCL? If yes, then does that imply that your rifle can only be discharged towards a game animal? So if you have no luck but decide to shoot some clumps of dirt on a bank across a gorge for LR practice, you are breaching your permit conditions? I have frequently gone on hunting trips where some informal target shooting has taken place. Vice versa I have gone target shooting and plinking on DOC land, but have a hunting permit and would shoot an animal if I came across one. These are all things I would rather not make noise about unless it became necessary The status quo works for many outdoor users.

I have always viewed the hunting permit as an arse covering excercise from DOC for firearm use on PCL - if you shoot somebody, they have told you on your permit to follow safety rules, no spotlighting etc so you can't come back at them. As well as informing of boundaries.

Agreed, the status quo works for most people. Myself included.
However, just because something is tolerated doesn't mean that it is permitted.
In the context of the original post (shooting gongs) where do you see permission within the permit for anything outside hunting.
I'm sure it can be done on an individual basis, but not under this generic document if you ask me.

Originally Posted by Beavis

The question is, are you specifically prohibited from entering public land administered by DOC, with a firearm, for any other purpose than hunting? Has this ever been taken into consideration? Is there any passage in legislation that says you cannot target shoot on PCL? If yes, then does that imply that your rifle can only be discharged towards a game animal? So if you have no luck but decide to shoot some clumps of dirt on a bank across a gorge for LR practice, you are breaching your permit conditions? I have frequently gone on hunting trips where some informal target shooting has taken place. Vice versa I have gone target shooting and plinking on DOC land, but have a hunting permit and would shoot an animal if I came across one. These are all things I would rather not make noise about unless it became necessary The status quo works for many outdoor users.

I have always viewed the hunting permit as an arse covering excercise from DOC for firearm use on PCL - if you shoot somebody, they have told you on your permit to follow safety rules, no spotlighting etc so you can't come back at them. As well as informing of boundaries.

Look, all was fine until fuck wits got loose
I have taken rubbish , cardboard,fry pans and even a fucking microwave out of there
And yes some fuck wit burnt most of the hill out with his cheap surplus tracer shit, that just starts another topic on a certain company selling it to every body as cheap fun
Then don’t get me started on the 4wd cocks that think every piece of land that has a slight incline that they have to boot it to spin the wheels to apply max mud to said vehicle for cool factor

If everyone had looked after it there wouldn’t have been a problem

Originally Posted by longrange308

And yes some fuck wit burnt most of the hill out with his cheap surplus tracer shit, that just starts another topic on a certain company selling it to every body as cheap fun

If everyone had looked after it there wouldn’t have been a problem

Yeah I agree 100%, selling tracer ammo in Canterbury is just plain fucking stupid and the idiots buying & using it aren’t much better.

The way I see it, there will never be a dedicated shooting area for long range practice, it just isn't going to happen, in this age there is to many loop holes to jump through, and no doc or the council would not want to deal with it.
There simply would be no concent granted for such a thing.
There would be no easy way of policing the place, and if something was to happen it would fall back on the providers of the long range range, to much risk for a small minded council or doc person


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think a lot of people take the opportunity to do a bit of long range testing while out hunting in open country public land. I've done it myself near the Mt White road and on the Savannah range. But a Doc permit is to hunt not for high Volume target shooting, and it wouldn't have occurred to me to do it within sight of the main road. . This sounds quite different from a couple of hunters Using a box of ammo to sight in once a year. Would it be IOOX or 1000 X the number of shots? and how many people On site at once?

Now, it might not be impossible for Doc to host a range. They provide facilities for mountain bikers and trampers which would also require resource consents.. something like a hut fee say $10 per shooter per day like TECT park in BOP could make it a cost neutral use for them. But if you've tried to set up a range you'll Know the detailed risk management planning required.If Doc have really approached NZDA thats a very encouraging sign.

And to be frank the Lake Lyndon location is not suitable due to the proximately to many other users... If people can hear repeated rifle shots they will get upset. Full stop.

It cannot happen on an officially sanctioned basis.... to much risk is uncontrollable. No organisation will take that on.

That does not mean that you cannot do some long range shooting on public land for practise. If you are entitled to have a firearm on said land, you are entitled to shoot it on said land.

As soon as it comes an issue however, and it has in this location, it is very likely that DOC will regulate that sort activity out of its granted hunting permits that it provides. Then it will be unlawful.

The solution is to stop being morons. Best of luck with solving that problem.

Originally Posted by Sidney

It cannot happen on an officially sanctioned basis.... to much risk is uncontrollable. No organisation will take that on.

That does not mean that you cannot do some long range shooting on public land for practise. If you are entitled to have a firearm on said land, you are entitled to shoot it on said land.

As soon as it comes an issue however, and it has in this location, it is very likely that DOC will regulate that sort activity out of its granted hunting permits that it provides. Then it will be unlawful.

The solution is to stop being morons. Best of luck with solving that problem.

It is already happening on an officially sanctioned basis, albeit without the words "longrange " involved

Quote......”The solution is to stop being morons. Best of luck with solving that problem.”

hehehehe lol......

Not being anywhere near the area in question - I have tried in a few places up north to shoot on DOC-administered public land (excuse me be a bit stroppy but I do not wish to call it 'DOC land' - it's citizens' land).

I told the truth - I first wanted to practice again before I went hunting (and nowhere near the road and only at a place I'd looked at with a cliff backstop and good line-of-sight viz - and was issued a permit; but for hunting only and steadfastly told it was to hunt, no practising / sighting allowed. (The nearest range where I was living was 90 minutes' away). OK then. Can't win with City Hall. I said thanks v much and surrendered the permit.

My slight beef is - DOC spends gazillions (OK, millions) catering to people both locals and furriners who use our lands for purposes DOC likes. Just last year DOC spent a really large sum (they will not say how much) - and not counting evacs off the mountain - just cleaning up after those 125,000 visitors who walk / stagger / crawl the Tongariro Alpine Crossing; 60% of whom are foreign tourists. They hoover up tax money for that, but not for "non-approved" activity on public land by actual taxpayers.

Ah well - mods, thanks for permitting the rant - and if I overstepped, hit delete :-)

Having had a bit of experience with the new Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, I would think that the chance of getting a designated long range shooting area on doc land that has not gone through the same formal process as other shooting ranges is about zero. It wouldnt matter if it was a days walk off the road (which would defeat the purpose anyway anyway).

Some people are shooting big caliber rifles at Lake Lyndon, there was a chunkie section of I beam last time I was there with a big hole in the web, I dont think that was made with a 308. Im not complaining about people shooting 50 cal, but if they miss the stop at the back they go a long way

I went passed Lake Lyndon one morning last yr on the way one to the Wilbaforce,About 2 ks pass the lake,there was a corner of land by a gully.I watched 2 groups target shooting against a burnt out hill.And on the east side of the road,2 groups shooting up a river gully long range.The whole valley sounded like a war zone.I stay there on the road side for about 10 minuts and watched 2 other cars passed me.I thort this is not good viewing so close to a well used public road.
A few days later I looked up the doc maps,interesting that all shooters were on doc land.But west side shooters were to close to public road,east side shooters were about a k from road.All shooters were shooting away from the road of coarse.
Iv heard or read about target shooting in the Lyndon area, now iv seen it.I think its just abit public,when you can go to the NCDA public days for about $20 none members and shoot to 200yds safely 10 minuts drive from chch.
One hill side fire out there,one too many,let alone somebody getting accidently shot.

I think it'll be a sad day when a law abiding FAL holder can't take their rifle and shoot some targets responsibly on public land. I've shot there before a dozen or so times over the years and often there were other shooters in the area shooting at the same time, it never bothered me. After a full day shooting we would clean up after ourselves and grab a Sheffield pie on the drive home - Good times.