The Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) concession permits issued by the department in 2004 all expire in September 2009. The department is seeking feedback on a draft national WARO concession permit to replace these existing permits.
NZDA branches, members and other hunters should write submissions to support "No WARO" deer areas where they hunt. Otherwise helicopter operators are likely to get more WARO allowed areas for deer recovery and live capture. Some conservancies have done a good job. Others are not good.
Note: WARO (Wild Animal Heli Recovery Operations) are now only for deer for carcass processing and live deer recovery. Other species eg chamois, tahr, and their live recovery, are dealt with separately. Regional conservators can also let their own contracts for wild animal recovery eg as is happening in Raukumara Forest Park.
The concessions to be let nationally for WARO (this consultation) will run for 5 years. It is essential that recreational hunters and NZDA branches respond to support WARO-free hunting areas that they are interested in. Helicopter pilots have been very aggressively attacking the idea that any areas should be prohibited to WARO operators. Generally, though some conservancies have been supportive of recreational hunters, many have not been – see the list of forest and conservation parks that do not provide adequately with “no-WARO” area, to assist recreational hunters.
Submissions required on (see below):
1 Changes or support for the draft WARO concession - DOCDM-447992
2 Draft public land for WARO offer: General - Schedule 4
3 Specific prohibited areas and justifications for them – see DOCDM-445349
4 Specific restricted, areas (See maps, and Schedule 5 - Restricted areas)
5 Forest and conservation parks’ provision – including a number of recently formed ones.
Important reading:
1 DOC Conservator's letter of 16 July (DOCDM-448259);
2 Justifications of restrictions/closures by conservancy (DOCDM-445349);
3 Draft Concession Document (DOCDM-447992 4 CD map (enlargable) of NZ showing prohibited (red), restricted (orange), open (green) and unallocated (blue).
See the DOC website http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/consultations/current/national-wild-animal-recovery-operations-concession-permits/ for the first three. Contact DOC Canterbury, 03 379 9758 for the CD.
1) Comments on the draft WARO concession document (DOCDM-447992).
Major areas of NZDA concern re these concessions:
a) Un-enforceability by DOC: Continued lack of ability for DOC to enforce Prohibited or Restricted zones: Firstly depends on NZFSA eg for helicopter way-logging and location of kills, not on data routinely supplied to DOC. Hunters reporting breaches near 1080 drops should go to NZFSA, not DOC. Similarly helicopters not showing registrations should be reported to CAA. What gets reported to DOC? Does DOC expect helicopter operators to obey the rules? What about those who don't? A real time automatic reporting of flight positions is needed, and is available for fleet operators in New Zealand.
b) Accountability of pilot/shooter (Concession Schedule 1): Some WARO operators have a hateful view of recreational hunters (judging by some of their comments from their two WARO meetings about the contempt they have for recreational hunters) recreational hunters want the shooter and pilot on each WARO run recorded, and accessible to the public. This is not required by the concession. It should be.
c) Excessive number of concessionaires and helicopters: In 2004-09 there were 98 concessions and over 200 helicopters. At present growth-rates, this will grow to 120 concessions with 250 helicopters. NZDA believes concessions should only be granted to the serious operators, probably 20 helicopters. The rest create extra noise in the back country, and are a poaching risk. Urge that only 20 concessions be granted, and that all concessionaires and their pilots and shooters be “fit and proper”.
d) Schedule 1 Clause 1: Land: Mistake in allowing “Unclassified” land to be part of the land over which WARO is authorized, but is also forbidden. Request DOC: Delete “Unclassified” from authorized land.
e) Supplying capture points for live capture (Schedule 3, 7 (d)): Ask that DOC require this to be required too, not just location for carcasses.
(f) Overflying non-WARO areas (Schedule 3, 7 (e)): Propose that WARO operators not overfly areas where WARO is prohibited or restricted (during restricted times) or if they need to, must do so at heights greater than 1500 feet above the ground.
(g) Need for a new Schedule 4, (or 4A) identifying in words the “No WARO” areas. Needs to be written.
(h) Temporary suspension or termination (Clause 25, and 30) for poaching on public land: Ask that it is stated in these two clauses that termination or suspension will result if a helicopter takes animals from a prohibited area. Just taking account of safety etc is not sufficient. Make clear poaching ie taking from a prohibited area, is a termination offence.
(i) Change of land on offer (Clause 62) to be notified to hunters: Any change of land on offer to concessionaires shall be publicly notified, and notified to recreational hunting stakeholders.
2) Draft public land for WARO offer: General - Schedule 4:
a) Support the 6 week exclusion of all lands administered by DOC during the Roar - 15 March - 30 April (46 days), and the 24 day (inclusive) exclusion over Xmas-New Year (22 December - 15 January), in the North Island.
b) Propose making the significantly shorter times in the South Island (Roar - 23 March -20 April (29 days inclusive), Xmas - New Year 22 December -5 January (15 days inclusive) the same as the North Island.
3 Specific prohibited areas and justifications for them
a) Prohibited areas need to be listed in Schedule 4 too. In the previous (2004-09) concessions they were. They are not listed, only on the maps, which makes them hard to identify, especially if you don't have the maps.
b) Support all prohibited areas listed in your region, or where you go hunting eg RHAs, and buffer zones around them, all conservation parks should have some prohibited areas in them for recreational hunting. It is important to justify these areas eg you or others go hunting in them, State why they are appropriate as prohibited areas eg easy access by vehicle, enough deer present to make recreational hunting attractive etc.
Note especially any additional prohibited areas by conservancy, and argue for them. These are areas unlikely to remain prohibited if hunters don't support them with reasons.
North Island: (Separate Red deer concessions)
Waikato: Pureora Forest Park (outside the RHA) is open to WARO except during the roar closure. It should be closed throughout the year, as there are large numbers of deerstalkers in Auckland, Hamilton, the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki who can hunt this area. Argue for this to be the case. The RHA is not shown as WARO excluded. Appears to be an error. Support the Te Tapui and Te Miro Scenic Reserves who have an historic Fallow deer herd.
Bay of Plenty: Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park and all other lands within the Tauranga and Rotorua Lakes Areas – no WARO.
Rangataiki Area: Whirinaki Forest Park Waipunga, Kokomoka: WARO allowed, apart from an area of 1 km radius around Minginui Village. Christmas exclusion area runs from 20 December to 31 January. NZDA Recommendation: Propose south Whirinaki be a non-WARO zone.
Tongariro-Taupo: No WARO in: Tongariro Forest, Rangataua and Erua Conservation areas, or in scenic reserves. None of these are shown as WARO excluded on the map. Support their status as WARO excluded.
Tongariro National Park: Area north of the Waihohunu Stream (east) and the Makatuku River (SW) is WARO free but not shown in red. Also there is no Makatuku River. WARO is allowed in some (all?) of the park between 1 May and 31 October.
Kaimanawa Forest Park: Kaimanawa RHA not shown (and not shown in red). Rest of Park WARO only allowed 1 June – 31 October. NZDA Recommends: WARO only be allowed in the remainder of the park if recreational hunting is not keeping deer numbers at adequate levels, ie no open slather.
NB: The maps for Tongariro-Taupo Conservancy have the following errors compared with the written commentary:
a) Tongariro Forest, Erua, Rangataua conservation areas are not shown as conservation land and are not shown as non-WARO.
b) Tongariro National Park: There is no Makatuku River on the western side of Tongariro National Park (Page 9, DOCDM-445349). Consequently the area north of the Makatuku River ie a non WARO area, is not defined. The status of the park south of the Waihohunu River is not defined, and not shown as national park. The area when WARO is allowed in the Park (1 May-31 October) is not defined.
East Coast-Ureweras:
Raukumara Forest Park: This is almost wholly WARO prohibited, as a trial of contracted, performance-based aerial shooting and recovery.
NZDA Comment: Is there a need for an area free of WARO for recreational hunting? If so, where? Eastern side near Mt Hikurangi?
Urewera National Park: Ruakituri Wilderness, and the watersheds of Lake Waikremoana and Waikare-iti, and the Galatea Foothills are WARO prohibited. Rest of Park is open to WARO.
Kaweka Forest Park: Almost wholly RHA. No WARO.
Taranaki-Wanganui- Ruahines:
Ruahine Forest Park: Open to WARO only 1 May-30 November (7 months). Significant parts of the park (in the South, west (Orua to Pourangaki catchments), east and the 1 km northern buffer) are closed to WARO year round.
Whanganui National Park: River trench – closed during the summer (1 October-30 April). 1 km either side of Mangapurua and Kaiwhakakauka Tracks (for user safety), and because of high use by recreational hunters). Rest of the park open.
All other areas of public reserve and conservation land in the Conservancy – no WARO.
NZDA Recommendation: ? Are WARO-free areas justified in Waitotara Conservation Area, or on the western side of the Whanganui National Park? (for Taranaki hunters?). If so ask for them.
Wellington:
Prohibited: Aorangi Forest Park (RHA), Rimutaka Forest Park - middle (from Wairongomai) south. and 1 km each side of Rimutaka Incline Walk, Tararua Forest Park -Kaitoke Roadend and Tauherenikau Valley to Cone corner, Waiohine to the Gorge, Holdsworth and Atiwhakatu, but excluding the catchments draining to the east of these rivers.
Small area around Otaki Forks.
NZDA Recommendation: That the whole of the Rimutaka Forest Park to be helicopter free.
DOC is proposing a 22,000 ha strip through the middle of the Tararua Forest Park as a Kaka corridor. If this is confirmed (it will be 1080-ed every 3 years) then it will have no deer or possums. In this case, all the TFP outside the corridor should be prohibited to WARO, and managed by the hunters in the 500,000 population surrounding the Park.
NZDA Recommendation:
(1) If the Kaka corridor does not go ahead, then the western side of the Tararuas lacks any hunting areas (apart from the highly populated Otaki Forks area). 4 km areas around the three hunters huts (Kapakapanui, Nicholls, North Ohau, Burn should be provided.
(2) If the Corridor does go ahead, there will be almost no deer in the Corridor. Propose that the remainder of the forest park be WARO-free all year, for recreational hunting.
South Island: (Separate Red deer Concessions)
Please support the principle that lands becoming part of the public estate after this consultation eg from Tenure Review, should be “No WARO” until they are publicly consulted on. St James is a case in point.
Nelson-Marlborough:
Kahurangi Nat Park: Cobb Valley and Mt Arthur Tableland and buffer zone – WARO free because high use area. All the rest of the park is available for WARO, through to the Buller River, apart from the Tasman Wilderness - no WARO between 1 December and 20 April.
NZDA recommendation: Any other areas of the park that is popular with hunters, where a case can be made?
Abel Tasman National Park:
Nelson Lakes National Park: St Arnaud mainland Island – no WARO; Rest of the Park: No WARO - 1 November - 31 May.
Molesworth Recreation Reserve/Landcorp Farm: No WARO – lease agreement with Landcorp.
Marlborough Sounds: No WARO.
Mt Richmond Forest Park: The whole 210,000 Ha is fully open to WARO, except Xmas - January 5th and the roar. NZDA Question: Is this acceptable? Are there good hunting areas where no WARO would be worthwhile?
Raglan Range, Branch, Leatham, Waihopai-Avon-Ferny Gair etc: Unconstrained WARO, apart from Ferny Gair. Have to contact South Marl Office before WARO-ing. Any other areas here that should be WARO free?
Inland and Seaward Kaikoura Conservation Park, etc: Tapuae O Uenku Scenic Reserve and conservation land in the Inland Kaikoura Range is WARO free. Significant chamois numbers. Also the Clarence Reserve below Tappy, and on the south of the Clarence – grazing lease.
Canterbury:
Waimakariri (North Canterbury) Area:
Inclusion of the Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve areas in the Lewis and Nina Rivers (forest below the bushline including Deer Stream etc) This greatly increases the integrity of the Lake Sumner Recreational Hunting Area (RHA).
NB The Map says Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve, west of SH7. Map shows all of the Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve upstream of the Boyle.
NZDA Recommends: What is shown on the map plus the Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve in the Doubtful, and the watershed of the Boyle.
St James: Unallocated. NZDA Recommends: Propose there be no WARO in the area, and that it be managed for recreation, including recreational hunting.
Hanmer Forest Park: Not mentioned. Should this area be no WARO? Are there any deer there?
Arthur’s Pass National Park: No WARO-free areas. Are any needed? eg up the Waimakariri?
Craigieburn and Torlesse Forest Parks: No WARO-free areas. Some are needed as these parks are for recreation primarily, especially recreational hunting.
Mt Oxford/Mt Thomas RHA: Not mentioned in the text, shown on the map as no WARO
Raukapuka (Geraldine, Central Canterbury) Area:
No WARO: Mt Somers/Woolshed Creek/Mt Alford; Clent Hills; Mt Potts CA and Hakatere NHF (Parts of Hakatere Conservation Park).
Areas with open WARO: Mt Hutt Range, Head of the Rakaia, much of the head of the Ragitata, outside the Two Thumb Conservation Park.
Two Thumb (Te Kahui Kaupeka) Conservation Park: No WARO.
NZDA Recommendation: Strongly support this decision. It is a major area for tahr hunting, with some Red deer.
South Canterbury(Twizel/Aoraki):
Areas closed to WARO: Hooker and Tasman Valleys, Mt Cook National Park (probably too many tourist aircraft operating), Cass Valley/Mistake River area (from Tenure Review). Lindis Pass Scenic Reserve, Proposed Tenure Reviews between Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki have not yet become operative.
Areas open to WARO: All of Hopkins, Dobson, Ahuriri Conservation Park
NZDA Comment:
1 Ahuriri Cons ervation Park should be mostly “No WARO” as it is attractive for tahr and Red deer.
2 Also parts of the Hopkins, Huxley, Dobson, in the Ruataniwha Conservation Park.
3 Oteake Conservation Park, Waitaki catchment: These are part of Otago, and should be administered from Alexandra. Like the Otago side of the Oteake Conservation Park, they should be “No WARO” as deer are at low numbers and are best controlled by recreational hunting.
West Coast:
Buller to Greymouth: No WARO restrictions ie in Paparoa National Park, Kahurangi National Park (except Tasman W/ness (1 December -2 0 April)), or Buller or Grey Valleys, and including all of the Victoria Range Forest Park..
NZDA Comment: Should be some “No WARO” areas in the Victoria range Forest Park, eg Waitohu Valley. Where else? Upper Otututu (Rough) River? Can recreational hunters control deer numbers in such areas?
Greymouth to Cascade River: Adams and Landsborough Wildernesses – not from 23 March to last weekend in July.
Olivine W/ness: No WARO 1 December -2 0 April
Westland National Park: Requires permission from area manager. No WARO without conservator’s permission in Okarito South Forest, Waiho Valley, (including Omoeroa and Waikukupa Valleys) and Waitangiroto Nature Reserve
Otago:
Central Otago Area: Has made all conservation areas WARO excluded. Generally open tussock tops, including the Tops of the Old Man, Old Woman, Dunstans and Eastern Remarkables Ranges, and the Hawkdun/Oteake Conservation Park managed from Alexandra.
NZDA Recommendation: Please support these prohibited areas, which are primarily land surrendered from tenure review, and which WARO operators want.
The Hawkdun Park has its northern slopes (Waitaki catchment) managed from Canterbury 60% of the Park). That part of the Park was shot out by Canterbury DOC staff.
NZDA Recommendation: Ask that the whole Park be managed from Alexandra (Otago), and that all of it be WARO prohibited. Recreational hunters can manage this area. Having the NE part of the Park as open to WARO makes poaching much more likely in the areas that are WARO prohibited as well.
Coastal Otago:
WARO Excluded: Kakanui, Wainakarua, Te Papanui (Lammermoors) and Rock & Pillars. Excludes the Catlins which should be WARO-free too. Many small scenic reserves and conservation areas. NZDA Recommendation: Please support these prohibited areas, which are primarily land surrendered from tenure review, and which WARO operators want.
Wakatipu: Rastus Burn (few deer), Caples Greenstone RHA, Whitetail deer (Lower Dart Cons Area Moratorium area) excluded.
Wanaka: Most of Mt Aspiring National Park is open to WARO. The Olivine Wilderness is closed to WARO from 1 December to 31 March, and over the roar.
Areas of the park accessible eg in the lower Dart, East Matukituki Conservation Area, Wilkin and Makarora-Haast Pass should be argued for recreational hunting. Also an above bushline area eg Earnslaw and Clarke Mountains. Also readily accessible areas in the Hawea Conservation Park eg along the Dingle and Hunter Valleys to the bushline, should be made WARO-free.
Southland:
Fiordland National Park: Wapiti Area is proposed as WARO prohibited. Please support this, as the future of wapiti depends on it. Also Murchison Mountains Takahe area.
Rest of Southland: Longwoods is WARO-free – agreement with local deerstalkers. Also Blue Mountains RHA, Waikaia Bush Scenic Reserve.NZDA: Please support these.
Rest of Fiordland Nat Park: Open for WARO. Also Takitimu Mountains, Mavora Lakes, Eyre Mountains Conservation Park. NZDA recommends: An accessible part of Eyre Mountains Conservation Park should be “No WARO”. eg in the east, near the Lumsden-Kingston Road. Also propose Mavora Lakes should be WARO free.
Stewart Island: Support it ALL being WARO prohibited.
c) Propose additional prohibited areas, where recreational hunters are likely to be able to manage deer numbers sustainably, especially if very few prohibited areas are provided in your region. Discuss this with your branch and other hunters.
4 Conservation and Forest parks should have “No-WARO” Areas:
As well, NZDA recommends that every conservation or forest park in the deer feral range, has a “No-WARO” area, to encourage control by recreational hunters. Such parks are to “facilitate public recreation and enjoyment". Two such Forest parks are RHAs – Kaweka and Aorangi.
Two in the North Island, where additional “No-WARO” areas are desirable are:
3 Pureora (only a small RHA, but serving a large regional population)
4 Whirinaki (No area with No-WARO”)
5 Kaimanawa (small RHA, but high use)
6 Raukumara (WARO rights allocated to a WARO operator - bad)
7 Ruahine – significant “WARO excluded” time slot for whole park, with some fully “no-WARO”
8 Tararua – inadequate “No-WARO” areas in the west and North. In a state of flux, as a 22,000 “kaka –corridor” with no deer is being proposed.
9 Rimutaka: Two thirds of the park is WARO-free. Good.
South Island:
10 Mt Richmond Forest Park – No “WARO-free areas
11 Kawatiri (North Buller, Mokihnui) proposed conservation park - No “WARO-free areas
12 Victoria Range FP - No “WARO-free areas
13 Lake Sumner Forest Park – RHA, and “No-WARO” in part of Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve
14 Kaikouras Conservation Park – some “WARO-free areas because of grazing lease
15 St James Conservation area – could become a conservation park, whole of the area is “No-WARO” at present
16 Craigieburn Forest Park - No “WARO-free areas.
17 Torlesse Conservation Park - No “WARO-free areas
18 Hakatere Conservation Park – Some “no-WARO” areas – good.
19 Two Thumb Conservation Park – whole area is WARO-free at present. High importance for tahr. Very good.
20 Ruataniwha (Lake Ohau-Hopkins-Ben Ohau) CP - No “WARO-free areas
21 Ahuriri Conservation Park - No “WARO-free areas
22 Hawea Conservtion Park - No “WARO-free areas
23 Oteake-Hawkdun Conservation Park (proposed) – the Otago part is all “No-WARO”, the Canterbury part is “All-WARO”
24 Te Papanui Conservation Park – all is “No-WARO” very good.
25 Eyre Mountains Conservatation Park – no “no-WARO areas.
26 Catlins Forest Pard – No “No WARO” areas
27 Mavora Lakes Park – No “No WARO” areas
NZDA Recommendation: For the forest parks that you know or hunt in, assess the best areas for “No WARO”. Send NZDA a copy of your submission.
5 Specific restricted, areas (See maps, and Schedule 5 - Restricted areas)
a) Restricted areas - have additional times when WARO is prohibited. Listed in Schedule 5 of the Concession.
NZDA Recommends: Support the areas listed, ask for additional areas where recreational hunters are likely to be able to control deer numbers, or where the number of recreational deerstalkers and the number of deer they take justifies restrictions eg areas near to population centres.
Note: Where you think the restrictions are not long enough, argue for additional closed time.
2 Km Buffer: A 2 km buffer on conservation land is required by the NZ Food Safety Authority, unless the WARO operator has a statement from the adjacent landowner that he has not used poisons. Possible WARO-free zones.
If you are making proposals for change, consider sending NZDA a copy of your submission.
© 2011 New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association