March National Board Reports

The Roar

With the roar in full swing safety should be front of mind when in the hills, the highlight of most hunters calendars, remember to prepare well, leave your intentions with a trusted and capable person and identify your target beyond all doubt. I wish everybody the best of luck. Remember to make sure your membership is paid up so you are eligible for AHT competitions should you secure a good trophy to be eligible for our national and branch competitions.

Hunting Trips

With a busy start to the year I’m looking forward to getting away for Reds and Sika, and later in April a Tahr ballot followed by a management hunt organised by the Nelson branch. and then it will almost be time to chase Rusa, Terrible first world problems!

Conference

Our conference this year is being held in Invercargill hosted by the southland branch with a theme of Wapiti and Whitetail, very apt for the current issues faced in the deep south. Although a long journey I hope to see a strong branch turnout.

Firearms Reform

NZDA are pushing hard on firearms reform, clubs and ranges and herds of special interest etc, I hope to see just as good of an outcome with these. We are now on the home straight of this term of government coming to a close as they all hit campaign mode again, where has the time gone right? Well to be honest there wasn’t much time at all, all we can hop for is sensible lawmaking and policy changes into the future, the NZDA will be forever hammer down advocating for Hunters and shooters in NZ, another reason to renew and continue your support, heck even refer a friend! We are the biggest hunting and shooting advocacy group in the country but with only 12,000 members out of approximately 240,000 off firearms licence holders. If you want your voice heard - renew your membership and get onto your mates to renew or join also!

Sika Foundation 10 Year Anniversary

On the 22nd of March I attended the Central North Island Sika Foundation 10-year anniversary in Taupo, a great event with the continued strong message about the value of our game animals. With out the hard-working staff and absolute force of volunteers this sort of work would not be possible. Congratulations on 10 years Sika Foundation!

Hot barrels and happy hunting.

This month has flown by so fast, I've had so much going on in my personal life with a house relocation creeping up on me, pre course planning of my local HUNTS Course, future planning for my branch and Board business.

Competition Shooting

However, I did manage to find some time to indulge in one of my favourite pass times, competition shooting. This last weekend I attended two different disciplined events. Saturday was the Run & Gun SPARC match west of Huntly, this match was hosted by The Gun Rack and the naming rights sponsor was my very own personal sponsor, Arken/DNT Optics through Night Vision NZ. It was a very enjoyable day out in the sun.

National Sporting Rifle Shoot

Sunday saw me attending the National Sporting Rifle Shoot (NSRS) hosted and held by the North Auckland Branch at their range in Riverhead. This is a really fun event held over two days, R/F on Saturday and C/F on the Sunday. Everyone went home with a prize and the top three receive medals. Thanks for putting on such a fun event North Auckland and specifically Paul Carmine.

Branch Shoots

I hope all Branches have scheduled the Wilkinson Postal Shoot into their range calendars. This is a really fun shoot for branches and its a national competition. If you're unsure how to run this event on your range, go to the National website and have a read of the rules, there is also a template there to reproduce the deer silhouette.

Red Hind Photo Comp

While we're on the subject of the Wilkinson Postal Shoot, there will be an extra photograph competition at this years conference. We're asking for photographs of a Red Deer Hind standing side on. The winning photo will be used to create a modernised full sized deer silhouette target for the Wilkinson Postal Shoots from next year onwards.

National Shooting Events

There have been a number of National events over the last month (Five disciplines at the Scoped Rifle Nationals and two at the NSRS) ,then in April the Benchrest Nationals held in Nelson. If anyone is interested in any Shooting events, check out the Shooting Calendar on the National website for details.

Competition Shooting Newsletter

We are planning on starting a six monthly Competition Shooting Newsletter later this year. If anyone has attended any shooting competitions or club range days, and you feel like doing a Shoot Report, please do so and send them through to me. If you took any quality photographs of the event, please send them too.

As always, if you have anything you want to chat to me about regarding range and competition shooting, feel free to flick me an email or text. 

Thats all I have for the time being, so as always. Keep your powder dry and Hot Barrels everyone!

Ruahine Management Hunt – Important First Step

The Ruahine Management Hunt ran from 13–17 March after 18 months of planning and a weather-related delay in 2024. Thirty-one hunters took part, representing seven Lower North Island NZDA branches and the Mōkai Pātea rohe.

This collaborative effort between NZDA, DOC, Mōkai Pātea iwi, and the Lower North Island Red Deer Foundation resulted in the successful removal of 80 red hinds. A major breakthrough was gaining permission to land helicopters in previously restricted ‘red zone’ areas — the result of sustained NZDA advocacy, working closely with DOC and the Ruahine Deer Advisory Group.

The mission focused on removing hinds to slow herd growth, with stags left for the roar. Poor weather cut hunting time by a day and a half, but the outcome was still a success, offering valuable insight for future operations.

Twenty-nine NZDA members and local iwi contributed their time — and often their own money — to make this happen. Branches involved included Kapiti, Wairarapa, Wanganui, Wellington, Hutt Valley, Napier, North Taranaki, and Taupo.

Looking ahead, we’ll be working with DOC, iwi, and communities to recover and distribute usable meat. This supports local needs while reinforcing the benefits of partnering with responsible, trained hunters.
We hope to make this a regular, annual operation.

National Wild Goat Hunting Competition – 2025 Planning Underway

Following last year’s success, we’re planning to make the 2025 National Wild Goat Hunting Competition even bigger and better.

We’ve met with DOC and partners to review lessons from 2024 and will soon be hosting online workshops with participating branches to begin coordination and gather feedback.

A key focus this year will be expanding the Landowner Assist programme. We’ll be proactively engaging with landowners to show how working with local NZDA branches can help manage goat populations effectively and build long-term relationships.

The roar is nearly here — The roar is rapidly approaching, and like many of you, I’m starting to feel that pull toward the hills. This year’s especially meaningful for me — I’ll be heading into the Orongorongos with my son for his very first roar hunt. It’s a moment I’ve looked forward to for a long time, and one that really brings home why we do what we do — passing on skills, values, and a deep respect for the bush to the next generation.

I hope you all get a chance to get out there too — whether it’s chasing stags, sharing stories at camp, or just enjoying the stillness of the tops.

See you in the hills.

Have just spent an enjoyable and successful few days in Molesworth, feeling my age as the next generation of hunters (in this case my daughters) race around the hills (which actually DO get higher and steeper!). I have more great trips to come over next two months (Marlborough, Molesworth and Blue Mountains) so feeling the anticipation.

Three big items from me this month from me.

Access

Our subcommittee is getting its gears meshed with a big improvement in communication with other groups that matter to us like Outdoor Access, Fed Mountain Clubs and associated tramping clubs, Fish and Game and branches. Also, we now have a real and live online database of relevant documents and folders housing background, correspondence and etc on a wide variety of access “cases” around NZ. Progress remains slow but steady, although a few breakthroughs have been had. And where we have got back into the grind on old issues, the agencies involved are now taking real steps to get processes moving again. We are, however keen to get a couple more people to join, preferably one from each Island. C’mon, this is a real team now and a chance to support this critical issue in a structured environment. Contact me if you have an interest and I can explain how we work!

Research

NZDA holds on your behalf over $35,000 to fund game animal management research. As you know from previous (and current, e.g. sika tracking and chamois horn rot study) projects can be big or small, focussed or wide ranging. I am here to support any concept by discussion and help put a proposal together. So, if you have something in your area or region that deserves some field study, desktop review or applied science or policy development get in touch!

Board Nominations for 2025-26

As I noted in my quick pre-election speech in Hutt Vally at last AGM, I am not intending to stand again for the National Board for 2025-26. I have offered to continue to serve the National Association both on the Access Committee and helping with research proposals (as per above). So, here’s a chance to consider going the extra mile and help take the Association to new heights! Again, and as per above, any queries on the ins and outs of being a Board member please get in touch!

Happy and safe hunting

Lower South Island Regional Meeting


A Regional meeting of lower South Island Branches was held at the Otago branch's Beaumont Lodge over the weekend 28th Feb to 2nd March.

There were representatives from 10 branches, with 10 people staying and hunting on the Friday night & Saturday on the permit blocks on the Blue Mountains, that Mark Hastie had organised for us with DoC. In favourable conditions, there were 5 fallow deer shot and many more seen over the vast forestry area on the east side of the Blue Mountains.

14 people stayed on the Saturday night and another 5 members joined for the meeting on the Sunday which went from 10.15am -1.15pm, following the Blue Mountains Weekday Hunting Induction meeting, for access through the forestry areas to the hunting blocks during the week.

We had a very constructive meeting and those present were positive about the structure of the weekend event & the comprehensive Agenda, and were keen on getting together again regularly in Sept & Feb. It was a great opportunity to reacquaint with fellow deerstalkers, put faces to names and meet new people. Zoom meetings for urgent matters will be held as required in the future.
Scott Gillam, the Upper Clutha VP is a Range / HUNTS Assessor and he gave interesting updates with practical examples.

Combining the meeting with the option of hunting was an excellent draw card and the location is reasonably central for branches.

Thank you to Mark Hastie, the Otago Branch President who unfortunately couldn't attend as he was spending time with his 24-year-old son who was receiving chemotherapy for cancer the following week. Mark had organised the weekend and thanks also go to his Branch Treasurer, Roger Bailey & Branch Secretary, Roy Swales who both did an excellent job as hosts in his absence, in catering for us and coordinating the hunting blocks. They have a wonderful asset in their Beaumont Lodge.

Best wishes and safe hunting to those getting out over the Roar period.

Our Board

To learn more about the NZDA Board, follow the link here.

NZDA National Board, photographed at the 76th Conference and AGM in July 2024.