National Board Reports October 2025

NZDA 2025-26 National Board, photographed at the 77th Conference and AGM in July 2025, Invercargill. (Absent S. Langslow, T. Dibben and W. Iglesias)

Dear members, 

We have a heap going on in the sector as usual. Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Game animal council parliamentary hunt at Ngamatea station. The purpose of the hunt is to host politicians from all political parties and share with them what is important to us as hunters, every politician gets an invite from the GAC. This is a hugely beneficial event where us as hunters can get in front of politicians and share what's important to us and share the challenges we face. Thank you to all the passionate people that made this come together for yet another successful year. 

HOSI is on the agenda, and some progress is being made. We continue to struggle with the machine that is DOC, mainly on the communication front. There have been several promises made by the department to communicate with various interest groups which are continually falling short leaving the HOSI applicants having to deal with the fall out. To date I have given the benefit of the doubt - However it is looking more and more like the department is in working against HOSI. Maybe allowing it to pass through but not without chinks in the armour, this to me looks like the department are setting themselves up for a way out should we have a change in government. HOSI needs to be lock tight and enduring currently under the law/act changes it is not. I have approached the Minister of Hunting and Fishing with these concerns and also spoken to the advisor to the Minister of Conservation to raise these concerns with the minister, which I believe have been passed on. 

We have the Sika Show right around the corner, unfortunately I am unable to make it this year due to an overseas trip, however I look forward to seeing the photos and hopefully a big turn out to support the sector. Hopefully you can take the time to get along and go and see our NZDA team and other exhibitors once again I'm sure it will be a fantastic show! 

Myself and Minister Mckee with her stag at Ngamatea, it was aged by the Sika foundation at 10 years old. 

If you missed it, have a read of the latest Target Shooting Newsletter released earlier this week.

We have also been expanding the website within the Target Shooting section, you can now find any relevant stories, updates, and match reports within the one menu here.

The NZDA National Shooting Committee is inviting nominations for discipline representatives in our competitive shooting categories. View them and details of how to make a nomination here.

The past few months have been reasonably busy for the Board. I had my first in person meeting with the team at Head Office in Wellington, which was a great opportunity to connect face-to-face and strengthen relationships. It was also valuable to hear directly from representatives of the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Game Animal Council (GAC), gaining insight into their current priorities and how they align with NZDA’s goals. 

While in Wellington, I also visited the NZDA National Hunting and Shooting Museum. It’s a well-curated and impressive space that I highly recommend if you’re in the area its great reminder of the rich heritage behind our organisation. 

This past weekend, I tuned into a regional meeting of NZDA branches across the North Island. It was encouraging to hear the diverse perspectives and updates from our local teams. The passion and commitment to hunting, conservation, and community engagement were evident throughout the discussions. 

With the Sika Show just around the corner, I’ve been busy organising volunteers for the NZDA stand and assisting Head Office with logistics, including arranging a depot in Hamilton to receive the stand materials. As the largest hunting and outdoor event in New Zealand, it’s crucial that NZDA has a strong presence. We want our brand visible everywhere, so if you’re attending, please stop by the stand and introduce yourself. It’s a great chance to connect and showcase what NZDA stands for. 

On the hunting front, I’ve taken my young kids out to a local block to try and “shoot a deer” with a camera, that is! No luck this time, but it was a fun outing and a good way to introduce them to the outdoors. I also spent three days walking the Ruahine tops recently, hoping to fill the freezer. Unfortunately, a mix of poor weather and some less than perfect shooting meant I came home with a lighter pack than I’d hoped. There’s always next time! 

Congratulations to the Ute Raffle winner!! This was a major fundraising initiative and a fantastic opportunity to support NZDA’s ongoing projects. 

Thanks again for your continued support and mahi. See you at the Sika Show! 

In between reasonably constant wind and regular rain in the southern half of the mainland over the past 4-6 weeks,  HUNTS training courses have continued, and goat hunts occurred for the National  Goat Competition, at several Branches. 

The effectiveness of our goat hunts would be vastly improved with the reintroduction of access to semi-automatic rifles in .223 and larger calibres. Over a weekend at Bendigo Station, 12 of us shot 132 goats, which was good, however it was disappointing to see hundreds of goats running away as soon as shots were fired. Centrefire semi-automatic rifles are a great tool for goat, pig and wallaby hunts and their reintroduction would be entirely appropriate. Here's hoping that the upcoming Arms Act changes see this happen. 

The upcoming 1080 drops that are scheduled to occur in response to DoC's  forecast beech mast this year, have been well publicised. Deer repellant is being used in some areas. 

The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation "Wapiti Weekend" is being held over the weekend of the 21st & 22nd November in Te Anau, with the "Wahine Night" on the Friday night and the "Live Ballot Draw" on the Saturday night.  

Tickets are limited! Don't miss Fiordland's biggest weekend. 

Hot Barrels & Safe Travels. 

Mark Elliotte. 

Over the past six weeks, my primary focus has been co-organising a Goat Control operation on Molesworth Station. This initiative, in collaboration with the Marlborough Branch and DoC, targets the Turks Head area and has involved significant planning and coordination. 

Beyond Marlborough Branch and Molesworth, there’s been a wide range of activity across the Top of the South Branches: 

• West Coast: Partnering with DoC to enhance the Goat Competition, including open days in Westport, Greymouth, and Hokitika. They've signed a 5-year agreement with DoC to manage Waikiti Hut and are planning maintenance work at Lame Duck Hut. Planning is underway for 75th Anniversary celebrations in early 2027. 

• Nelson: Preparing for an ungulate control trip in Nelson Lakes in mid-November. They continue their commendable efforts supplying meat to local food banks. 

• North Canterbury: Recently acquired 16 Shotmarker Electronic Targets to improve range safety and efficiency. Their Club Hunts calendar is full, including jet boat access into Lake Sumner RHA and Fly In/Fly Out hunts. 

• Golden Bay: Ahead of the 1080 drop in Kahurangi, they've secured Prodeer for the Cobb Valley operation. They've also raised $60,000 for restoring Myttons Hut and are now ordering and stockpiling materials. 

• Malvern: Held a predator trap working bee on their 13 Mile Bush trap line. A recent child/parent hunt was a success, with juniors harvesting deer shared among members. More hunts are planned. 

These updates reflect the strong momentum and collaboration across our branches, with a clear focus on conservation, community engagement, and member development.