Updates from the Southern Lakes Branch

December Newsletter

Next Meeting

JAN

Join online via Zoom

Next Meeting

Agenda

6.30pm - Drinks and social catch up

7.30pm - Meeting and Updates

8.15pm - Drinks break

8.30pm - Guest Speaker TBC

CLUB MEETING VENUE

Arrowtown Bowling Club,

6 Hertford Street, (Next to Arrowtown Firestation)

Editor/ Secretaries Note

This time next week is Christmas, and although most people will be looking forward to some downtime with family and friends, I do recognise it can also be a stressful time of year for some.

Getting out in the hills is always a great stress relief and even if not hunting, don't forget that we have 2 great huts you can always hike to and stay there for free. We still have some insulation work to do at the Caples if you are keen.

It was great to see everyone at the Xmas BBQ, I was aching a bit on Monday after a few runs through the bouncy castle! It was lovely to see a mixture of new and old faces - images below if you missed it. Also a huge shout out to Nathan for cooking again and the great selection of food everyone brought. We even had more than 3 salads !

There is no meeting in December so the next one is on the 25th Jan.

However we are still looking for helpers for the A&P show on the 13th Jan and we have an opportunity to hunt in the Caples late January so be sure to check the dates and details below.

Your renewal membership invoices will be ready for you at the end of January as the new financial year starts 1st March.

Have a great summer break - and all the best for 2024

Merry Xmas

Regards

Sharon

A & P Show Burger Stand Fundraiser

Volunteers Wanted

It's that time of year again already where we sell tasty venison burgers to raise awareness of the club and raise funds to subsidise fun stuff and hunting trips.

We do need around 13 volunteers to make the day go smoothly, its a great chance for new members to meet others and while flipping burgers, chat about hunting areas and all things deerstalking.

If you are available on the Sat 13th Jan, check out the website and sign up so we can organise who is doing what.

Caples Meat Recovery & Management Hunt

Introduction

The rats and mice numbers in the valley is reported to be quite high therefore the Caples RHA is due to have 1080 dropped in it anytime late Feb or March. We have requested deer repellent but due to funding, there is a high possibility that deer repellent won't be applied to the poison.

Therefore as we anticipate the drop will have a high by kill of deer, we have made a request to DoC to be allowed to harvest as much meat as possible before this valuable resource goes to waste.

Although hunting at this time of year is normally NOT permitted due to the ballots, they have granted us permission with some conditions due to the high traffic on the tracks at this time of year.

We are also going to try and find funding for helicopter meat recovery and looking at donating any excess meat hunters can't process to the local food charity Kiwi Harvest.

This has only been allowed following the successful Greenstone management hunts last year, where we worked with Greenstone Station and the local DOC office to carry out deer studies in the RHA

To avoid issues with potential ballot holders, we will look at only shooting females (hinds and does) and collecting jaw bones and data from the kills as well as animal counts and other research.

Dates of proposed Hunt

Any time between 26th Jan - 6th Feb

More Info and Register interest

Xmas Family BBQ

After some strong winds on the Saturday, we were really lucky to have some amazing weather on the Sunday for the annual Xmas BBQ.

We had nearly 70 people at the event this year and the bouncy castle proved a hit with the kids (big and small) once again.

ABOVE: Kids races in the bouncy castle

ABOVE: The adult relay team race winners

Goat Shoot wash up

More than 10,000 wild goats were shot nationally as part of the competition, our branch entered 228 although I know many more were shot but not entered.

Nearly 700 hunters entered across the country, and many reported that they would be more likely to hunt wild goats because of the competition. They also reported as well as enjoying hunting and winning prizes, that being outdoors, getting some exercise and contributing to conservation were primary motivations for entering.

The Department of Conservation have published some goat recipes and a press release on the success of the competition - see below

A note too to thank and acknowledge our 2023 sponsors who helped make the competition possible

· Founding sponsor Hunting & Fishing NZ

· Major sponsors NZ Hunter and Huntech.

· Supporting sponsors Traeger Grills, Backcountry Cuisine, InfiRay, Lowa Boots,Te Tari Puureke Firearms Safety Authority, Tatonka, Bushnell, LEDLenser, Thorlo, and Topo4GPS.

Goat Recipes

DOC Press release

Branch Goat Competition Winners

BLAKE VEITCH
Most Goat Tails by a Junior (16 tails)

He won a Traverse TR5 Headlamp + $100 Huntech voucher

DAVE VEITCH
Most Goat Tails by an NZDA (47 tails)

He won a Lansky Quick Fix Pocket Sharpener + $100 Backcountry Cuisine Voucher

AUSTYN RHODES

Most Goat Tails (54 Tails)

He won $300 Huntech clothing voucher but also a few spot prizes for consistently entering the competition - Well done Austyn!

ALEX RITCHIE "RED"

Winning a spot prize

DAVE BLACK

Highest Scoring Goat Head 86 6/8th

He won a Hunting & Fishing Camo Rifle Bag + Gerber Gator 154 Folding Knife

There were 2 winners unable to attend the prize giving:-

The Highest Scoring Goat Head 75 7/8th by an NZDA Member went to Bruce Keach who won a Hunting & Fishing Universal Gun Cleaning Kit + NZ Hunter Annual Subscription

and the Highest Scoring Goat Head by a Junior 76 7/8th (under 18) went to Cormick Fitzgerald who won a Hunting & Fishing 126pc First Aid Kit + $100 Hunting &Fishing Voucher

Takahe in the Greenstone

Since the release of the Takahe in the Greenstone valley some updates below

Taken from the DOC Takahe Facebook page

"We are egg-static to update you, two chicks have hatched in the Greenstone Valley! Not only that, but an additional pair have nested. This means, we have gone from five, to six nests thus far in the Upper Wakatipu Waimāori Valley this season.

Monitoring of this new wild population will continue on a regular basis BUT to avoid disturbance of takahē families, we’ll take a 'hands off' approach - looking and listening from a safe distance to get the information we need.

It is critical to understand the success of breeding at this new site, as this tells us whether our pest control effort is working and there is enough food resources to raise chicks. It is very early days in the establishment of takahē in the Greenstone, but these results give the team a sense of cautious optimism heading into the holiday season. "

DOC update

Four rounds of monitoring have shown them to be, mostly, remaining in their release pairings, and making good use of the variety of food resources that the valley provides. None have moved too far from their release location, [ Note from Sharon that is except the pair around our hut, he has wandered up Steel Creek alone] which is great as the valley is where the best protection against mammalian predators and makes our monitoring job much easier than it could have been! [Comment from Sharon.....If they continue to head up Steele Creek, we may see the tree fall dealt with so that they are easier to monitor]

Report sightings

One member Kerrin has been up the Greenstone taking pics (watch out for his entry next photo competition!) and wrote this update

" I found them at various places on a large tussocky flat to the North of the SLDA Mid Greenstone Hut on or near the main Greenstone walking track. To get to the flat, cross the Swing bridge spanning Steele Creek near Steele Creek Lodge, and then head up over a small rise with the Greenstone River close by to the West. The track then drops down onto a tussocky flat as the River heads off to the West. I encountered the Takahe at various locations from this point Northwards up the Greenstone Valley, through to opposite Rats Nest. I found them all on the track (ie East) side of the river.

They were difficult to spot as they tended to hang out in thick tussock grass, and they can disappear very quickly when they sense a human nearby."

Image above taken by Kerrin in August in the Greenstone

The items all below were also included in the November Newsletter but chatting to a few people, it was a crazy time of year and you may have missed this information.

NZDA Club Shirts for Sale

Mens* polo shirts (black)

Includes NZDA logo on the back, with the new logo on the chest and "Southern Lakes Branch" on the arm

Sizes S, M, L, (Sold out of larger sizes)

$45 each

Available for purchase at meetings or online

*Ladies and children's sizes are not yet available this is due to lack of bulk discounts.

Buy online here

Free online training

The Game Animal Council launched their FREE online hunter training modules at the recent Sika Show in Hamilton

Great for those wishing to brush up their skills from the comfort of a sofa

Reminders for All Hunters

As these items need attention every 3 or 4 months, I put the reminder out at every change of season so as it is officially summer (December) it's that time again

Open area hunting permits are not only important and a requirement for the public conservation areas you hunt in, they are a good way for us to show how many hunters there are out there.

Reminders for All Hunters

As these items need attention every 3 or 4 months, I put the reminder out at every change of season so as it is Spring it's that time again

Open area hunting permits are not only important and a requirement for the public conservation areas you hunt in, they are a good way for us to show how many hunters there are out there.

Renew Hunting Permit

The Animal Harvest Tally is a branch initative to gather a record of animals our club members have shot to show our contribution to conservation and animal management.
Please take 5 mins to enter your details/ shooting returns.

Thanks

Animal Harvest Tally

WildApricot App for members

We use a program to manage our membership and events and it is available as an app. Interact with other members and check out the events online

Download below and then use your email and password to log in – if you don’t know your password – just press forgot password and you will be sent a new one