Updates from the Southern Lakes Branch

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Feb 2024 Newsletter

Next Meeting

FEB

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 - Roaring Competition

CLUB MEETING VENUE

Arrowtown Bowling Club,

6 Hertford Street, (Next to Arrowtown Firestation)

Theme for the Meeting

Annual Roaring Competition

29th Feb

Come try your luck and enter the competition on the night. (Held during the meeting)

Best red deer roar & new this year; best wapiti roar

Free to enter - all welcome

Basically you get to roar behind a screen and the judges in the audience mark you out of 10

Spot prizes available

Editor/ Secretaries Note

I hope everyone had a good Xmas and New Year break. Yep... it's Feb and probably a bit late for all that, but with a lot going on, this is the first newsletter of the year. If you missed the last one click here

Hope to see you all at the first meeting for the year on the 29th Feb

Cheers Sharon

A & P Show Burger Stand Fundraiser

January was when we had a stand at the Lake Hayes A&P show and sold venison burgers to raise awareness of the club and raise funds to subsidise fun stuff and hunting trips.

We used our new black banner and flags with the new logos which can be used for other events too.

Thanks to all the members that came helped out - without you the club would not be able to do these fundraising events.

The day was slightly quieter than usual and there seemed to be more competition this year with many more food stands but we still managed to sell over 300 burgers over the day and after costs raised $2k for club funds.

Thanks to the following helpers who made the day possible:-

Nathan Wise
Dave, Sarah and Blake Veitch
Brendon Lines
Jamie Hislop
Marissa Hislop
Liz Mathieson
Phil Galbraith
Reeve Murdoch & friend
Aaron Reigen
Laura Eck & friend
Jackson Mohi

This is a long newsletter .........

If you are reading the newsletter on your phone, be sure to look out for the View Entire Message link at the end so you don't miss out on all the information, links and images.

Simon Brackstone

After 14 years of being an active committee member, Simon has decided to step back and hand over the trap line and his committee post.

We would like to acknowledge Simons contribution over the years. He helped at many A&P shows, Winter Festival Burger stands, put in hours with the trap line and working bees at the Greenstone Hut and also helped with the Freeman Burn Hut rebuild to name a few of the many events

A huge thanks for many years of help and we wish Simon all the best in his new adventures.

Stoat Trap Line

With Simon stepping down, Dave Rider has voluteered to take over the trap line co-ordination.

We do the traps for a number of reasons: Mainly because it is a great thing to do and helps eradicate the pests, but also to off-set the $1000 per hut concession fee we would normally have to pay to DOC for each hut. They take into account the conservation work and volunteer hours and give us a reduction on the amount of volunteer conservation work we have done.

The traps have been in the valley for a significant time and need some maintenance. We also received a grant last year from QLDC to buy new traps mechanisms which we did but we still have a few left to replace.

Dave will be organising a trap line refurbishment starting at Easter and till the 10th April to co-incide with hunting in Steele Creek.

If you are keen to be involved check out the event details and register for the working bee event below

Working Bee Greenstone Hut

We will be working hard but we will also be playing hard as well and cater for all ages. This is a great chance to get to know fellow club members over a whisky/beer/wine or juice around the table at night.

These working bees are always a popular and fun event.

The Club has the Steele Creek RHA Ballot from the 1st April to the 10th April as part of our management agreement with DOC so there is ample opportunity for hunting as well.

No firearms licence?

You are more than welcome to come along too - these are perfect opportunities to learn more in a safe and professional environment in a relaxed learning setting.

Huge Thanks to the "Casey" party

Dave Rider was in the Greenstone hut during Waitangi weekend. There was also a party of 3 that had booked the hut for some fishing.
Unfortunately the weather was too windy for fishing but it turned out fortunate for us, as they did an amazing job at tidying up the shed and rearrange the hut with Dave for a better flow now that the windows have been upgraded.
Images below

Our Huts

We have a number of new members - so want to remind everyone tthat as a benefit of club membership; you have FREE access to stay at either hut in the Caples and Greenstone Valleys. Although hunting is only April - Sept, they are a great place to stay to go fishing or take your family for a hiking trip.

Upper Caples and Mid Greenstone Hut

Greenstone and Caples Ballots

The Recreational Hunting Area (RHA) ballots (above in yellow) are open for the Caples, Steele Creek and the Greenstone Valleys

The DOC are about to drop 1080 on the Caples Valley so you are advised not to harvest the meat however from the recent management hunt, there are plenty of good animals in the area.

The ballots close on the 29th Feb so get in quick if you are keen, remember you can stay at our huts for free

Ballot information

Rifles for sale

From Bryan Wrighton - one of our members

"After a decade of living here in QT we've decided to sell up and move back to UK . The lure of grandkids etc is too strong for Laura

I have some three guns I want to sell :-

Ruger .22 with scope and 2 mags ; a .CZ .177 HMR and my pride and joy my 6.5/550 Tikka with Swarovski Z3 scope

Also a Gun City gun safe"

If you are interested contact bryanwrighton@gmail.com

Wakatipu Youth Trust

Aaron Shaw had a very successful trip last November with some of the local Wakatipu Youth Trust and earned their keep by stacking all the firewood cut at the working bee.

Following that successful trip, Aaron is heading in again and would be keen to hear from anyone willing to help. You will not be responsible for the youths as that is done by the Trust, but it is good to have another member along to tail end the hike in and help with various outdoor activities

If you are keen, contact Aaron on his email

Membership renewal

We finished the membership year with a record number of 250 members !

77 members have already paid and renewed their membership before the official date of 1st March. Awesome thanks :-)

The membership app (example below) makes it really easy to renew (and see much further down how to download the app for your phone).

If you are paying via electronic banking please help us by using your invoice number in the bank reference.

Benefits of membership

Full benefits at national and branch level
NZ Hunting and Wildlife magazine (digital version)
National newsletter and updates
Branch newsletter and access to club members portal
Eligible to enter national and branch competitions
Eligible to join committees
Includes public liability insurance
Able to stay at our club huts for FREE (Mid Greenstone and Upper Caples)
Access to the club private chat group on Facebook

Cost of renewal

The total cost consists of a breakdown of fees:
National Office & our branch costs $141.50 (NZD) plus the $8.50 levies (Money that goes to the research fund, COLFO and Heritage Trust) where applicable.

Total costs of types of membership (including levies)

Senior (18 - 64 years) $150
Junior (under 18) $50
Family (child or partner) $15
Superannuant (Over 65) $95
Student (apprentice or studying) $65
Affiliate (already a member of another branch) $30

This is also a good time to check your personal details are correct as your membership card will be sent to the postal address on file.

Important information

It is now a legal requirement under the Arms Amendment Act 2022 for our club to record firearms licence details, please add your if we do not have it.

Too complicated ? and want to just pay?

No drama - Just pay the membership fee you believe to be correct to the club bank account

ASB: 12-3405-0071329-00

Occasionally we do get it wrong, so feel free to email or call if something does not look right

HUNTS course

The Hunts instructors are tentatively looking at running a course in either June or July and we should have some dates in the next month.
There is a lot to arrange: areas to hunt, accommodation and teaching venue so watch this space.

If you haven't already mentioned it to the instructors, email them on hunts@southernlakesnzda.org.nz and they can add you to the list.

Cost is around $500 for a course run over 3 weekends

Below is a copy of the email from DOC today

Non-toxic component of aerial operation in the Dart, Routeburn and Caples Valleys will take place on Tuesday 20^th and Wednesday 21^st February 2024.

This email is to notify you that the Department of Conservation (DOC) is undertaking a rat and stoat control operation in the Dart, Routeburn and Caples Valleys starting Tuesday 20^th February. This part of the operation is expected to take two days. Helicopters will be sowing a ‘pre-feed’ of non-toxic cereal pellets. This accustoms the pests to the pellets as food, which greatly increases the effectiveness of the poison operation. The 1080 poison pellets will be sown in 1-6 weeks’ time (weather permitting).

This operation is part of DOC’s National Predator Control Programme and is in response to rising rat numbers due to the beech mast last summer. The increasing rat population seriously threatens the survival of the mohua populations in these valleys, and negatively impacts other native species.

The operation on the 20^th and 21^st of February only involves non-toxic pellets. You will receive a separate notification prior to the aerial sowing of 1080 toxin.

Deer Repellent

We were thrilled to hear today that the DOC operation will include deer repellent in the Dart and Caples area. This was only brought about by pressure from our branch, NZDA head office and the Game Animal Council (GAC).

People often ask what the membership fee goes towards. The capitations portion (the majority of it) goes to run the association so that people like Gwyn our CEO can take up causes like this .

This is a huge acknowledgement of the hunting sector and although some deer will be affected, it will significantly reduce the by kill.

NZDA National Tahr Survey

If you have hunted tahr in the past year, please take the NZDA annual survey

This closes at the end of Feb, please help by completing this.

Tahr Survey

Free online training

The Game Animal Council launched their FREE online hunter training modules at the end of last year.

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

Animal Harvest Recording

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

Membership Apps for members

I get a few questions about the app (there are two) so have written some more info about it on the website

Our club uses a program to manage our membership and events and it is available as an app. Really helpful to be able to 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

Instructions on downloading the app