Updates from the Southern Lakes Branch

June 2024 Newsletter

Next Meeting

JUN

Join online via Zoom

Agenda for the next club night

Bar opens at 6.30pm for social catch up

Meeting starts at 7.30pm.

Theme for the meeting

THERMAL EQUIPMENT TECH TALK

CLUB MEETING VENUE

Arrowtown Bowling Club,

6 Hertford Street, (Next to Arrowtown Firestation)

Results from the AGM

Thanks to every that came to the AGM, there was a great selection of food supplied and the popular curry receipe is below.

Winners from the AGM - Antler, Horn & Tusk competition night

Looks like the ladies and juniors took out the majority of the trophies...

Red Deer - David Veitch

Tahr - Alex Ritchie

Chamois - Laura Pinney

Fallow - Koren Taylor

Goat - Kaylyn Pinney

White Tail Deer - No entries

Wild Sheep - No entries

Fiordland Wapiti - No entries

Pig - Alex Ritchie

Best AHT overall - Koren Taylor

Best Ladies Head - Koren Taylor

Junior - Hollee Brooks

Tahr
Alex Ritchie

Red Deer
David Veitch

Pig
Alex Ritchie

Junior Trophy
Hollee Brooks

And Koren Taylor who shot her Fallow on the recent ladies hunt, took out 3 categories.

Fallow
Koren Taylor

Ladies Trophy
Koren Taylor

Best head overall
Koren Taylor

Laura and Kaylyn Pinney are branch members but live on the West Coast and couldn't make the AGM so pics are of the animal when shot.

Chamois
Laura Pinney

Goat
Kaylyn Pinney

National Conference Competitions

Every year NZDA holds National Competitions in conjunction with the Annual Conference. The local winners of our club photo competition will be automatically entered, as well as a few of the winners from our club Antler, Horn & Tusk (AHT) competition.

But did you know that there are many other categories in the National Competition? In addition to the AHT competition there are also competitions around hunting stories, poems, photographic essays, film and Young Deerstalker of the Year. If you are interested in entering any of these please read the competition rules using the link below and contact Sharon to arrange signing the entry form (which can be done easily via email). You have to be "in it to win it" and how cool would it be to have your entry in the history books!

We have a number of people attending conference so if you would like to enter any heads and have them delivered, please get in touch.

CLOSING DATE is Friday 28th June 2024 so not long to get sorted.

Tahr Rogan Josh

A firm favourite at Pot Luck AGM made by Brendon Lines

700g Tahr shoulder (cut into casserole sized pieces)
Canola or rice bran oil
1 large onion (finely diced)
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
8-10 Cardamom pods (pound pods and just use seeds, discard shells)
2 tablespoons (or to your own taste) curry paste (any of butter chicken, rogan josh, massaman, red curry or vindaloo will do, I used 1/2 butter chicken & 1/2 vindaloo paste as that’s what I had sitting in the fridge)
2 cups beef stock
1 pottle tomato paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
Couple of tasty beers
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar will do)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Heat oil in pan, add onion, garlic and ginger, fry off for 2 mins before adding cardamom seeds and curry paste, fry another minute before adding Tahr meat. Fry another minute to seal meat before adding 1 cup beef stock, tomato paste and canned tomatoes. Mix well before turning down to a simmer.

This is where the beer comes in, sit down and enjoy a couple of beers while leaving to simmer for 2 hours (or as long as it takes for Tahr to be tender enough to break into pieces with cooking spoon). Note to keep topping curry up with remaining cup of beef stock and water if need any extra after that.

5-10 mins before serving add palm sugar and ensure it melts / disintegrates, then add fish sauce and lime juice.

Stir well and serve with rice, roti or naan.

And if there’s any left it also goes well on a slice of toast next day 👍

Would also go good with goat or lamb, but this Tahr edition deserves a special shout out to Phil for the club trip to Ferintosh last year. Cheers & enjoy 🍻

DOWNLOAD recipe as a PDF

Reminder about transporting firearms

1. All firearms must be concealed from view from outside the vehicle.

2. Firearms must be made inoperable by removing the bolt or another vital part or by fitting a trigger lock or storing in a locked case or carry bag.

3. Firearms must not be loaded with ammunition in the breach, barrel or chamber or magazine.

4. Ammunition must be concealed from view from outside the vehicle.

5. Ammunition must be stored separately from all firearms and be locked in the glove box or similar storage area where practicable. (in a cash box or metal lockable ammo box).

6. Food and toilet stops of up to 60 minutes are allowed if you have your vehicle nearby.

HUNTS course

The Hunts instructors have got the dates for the course, Katie who does all the amazing organising, is busy moving house so will no doubt sort the details once she has internet at the new place and a registration link to secure your place.

10th -11th Aug Classroom and Butchery Sessions

17th -18th Aug Classroom and Range

23-25 Aug Weekend away hunting

30th Aug - 1 Sept Alternative dates should we need to reschedule the weekend away due to weather

If you have already mentioned your interest to the instructors, they will have you on their list or you can email them on hunts@southernlakesnzda.org.nz and they can add you.

Cost is $550 for a course run over 3 weekends

GAC "The Stalk" Newsletter

The GAC produces a quarterly newsletter that you can sign up for, see the Winter Edition by clicking the link below.

Read the Winter Edition here

The Better Hunting website is also well worth signing up for. In addition to training modules there are some great resources like ballot calendars and information all about hunting

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

Detail on the new shooting range
operated by NZ Wild Ltd

Opens the first Sunday of every month for members (except during lambing)

7th July
4th Aug
1st Sept

10 am to 3 pm

This new range near Fairlight (Kingston) is now fully certified and open for sporting and hunting rifles and is authorised for the use of:

Bolt action centre fire and rimfire
Shotguns all types
Semi-automatic rimfire
P endorsed firearms with appropriate current endorsement

And has the following distances available:

25m – Rimfire when target board is in place
50m - Rimfire and Centrefire
100m - Centrefire and Rimfire
200m – Centrefire and rimfire

NZDA members are invited to use the range

Range fees are $10 pp (NZDA members) payable at the range (in cash) and you need to register with Shaun in advance (text him on 027 442 1605) so that there are enough Range Officers on site

Please ensure you read in advance the

Range Introduction information

and the

Range Standing orders

Save the dates - Club Events

The event calendar is starting to fill out again - prices and registration is not available till early July but some dates for the diary

4th - 6th Oct - Club Tahr Hunt in Mt Cook

11th - 13th Oct - Ladies Tahr Hunt at Ferintosh (Mt Cook)

Dunstan Downs Ladies Hunt

Ladies Hunt

When: 13th - 15th Sept

Where: Dunstan Downs Station (See map above)

Cost: $165 pp

Includes: 2 nights accom and access to private hunting land

Max number: 6-8 experienced hunters plus 6-8 "not so experienced"

Organised by: Phil Wilson - accredited hunting guide & NZDA member with Sarah Rutene

For those thinking about joining us this is a unique opportunity to hunt red deer, tahr, fallow and pigs on private land before it is opened to public having gone through a Tenure Review Process (private land is being turned into open hunting areas and conservation land)

For those that went to last years event, it’s the perfect opportunity to use what local knowledge you gained last time to make a safe and successful hunt.

The accommodation consists of backpacker style with full linen supplied. The accom will be exclusive to us as too the 10,000 ha Station.

Open to Members and potential new members, as you must be a NZDA member to be covered by the insurance policy

Editor/ Secretaries Note

Secretaries Update

I wrote in the last newsletter that with my job (the one that pays my mortgage and is paid) that I had been struggling to get everything done (newsletters, admin and emails).

I was then humbled at the recent AGM to be nominated as a branch life member in recognition of my work as secretary over the last 12 years or so. What an honour and thanks .

We also asked at the AGM if anyone wanted to stand for the position of secretary but no one came forward, however some volunteers and the committee have offered to help with the admin side of running the club, so that really helps.

If anyone else is keen to help, I'm happy to give full training etc. Just give me a call and even the smallest help would be amazing

Hence the delay on the newsletter - sorry about that

Cheers Sharon

National Goat Competition

The successful DOC/NZDA goat competition that ran last year will be happening again this year from August to November. So we will be asking you to collect tails again and every tail will give you an entry into the competition

The club will look to put on a few club trips to shoot goats - so stay tuned

Sept Working Bee Greenstone Hut

When: 20th - 30th Sept

What: 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 20th Sept to the 30th Sept 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.

Membership Apps for members

We 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. It's 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