Deer hunters urged to exercise extreme care
With ‘the roar’ season about to begin, deer hunters are reminded to take extra special care out there.
Safe use of hunting firearms is pretty basic, says NZ Deerstalkers Association president Bill O’Leary.
The approaching “roar” and the opening of the game bird season will encourage thousands of hunters into the hills and swamps of New Zealand and national hunting associations and key government departments think it is timely to remind hunters to “be safe”, he says.
In the past decade the number of firearm license applicants has more than doubled and this has increased hunter numbers.
The Hunter Safety Inter-agency Committee chaired by O’Leary is reminding hunters to follow some basic rules:
• Get a firearms licence
• Get permission to access and hunt on land
• Communicate your presence to other hunters
• Understand and observe the basic rules of firearm safety.
O’Leary said that the media and the public tend to focus on the “failure to identify” incidents but he emphasises that most incidents are the result of failure to observe basic rules such as always pointing the firearm in a safe direction.
The Hunter Safety Committee’s analysis of incidents has identified potential causal factors. Unlicensed shooters and illegal hunting are “red flags” and along with spotlighting have featured too frequently in shooting incidents, he says.
“Experienced shooters are not exempt from making mistakes. Bad habits, complacency and deteriorated eyesight have been linked to past incidents.
“Each and every hunter needs to look hard at their own and their mates’ attitudes and conduct and ensure that safety is the most basic of considerations when hunting.”
The Hunter Safety Inter-agency Committee promotes safe firearm usage and draws its members from NZ Police, Department of Conservation, New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association, Fish and Game NZ, New Zealand Pig Hunters’ Association and Firearm Safety Specialists NZ.
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour…
OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core…