Tahr Wars: Episode II
The politicization of tahr management in New Zealand (NZ) did not start and will not end with Eugenie Sage, the current Minister of Conservation. In fact, the very origin and entire history of the species in NZ is a story with deep political roots. It’s a story that raises many questions, especially from the rest
Tahr Wars: Episode 1
Earlier this summer, startling news broke out of New Zealand as the Department of Conservation (DOC) was on the verge of decimating the country’s Himalayan Tahr herd, which attracts tourists from around the world and supports robust commercial and recreational hunting industries. The now imminent implementation of the DOC’s controversial plan to greatly reduce the
Tahr Classified as “Valued Introduced Species” but Culling Still Underway as Management Consultation Begins
After being ordered by the New Zealand High Court to seek consultation with the hunting community, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has opened the consultation process having already begun to cull tahr by aerial gunning throughout the tahr feral range, including within two National Parks in New Zealand. Though these culling operations are limited in
Official Statement from The New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association Regarding Tahr Management
The current Government of New Zealand has taken aggressive steps to try and reduce the numbers of tahr “a valued introduced species” to under 10,000 animals with a proposed cull of 25,000 animals from the public land herd. A herd population reduced to 10,000 is not enough animals to support the current amount of hunting
New Zealand Tahr Management Takes Step in Right Direction
In a win for the hunting community, the New Zealand High Court ruled that the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) must reconsider its controversial tahr culling program due to a lack of consultation with stakeholders who have a vested interest in tahr management. Thanks to the court’s decision, the DOC will be required to further consult
New Zealand’s Plan to Cull Tahr Threatens World Class Hunting Opportunities
Travel restrictions, hunt cancellations, and the loss of revenue in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic already have New Zealand’s proud hunting industry on the ropes. Now, the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) is on the verge of delivering a knockout punch. What has been labeled as a cull of the population is really
South Pacific
The South Pacific holds three primary hunting destinations: Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. There could be more. Papua New Guinea has been on-again, off-again. Indonesia, with 17,000 islands, has awesome potential but, despite many attempts, no outfitter has successfully waded through the murky politics.
Best of Summer
Global Opportunities About Right Now By Craig Boddington In North America, mid-summer is the slowest time for hunting. Back east, serious varmint hunters are working on the woodchucks, and in the west, it’s a great time for prairie dogs and rockchucks. In Texas, axis deer are in full rut. It might be getting a bit
A Guide to Guides
In much of our hunting world, we have little choice. We need guides. The trick is to find and hire good ones who will enhance our chances for success, and contribute to the memories which, ultimately, are our greatest takeaways.
SCI On The Hunting Collective Podcast
Ben Cassidy, Director of Government Affairs for SCI, joined the team of The Hunting Collective podcast to talk about a wide ranging array of hunting topics that have hit the news recently, from Tahr Wars to the now-defunct California bear ban. The Hunting Collective with host Ben O’Brien covers the ideologies and philosophies of the