There is plenty of 'Classic' Hunting available in NZ - furthermore it is open to anyone with a licence, a gun and the energy to access legal hunting country. - In the UK and many parts of Europe, most of the hunting and fishing rights are held in the hands of landed aristocracy who may lease-out these rights to syndicates able to pay thousands of dollars for one days hunting, deer stalking or fly fishing.
Here in the underpopulated South Pacific, anyone who is keen to take a rifle for a walk can usually access suitable country by talking to friends with contacts in the farming communities - where busy rural workers will welcome trustworthy shooters onto their properties. Back-country farmland is often plagued by nuisance populations of rabbits, pigs and possums
Often a shooter who can prove trustworthy and effective will be supplied with ammunition by the "Cockie" (farmer) in return for thinning the numbers of these animal pests - it being said that five rabbits eat more grass than one sheep.
There are localised populations of wild Turkey and Pheasant, - and Quail used to be found in high concentrations but recent years have seen stoats etc greatly reduce their numbers. Where I live, there are often California Quail to be heard and I've even had a pair wandering about my garden.
The Australian Brushtail Possums were introduced into New Zealand to form a fur industry in the 1850s and have thrived here without any of the natural controls of bushfires and dingoes. They do indeed provide a valued fur-fibre that is blended with wool to make beautiful warm and soft clothing - indeed I would not surrender my possum/merino wool blend socks to anyone (- only from my cold dead feet !).
- However, at what a cost! - Possums have found our native trees very tasty and they are responsible for killing large areas of native forest trees by defoliating the canopy - and they are blamed for spreading bovine tuberculosis among dairy cattle. - Estimates for the numbers of possums infesting the country vary between 30 million, 50 million, and 70 million - so I'd be safe to say that there are lots of them available to shoot despite serious efforts to reduce their numbers by poison and trapping.
A .22" semi-auto rifle fitted with a low power optical sight and a powerful light are the ideal tool for both rabbit and possum
Ruger 10-22 set-up for spotlighting.
Pig in NZ needs a minimum centre-fire cartridge such as a .357" or .44" Magnum lever action carbine - but there is a big tradition of pig-hunting using dogs to hold the animal while the fit fellow runs in and "sticks" the porker with a long sharp blade such as a bayonet. Following this strenuous excitement you get to call-in any missing dogs, gut the pig, and mount the still twitching pork-roast to back-pack it out down to where you left your transport, for the drive back to the kitchen oven or freezer.
Not for me - but pass that plate of crackling please!
- While talking about feral introduced animals - some eighteen months ago in Southern England the whole town (Stubbington) was infested with grey squirrels and foxes - they definitely need to get the boys out with traps and air-rifles, before all their bird life and pets disappear. - " Oh but you mustn't hurt the pretty squirrels".
Marty K
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