P09148

Helihunting tahr is unfair and cruel. Tahr are chased to exhaustion by helicopters and brutally shot by a tourist who is paying large sums of money. When tahr are hunted by helicopters they have no chance of escape and run kilometres over rough terrain only to be followed and shot by the roaring helicopter that can’t physically tire. This is not only totally unfair to the tahr but also to the common recreational hunter as well. Unfortunately this method of hunting is becoming increasingly popular as most tourists, who now have more rights to New Zealand’s mountains than we do, are too large and can’t physically climb mountains themselves.

A tahr is a Himalayan mountain goat that got introduced into New Zealand in 1904. They are the ultimate animal to hunt as the terrain they live in is steep and rugged. This means it is extremely hard work to walk up close enough to have a shot at them, which makes the joy so much more when you finally shoot one. Helicopter hunters won’t be able to experience this extent of joy as the tahr they shoot has no escape after being inhumanly chased to exhaustion. A recreational hunter rightly quotes, “It’s not sport, it is certainly not hunting, it’s just killing”. This quote clearly states why helihunting is unfair and should be banned.

When tahr are hunted by helicopters they are either chased to exhaustion and shot from the helicopter or herded into an awaiting hunter’s arms who has been dropped off into a good shooting position earlier. Associate Conservation Minister, Kate Wilkinson said, “I don’t like aggressive herding of distressed animals. I don’t like that recreational hunters can spend hours or days stalking an animal and helicopters can swoop in on top of them. That isn’t fair play”. When helicopter guides are chasing animals towards the client they sometimes even use shotguns to ‘sting’ the tahr in order to frighten them. In 2007 there was at least 500 bull tahr taken this inhumane way.

It seems in New Zealand rich tourists are getting more rights than recreational ground hunters. This is because since helihunting tourists are bringing huge sums of money into New Zealand, D.O.C (Department of Conservation) are about to legitimise helihunting on non private land. Mr Dunn a recreational hunter said, “Those that go into the Southern Alps to hunt, tramp or climb deserve better, D.O.C is a department that has totally lost its way. It is meant to look after the interests of New Zealanders first and foremost not rich tourists who now have more rights in our mountains than we do!” The reason D.O.C is allowing this is because of the money coming into New Zealand from this practice. A guide can make up to $6500 US just from one bull tahr. Even so this shouldn’t be a reason to be able to kill a tahr in this brutal way.

By banning helicopter hunting it will be a fairer environment for tahr and recreational hunters. Tahr will have at least a chance of getting away from a ground hunter, and recreational hunters won’t have a helicopter scare away an animal they have stalked for hours. This is why helicopter hunting tahr in New Zealand should be stopped.