Big game brings big bucks from US
Big-game trophy hunters from the United States are shooting thousands of Kiwi critters every year, but local hunting guides are upset they’re shut out of the market.
The Americans are paying big bucks to do it, industry insiders say.
Data from the Humane Society shows Americans killed almost 44,000 animals in New Zealand for trophies between 2005 and 2014 – making us the sixth-most popular overseas destination for American trophy hunters.
Bruce Collins, tourism manager at Queenstown’s Mt Nicholas Station, said Americans were the third most-common nationality of hunters, after Kiwis and Australians.
He said American trophy hunters were ‘‘a very important money earner’’ for New Zealand’s hunting industry as they could pay US$25,000 ($35,300) ‘‘at the low end’’ per person on a hunting trip to New Zealand. ‘‘Some of them can be up in six figures.’’
Many Americans went hunting on fenced properties and estates, Collins said, usually hunting animals like Himalayan tahr and red stag.
But some also hunted on public conservation land, though this was less common because the success rate of bagging a large animal like tahr was lower.
Less regulation attracted Americans, he said. ‘‘In New Zealand you can hunt 365 days a year and
shoot as many animals as you’d like.’’
New Zealand Game Animal Council (GAC) chairman Don Hammond said there were concerns over foreign hunters also using foreign guides.
‘‘One of the things people coming from overseas don’t realise is how quickly the weather can change, especially in the mountains,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ve got people getting rescued from Tongariro National Park all the time. We get to pay for that as a taxpayer.’’
Hammond said that while guides from the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association were highly trained in rules, regulations, conditions and health and safety, foreign guides might not be.
He said a recent case where a tourist shot a blue duck – a protected species – could more than likely be blamed on a lack of knowledge and a competent guide would have been able to prevent it, Hammond said.
Poorly-trained guides with limited knowledge could also create a safety hazard and damage New Zealand’s reputation as a safe destination.
‘‘These are very high-value clients. Many of them bring their families, because New Zealand is seen as a very desirable, safe and comfortable destination.’’
At Fiordland Frontier Supplies in Te Anau, owner Russell Wisely said visitors were typically wealthy and came with ‘‘whole families’’.
‘‘Mum and dad and their sons or daughters. It’s never just a couple. They’re very well-organised. It’s very well thought-out.’’
Although many Americans brought gear with them, they still spent locally on everything from guides to taxidermists
Department of Conservation technical advisor (recreation) Peter Devlin said DOC encouraged the hunting of introduced species.
‘‘DOC does not specifically manage herds for trophy hunting on public conservation land,’’ he said.
‘‘However, we encourage the recreational hunting of introduced species such as deer, Himalayan tahr and chamois in conservation areas as these species impact on the environment and native species.’’