I'm with you Hommer,

I am in training right now to go to NZ and HUNT Tahr and Chamois the correct way. Walk my arse off and stalk into an animal as close as I can then humanely take the animal with one shot.

I have seen plenty of Tahr 'hunting' videos depicting some fat slob who harrasses a Tahr or chamois to the edge of the slope and then from 30m still in the chopper WOUNDS the animal, one they pursue the animal into a cave and 'finish it off'in the cave (firearms safety anyone?). This is not hunting and to legally sanction this will allow more cowboys into your industry.

NITROX is right its currently illegal too in NZ even though this DOC bloke wants to do it in Canterbury.

I respect the fact that you need to cull and that is not an issue anyone could argue with, but TROPHY HUNTING is not done in helicopters its done on the ground free range no ifs buts or maybes.

There is no honour and no respect hunting out of a helicopter, any man or woman doing so should be stripped of all of their 'trophies'as their sportsmanship would then be under a cloud IMO.

I do worry about NZ game animals as I worry about those here in Australia and everywhere else as they all deserve a sporting chance and dignity that this wretched idea denegrates.

Maybe its time to sell SAM's to the Kiwi's? They can have semi autos so why not throw a few Stingers there way too? This may even up the scales for the Tahr and Chamois and the ground hunters too...

MOG