Hunting prospects improve

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 310, 24 October 1989, Page 6

Hunting prospects improve

With spring upon us, deer stalking, one of the more popular recreational pursuits within the Department of Conservation's Tongariro/Taupo Conservancy, starts to improve after the slower winter months. As spring growth appears and the hinds get closer to fawning, they spend more' time out feeding where succulent new growth can be found. The stags too become more active as they lose their antlers and begin to grow a new set to fight off rivals during next autumn's mating season. Forest edges, clearings, and later in the spring, the alpine herb fields, offer exciting prospects of bagging both sika and red deer, especially

around dawn and dusk. Hunters require a permit to hunt on the conservation estate and these are available on a Conservancy wide basis for the whole of the October to end of January period. Hunters are asked to retum a diary (which is included with all permits) at the end of this period to provide the Department cf Conservation with information on the. amount of hunting done and the numbers of each animal species killed or sighted. This data is important to DOC both to show the impact of recreational hunting on animal populations and to provide all hunters with relevant information on the hunting opportunity this Conservancy offers.