NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To
Dougal was showing me around the block, and in typical Taranaki fashion the weather was wet and windy. Our first hunt had us working our way through the flat country between the Okahu and Oaonui streams, keikei and supplejack grabbing and trying to trip with every step
It wasn't long before Dougal's dog Jess opened up with a good bail, and as we worked our way through the myriad of swamps and tangled bush to secure my first tail, I was hooked. We were expected to spend extended periods in the bush, follow the rules, dispatch as many animals as possible, submit the tails, and hunter's diary, and get paid for it. What more could I ask for?
“Professional hunting” or “hunting for a living” for many of my teammates and associates and I has been based around ungulate control on knockdown, suppression or eradication operations, primarily targeting species such as goats, deer, pigs, tahr, chamois and more recently, wallaby throughout their North and South Island ranges. A very different mindset is required when you enter the professional hunter ranks.
The original government shooters or “deer cullers” operated throughout the country and were employed by the Internal Affairs Department
(IAD), then New Zealand Forest Service (NZFS) and finally by the Department of Conservation (DOC). These hunters worked on severalbackcountry with limited communication and in average conditions were suited to a select few.
