New Zealand Tahr-pesticides

[Nicklesgv]

Hey folks,

I'm scrabbling a bit. I'm headed out on a month long new-Zealand trip over late dec-jan. Targeting tahr and chamois and goats if opportunity arises with my bow and doing some general backpacking. Going at this time as its likely the last time my wife will have this much time off for a while. I thought we were canceling as I almost got a new job, but didn't get it so we're headed out! Hence the scrambling. Pretty sick consolation prize.

Anyways I've been absorbing as much as I can from the DOC website. I found a spot for tahr I'm stoked on seems like good numbers, but just found out the lower valleys we'll be walking through have been nuked with various pesticides including 1080. Most of the places I'm planning on going are above the 2km bubble the DOC recommends or past the date the warning signs come down exept for a few spots.

Is this Safe? sketches me out. Seems like all the places with high tahr numbers have similar pesticide situations. Never had to think about pesticides. How close do you NZ folks hunt to 1080 zones?

Figuring out backup spots of course but hopeful this one works. How close do you NZ folks hunt to 1080 zones?

Any advice for a NZ noob?

I feel pretty confident about fitness and weather of Westland. (we'll see lol)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kiwihunter]

What date was it dropped in the area you want to hunt?
We were on the tops 3 days after a drop. I was certainly freaked out by the drinking water situation. We have such beautiful water sources here in NZ and for them to drop poison out of the sky like they do really up sets a lot of outdoors people.
I managed to shoot a nice 14 point red stag so it was worth while.
I'm in Queenstown south island so if you need any help just let me know

 

[Kiwihunter]

Be careful with rivers rising quickly in south Westland too. I have been caught out once before. Was nearly the end of me

 

[NZCOOKIE]

Honestly the 1080 wont bother you. It’s more a concern if it’s hammered the animal numbers. It’s pretty effective at wiping everything out, and hated by NZ hunters for that reason. If you’re chasin Thar, and it’s been in the valleys a few Km’s away, then you will likely have little impact. Water will be safe to drink if it’s outside the doc stated period, from memory 3-months. Just don’t eat any green carrots you find lying around