Save the Wapiti in Fiordland, New Zealand

[abbrown]

Apparently the antis are mobilizing worldwide. The essentially largest and most well-funded anti-hunting org in New Zealand is suing to force the removal and elimination of the free-ranging wapiti/elk herd in far southwest New Zealand. These animals are mostly elk/red deer hybrids, but their elk heritage stems from a gift of animals given to NZ by Teddy Roosevelt himself in the first decade of the 20th century.
They have been free-roaming and wild-living in the rugged Fiordland National Park rainforest environment since then, and they have been actively hunted and sought after by generations of New Zealanders and foreigners. The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation runs an extremely well-managed balloted hunt in there every year that is open to locals and foreigners - I went into one of those balloted blocks a few years ago and it was an intensely challenging and rewarding experience. Think Southeast Alaska with more steep, jagged mountains and more rain. You get the block for 10 days all to yourself and your hunt group - about as far from the Colorado pumpkin patch experience as you can get. I highly encourage you all to consider participating in the ballot.

Anyways, they are under attack from a well-funded group that seeks to eliminate the animals and the opportunities to chase them, and as usual their reasoning is rife with falsehoods and misinformation. If you are interested in learning more about it, and even supporting the defense against the antis, check out this link. Gotta protect our past times and support our compatriots in other countries.

Save the Wapiti - Fiordland Wapiti Foundation

Fiordland Wapiti Foundation Save the Wapiti Our Wapiti are facing one of the most serious threats in decades after Forest and Bird launched legal action challenging these majestic animals’ existence in Fiordland National Park. Donate now As the guardian of this unique herd, the Fiordland Wapiti...

fwf.net.nz

Forest and Bird’s Attack on Fiordland’s Wapiti Herd is Nonsense | Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ Inc

coranz.org.nz

Forest & Bird’s Threat Against Elk Management An Own Goal

“Forest & Bird’s threatened legal action against Fiordland’s wapiti (elk) management programme would be a massive own goal for conservation,” says ACT Conservation spokesman Cameron Luxton. “For 13 years, DOC has had an arrangement ...

www.scoop.co.nz

 

[abbrown]

bump, have a read and consider support

 

[applesauce4000]

Taking a look. Thanks for posting.

 

[abbrown]

Here are some words direct from the president of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, Roy Sloan:

THE FIGHT TO SAVE OUR WAPITI HERD HAS BEGUN AND
WE NEED YOUR HELP

The Wapiti Foundation is appealing to hunters for help in the fight to protect
Fiordland’s unique herd of wapiti after Forest and Bird launched legal action
challenging the legality of the Foundation’s management of the herd.
The Foundation’s management agreement with DoC uses money from hunters to
pay for culling deer in Fiordland, run a predator trapping programme, monitor native
birds and maintain huts and tracks.
Forest and Bird is asking the courts to rule on the agreement’s legality, claiming it
breaks the National Parks Act 1980 which theoretically requires wapiti to be
eliminated from Fiordland.
Wapiti Foundation spokesman Roy Sloan says the future of the wapiti herd is now in
the balance.
“This legal action is a serious threat to the future of the wapiti herd. If Forest and Bird
win, one of the most successful conservation programmes ever run in this country
could be stopped,” Roy Sloan said.
“We are determined to fight this threat and have already engaged lawyers to
represent our case. This is expensive and a cost we could well do without, but it is
crucial we battle the most serious challenge to the wapiti herd in decades.”
Roy Sloan is asking people to donate towards paying the Foundation’s legal costs.
“We need every dollar we can get to successfully challenge this threat and have
already set up a page where people can go and give a few dollars to help us.
“This is not only a fight for hunters. It is a fight for the future of innovative
conservation solutions. The Wapiti Foundation not only controls the size of the
wapiti herd, but also removes thousands of deer from Fiordland every year.
“Our volunteers also run around 500 traps in remote areas of the national park,
killing invasive pests like stoats and rats so our native birds have a chance.
“On top of all this, we run the country’s largest citizen science programme, notching
up 40 thousand hours of native bird monitoring every year, including keeping tabs on
our threatened kea populations.
“And we maintain huts and tracks for all New Zealanders to use.
“All this is done without any cost to the taxpayer or DoC (Department of Conservation), freeing up vital conservation
dollars for DoC to be spent elsewhere. In these cash strapped times, this is
important, especially when DoC’s budget is being cut and its staff are losing their
jobs.”

Roy Sloan says a lot is at stake and it is vital wapiti be defended in court.
“We need to mount the most robust case possible. If we don’t, a Forest and Bird
victory could set a legal precedent that signals the end of not just wapiti in our
national parks, but all our magnificent game animals.
“It’s not going to be easy so we appeal to all hunters, conservationists and outdoor
lovers to give generously.”
To donate, go to the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation website at https://fwf.net.nz/

 

[Nevwild]

@Howl For Wildlife should put this in their action center.

 

[Darryle]

I sent a wire transfer, they need to come up with a better method of donating.

Good luck with the fight.

 

[Darryle]

Ok, my wire transfer is on hold until I get the following, also it's a pain in the keester. It may be my bank, but I doubt it.

I need foundation's address, contact, swift code, bank's corporate address.

Either make it a hassle free online transaction or give me an address to mail a personal check.

 

[abbrown]

Ok, my wire transfer is on hold until I get the following, also it's a pain in the keester. It may be my bank, but I doubt it.

I need foundation's address, contact, swift code, bank's corporate address.

Either make it a hassle free online transaction or give me an address to mail a personal check.

I've emailed the organization to ask for an easier way to make the donations for internationals. I'll get that info for you in the meantime. Thanks so much for your willingness to support.

 

[abbrown]

Update on this: there is an Apple Pay option on the website which allows you to pay that way. It had been down a couple days for some reason. They are also looking to create a credit card payment option for international supporters. @Darryle thanks so much for your willingness to support, I did see your name pop up one the donation list on the website. https://fwf.net.nz

 

[Darryle]

@abbrown that was so much easier, thank you and good luck with the fight

 

[abbrown]

More info on the matter. All of you have the opportunity to partake in this hunt... it's logistically challenging but worth it for the experience. We appreciate any support to help protect a cool part of Teddy Roosevelt's legacy. The antis have lost the plot, as usual.

It's now easy and convenient to donate at their website, here: https://fwf.net.nz/ with the "Donate Now" link.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Wild wapiti deerhunters in Fiordland for 'the hunt of a lifetime'

"We get thousands of applications to hunt wapiti every year — so many that we have to hold a ballot to limit numbers."

www.1news.co.nz

 

[abbrown]

Robby from Blood Origins breaking down the subject - give it a watch:

 

[Darryle]

I didn't realize that there was such a difference in the value of the NZ dollar versus the US dollar, .59¢, so I went back and donated another $250.

I hope y'all prevail, I don't understand why people are so fixated on what they perceive an injustice or as a moral obligation.

I wish they'd stay in their f'n lane

 

[abbrown]

That's amazing @Darryle , your support is very appreciated! Wouldn't life be easy if the antis stayed in their lane.

The crazy thing about all game animals being introduced in New Zealand is that the vast majority of them have very little actual protections. Should this legal challenge go through, not only will it eliminate the Wapiti from the landscape, but it will set precedent for the government to have reason to go through and eliminate any introduced species in national parks/protected wilderness areas there. There are lots of tahr, chamois, red deer and others in those landscapes, and it would be a crying shame to see misguided attempts to completely eliminate them. Control is indicated for sure so the numbers don't exceed carrying capacity, and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation does this better than anyone, but complete elimination is the unfortunate goal of that Forest and Bird anti-hunting organization.

 

[realunlucky]

Bumping this up, going to have Roy on the Rokcast this evening.

Anyone got any questions?

Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk

 

[tibo]

Please vote for NZDA (New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc, the home of recreational hunters and shooters in New Zealand) if you want to help the cause.

I NZDA get enough vote it’s a $500 000 win which will help supporting legal cost.

Vote for New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Hunts Trust to share $500,000

Each year MyGivingCircle gives $1,500,000 in grants and donations

mygivingcircle.org

 

[abbrown]

Gonna be hearing more about this topic in the near future on podcast platforms. Appreciate anyone listening, considering and contributing. And participating!

 

[abbrown]

For those interested: it appears that, at least outside the USA, motivated engagement and pressure can cause cooler heads to prevail. At least for now. Hard to imagine a US anti-hunting org backtracking like this. Next step is hopefully to come to a reasonable arrangement with F&B, and to establish a "herd of special interest" protection for the wapiti herd through different legal processes, while continuing to prepare for possible future litigation.

Hunters happy legal case dropped

A group of Fiordland hunters are claiming a win after Forest & Bird dropped legal action they feared would stop them hunting wild elk. Forest &...

www.odt.co.nz

Forest & Bird and Fiordland Wapiti Foundation agree to work together

Forest & Bird and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation have agreed to pause legal proceedings over the management agreement between DOC and the Foundation o

www.forestandbird.org.nz

 

[abbrown]

Hey all, I’m reviving this thread a bit to link to a badass documentary that the FWF and NZ Hunter, one of New Zealand’s premiere hunting/outdoor tv shows, put together to highlight the organization and the work they do. I encourage you to check it out, gives a great perspective on how things go over there. As well as some cool imagery of the caliber of animals we’re talking about and the challenging environment they can be hunted in. Cool to see elk from Teddy Roosevelt’s time end up populating the southern hemisphere alpine rainforest. Merry Christmas.