Photo credit: DOC

You are receiving this Himalayan tahr control programme update as you have requested information about the Department of Conservation’s wild animal control programmes.

Tēnā koe,

We recently met with the Game Animal Council to discuss where Himalayan tahr control operations will be undertaken this year. This follows the release of the reconsidered Tahr Control Operational Plan for 2020/21.

After a very positive meeting with the Council, we have now finalised where control will be undertaken this year. We sought the Council’s advice on the allocation of the remaining 77 hours of planned control outside the national parks’ management unit. The total number of control hours remain the same, however we have reallocated some of the remaining hours to less accessible areas of the feral range.

Summary of changes:

We are reducing our previously planned control hours within the South Rakaia and Upper Rangitata management unit which is favoured by hunters. We have also completed control for the year in the Wills/Makarora/Hunter management unit where tahr numbers are at relatively low densities.

We are avoiding popular hunting spots and huts and are focusing on controlling high densities of tahr within terrain that is less suitable for ground hunting. For example, we are still regularly finding groups of up to 30 tahr in the Landsborough where access is challenging. DOC is reallocating some of the remaining control hours to target less accessible areas of the feral range.

We will continue to leave identifiable male tahr for hunters outside of the national parks’ management unit. Plans are also progressing to improve hunter access where possible, including extending the popular tahr ballot.

We will continue to update the DOC website with the latest control data and will make it clear once control within a management unit is complete for the year. It’s important to us that hunters will know with certainty once DOC has moved on.

Remember, you can use maps on the DOC website to identify hot spots where identifiable males have been observed during control operations and left behind.

 Tahr control for 2020/21 has been completed in the following areas:

•    Potts, Arrowsmith and Cloudy Peak ranges (Management Unit 1: South Rakaia – Upper Rangitata)

•    Southern Two Thumb Range and Sinclair Range (Management Unit 3: Gammack/Two Thumb).

•    Ahuriri and the Ben Ohau faces (Management Unit 5: Ben Ohau) 

•    All of Management Unit 7: Wills/Hunter/Makarora 
 

Changes to the control hours:

Map of the Management Units: https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/parks-and-recreation/hunting/tahr-management-units-map.pdf

Other control:

As well as the 77 hours discussed with the Game Animal Council, we will undertake a further 55 hours in the national parks’ management unit.

We’re also concerned about the geographical spread of tahr, which is why we are targeting the northern and southern points of the feral range. This will be complimented by 145 hours of planned control in the exclusion zones and outside the feral range.

Ngā mihi nui,

Dr Ben Reddiex

Operations Director

Additional information and previous updates:

Previous tahr updates to hunting permit holders:

• 1 September 2020 (external site)
• 27 August 2020 (external site)
• 14 August 2020 (external site)
• 14 July 2020 (external site)
• Visit the Himalayan tahr webpage
• See the observations of bull tahr and other maps