WAIKATO DEERSTALKER
December 2011

Coming Events
January
10 Indoor .22 Shoot
24 Indoor .22 Shoot
30 HUNTS course begins
February
11th Douglas Score seminar
12th Killer Run

Monthly Publication of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (Waikato Branch) Inc.

WAIKATO DEERSTALKER is published by: NZ Deerstalkers Assn.(Waikato Branch) Inc. PO Box 4065 Hamilton. Posted or emailed to members every month (except January). Opinions expressed in the Newsletter are not necessarily endorsed by the Branch, its Executive Committee or the National Association. Deadline for submissions - 20th of the month.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR 2010-2011
Patron: Du Bull
President: Pete Evans 07 856 4611
Secretary Vacant
Treasurer: John Wills 07 824 6782
nzda@willsauto.co.nz

Committee
Hunts Coordinator Keith Matthews 824 1705 Trophy Custodian Mark Sarjeant 849 7626
Hunts Instructor Glen Hartstone 824 7318 Range Information Du Bull 847 6209 New Member Host Pete Evans 856 4611 Membership Secretary John Wills 824 6782

2010 National Competition results
Waikato Branch.

Congratulations to the following Waikato members who achieved placings in the NZDA national competition.

Trevor Dobbs 3rd ‘Mel Larritt Trophy’ for Red Deer D.S. 329
Dion Patterson 1st ‘Cliff Marshall Memorial Trophy’ for Sika Deer D.S 160 3/8
Rusty Bird 1st ‘Dillon Shield’ for Drawn pig tusks D.S. 26 ¾
Blake Clinch 2nd ‘Poverty Bay Branch Trophy’ for best game animal by a junior D.S. 313.85
1st ‘Veronese Cup’ for best horned species by a junior D.S 313.85
Mark Sarjeant ‘Norman Douglas Memorial Trophy’ for promotion of the Douglas Score system.
Debbie Hartstone 1st ‘W H Robinson trophy’ for insect photography
James Alford 3rd ‘Gore & Districts branch trophy’ for human interest photography.

The Waikato Branch also scored 2nd place in the AHT (Antler, Horn, Tusk) completion with a total
score of 918.2, we were just beaten to the top spot by North Otago who scored 921.

Sometimes you return empty handed but the memories created with good mates while in the hills will not be forgotten. The following hints will hopefully help make your hunting trips better and help make them more productive.

Hundreds of Hints from our Waikato Deerstalker Monthly Newsletters:

September

With Google earth's recent photography you can pick up small clearings, slips and tracks and in some areas the tracks are overlaid in white on the ground view below.

You can print off the area you select or just mark the clearings or slips on your topo map.

Use the Google Earth controls to fly along the valleys and over the mountain ranges of the area you intend to hunt. Play with the controls and you can get brilliant views as if you are moving slowly along in a chopper or doing a low level flyover in a plane. Use the on screen control arrows to also swing around or zoom in and down or pull back for a higher over view.

August
Down sleeping bags are great but not if they get wet. Dacron is cheaper and retains loft better if it gets wet but is heavier and doesn't compress as much as a down bag.
One option is to have a lighter bag of each to get the best of both worlds. Two light sleeping bags, one of down and one of dacron, one tucked inside the other, can be as warm as one winter bag, but check the fill weight in each to compare them with winter bags.

MAF is currently taking submissions on the Animal Welfare (Dogs) Draft Code of Welfare. If this code is accepted as it stands it will outlaw the docking of dogs tails (however it will still be ok to debark or neuter them!).

Submissions close on the 1st of November, you can email your submissions direct to animalwelfare@maf.govt.nz. The draft code of welfare can be downloaded from the link above.

Branches and members are no doubt aware that the Minister of Conservation has appointed a panel to consider and advise him on how to manage deer, chamois, tahr and pigs in a way that improves the conservation or native habitats but also recognises the importance of the four species to recreational hunters. This panel is now referred to as the GAME ANIMAL PANEL

A presentation to the panel workshop by Bill Chisholm was presented on NZDA's behalf. The discussion document Managing Numbers of deer, chamois, tahr and pigs September 2007 and an online questionnaire are also both available on www.gameanimalpanel.org.nz and will also be available on the NZDA website.

We need as many hunters as possible to complete the forms. A further option is to write your own submission based on the questionnaire available from the secretary and any other questions that you may have. If you wish to take up this option, post 6 copies of your submission to:- The Secretary,