Updates from the Southern Lakes Branch 

July 2022 Newsletter 

JULY
28

Next Meeting

Join online via Zoom

Agenda for the next club night

6.30pm Bar opens
7.30pm Meeting starts
8.00pm Beers and Drinks refils
Guest Speaker TBC
9.30pm Drinks and Social 
10.30pm End of meeting

CLUB MEETING VENUE
Arrowtown Bowling Club, 6 Hertford Street,
(Next to Arrowtown Firestation) 

Hopkins Valley Club - May 

Images from a club hunting trip up the Hopkins in May

4WD drive to the Hopkins Valley 

Tahr Hunting

Animal Harvest Tally

We would like to show that our club members contribute to animal management.

Other branches also collect this information so it would be great it you can keep a tally and report it regularly - ie every 3 months. The link for this form is on the website, on our Facebook page and on the monthly newsletters.

PLEASE complete for March, April and May

Animal Harvest Survey

"FIRST AID IN REMOTE AREAS" 

COURSE Saturday 30th July

Upper Clutha Deerstalkers are running a First Aid Course specifically designed for hunters and outdoors people .

This will be a "Hands on" 1 day practical course delivered by an ex Special Services Serviceman and paramedic.

After spending nearly 7 years working in hostile environments around the globe, PracMed NZ’s founder, Simon Carkeek, returned home and started working in industry training.He saw first hand how poor the quality of training was in NZ.

The Course will instruct participants on how to treat a critically injured companion and teach techniques that will keep them stable until the chopper arrives.

They will be instructed on how to "Stop the Bleed" for gunshot and puncture wounds, how to properly apply a tourniquet and how to attend to other critical injuries such as fractures and burns.

Cost for the 8.5 hour Course is $199 + gst

A maximum of 15 participants will be accepted so Register now to secure your place.

Contact Scott Gillam skotgillam@gmail.com

(Can't make the date? We can also looking at running one for our members later in the year too, date TBC )

The GAC released the NZ Red Stag Ageing Guide - a free downloadable guide to assist hunters better age red stags in the field and ultimately help manage New Zealand’s red deer herds. The guide provides information to help judge red stag maturity based on some key characteristics and comparisons.

Download here

This is a HUGE newsletter this month.........

If you are reading the newsletter on your phone, be sure to look out for the "View Entire Message" link at the end so you don't miss out on all the information, links and images.

Winners of the Annual Antler, Horn and Tusk night in May 

Fallow 

Dave Veitch

DS 268 7/8

Pig 

Olly Pedley

DS 3 6/8

Chamois

1st Anto Hall - note this will probably go in record books at 4th biggest ever at 11" 3/8

DS 30 2/8 

2nd Brendon King 

DS 23 6/8

Tahr

1st Katie Dugan 12"

DS 40 6/8

2nd Olly Pedley  10" 5/8

DS 37 4/8

Goat

1st Dave Black

DS 93

2nd Simon Brackstone

DS 68 7/8

Red Deer

1st Jamie Cowan 

DS 291

2nd Luke Hutchinson

DS 288 4/8

Junior Trophy

Olly Pedley with his 10" 5/8 Tahr

Ladies Trophy

Katie Dugan with her 12" Tahr

Overall winner

Dave Veitch with his fallow

Greenstone Working Bee - September

Click on image to see a video of the hut if you have not been there before

We are looking to do some repairs to both huts in the Spring. The Greenstone will be first and we have the Steele Creek ballot to hunt between 20th and 30th Sept. 

We will be refurbishing and deploying new stoat traps in Steele Creek, replacing the windows in the Greenstone hut, repairing the walls, decking and chopping firewood; AND of course hunting deer and doing possum control work.

As there is only one weekend within this allocated ballot period, we're looking to plan the main working bee over the 24th & 25th Sept although keen to have people there either side to share the work out.

There will be subsidised helicopters ($100 pp per trip) departing on the Friday (and/or Sat) and back Sunday/Monday. If we have enough for a trip outside these dates that is possible too.

These working bee trips are suitable for new members without licences yet, as you get the opportunity to hunt with more experienced members and get to meet others with similar interests.

If you are keen to help, please register your interest and let us know what dates you can go in. 

Final confirmation details via email will go out in September (when Sharon is back from overseas) 

Register an interest

Upper Caples Hut (Pictured above)

We also need to do some general maintenance on our Upper Caples Hut, gutters cleaned, tidy up etc so we also need to send in a team there too - Dates still to be confirmed but most likely October 

Click on the image below to see the video taken at the Upper Caples Hut if you have not been before

Hunting and Wildlife Magazine

Prefer a Printed Copy?

You can order your
printed copy of NZDA
Hunting & Wildlife Magazine
and have it delivered to your
home address


www.nzda.shop

$10 a copy

Back issues of the magazine are also available for purchase.

Don't forget to send in your hunting images & stories. Vouchers received for articles published


New Arms Act 

On 24 June 2022, a new part of the Arms Act 1983 came into force requiring the approval of shooting clubs and certification of ranges. These will start to effect our branch after December.

However changes on transporting rifles came into effect in Feb. National Office provided a helpful guide and information pack.

It is your responsibility to know the law and the changes 

Read More

Multi Branch Hunting trips
with Central Otago, Upper Clutha and our Southern Lakes branch

Phil Wilson (a member also at the new branch in Alexandra), who also helps organise our annual tahr trip, has been very busy organising a number of hunting trips open to all 3 local NZDA branches.

Keep an eye on the club website for details and registration club events page 

The hunts are open to any member and/or prospective members. And confirmed the Wed night before the trip as hunts are subject to weather due to river crossings and flying etc 

Next trip

AGM Minutes May 2022

Group Shot from the AGM annual antler, horn and tusk night

Apologies from:-
David Caesar, Brendon Colemore WIlliams, AL Gay, Dion Halshaw, Shaun Moloney, Paul Gaboda, Alex Ritchie, Liz Matheison.

Pete moved to take the last AGM minutes as read.(available on the website under newsletters) seconded by Simon Brackstone 

CARRIED

Presidents Report

Andy Pearson read through his report of the last year - see below

Southern Lakes Branch hasn’t really taken a breath since hosting the conference last year. As a club we have managed to hold a HUNTS course, 5 trips into the Greenstone, 1 of which was for hut maintenance and 4 for the refurbishment of the trap lines. 5 trips into Fiordland for maintenance/rebuild of the Freeman Burn hut, 2 Tahr hunts, 2 South Island ladies hunts, 3 goat shoots, a Douglas Score course and a Family Christmas BBQ. And there is more planned, we have a second hunts course and another trip into the Freeman Burn, a Tahr and a Chamois hunt all before conference.

We have been working with the Back Country Trust and about to complete our second hut rebuild in almost as many years. We have forged a great working relationship with the local DOC office in the form of hunter liaison meetings and we’re working on some exciting upcoming joint projects including in the local RHA.

We have put 10 new hunters through the hunts course and the next is already fully booked. Six members have qualified as Douglas Scorers. 30 women have been out hunting successfully on the two ladies only weekends, 35 members have been involved with both our huts maintenance projects and trap maintenance, 42 members including 4 kids were involved in the club goat shoots with a tally of 127 goats, 3 chamois, 2 hares and a whole load of wilding pines being taken from the back of Coronet Peak and 47 goats being taken from the Mount Dewar goat shoot as part of joint pest control projects.

We have an active club who hunt for meat, for conservation/pest control and on the odd occasion for a trophy. 20 Members of the club who summitted annual numbers have managed to take a whopping grand total of 9142 animals. This being made up of 127 red deer, 95 fallow deer, 1 whitetail, 988 goats, 6 chamois, 1 Tahr, 28 Pigs, 7250 Rabbits, 204 hares, 290 Possums, 35 Feral cats, 12 Ferrets, 71 hedgehogs, 26 ducks, 5 mice, 2 turkeys and 1 ram.

This year due to covid and other time constraints we haven’t managed to hold our usual interclub shoots with Fiordland Firearms club and Upper Clutha, instead members have donated 1100+ hrs to the Freeman burn hut rebuild, over 150hrs in the Greenstone with the refurbishment of our trapping line, spent $4000 on the trap refurbishment to date and more work/money to follow. To date the trap lines have accounted for 103 rats, 85 stoats, 47 possums, 7 hedgehogs and 1 ferret.

Looking forward, upon completion of the Freeman burn hut rebuild, we will turn our attention to our own huts in the Greenstone and Caples and the continued maintenance/extension of the trap lines. We want to grow our family hunts and continue to engage with our new and younger hunters with targeted friendly weekends. We want to continue to foster and maintain good relationships with Station owners focusing on how we can work with them rather than just what we can take from the land they control. We need to build the profile of the Deerstalkers as an organisation of members dedicated to ethical hunting that benefits both the Deerstalkers and the land holders.

I am proud of what our members have achieved this year and would like to thank everyone who has come to meetings, joined us on club shoots, given their time to hut maintenance and spent hours organising hunts, working bees, training weekends and writing submissions on the never ending changes to gun control and access.

Of special mention I would like to thank Sharon for her work behind the scenes, Dave Rider and Simon Brackstone without whom the Freeman burn project would not have gone ahead. Paul Gaboda for his dogged determination to finish the freeman burn, Katie for her work with the hunts courses and organisation of the extremely successful ladies hunts, Phil for organising the tahr hunts, Shaun Maloney for his work on the submissions, training and finding access for goat control work. Also Al, Nathan, Roger and the many other members of the committee for their time and efforts.

It has been a pleasure to represent you all as your president.

Regards Andy Pearson. 

Treasurers Report

Roger presented the financials - see below

Moved that these were a true record by Simon and seconded by Macca CARRIED

Photos from the AGM - Click on image to see more

Election of Committee

Nathan Wise stood down as shared Vice President and Andy thanked him for all his efforts especially organising the Conference last year

The following people have put themselves forward:

President - Andy Pearson

Vice President – AL Gay & Katie Dugan (Shared)

Secretary – Sharon Salmons

Treasurer – Roger Slow

Memberships officer – Melissa Jager

There were no contests or objections so all the above were voted in

Rule changes 

Previously we used to have an annual motion to set the membership prices for the next year – but this is hard to do when we don’t know what is set at conference; so our new constitution agrees we set these in September when we know if there are any increases

Current cost

Senior $125

Superannuant 65+ $65

Junior $35

Student $49

Associate $95

Family $5

Affiliate $30

Hut Fees

Last year we cancelled the increased hut fees for non members due to Covid

Currently branch members are free, other NZDA members $10 and Visitors $25 pp pn

There were no motions to increase for summer 2022-23

New Constitution

The new constitution needs to be adopted, this has been amended to come into line with the recent law changes. The committee met to discuss and review it. A copy will be available soon online for all existing and new members to read – basically it’s our club rules.

A key change from the existing Incorporated Societies Act 1908 is the introduction of rules and procedure relating to conflicts of interest. We will need to list all conflict of interests for all committee members – by law these people are now referred to as officers

Changes need to be made to align to actually what happens:-

- AGM is formally now every May

- Membership year runs March to Feb

- Membership rates changes are voted on in September after Conference for the following year

Also previously under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908, upon the dissolution of a society, members are entitled to divide the society’s surplus assets in whatever manner their rules provide. This could include to the members themselves. This has now been addressed and has to be shared to a similar organisation

We need to allow members the opportunity to read the new constitution so it was discussed that rather than pass it here at the AGM which we are supposed to do, Sharon suggested we move it to the September meeting and call that meeting “a special AGM” so that we can vote on it then?

Moved that the new constitution be voted on later in the year by Simon Brackstone and Seconded by Roger Slow

CARRIED

Close of AGM followed by trophy results and presentations and ballot draw

Results of the Ballot Draws

Every time you attend a meeting, your name goes in the draw for a ballot which is drawn at the AGM.
Due to the difficulty in securing these ballots, they are "guided" or accompanied by the person that has the relationship with the station owner

Alexandra Ballot with Katie Dugan - Won by Graeme Carter

Greenstone Ballot - Won by Sharon Salmons

Greenstone Ballot - Won by Aaron Shaw

Lower Caples Ballot - Junior - Won by Jett Colemore Williams

Upper Caples Ballot - Won by Brendon Lines

Steele Creek Ballot - Won by Roger Slow

Minutes from May 2022

Apologies:-

Received from:-
David Caesar, Brendon Colemore WIlliams, AL Gay, Dion Halshaw, Shaun Moloney, Paul Gaboda, Alex Ritchie, Liz Matheison.

Minutes and last months newsletter from April were motioned as a true and accurate record by Simon and seconded by Macca

CARRIED

General Correspondence In:-

  • Hut Bookings received 
  • DOC compliance to do some repairs to the Upper Caples Hut – will plan for September/Octpber
  • National Competition – everyone who enters goes into the draw for boots – Forms available from Sharon to enter before July
  • Biodiversity and Goat Management allocated $30m in the budget and part of this $3.6m over 4 years for GAC
  • We received a reminder about the QLDC community plan - This consultation process also provides an opportunity for community groups to apply for grants for one-off projects or operational costs for the 2022-2023 financial year. Will try and apply for the club

    General Correspondence Out:-

    • Replies to above
    • Sharon presented to Council for $6.5k Grant application QLDC community grant – not heard back yet
    • Hut booking enquiries/ Correspondence

    Secretaries Report:-

    Al, Simon, Andy and Sharon met with DOC

    1. Discussed that RHA Ballots appeared to not being taken up or used, suggested for a fee to get a ballot that we would manage it, Business case to go to DOC

    2. We offered to create a survey for all ballot holders to find out what was shot and if they actually took the ballot up - see link above

    3. RHA realignment – Steele Creek is the smallest and due to proximity to our hut would like the area opposite realigned to Steele Creek Ballot instead of Lower Greenstone

    4. Goat shoot in the back of Mt Crieghton in the Spring, landing permits to be requested to take in groups by helicopter

    Hunting trips coming up 

    we discussed upcoming trips June 3rd to 6th (Queens Birthday weekend) Tahr trip to Ferintosh Station Mt Cook

    Sharon away

    Sharon is away end of July and whole of August - someone needed to help with Zoom camera set up for the meeting

    Freeman Burn Hut

    We will be placing a plaque in the hut naming everyone that helped or contributed.

    Treasurers Report:-

    Balance to date: $82,937.47
    (note : some of this is capitations that we need to pay National Office)  

    Hut fees: $2380 banked this month

    Bills to pay:

    Approved in committee meeting earlier in month 

    Memberships Update:-

    Paid up members 196

    Family 35, Junior 8, Senior 138, Student 3, Supers 6

    Welcome to 4 new members this month:

    Jerome Blaes, Simon Guthrie, Barry Moore, Ben Stevens

    General Business

    • Don't forget the National Photo Competition and literary competition (poems and stories and photo stories and videos) closes 15th July 

    Meeting ended

    Minutes from June 2022

    Apologies:-

    Apologies from:-
    Gareth Ward, Simon Brackstone, Liz Mathieson, Brendon Lines, Justine Bourke, Andy Pearson, Shaun Molony, Al Gay, Dave Rider  

    May minutes had not been sent out - see above 

    Due to many of the committee out with covid it was a shorter meeting than usual, however thanks to Alex Ritchie for stepping in and taking the meeting at short notice

    Secretaries Report:-

    Arms Act

    New law came into force section 63 of the Arms Legislation Act 2020, no new clubs can be formed without approval. We must get approval between Dec 22 and April 23 to operate any club shoots. Members should become familiar with the new part 6 of the Arms Act

    "A shooting club is a voluntary association of people who act in accordance with a set of written rules and intend to participate in shooting activities on a regular basis."

    Calendars

    Central Otago branch are raising funds for their club and producing calendars for $15 each. It will detail the ballot dates. As a club we offered to pre purchase 20 of them, these will be available before Xmas

    Kill Survey

    The Animal Harvest Survey was discussed and will go live in July, Links on website, newsletter and Facebook page.

    Ballots coming up

    Dates for Ballot Steele Creek and Greenstone & Caples RHA coming up and some maintenance to do on the huts

    Books for sale

    2nd hand Hunting books for sale – posted in Facebook chat group and printed below - Please contact Colin Geertson

    Email – colingert@xtra.co.nz

    Phone - 03 579 3101 

    Reloading request

    A member Aaron Duff asked if anyone is keen to teach him how to reload. We can filter members by this skill - see membership app details below

    Freeman Burn Hut

    Claims and photo uploads should now be done 

    This rebuild is now complete (except for a club roof shout at some point) if you have any photos to upload - please send in and if you have any claims please get to Dave Rider by end of month

    Goat shoot on Mt Crieghton

    Andy Pearson and Sharon are working with DOC to arrange this in the Spring - watch this space

    National Conference in Hamilton

    Katie, Al and Andy going – Deadline for entries for National Competitions is 15th July 

    $6500 QLDC Grant & $1000 Te Hau Toka Grant

    We were successful with an application to QLDC for a $6500 club grant to spend money on traps and equipment for club trips. And we also were successful with a $1000 grant from the wellbeing fund to go towards club trips to the Greenstone.
    More detail about where this was spent in the next newsletter

    NZDA membership apps

    There are 2 types of apps available:-

    1. The national NZDA app which you can use to access all things nationally NZDA

    2. Club membership app (Wild Apricot - links below)

    As we use an automated membership system called WildApricot, you can view our own branch member directory and member profiles.

    You can search by member for their email, phone number and skills. At anytime you can hide your own information.

    Try a search for who is a Douglas scorer and who does their own reloading for example.

    On the desktop the filter is much easier but on the mobile you just search for RELOAD or DOUGLAS to find these members

    Treasurers Report:-

    Balance to date: $69,595.41
    (note : the drop in the balance is due to capitations that we pay National Office)  

    Hut fees: $1475 banked this month

    Bills to pay:

    • Water Taxi $750 Freeman Burn

    • Hunts Books $350

    • Hunts Postage and GST on Books $40

    • Caps $14,567 (Paid) 

    Motion to pay by Sharon 2nd by Ken - CARRIED

    Memberships Update:-

    Welcome to 4 new members this month:

    Annichje Riemersma Transferred from Central Otago, Dallas Banks from Tauranga, Bruce Keach from GY and Taigon Jenkins from Kingston

    (Last month was Jerome Blaes, Simon Guthrie, Barry Moore, Ben Stevens)

    Current paid members 196

    (NB everytime we get close to 200, we lose members to the new Central branch)

    General Business

    • Ladies Hunt for Tahr - November details coming soon

    Meeting ended 8.15pm

    General Enquiries

       info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz

      021 942 328

    PO Box 1648, Queenstown, 9348

    Club Bank Account

    ASB: 12-3405-0071329-00


    Photo Albums online 

    Branch Committee and Contacts

    Branch President
       Andy Pearson      027 292 5492 

    Vice President(s) Shared 
        Katie Dugan    021 181 1569 
       Alasdair Gay   021 034 4671

    Secretary
       Sharon Salmons     021 942328

    Treasurer & Hut Bookings
       Roger Slow     027 281 3571

    Immediate Past President 
       Jacques Olivier     027 680 0577

    Memberships
       Melissa Jager     027 392 3692

    HUNTS training co-ordinators
       Pete Henderson     0204 144 9272
       Shaun Moloney     027 442 1605
       Katie Dugan    021 181 1569
       Melissa Jager     027 392 3692

    Stoats Traps
       Simon Brackstone     021 949 669
       Liz Mathieson  021

    Advocacy (Hunter Access)
      Dave Rider      021 969 350

    Trophy Custodian
       Alex Ritchie       021 0248 7086

    Douglas Scorers
       Katie Dugan
       Shaun Moloney
       Wayne Patterson
       Phil Ballam
       Callum King
       Aaron Shaw

    Extra Committee Members
       Nick Haprov      021 176 5938
       Andy Pedley       021 606 545
       Stephen Dobinson   027 553 3991


    Social Media - join us..........

    Alternatively connect with other members in the private facebook chat group

    Copyright © 2022 Southern Lakes NZDA, All rights reserved.