02/02/2026
Just over a week ago a New Zealand hunting group in collaboration with the Department of Conservation auctioned off a tahr hunt that allowed the successful bidder helicopter access to land and hunt within Tai Poutini / Westland National Park. Currently local New Zealand hunters are not permitted this type of aerial access within Westland National Park.
This auction has set a dangerous precedent. It signals a future where a government department may effectively control access to game animals and sell that access off to the highest bidder. If this approach continues, we must ask which species might be next? What value could be placed on a wapiti or a whitetail?
SCI NZ along with our President provided advice to the NZ Game Animal Council that this auction was likely to cause significant harm within the tahr hunting community. One of the GAC's core responsibilities is to raise the views of the hunting sector. Many New Zealand resident hunters are genuinely concerned with this new development along with the future implications for all of our game animal species / herds .
SCI NZ strongly supports maximising the value of our game animals, for both local and international hunters alike, however the selling of Kiwi's heritage and recreation to the highest bidder is new territory and deeply troubling to the local hunting community, - particularly with direct involvement from a government department.
While the auction raised approximately US$30,000 which can now be utilised for management purposes, the broader implication that our game and access to them can now be monetised in this way has understandably upset a significant number of resident New Zealand hunters.
For many years SCI NZ has actively petitioned for improved aerial access for recreational hunters within Westland National Park. During Tahrmageddon some of the highest tahr kill rates in New Zealand occurred within this National Park. The inability for recreational hunters to aerially access this National Park represents a massive failure to Conservation Values. Providing recreational hunters with a sensible level of aerial access would allow local hunters to actively contribute to meaningful game animal management while also injecting much needed income into rural communities, rather than placing the financial burden solely on the taxpayer, as occurs currently.
SCI NZ will continue to advocate for fair, equitable and transparent access to New Zealand’s game Animals for New Zealand citizens and visiting hunters alike.
Please join SCI NZ Chapter so we can continue our work advocating towards a better future for our people the environment, the game animals and wildlife we all value so much.
SCI NZ Chapter Executive Committee
📸- Tony Pidgeon - Southern Alps Trophy Hunting NZ Ltd
