Hunters Should Celebrate Carefully

In a speech this evening, ACT New Zealand Sport & Leisure Spokesman Stephen Franks today warned Queenstown members of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association not to get arrogant or greedy, and urged them not to relax their guard just because hunters are winning a battle over the aerial application of 1080.

"We're winning because we've used the tactics commonly used against us by the thin-lipped folk who want to tell us how to live our lives," Mr Franks said.

"The Animal Health Board is willing to pay the extra price for deer repellent in 1080 baits. But that's not because they favour us, or deer - it's because hunters are too much trouble to have offside.

"The ERMA review of 1080, objections to resource consents and general hunter antagonism has persuaded the AHB that it should stand up for hunters against the Department of Conservation.

"If the planned operational trials work as expected, DOC will no longer be able to eliminate deer as an unavoidable by-kill in possum control.

"Hunters should also be warned that this kind of strategy could be used against them by hostile urban voters.

"We'll need allies again. Farmers are our natural allies in preserving the land for human use. Hunters should not support shortsighted moves to help the Labour Government abolish trespass laws along private streams.

"Instead, ask why some deerstalking leaders seem to think that it is in hunters' interests to join Greenpeace in opposing RMA reforms - Greenpeace is not a natural hunting ally, farmers were," Mr Franks said.

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