Follow the 5 Ps for a safe and successful Roar

With thousands of hunters about to head into the hills for the annual deer Roar, the Game Animal Council is reminding them to follow the 5 Ps for a safe and successful Roar: plan for the best, prepare for the worst, provide your intentions, positively identify your target, and pick the right animal.

“The Roar is the highlight of the hunting year, and I often describe it bigger than Christmas for deer hunters,” says Game Animal Council general manager Tim Gale.

“While I definitely want to encourage hunters to get out and enjoy some great hunting, I also want to remind them to take the necessary precautions to make sure they have a safe and successful trip.”

The 5 Ps focus on the preparations and decisions hunters need to make before and during their hunts.

“The fact is if you undertake the right planning, carry the right gear, take a personal locator beacon, and leave your intentions, then you significantly improve your chances if something goes wrong,” says Gale.

“Likewise, positively identifying your target, treating every firearm as loaded, and chambering a cartridge only when ready to fire significantly reduces the likelihood of a firearms incident. I also strongly recommend wearing high-visibility clothing, particularly if you are bush hunting.

“When out hunting, we also want hunters to take a judicious approach to the animals they target. Knowing how to identify younger stags from mature males that are ready to be harvested now is important, as these young stags still have so much potential and will provide great Roar hunting in the future. Targeting and harvesting hinds as meat animals hinds will also positively contribute to management.

“Finally, there will be a lot of hunters out and about over the next couple of months so always assume other people are in the area. If you come across other parties, share information of where you intend to hunt as this will reduce the safety risk and mean there is less chance of getting in the way of each other’s hunting.”

The 5 Ps for a safe and successful Roar are:

Plan for the best

• Plan where you’ll go and what you’ll hunt
• Carry the right food,
• clothing and equipment
• Check the forecast

Prepare for the worst

• Carry a beacon
• Take a first-aid kit
• Be prepared to wait out a storm or high river levels

Provide your intentions

• Let others know where you are going
• Inform them of when you plan to get out
• Give a date and time to raise the alarm

Positively identify your target

If you are bush hunting, wear high-visibility clothing

• Treat every firearm as loaded
• Chamber a cartridge only when ready to fire
• Be absolutely positive about your target

Pick the right animal

• Improve future Roars by leaving younger males
• Know how to identify and target mature males
• If you are meat hunting, target females

The promotional video for the 5 Ps is available at nzgameanimalcouncil.org.nz.

The NZ Game Animal Council is a statutory organisation responsible for the sustainable management of game animals and hunting for recreation, communities, commerce, and conservation.

Words: NZ Game Animal Council