NZ game animal hunting research project

A major research project is underway by the Game Animal Council New Zealand (GAC) to gather information about deer, pig, chamois, and tahr hunting in New Zealand and the organisation is asking Kiwi hunters to participate.

The last time this kind of research was conducted was in 2011–2012, and GAC says the information collected has been invaluable to understanding the New Zealand hunting sector, hunter participation, and the recreational harvest.

The new research will provide GAC and other key stakeholders with important information on key aspects of hunting in New Zealand, such as the number of hunters by species hunted and by demographic groups, how they hunt, why they hunt, overall harvest rates, and hunter participation in conservation initiatives.

How hunters can contribute

According to the GAC website, the research has two parts.

“The first is a short one-off survey where you will be asked some basic questions about you and your hunting. For the second part, we will invite you to undertake monthly surveys to provide more detail about the hunts you have undertaken in the previous month (although we will never ask for the location of those hunts).

We may also ask some questions regarding how you would prefer game animal hunting to be managed in New Zealand.”

The initial survey takes about five minutes to complete. Participation in the survey and all subsequent surveys associated with the project is anonymous. Hunters will not be asked to disclose their name, their favourite hunting spots, or any other information that may identify where they hunt. Participants will be asked for an email address so GAC can send an invitation each month over the next year to about the participant’s recent hunting experiences.

For more details, visit nzgameanimalcouncil.org.nz.