Mustering Northland’s wild cattle not as hard as authorities reckon: Contractor

Stockman Harley Barlow says rounding up and penning Northland's wild cattle is not as hard as authorities reckon. Pictured here are part of a mob Barlow and his team at Northland musterers recently corralled. Photo / Supplied

A professional musterer who offered more than a year ago to remove feral cattle causing a traffic hazard in Whangārei Heads says the job is not as hard as authorities reckon.

Stockman Harley Barlow said he and his team at Northland Musterers can deal with the wild cattle in the coastal township of Waikaraka.

“All the council needs to do is get us permission from the landowners to go onto the property where the cattle are camped out during the day so that we can muster them in.

“No shooting, no drama. We have an experienced team and all the tools necessary for the operation.”

Previous media coverage about the danger posed by the wild cattle prompted Barlow to contact Northland Regional Council (NRC) more than a year ago. He never heard back.

He had not contacted Whangārei District Council (WDC) directly but believed it was also aware of his offer, Barlow said.

It did not contact him until after being asked by the Northern Advocate to comment on his claims.

Barlow said, “The council CEO called me and we had a good conversation about the issues.

“He wasn’t aware of a few options that were available to them, so they (council) are at least a bit more informed about what is available now.”

Barlow said wild cattle were not the easiest to deal with.

“ ... It’s a dangerous job - but when you do it as a profession, it’s just another job,” Barlow said.

“We do this stuff all the time and it’s not that difficult. You’ve got to be a little bit crazy to do it but getting chased by a wild bull is a bit of an adrenaline rush.”

Troy Johnson, who collided with a wild cattle beast on Whangārei Heads Rd, is concerned someone will be killed before the problem is resolved. Photos / Supplied

Roaming cattle have been an ever-increasing issue over the past 15 years in Waikaraka - a coastal settlement in Whangārei. There are concerns for the safety of passing motorists on Whangārei Heads Rd, which is a busy commuter and tourist route. Graphic / NZME

Council previously said the cattle was its responsibility when the animals got onto the road.

Council said it had made an “enormous effort” to find ways to shift the cattle from private land above the road through mustering or shooting, and had asked NRC to help by contributing its wild animal control skills and resources to help the community control the cattle before they reached the road.

NRC maintained the problem was the district council’s, which said it had been unable to get agreement from all the owners of various land titles involved - including multi-owned Māori blocks.

Stockman Harley Barlow is used to dealing with Northland's dangerous and wily wild cattle. These are some Barlow and his team has faced off against in recent times. Photos / Supplied

Barlow has extensive farming and pest control experience. He said he had mustered wild herds in Northland for many years.

The Northern Advocate understands he is one of several contractors that do the work.

“There are thousands of head of cattle around Northland that are unfeasible to farm, which get into largely unmonitored area such as Emission Trading Scheme zones, breed up, and become a problem,” Barlow said.

He was recently contracted by Kaipara District Council (KDC) to remove cattle causing a road hazard at Kaihū, between Waipu and Dargaville.

To deal with the Waikaraka herd - thought to be as many as 100 head - he and up to six of his men would bring a transport truck and portable steel yards, into which up to 50 animals at a time could be mustered or lured.

There would be no need to take mobs across Whangārei Heads Rd; the yards were strong enough to hold the unruliest of cattle for tagging, NAIT compliance, and getting onboard the transport truck; tasks such as testing for TB (Bovine Tuberculosis) would be the responsibility of the receiving slaughterhouse.

Barlow said he would charge $50 per hour to scope out the job. Thereafter, all the team’s costs would be covered by the proceeds of the sale of the stock to a freezing works. Current rates ranged from $100 for a calf to $2000 for a large bull. The proceeds would be split 50/50 with landowners involved.

“If the landowner is identifiable and they have feral animals on their property, they are legally responsible for them even though the animals aren’t theirs,” Barlow said.

“If people think they are going to get something out of it they tend to be more forthcoming.”

He believed he could successfully negotiate with various landowners for permission to enter their land if necessary.

“There’s always a family or whānau who can be approached even when there’s multiple Māori landowners. They might not want to talk to council but might talk to us. I’m part-Māori myself and have a lot of contacts so a conversation with a landowner in the area is possible.”

It is not yet known whether a bush fire in Waikaraka this week will add to or help remedy a problem of wild cattle in the area. Photo / Rachel Maher

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.