DoC urges hunters to take care over Easter weekend

After the 2020 roar season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the Department of Conservation is expecting an influx of hunters this year. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Department of Conservation is urging deer hunters to take care during the peak of the roar this Easter weekend.

Last year's roar hunt was cancelled due to Covid-19 level 4 lockdown and it's predicted more hunters than ever will head to the hills this autumn to chase stags.

DoC Whanganui operations manager Tahinganui Hina said all hunters should be mindful - especially those hunting the Mangapurua block.

"We have contractors and our DoC staff working on the Mangapurua track for the next few months," Hina said.

"It's a basic 101 for hunters to have clear sight of target. This is simply a must; safety is paramount and every hunter, cyclist and tramper deserves to go home at night."

DoC's visitor safety manager Andy Roberts said each year during the roar there was a spike in hunting accidents, such as slips, trips, falls or firearm injuries.

ACC data shows there were 435 hunting-related injury claims made during the roar in 2019 (March and April), up 31 per cent on the same period in 2018.

"Because hunters haven't been able to enjoy the roar for two years, we're expecting to see a large number of people hunting on public conservation land over Easter, which could lead to an increase in injuries," Roberts said.

"We're asking hunters to think about their hunt, plan well and look out for each other. There will be lots of recreationists enjoying the outdoors over the long weekend and hunters should expect to share huts, campsites and tracks with others."

The New Zealand Police, Game Animal Council, Mountain Safety Council and New Zealand Deerstalkers Association are also reminding hunters to keep safe during the roar.

Mountain Safety Council data shows between 2004 and 2016, 12,628 hunters were injured. Forty-four per cent of all injuries were due to slips, trips or falls, while 10 per cent were a result of hunters carrying heavy loads. During this period, 4.9 per cent of all injuries involved firearms discharging. A hunter last accidentally shot and killed another hunter in 2018.

A leading hunting researcher is backing DoC's concerns. Dr Karl Bridges recently published his thesis examining the human factors behind hunting fatalities and has provided hunting safety advice to DoC.

During a simulation experiment, Bridges found hunters tend to overestimate the time they took to identify their target by as much as 25 per cent.

"What felt like two minutes for a hunter to identify their target and place a shot was actually only 90 seconds," Bridges said.

"Taking an extra 30 seconds and slowing down could mean the difference between life or death.

"Sadly, most hunters who have killed someone believed they were shooting a deer and had identified all parts of it. That's why I'm urging hunters to focus more on the way they hunt, slow down and take their time to identify their target this Easter."