Disclaimer

Readers are reminded that articles printed in this publication are the personal opinion of the writer and may differ from the official views of the Sambar Deer Management Foundation Inc.

The Chairman's Thoughts for the 2002 - 2003 Year.

The 2002/3 year has been a busy and successful year with and increased season harvest and the continued development of policies towards better management techniques and tools.

The committee has continued to investigate the options for additional hunting opportunities where excessive damage, occurring to crop, results in those crop owners making a formal request for help. This is still under investigation as it raises serious and complicated issues.

The committee is also continuing to liaise with DoC as to options available to give increased management options within current legislation and possible future changes.

This year we have had constructive meetings with representatives from SDMF, Rayonier, Ernslaw and DoC attending. This has vastly improved information exchange. The forestry companies were primarily interested in tree damage and reducing the same. The SDMF representatives were sympathetic to their concerns and reiterated that the SDMF were attempting to address a balance between their concerns, hunting opportunities, safety and current legislation. It was agreed that a better exchange of information between the forestry companies and the Foundation should enable the Foundation to advise and concentrate balloted hunter efforts within the season. Within limitations, weekday access to the forests, so ballot hunter could survey their blocks has been agreed to. This should improve weekend hunting success.

It is with a degree of sadness but understanding that the committee accepted Warwick Beedell’s resignation from the SDMF committee. Warwick has been involved in the forerunners of the SDMF and the SDMF from its inception in 1989 and has been totally immersed in the foundation ever since. Warwick has been involved in keeping the Dannevirke Post Office working at full capacity by stuffing tens of thousands of envelopes over the years. Warwick’s Corner is avidly read each year and his phone rang red hot prior to each season. Each season weekend saw him, in his monitor / mentor role.

His contribution has been great; and on behalf of the executive, committee, members and hunters as well as the Sambar Deer themselves, we thank him for his work on our behalf..

We hope that he will keep in touch and not become a total stranger.

I wish to make a formal ‘Thank you", to these companies who have sponsored the SDMF throughout the year. Please acknowledge their support of the foundation when you next see them. Thanks to them you will recognize your next SDMF monitor by their new ‘Ridgeline’ Blaze Camo bush shirts with the ‘Hunting and Fishing – Manawatu’ and ‘Hunting and Fishing – Wellington’ sponsors’ logo. Thanks to Hunting and Fishing – Manawatu for their ballot night raffle prize and the deal with NZ Outdoor gave us on the 2002 ballot application.

Thanks to Peter Fitchett, our web site designer. The site is looking great. There has been a huge amount of work done in entering hunting area maps onto the site. You can drill down from a National map to a block map. I really do encourage you to check it out at www.sambardeer.co.nz .

Finally I wish to thank the executive and committee members for their hard work throughout the year. Remember they do it because they care about the future; so support them.

Neil Hammer
SDMF Chairman

HIGH VISIBILITY CLOTHING

DEER ARE COLOUR BLIND, HUMANS ARE NOT!
There is considerable debate over the use of High Visibility Clothing. The Foundation meetings have not been immune to this debate. Yes it appears that about 1/2 the hunters shot in America were wearing such clothing. However statists can be made to tell anything you like. As in America the use of such clothing is mandatory when deer hunting then what were the other 50% doing? High Visibility Clothing will not stop a bullet fired by some fool who will shoot just for the sake of shooting. Nothing is going to stop that but it will dramatically reduce the chances of you being mistaken for a deer. We do know that the use of such clothing greatly reduces the chance if a mistake being made.

The debate will range for some time and not everyone will be convinced. This has not stopped the Sambar Deer Management Foundation deciding that, we will in the strongest possible way, encourage hunters to wear such safety clothing. To date we have had a perfect record. Sambar deer have injured a few hunters but (touch wood) hunters have not injured or killed other hunters or members of the public. We want that record to continue. We are leading the way in deer management, now is the time to lead the way in safety. For now we can do little about what happens on private land other that encourage hunters to wear safety clothing. The public Ballot blocks are a different matter. The rules for forest access state that:-
Permit Holders must wear high visibility clothing to reduce the risk of mistaken identification.

This year all monitors will be wearing such clothing when they are in the field and will be speaking to hunters about following the rules. Personally I wear a bright orange vest when hunting. I have stood in front of Sika, Sambar, and Whitetail deer with this vest on and have been completely ignored. Deer see movement and solid shapes very well, NOT COLOUR. Orange Camo is ideal for this, visible to other hunters but break up your outline. A couple of season ago Warwick and I were looking for hunters when we saw something in the trees about 1 km away. Binoculars showed it to be a hunter wearing a blaze hat. His two mates were just movements in the shadows.

In the center of this publication there is an advert for this type of clothing. Why not have a look, decide to be a safe hunter and if you don’t already have such clothing, make a purchase before you go on your next hunt.

BE SAFE - BE SEEN

FOUNDATION PROMOTIONAL GOODS

Embroidered Foundation Monograms

	Cost   We have these in two colours. Yellow and Black for Foundation members. Orange and Black for Non Members.   Smaller than Actual Size	$15.00
Foundation T-Shirts
	You can have these in any colour so long as it is BLAZE ORANGE. The front has the words "Sambar Deer Foundation" around part of our logo and on the back we have the whole logo approx. 12" high. Both are black. With this on you are guaranteed to be noticed! These can also be viewed on our web site.
	Cost T-Shirt Post & Pack   Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL & 3XL	$30.00 $5.00

Please use the order form inside the mail wrapper of your newsletter, or email us with your order, and remember to tell us what size you want. It may be wise to order a size larger than you usually get as I am told sizing may be small.

To save being caught with odd sizes we will have these produced as we process orders. Please anticipate a delay in delivery. We will process orders as fast as possible.

Summary of Licence Conditions

1.   The hunting season for Sambar deer shall comprise six consecutive weekends commencing on 17 August 2002.

2.   Shooting is allowed only during the hours 6.00 am to 6.30 pm inclusive.

3.   Applicants for licences must nominate the property on which they have permission to hunt and provide the name of the occupier. Licences will be valid only when countersigned by the land owner or occupier for those properties nominated. If permission to hunt on other properties is obtained, licence holders must have their licences countersigned in advance of hunting.

5.   A limit of one Sambar deer per hunter may be taken during the entire hunting season.

6.   The use of any dog, vehicle, vessel, aircraft, artificial light or beater while hunting Sambar deer is prohibited.

7.   No person shall hunt Sambar deer with a firearm of a caliber smaller than 6.5 mm (.264”), with a cartridge case less than 51 mm (2.008”) in length and with a projectile weight less than 130 grains. Where black propellant is used the projectile must not weigh less than 300 grains and at least 90 grains of powder must be used to give a minimum muzzle energy of 1500 foot pounds. The use of smooth bore weapons is prohibited.

8.   Bow hunters must use a hunting bow with a minimum peak draw weight of 22.5 kilograms and broad head arrows comprising no less than 2 cutting edges. The arrow head shall be unbarbed and the distance between cutting edges at the widest part shall not be less than 25 mm (1”). The use of arrows with any poison, explosive, or other chemical substance on, or in, the head or shaft is prohibited.

11.  The sale of Sambar deer or their by-products is prohibited.

12.  All Sambar deer taken must be checked through a monitoring point within 24 hours of being taken. Autopsy material and return information must also be submitted at the monitoring point.

13.  Any wounded deer must be located and dispatched humanely. Wounded deer which cannot be located by the hunter must be reported to a monitoring point as soon as possible.

15.  No person shall act in contravention of any authorisation or condition stated upon a licence to hunt in the specified hunting area or other lawful direction issued by the Director-General of Conservation in respect to wild animal control in the specified area.

16.  The $20 fee paid by the licensee is a condition of the grant of licence.

17.  This licence may be revoked at any time at the discretion of the Director-General of Conservation.

A full list of the conditions is printed on the hunting licence or can be obtained by writing to the Foundation.