“Passionate” outdoors men and women who give their time to promote and protect their sport had been the ammunition for the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association’s Nelson branch to reach the 75 year milestone.
Secretary Aaron Shields says the scope for the organisation was locked and loaded by a group of local hunters and shooters in 1948, and the motivation “held true” today for its more than 350 members.
“There’s a huge concentration of hunters and shooters in the region and passionate volunteers who put their hand up to keep the branch running,” he says.
“We train new people in the outdoors, between 10 and 20 people annually, as well as providing a safe environment and the technical skills for people to learn how to use firearms safely.
“Some of the main achievements in recent times have been significant pest and game animal management initiatives in conjunction with the Nelson Tasman Mountain Bike Club at their facility in the Wairoa Gorge… because [the pests] are regularly destroying and damaging the tracks.
“We also have a scheme running where we are donating venison and other local game to local food banks around the region.”
Aaron says the branch, which owns Red Deer Lodge in St Arnaud and provides a shooting range facility at Packers Creek, said hunting competitions in its 75 years had always roared.
Episode 11 - living locally and working globally — The Nelson Pod
“We have an annual, what we call the Antler, Horn, and Tusk or AHT, and a photographic competition to celebrate what the members have been up to throughout the year…. which are hugely popular and increasing in popularity,” he says.
“People take pictures of animals as opposed to shooting them, but also flora, fauna, landscapes and everything involved in getting into the outdoors.”
He says there had also been many challenges faced by the branch in its 75-year history which included “ever persistent” issues around firearms.
“We had the March [2019] massacre in Christchurch which dramatically changed the face of firearm ownership in this country, so that’s been a huge change from a legislative perspective and the requirements put on law-abiding citizens is a big one.”
“Protecting and valuing game animals in places such as the flora catchment has been something that the NZDA and the Nelson branch has strongly advocated for over the years, just to provide game animal resource for local hunters, particularly in the Golden Bay area.
“So essentially anything relating to hunting always has its issues… but all in all, I think the way to sum it up is that the Nelson branch is a valued voice at the table on all these issues with multiple stakeholders and has been for the entirety of the club.”
Aaron says more than 55 current and former members attended the 75th celebrations at McCashin’s Brewery in Stoke on 27 June.
