In New Zealand, the question of helicopter-assisted hunting has come up again thanks to a petition that was being circulated last month by e-mail. Entitled “Stop Guided Helicopter-Hunting In New Zealand,” the petition states the signers are “totally opposed to guided heli-hunting being able to be conducted on a WARO (Wild Animal Recovery Operation) permit and are totally against this activity on public lands altogether.” The petition claims that heli-hunting destroys the quiet of the New Zealand backcountry, has no conservation benefits whatsoever and raises massive safety issues. The petition goes on to define heli-hunting as spotting game from the air and/or chasing or pushing game to the point of exhaustion in order for a hunter to disembark for a shot or simply shoot straight out of the machine. You can read the petition for yourself by going to The Hunting Report web site (http://www.huntingreport.com/) and clicking on “Fight Over Helicopter-Assisted Hunting in New Zealand” in the Special Forums section on the right-hand side of our homepage. We’ve also posted a number of comments, both pro and con, from hunters all over the world, including resident Kiwis. The comments are worth reading just to understand everyone’s point of view – and there are numerous perspectives to consider.....
