Hunters have been sent some strong messages in North Island District Courts in the aftermath of the last game bird hunting season – including that if you lie about having a game bird licence you’ll make things a lot worse for yourself.

District courts in the North Island have handed down sentences in sequels to offending uncovered during the game bird season (ended August 2014).

Two hunters appeared in the Whakatane District Court for sentencing on a variety of charges.

One of the men, was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling more than $1000 for hunting without a licence.

Fish & Game Officer Anthony van Dorp says that he was also sentenced to 100 hours of community work for giving false information – lying about having a hunting licence when he didn’t. “A significant message from this is that if people lie about licences, it’s treated very seriously by the courts.”

Mr van Dorp says: “People who think they can get away lying about their licence find they’re caught in the end – and their lies only make it all the worse for them.”

The second hunter was ordered to pay more than $800 in fines and costs, for possession of lead shot ammunition and possessing protected grey teal.

In another case in the Wairoa District Court, a hunter was fined over $1000 in fines and costs, on charges including possession of lead shot and hunting without a game bird licence.

The court also ordered the destruction of his shotgun – the hunter did not hold a firearms licence and faced a separate prosecution for that.

Mr van Dorp says the case illustrates that hunters need to obey all the game bird hunting rules and regulations, from using the right ammunition to having both a game bird and a firearms licence.

“Hunters are often checked in joint operations involving Police and Fish & Game officers – so firearm licences are also checked,” he says.

In one of the most serious cases, two hunters intercepted on opening day of the new game bird season at a pond near Wairoa, were found with excess paradise shelduck, and in possession of lead shot.

In the Napier District Court the pair received fines and costs of more than $1000 each and the forfeiture of their shotguns.

“Where courts order firearms forfeit this represents a significant penalty and a strong deterrent on its own, as these guns are often worth substantial sums, as well as often having intangible value to their owners.”

Mr van Dorp adds that the true financial cost to such hunters is often hidden; it can run well beyond fines and court costs, and the forfeit of firearms – as offenders end up paying often substantial sums for lawyers to represent them in court.

He points out that the string of court appearances and the offending involved reinforces the need for extensive ranging operations in the game bird hunting seasons, which are often run jointly with Police.

Hunters may be surprised to see where rangers turn up when checking hunters, he says.

“We gather information throughout the year, not just during the game bird season, some of it provided anonymously, including reports of people hunting unlawfully out of season.

And the use of tools such as Google Earth means it’s not hard to know exactly where to find hunters.

“Having said this, we don’t wish to sound draconian – law abiding hunters who buy their licences and abide by the rules and regulations have nothing to fear.”

Mr van Dorp says that indeed, they should be very supportive of Fish & Game’s efforts on compliance – holding to account the lawbreakers whose actions impact on game bird resources and on those hunters who “do the right thing.”

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