Are You Roar Ready?

The Game Animal Council (GAC) is reminding hunters to be well prepared ahead of their autumn hunting trips by making sure they are ‘roar ready’.

“Hunters are extremely excited about this year’s deer roar,” says GAC General Manager Tim Gale. “The 2020 roar was interrupted by the level 4 lockdown meaning most people missed out on the best hunting of the year.”

“The good news is with another 12 months to mature there will be some really high-quality stags out there and some great hunting to be had. However, the roar period also presents extra risk so we are reminding hunters to take the necessary precautions to have a safe and successful trip.”

“Preparation for a hunt is essential – make sure you give your gear a good check over before you go, know what to expect weather-wise by checking the long-range weather forecast, always carry hardcopy maps to supplement whatever electronic navigational aids you use and leave your intentions (including when you expect to return) with a reliable contact.”

Communication with the outside world can be difficult when in the backcountry, so at the very least carry a personal locator beacon and know how to use it. With New Zealand conditions so changeable it is also important that hunters respect the things out of their control, such as weather and river levels, and wait things out if necessary.

“When it comes to firearms safety it is critical to identify your target carefully and beyond all doubt, treat every firearm as loaded and make sure the person carrying the rifle is responsible for checking it is unloaded and safe. I also strongly recommend wearing high-vis or blaze clothing. Orange blaze is extremely vivid to the human eye yet deer do not pick it up so wearing it should not hamper your hunting opportunities.”

“Finally, there will be a lot of people in the hills, particularly over the Easter period, so be mindful of other hunting parties as well as other backcountry users and while we hope to get through the roar without any further lockdowns, make sure you follow all the COVID-19 guidelines and continue with your contact tracing,” says Gale.

Further information and tips to make sure you are ‘roar ready’ are available at https://nzgameanimalcouncil.org.nz/are-you-roar-ready/.

The NZ Game Animal Council is a statutory organisation responsible for the sustainable management of game animals and hunting for recreation, commerce and conservation.

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