Recreational hunting of Thar (Hemitragus jemlahicus) in the Rangitata/Rakaia conservation area, Canterbury, New Zealand

Abstract

Introduced Himalayan Thar (Hemitragus jemlahicus) have unwanted impacts on alpine and subalpine vegetation communities in the mountain land of the central Southern Alps in New Zealand. Recreational hunters currently input the most effort for thar population control at no cost to the conservation land managers. A postal survey of recreational hunters was conducted to determine whether hunters could be more effectively managed to improve control of thar in the Rangitata/Rakaia conservation area, where the thar population is currently increasing. A short field study of thar behaviour was also carried out to investigate reasons for a sex-bias in hunters' reported harvest. Responses to the postal survey (n=92) suggest that hunters generally favour a change in the current system of thar management. Information concerning areas of problem thar density and proposed management strategies needs to be more freely available. Recreational hunters reported shooting 25% more males than females. Field observations showed that male and female thar did not differ significantly in their vigilance towards hunters (p=0.63), but females confined themselves to rugged, high altitude habitat that was more difficult to hunt. Unless hunters begin to target a higher proportion of the female thar population, it seems unlikely that they can provide adequate control of thar in the Rangitata/Rakaia conservation area.