Hunters and possum trappers spend a lot of time in the hills visiting remote places Their bush skills mean they often see things that other people may miss – including kiwi sign.
Hunters who use dogs also bring great danger into the kiwi’s life. Dogs are a serious threat to the birds – kiwi and dogs simply don’t mix.
Contact DOC to find out whether wild kiwi live where you plan to hunt.
Report any kiwi sign that you may see or hear.
Make sure all your hunting dogs are well-trained and never roam unattended. Better still, take them along to kiwi avoidance training and have regular refresher sessions. If your dog attends avoidance training by [deadline] you enter a national draw to win [name prize].
If you lose your dog, or see any lost dogs or roaming dogs, report them to the nearest DOC area office as soon as you can.
Limit hunting parties to three dogs at the most.
Do not hunt at night in areas where wild kiwi live.
Do not leave dogs behind when you leave the bush.
Use short range finders
Possum hunters play a valuable role in helping protect New Zealand forests and animals from possum damage and disease. However, some of the techniques used to kill possums can also kill kiwi.
Talk with DOC or regional council staff about kiwi-safe ways to set traps.
If you can, avoid using leg hold traps. If you need to use them, set these traps at least 70-centimetres off the ground, well out of reach of kiwi.
Mount all cyanide baits at least 70-centimetres off the ground – not just on fallen logs.
Get rid of the skinned possum carcass if you can so that wild cats and stoats are not attracted to an area where kiwi chicks might live.
Female kiwi don’t lay the biggest egg in proportion to their weight. The world’s smallest seabird does, the tiny storm petrel. Weighing only 34 grams, she produces eggs up to 30% of her weight – and she has to fly with them on board.
