Recreational hunters targeting Himalayan tahr can now record and submit their hunting contributions using a new mobile phone app designed by the Game Animal Council and the Department of Conservation.

The app, which is developed through the Survey123 for ArcGIS data gathering service, makes it easy for hunters to record their Himalayan tahr returns and submit valuable information to help inform the future management of the tahr herd.

“One of the biggest issues when it comes to the management of tahr is an accurate understanding of how many animals are being taken by recreational hunters and where,” says Game Animal Council Chair Don Hammond. “This app presents an opportunity for the tahr hunting community to prove the value of recreational hunting and make a positive contribution to animal management.”

“The reality is the app will only be successful if recreational hunters install it on their phone and use it.”

“The greater the uptake of the app, the more accurate the data, the better the outcomes will be for recreational hunters in future tahr management programmes.”

“All hunting locations recorded by the app will be combined into tahr Management Units, so a hunter’s favourite spot will not be disclosed to the GAC, DOC or anyone else. Likewise, no personal information is recorded, meaning every return is totally anonymous,” says Hammond.

DOC has recently mapped the locations of thousands of bull tahr on public conservation land and hunters can use this information when planning their next hunt.

“These maps are an excellent tool for hunters as they highlight where bull tahr were sighted between July and November when the data was collected,” says Hammond.

The Game Animal Council acknowledges the Director-General of the Department of Conservation for his support of this project. We also thank those DOC staff who have worked with us to develop the app.

More information on the app and instructions for installing and using it are available https://nzgameanimalcouncil.org.nz/game-animal-management/tahr-returns-app/

Maps showing the locations of bull tahr sighted between July and November are available at www.doc.govt.nz/tahr-sightings-maps

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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