DOC’s tahr programme lead James Holborow says a further 726 were shot by recreational hunters between April and July this year.
In autumn 2019, the tahr population on conservation land was estimated at 34,500, but of that 11,000 were culled that year.
Holborow says the hunting pressure is being maintained, with maps showing where tahr were controlled as part of this year’s Tahr Control Operational Plan for 2020-21 uploaded to the DOC website.
DOC aims to get the population down to 10,000, but hunters were in uproar earlier this year and successfully took court action against DOC for failing to adequately consult them over the management plan.
Holborow says next month, DOC will meet with the Tahr Plan Implementation Liaison Group to begin discussions on a Tahr Control Operational Plan for 2021-22.
