Two signs approved by police will be on offer at Farmlands Kurow. Both highlight poaching’s illegality and the need to close down rural crime.
Senior Constable Craig Bennett, of Kurow, said there was a noticeable incidence of poaching activities in the Kurow, Central Otago, Oamaru and South Canterbury areas, including vehicles seen where they would not usually be and animal parts being found under bridges.
"Farmers have their own pits, so they’re not leaving their stuff there, so the stuff being found must have been illegally obtained."
"There’s still a misconception going on if it’s rabbits, wallabies or wild pigs, ‘farmers don’t want them anyway so what does it matter if I shoot them’, but it’s still on the farmer’s land."
A safety issue lay in knowing who was in what location on farms given that farmers in general knew who they expected to be accessing their land and where they could be found.
In June, Snr Const Bennett said there was a possibility of someone getting killed as poaching increased in Waitaki Valley and Central Otago.
"My locals are reporting spotlights going across their houses in the early hours of the evening. At times, even into the middle of the night, their bedrooms are being lit up by spotlighting by someone on their land or from the roadway.
"People are shooting from roadways and from vehicles shooting towards houses and the potential for something to go wrong is huge."
Farmlands Kurow branch manager Nigel Smith said working with police was about helping the community tackle poaching.
It was hoped signs could be ordered through Farmlands Kurow this week.
● Kurow police (03) 436-0807, Crimestoppers 0800-555-111.
