Video shows stag killing

A film-maker is to plead guilty to poaching after a landowner watching one of his movies realised the trophy stag being shot belonged to him and was on his land.

Dawson Bliss, 52, of Hastings, will appear on Tuesday in Hastings District Court, where he says he will plead guilty to charges of hunting on private land without the owner's authority and of filming on conservation land without a concession.

Bliss, a professional hunting guide who has made numerous hunting movies sold throughout New Zealand and overseas, has labelled the charges "ridiculous".

"I've pleaded guilty because I just can't be bothered with the cost and the hassle." He said he had "no idea" a concession was required to film on department land.

The charges relate to a clip in The Trophy Hunters video, featuring Bliss' son Beaudene, 27, and Cameron Young, 28, shooting a 12-pointer stag on Teme Station in the Waihopai Valley, near Blenheim. On March 31, the three men flew by helicopter to conservation reserve land. The next morning they tramped out of the reserve on to the station and tracked the stag. It was filmed alive, then killed.

Police say the men dragged it to a concealed area where they skinned it, removed its head and threw the carcass in a river.

They took turns filming each other carrying the head back into department land. A helicopter collected them on April 2.

Bliss made a video with the footage and copies were sold on the Internet and at hunting and fishing shops.

Daniel Le Brun, of Teme Station, said the stag was bred to release into a fenced safari park on the property so hunting customers could easily take home trophy heads. It was worth $8000. Bliss disputes this figure.

Mr Le Brun said the hunters must have crossed a fence in order to get the stag. Bliss disputes this.

Charges were laid early this year after Mr Le Brun saw the video and realised the men were hunting on his property.

Bliss Jr, of Nelson, and Young, of Hastings, pleaded guilty in Blenheim District Court last month to hunting deer on private property without permission and filming wildlife on crown land for commercial gain without a licence.

The men were told to give the stag head to Hastings police so it could be valued.

- © Fairfax NZ News