Game Gear and Conservation

Conservation can be defined as the act of preserving, guarding and protecting. As a company, we love the outdoors from farming to hunting and we believe we should all share in the enjoyment the outdoor spaces provide. 

As Game Gear grew, we started looking at how we could invest back into conservation. Like many, we are critical of government decisions made around conservation but sitting on the side-lines has never been something we are good at. So, in 2016 we began to take an active role in managing pests within some of our favourite hunting areas on public land. 

The old saying of putting your money where your mouth is rings true with us and conservation. As a company, our investment initially started with 35 Good Nature A24 traps. In partnership with Blue Duck Station and The Department of Conservation we positioned these along a ridge within the Whanganui National park where sightings of Kakariki, Robins and Kaka had been declining. The targets were rats and mustelids, and results were almost instant after setting the traps. Mutual benefits were immediately seen and as we checked traps every 6 weeks, we would harvest deer and pigs. The first 6 weeks saw 226 kills recorded on these traps and the carcasses of rats littering the area under our traps really ignited a feeling that we were only scratching the surface and had to do more. 

 Roll forward to 2021 and we have now funded over 50km of trap lines in areas including Te Puke, Whanganui, Gisborne, Opotiki and Matawai. 

Our first target is always the rats, then the stoats that come to scavenge the rats are next and slowly we reduce the pest population and reduce predation on our native species. On a personal level our direct boots on the ground involvement in establishing these projects has reinforced the “why” in answer to those that seek to denigrate hunting. 

 Our direct involvement in making a difference has come about through your support. Wearing our brand is not just about a cool label or great designs – the support you give us through buying our gear is having a definitive effect in protecting what is ours. As kiwis, we are all public landowners and for those of us wanting to see conservation done differently we believe it is easier to lead from the front.  

Latest updates regarding these projects to come soon