Hunters fear losing guns for seeking mental health help — but needn't

In mid 2024, our Pou Kōtui - Senior Partnerships Advisor, Kendra Hill, was filmed as part of a Re: News youth docuseries project about the lives of regional rangatahi and what it can be like growing up in small-town New Zealand. 

This video focuses on a young hunter who avoided seeking mental health support out of fear of losing their firearms licence. For Te Tari Pūreke a really important point is that mental health conditions are not uncommon. Our key message is for people to always seek help from a health professional. If firearms licence holders are struggling, there are some proactive things they – and those around them - can do before ending up down the path of revocation. 

Kendra Hill is doing a lot of work in this area of health and wellbeing for firearms licence holders, especially working with Mental Hunts who provide resources like their YouTube channel (where you can see a podcast with the Firearms Safety Authority), articles, support groups, and helplines, all dedicated to integrating mental health with the hunting lifestyle.