Thread: Big deer numbers being taken out of the Ruapehu/Wanganui?

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

But when a market/ want for animal,doesn't exist the resources become classed as pests...... That's pretty much how we got into this situation to begin with.

The 18 tonnes of mince donated to charity by the FWF project shows there is a want/need but the cost to produce it is comparable to supermarket prices for farmed venison mince at over $11 per kilo
The 1.5 tonnes of mince done by CNISF at $1.50 per kilo sounds really really good but I suspect this must be all free volunteer labor.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

The 18 tonnes of mince donated to charity by the FWF project shows there is a want/need but the cost to produce it is comparable to supermarket prices for farmed venison mince at over $11 per kilo
The 1.5 tonnes of mince done by CNISF at $1.50 per kilo sounds really really good but I suspect this must be all free volunteer labor.

I thought that by culling for charity I could keep on top of the deer population on the farm where I have a hut. It is only a low population by today's standards. But we shoot about 100 a year and it doesn't make a difference. Mostly hinds and does and young animals. In fact the population is on the increase. See about 30 deer each time we are out. I guess I could really get stuck into them with the thermal but it would be culling to waste and that doesn't sit with me that well. Although its fine where there are huge numbers, 'cos its gotta be done.

As for charity - as a one man show its hard work - and costs are high. Kill, bone out, transport (all donated). It's a 5 hr return trip for each hunt. The hours spent are huge. And as they say "as cold as charity" - don't do it for the appreciation - you soon get taken for granted (or at least it feels like that).

I really enjoy what I do but the reality is that running a chopper over the place twice a year and shooting to waste would be far more effective and efficient than my puddling around.

is there actually a processing plant that would take wild shot operating in the North Island - Egmont Venison closed here in the Naki a long time ago -

Originally Posted by Lucky

Fair call on the costs fellas , just not really viable to recover huh, the price of just flying into the bush with a helo is expensive now , the cost of running / maintaining and insurance must be horrendous these days on a helo , shit our old Mazda 3 was $500 for a service yesterday FFS ��

Get a quote from Oil Changers,they love oldish cars n trucks.My 4.2tdi patrol,around $300,2 oil filters,1 fuel fitler,10 litres of oil and air filter.Gear box,diffs,transfer case all check.

there are two scenarios at play here and many kiwi hunters dont get the in and outs - if you are culling numbers to reduce a population then generally its not economic to stuff around with carcasses - the early cullers learnt that lesson - in very early days they had the cullers skin and dry skins for sale mainly red deer to off set the cost of the culling campaign - that did not last long the Field Officers soon realised that it held up shooting numbers - so if one is culling to waste no play with the carcass - use all money to shoot more - taking carcasses is harvesting for meat - now whether there is money to be made now I doubt it where is the market ??- gone and would need to be set up again to be economic - as many have said if you want venison then farmed is the way to go - consistent and generally good quality - most of what is being shot is being paid for by the farmers except for DOC operations and yes we will see more of it - we tried some operations with volunteer hunters and sorry did not work out - yes they had fun but that was about all the number of deer shot to cost did not add up - many Kiwi hunters seem to believe that if you are shooting deer then you are achieving a degree of control - they could not be more wrong - if you are are only shooting 10- 15% of a population they are breeding at a faster rate behind you - to really knock a population on say a sheep station a Hughs 500 with professionals and take out over 80% then you are achieving a result

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

is there actually a processing plant that would take wild shot operating in the North Island - Egmont Venison closed here in the Naki a long time ago -

There’s 2

@Barry the hunter there is a market and there is people out doing, they don’t talk about it much. There is human consumption and pet food markets

Guess it's like the goats I did as a teenager...we didn't make much $$$ but made enough to buy beer. The animals close to tracks were easy enough. But once you start having to carry carcase any distance it becomes work not play. The days of a deer being half a week's wages are long gone but it wouldn't have to be huge amount before it would be worthwhile to do if had easy access and animals you could get vehicle close to. The concept of shooting deer to waste takes a bit to get my head around...but suppose it's no different to feeding pork to dogs...

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

there are two scenarios at play here and many kiwi hunters dont get the in and outs - if you are culling numbers to reduce a population then generally its not economic to stuff around with carcasses - the early cullers learnt that lesson - in very early days they had the cullers skin and dry skins for sale mainly red deer to off set the cost of the culling campaign - that did not last long the Field Officers soon realised that it held up shooting numbers - so if one is culling to waste no play with the carcass - use all money to shoot more - taking carcasses is harvesting for meat - now whether there is money to be made now I doubt it where is the market ??- gone and would need to be set up again to be economic - as many have said if you want venison then farmed is the way to go - consistent and generally good quality - most of what is being shot is being paid for by the farmers except for DOC operations and yes we will see more of it - we tried some operations with volunteer hunters and sorry did not work out - yes they had fun but that was about all the number of deer shot to cost did not add up - many Kiwi hunters seem to believe that if you are shooting deer then you are achieving a degree of control - they could not be more wrong - if you are are only shooting 10- 15% of a population they are breeding at a faster rate behind you - to really knock a population on say a sheep station a Hughs 500 with professionals and take out over 80% then you are achieving a result

Well said Barry
Most dont appreciate that head shooting, recovering and processing 60-100 fallow a night in winter between two men isn't that much fun and is bloody hard work.
Its a bit different to smoking one on the
weekend to put in the freezer


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yes bit like guiding - mate did it - bloody client would be snoring in a warm bed having been wined and dined at the lodge- him and his mate out the back at midnight struggling to get out bloody great red statg whole so the useless prick could get his photo taken with it next morning - and next client 5am that morning - he said the novelty wore off but it was not bad money

A H500,a good pilot with nerve,2 rifles,1 shooter and a reloader sitting in back.Fuel truck on ground.And farmers willing to spend.

@BRADS there sure is a huge difference between shooting a couple for the freezer and hanging up a load especially now days with the paperwork even the wism clips and being hocked correctly. There was an old meat hunter saying, any mug can shoot a deer but it separates the men from the boys when hanging one up

Last time we flew into Pohangina for DOC, I’m sure the chopper pilot said the government were looking at subsidising WARO to make up for the low carcass weights and long travel/ferry times in some areas just to get some more animals removed.

Originally Posted by BRADS

Well said Barry
Most dont appreciate that head shooting, recovering and processing 60-100 fallow a night in winter between two men isn't that much fun and is bloody hard work.
Its a bit different to smoking one on the
weekend to put in the freezer


Sent from my SM-S936B using Tapatalk

I'd like to see two guys headshoot and recover sixty to one hundred in a night.
There wouldn't be too many guys could do that.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I'd like to see two guys headshoot and recover sixty to one hundred in a night.
There wouldn't be too many guys could do that.

Average 80 deer in 12hrs in a winters night=one deer every 9minutes/2 men.Deer head shot and recovered for consumption.Not possible.Youd need some very tame deer in a yard to do the above.Not scattered around the hills, paddocks after shots fired.