Thread: A bit of History

@whanahuia This from Cooch:

I have been searching through my books for details of the early deer releases in the
Western Ruahines and found relevant imformation.
The nearest liberation to Rangiwahia according to Wellington Acclimatisation records was
beyond Mangaweka at the foot of the Ruahine range probably in the Kawhatau valley in 1908.
There was two stags and three hinds Waiarapa calves. The Waiarapa herd is of the Windsor
Park strain so there is the potential for great trophys. The head I saw in the sports shop in Marton was a
14 pointer said to be the first shot under licence in the Kawhatau valley. I will try to get a lead on where it ended up.

That's the most likely one. Fits the date we were always told. Im guessing that around that time, the ruahines spread lower into the foothills than they do now and potentially from again, family legend, the release site was somewhere around the Kawhatau/ Pourangaki junction.

Originally Posted by Tahr

@whanahuia This from Cooch:

I have been searching through my books for details of the early deer releases in the
Western Ruahines and found relevant imformation.
The nearest liberation to Rangiwahia according to Wellington Acclimatisation records was
beyond Mangaweka at the foot of the Ruahine range probably in the Kawhatau valley in 1908.
There was two stags and three hinds Waiarapa calves. The Waiarapa herd is of the Windsor
Park strain so there is the potential for great trophys. The head I saw in the sports shop in Marton was a
14 pointer said to be the first shot under licence in the Kawhatau valley. I will try to get a lead on where it ended up.

Do you know which herd colonised the Eastern Ruahines @Tahr? Or if it was natural spread from the western releases?

Originally Posted by hebe

Do you know which herd colonised the Eastern Ruahines @Tahr? Or if it was natural spread from the western releases?

Deer only began to be seen in the south western Ruahines in 1920. They were heard drift from the northern liberations.

https://newzealandecology.org/system...ZJEcol2_11.pdf

Originally Posted by Tahr

Deer only began to be seen in the south western Ruahines in 1920. They were heard drift from the northern liberations.

https://newzealandecology.org/system...ZJEcol2_11.pdf

Whoops, I stuffed that up... should be:

Deer only began to be seen in the south eastern Ruahines in about 1920. They were herd drift from the northern liberations.