Thread: Deer Population Growth

Originally Posted by Snoppernator

We might want to be careful making generalisations across the country based on what we see locally. Perception often influences reality. If you hunt private blocks, farms or stations, I would imagine you would see many more animals than say a hunter in the upper north island that has only access to Doc bush blocks. Youtube doesn't help where hunters will spend days passing over a number of animals to shoot a ripper stag (and full credit to them). Meanwhile, someone starting out in the Kaimanawas, Pureora or Kaimai bush, might spend days hunting "ghosts in the darkness" sika or reds, and get squealed or barked at. It's all relative to where you go.

But, when generalisations are made by the hunting community, is it any surprise when Doc increases pest control measures, or Waro fires up? And what is the response from forums like this? Complaints about such operations. So perhaps if you are seeing such big numbers of animals on private blocks, let people know locally you trust, and do something about it and reduce the hind numbers. I recently spend three days in my favourite tops spot. I go a couple of times of year if I'm lucky (and Jacinta let me) and spend a few days glassing animals. I saw a dozen, hinds, fawns, stags (in velvet and just stripped), spikers and young hinds without animals at foot. Loved it. They were all in healthy condition, and the numbers are about the same as what I have seen in previous years. Are they out of control? Maybe. Maybe not. But I took a couple of young animals, left the stags to grow, and hope to go back. Isn't that what it's all about, actually seeing deer? Just saying.

I'd have to disagree with that
Some of us post time and time again about the deer numbers in the Ruahines accessible for everyone and reasonably central to all the north island and yet there's so many deer in there in winter they are literally starving to death.

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk