Thread: Deer in Southern areas?

Really saying they don’t target deer is just playing with words. Most valleys have possums, stoats, rats and mice. Of course they won’t say they’re targeting deer, but the by-kill still happens. How many ‘Mast years’ have we had in the last decade?

If you want an example, go for a walk downstream from the main road at the Waikukupa River. Some prime deer territory in there during Spring, but you will be very lucky to find one in there. I asked a local farmer why this was and his answer was it sees regular poisoning to stop TB spreading south past this area. Not specifically targeting deer, but they are not there in any numbers all the same.

A couple of years ago I was shown a video of a herd of deer running across a saddle in North Canterbury. There would have been approx a hundred deer in this herd. This particular area is part of the Arthur’s Pass East block that now sees regular poisoning. Go and see if you can find those deer numbers in there now.

Not all deer poisonings get the publicity of the Molesworth event, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Originally Posted by Sauer

Really saying they don’t target deer is just playing with words. Most valleys have possums, stoats, rats and mice.

Yes - and the places that get 1080 (from DOC) are typically targetting those that have high priority species to protect from those predators, not the areas with the highest deer numbers at all.

It certainly would be a waste of money to drop 1080 in parts of Arthur's Pass for example if you wanted to target deer, but the drops happen, to protect Orange Fronted Parakeets/Mohua etc.

See the Nelson Lakes NP situation for how DOC is working with hunters for management in an area where there have been reports of high deer numbers.

Yes, deer die from 1080 - no, the drops are not targetting deer. It is an important difference in the conversation about management.