The biggest uncontrolled animal problem in the open dryer country of the South Island is Hares. Hares do an incredible amount of damage to regeneration, nipping off seedlings at ground level and smaller trees about 250 mm above the ground. In any discussion regarding wild animal numbers and population limits hares need to be included. Much high country in Canterbury was burnt in the early days for sheep grazing and now it is retired. Where there are populations of Hares the regen is very slow. My 2c
Your dead right there Moa Hunter.
Most if not all of the big high up basins back in the early ti mid 70's were alive with hares.
When the Thar culling was coming to an end we were asked/told to clean up hares,,found that rather uninteresting work at altitude lol.
Believe it or not grass hoppers were darn thick on the ground then also.
Don't know what hare numbers are like nowadays up on the high stuff.
Last edited by doinit; 26-09-2018 at 12:15 PM.
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