Thread: Latest NZ Hunter Mag

I wouldn’t worry about it. As long as you are utilising the meat just knock em down

I'm just wondering what you shoot this time off year as hinds are in milk stags are in velvet that only leaves yearling hinds it doesn't worry me as I only hunt for meat & the spot I hunt most off the time doesn't seem to hold stags & I don't shoot hinds in milk but isn't it better to shoot a velvet stag than a hind & the fawn staving to death AS LONG AS THEY TAKE ALL THE MEAT OFF THE STAG

The topic was about game management - stags don't breed. hinds do. This is where WARO and aerial culling come into play if the population gets out of control with excessive high numbers. Aside from hunting on the back of a station/farm, you shouldn't have a problem finding deer to harvest if you access public lands especially in the South Island at the moment. The NZDA throughout NZ have a very good Hunts programme to get you started. Social media wasn't around in my day, so we did the hard yards looking at a map and walking into the hills to get a deer. People nowadays are asking where to go to get these deer! Go figure...

I shoot what I find. Two stags this time last year.cant see potential so too bad. Young animal prefered.

Yep what ever deer walks by me,bang flop.Big or small.

Originally Posted by hunt08

I'm just wondering what you shoot this time off year as hinds are in milk stags are in velvet that only leaves yearling hinds it doesn't worry me as I only hunt for meat & the spot I hunt most off the time doesn't seem to hold stags & I don't shoot hinds in milk but isn't it better to shoot a velvet stag than a hind & the fawn staving to death AS LONG AS THEY TAKE ALL THE MEAT OFF THE STAG

yearling , spring to mind if one is to be so ethical.
not old enough to breed... an saves a 'trophy' velvet from being eaten over summer, etc ?

Shoot whatever as long as you eat it.
One man's trophy is another man's food !!!

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Originally Posted by Rees

yearling , spring to mind if one is to be so ethical.
not old enough to breed... an saves a 'trophy' velvet from being eaten over summer, etc ?

In an improving herd the younger deer ought to have the highest genetic merit. Truth is though in our high population public land areas the best improvement that can be made is through shooting as many deer as possible so that everything gets fed better. Hinds by preference, but currently with fawns at foot rolling stags will certainly help.

and thats my issue..no where I hunt are numbers anywhere near high enough that animals going hungry.... still big healthy deer and knee high grass.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

and thats my issue..no where I hunt are numbers anywhere near high enough that animals going hungry.... still big healthy deer and knee high grass.

I hear it gets different once you are 10km or so from Geraldine.

humph........ 50kms away is my normal stomping grounds...but yes I have seen both feral pigs and red deer within 5 kms of my home..come to think of it a wallaby was seen less than 10kms away too...

Great to see maybe -10 years too late I’d say