Lewis Pass for deer. What's missing ?

I went up from the pass a short way southwards along the tops a couple of weeks ago.

We saw very little deer sign.

Here's the area. This is the Maruia valley looking downstream; the road runs down the True Left.
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...aruiaVly_1.jpg

We descended this scree to the road. Cannibal gorge is in the bottom right of the picture. The patch of scrub in the lower part of the scree is neck deep broadleaf and tutu.
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z.../MaruisScr.jpg

In the beech forest, there were a lot of healthy looking broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis) at waist height. In every other part of New Zealand all you can find is <15 cm seedlings or mature trees with no leaves below 2m above ground (and fallen branches stripped of all leaves).
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...cat/GlitLP.jpg


There was also prolific stinkwood (Coprosma foetidissima) which is said to be highly palatable to deer. (I have actually seen a bit around in some places, particularly where it's mostly sika deer. ) However, its' presence is usually a sign you're walking along a well used tramping track.
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...t/CfoeLP_1.jpg

Is there some reason deer just don't live in this area ?

1080d pretty often,Also pretty close to Hanmer.

There's a car stalking around, could be the mysterious panther that's been sighted further south:)

They're doing a "Battle for the birds" a bit east of this at the moment (Rough creek / Lake Cristobel).
Is there a place we can look up past poison ops say 10 years back ?

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Originally Posted by Bagheera

They're doing a "Battle for the birds" a bit east of this at the moment (Rough creek / Lake Cristobel).
Is there a place we can look up past poison ops say 10 years back ?

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If you find one let me know please....it is not just DOC that drop it so that makes it trickier.

your being a bit of a pussy :D

There's a big black bird that makes the deer in those parts very sneaky, they are there, just sneaky

I don't think they are there. They aren't eating or leaving prints or pellets.
I had thought helicopters were a possible explanation but if they've shot them out to temporary local extinction then the deer are somehow very slow to recolonise.
Do you think the Lewis Pass tops are particularly favourable for helicopters ?

Nice looking country, shame not to find any deer or sign of deer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bagheera

I don't think they are there. They aren't eating or leaving prints or pellets.
I had thought helicopters were a possible explanation but if they've shot them out to temporary local extinction then the deer are somehow very slow to recolonise.
Do you think the Lewis Pass tops are particularly favourable for helicopters ?

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It does get a bit of hunting pressure in there and the choppers too.

Great looking country. I must get down there soon.

Does look good country must just have few deer, real shame though.

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Originally Posted by oraki

There's a car stalking around, could be the mysterious panther that's been sighted further south:)

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This yarn is from the same general area ... the cat we saw wasn't big another to see the deer off however :D
http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...ig-cats-29409/

at present we are having a really good growth year here in sth canterbury...even in blocks with reasonable animals numbers I would expect to see the type of vegetation you are getting. heck we have 5 finger growing along walking tracks which are easy access for deer,simply put there is abundance of food all over so why should deer go into risky open areas to get it??

leave a trail cam out for a few months then you will know exactly what is in the area