Hi Allizdog,
There is plenty of thick bush all over New Zealand, but remember that thick bush doesn't necessarily mean it's all comprised of palatable plant species. Deer are quite selective browsers that concentrate their feeding on plant species that are palatable, the likes of broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis), Coprosma grandifolia, lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius), kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa), mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), putaputaweta (Carpodetus serratus), five finger (Pseudopanax arboreus), to name but a few of the woody trees. And they will consume these at all stages of the plants life, seedlings, saplings, and mature trees (certainly up to browsing height). The palatables become fewer, while the non-palatables increase in abundance. Those open areas of bush sure are nice to walk around in, but it's not the signs of a healthy forest.
Regards,
Joel
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