Red Deer in New Zealand

For more information e-mail Steuart of NZ Hunting Info Ltd

Refer also to the hunting story titled "Fire 1080 & a Traditional New Zealand Deer Hunt".

Red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) are widely distributed throughout New Zealand. They originate from some of the prestigious game parks in the United Kingdom. The characteristics of these herds in New Zealand were preserved for many years by geographical isolation. For example the Otago region had animals sourced from Scotland with typical recognizable features. Similarly the Rakaia, Nelson and Wairarapa herds were derived from English game parks. Over time, however, the purity of these lines has become diluted and therefore the antler structures less clearly distinctive from any given area.

Red Deer on public land are never far from cover

While relatively common, red deer are a challenge to hunt. This is because there are few restrictions on hunting and consequently the deer are under constant pressure. Anyone with a firearms licence and a permit can hunt deer on most public land at any time of the year. A person without a firearms licence can also hunt as long as they are under the close supervision of a licenced hunter.

Most the big red deer heads were shot in the late 1880s and early 1900s but take a look at this beautiful head. It was shot in the Pueroa area in March 2005 by Bruce Dunn and is probably the biggest head shot in New Zealand. It was assessed by Bruce Banwell one of New Zealand's experts on deer. He felt that it was not influenced by farm stock and therefore stands as a record. Go to the articles tab to read about Bruce Dunn's hunt.

Until 2003, wild deer were commercially harvested by helicopters and the venison marketed overseas. And before that, up until the 1970s they were hunted by professional government cullers employed to control deer numbers.

Hunting red deer on public land is a sport that is still accessible to almost anyone keen to try. The same cannot be said about some of the other deer species. As with any outdoor pursuit, both physical fitness and background research will contribute to success.

Winter deer hunting even in the foothills can be hard work

There are two times of the year when hunting is easier.The first is in Spring when during November and December red deer are attracted out of the forest to feed on the flush of grass and shrub growth. If you just want to bag a deer, Spring is the time. The second is the breeding season in April, (known as the roar) when stags become vocal. If you are reading this you probably already know about the roar.

Helicopters are often used for hunting access

Visitors should recognize that the hunting culture here is different to the culture that has evolved in most parts of the world. European hunting customs did not survive for long in New Zealand following the arrival of the first settlers. There are now few traditions governing the chase except on some private game estates.

The trophy heads from New Zealand have compared well with those of the rest of the world. However, indiscriminate commercial venison recovery has for decades affected antler quality on public land. A 1998 study showed that in the years of commercial venison recovery the mean age of stags was only five years and consequently animals in the wild were not reaching their full trophy potential. With the recent demise of commercial hunting, stags in the wild are on average growing older and the heads are already improving.

Doing it tough

The Douglas Scoring system is used throughout Australasia for scoring trophies shot in the wild. In contrast the guided hunting businesses use systems such as the S.C.I. that are more familiar to their clients.

Best New Zealand head

Douglas score 394 3/4 taken in 1924

For more information e-mail Steuart of NZ Hunting Info Ltd

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