Deer History and Control in NZ

This is a photo of Mitchell with a red deer.

Red deer were the first introduced into NZ
bushes by early English settlers - in 1851.

Other deer species soon followed: fallow deer (1864),
sambar (1875), asian sika (1885), wapiti (1905) and
white-tailed (1909).

The Wapiti were sent by American President Theodore
Roosevelt in exchange for native NZ birds and Tuatara.
Wapiti are the largest member of the deer family
and in NZ can be found on the lower West Coast of
the South Island.


During the late 1800's people became concerned
about the impact of introduced deer on the native
vegetation.  Deer browsing impacted on NZ forests
for some time, finally, in the 1930's protection
was lifted and the government paid hunters to shoot
deer.  By the mid 1950's the government had 125 
paid hunters shooting between 50,000 - 65,000 
deer per year.

In the 1970's helicopter shooting and deer farming
contributed to newer forms of control.  Live deer
became very valuable and farmers began building herds
by rounding up wild deer from the bush.

Deer are now largely under control, but still pose
a threat.  A Research Study during the 1990's has
shown deer eat only 1.1% of foliage produced in
forests each year.  However they choose young seedlings
and are very much a threat to our natural environment.


Related page: Deer Stalking in New Zealand


Source:  The Natural World of New Zealand, Gerard Hutching.
Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd 1998.