Current South Island WARO Activity

Hey Guys,

Following reports of market access resuming to China for wild deer velvet (Newstalk ZB Rural Show November 24) https://www.velvet.org.nz/news-resou...set-to-resume/


Has anyone heard of WARO activity increasing throughout South Island. Very little if any in the Ruahines currently, green zones plenty deer about open.

Any reports past activity over past few years would also be helpful, we are heading down SI next year. Hunted North Canterbury green zone March 24, deer on high tops good numbers and behaviour suggested never hunted by helicopter.

Sam

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Originally Posted by HuntaClimbsHigh

Hey Guys,

Following reports of market access resuming to China for wild deer velvet (Newstalk ZB Rural Show November 24) https://www.velvet.org.nz/news-resou...set-to-resume/


Has anyone heard of WARO activity increasing throughout South Island. Very little if any in the Ruahines currently, green zones plenty deer about open.

Any reports past activity over past few years would also be helpful, we are heading down SI next year. Hunted North Canterbury green zone March 24, deer on high tops good numbers and behaviour suggested never hunted by helicopter.

Sam

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The problem was in relation to the blockage in the farmed velvet trade to China. Any wild velvet harvesting is a by-product of the wild venison trade, and there's not a lot of that going on. I wouldn't worry about it.

Also from what I understand, most of the wild venison market as far as Waro is concerned, is being soaked up from easier access and high numbers, private land ATM.

I only know forsure of one operator taking animals around Hanmer/Kaikoura and rumors of one based on the western side occasionally shooting deer. Not huge numbers and generally speaking front country private and public. Operating cost are still very high, I think prices for both meat and velvet would need to inflate alot before there was more consistent pressure put on the backcountry but there may well be a slight uptick I aerial pressure in the coming years.

Machine from Blenheim been down semi regularly and does a bit down here (Nth Otago/Sth Canterbury) but all private land

i think it is all private lands.

Top of the south. Bill Hales out of Hanmer is doing a bit as usual from what I hear. Premium Game is also doing WARO as required to fill orders, mostly private land where numbers are high and easy shooting. They venture further sth. as required for Tahr orders. Molesworths Travellers Valley (Waimea stream) area was culled recently but prohibited hunting area anyway.

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Originally Posted by HuntaClimbsHigh

Hey Guys,

Following reports of market access resuming to China for wild deer velvet (Newstalk ZB Rural Show November 24) [url]https://www.velvet.org.nz/news-resources/news/frozen-velvet-exports-to-china-set-to-resume/[
Has anyone heard of WARO activity increasing throughout South Island. Very little if any in the Ruahines currently, green zones plenty deer about open.

Any reports past activity over past few years would also be helpful, we are heading down SI next year. Hunted North Canterbury green zone March 24, deer on high tops good numbers and behaviour suggested never hunted by helicopter.

Sam

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The wild venison trade was killed years ago by the bureaucrats with regulations and cost. An era gone to quote Dave Ratcliffe. I acted for a client who owned a venison processing plant. He got out of it for that reason.

Plenty of animals getting taken off private land but going to pet food. Good money in it for the land owner and good that they are controlling numbers

Really appreciate the feedback and updates. Yeah I heard similiar, WARO on private land east Mt White where high numbers and easy shooting last year. Reducing numbers front country to avoid negative public perceptions, issues for farming and conservation will help prolong better hunting.

Given lack local WARO, would have to agree running costs and commodity values limiting backcountry hunting for now. Might be different STH Westland, West Coast and around Southern Lakes where activity seams to persist.

WARO saved the deer herds, caught up w Mike Bennet 2009 whom shot down there peak herd 1960s…. And wrote the “Venison Hunters”

Incidentally during 2015 WARO review several RED Zones were changed to Green. The local DOC office which reversed it recommendation for Scenic Reserve to RED based on several landowner submissions incl mine and fact reserve was only four kms wide surrounded farmland. Yet Managment Panel changed status to GREEN anyhow.

Good opportunities for all, enjoy your open country hunting!

Sam

Seems there might be a bit more happening over the summer. Had a conversation with my old neighbor who is a pilot, himself and another crew from Blenheim shot the klKaikoura DOC country from the Hapuku,Mt Fyffe and Kowhai. They took 70odd deer and according to him the iwi land up the Arahura is being opened up for a WARO run this summer.

Plenty of deer around, from a selfish point of view it would be great if stags weren't targeted but that's just a pipedream.

I should refrase that last piece, I wish there was an incentive for the operators to target hinds to make it worth their while.

WARO is constant in the deep south and mostly carried out to fill orders from the various meat processing plants. I know one operator who is out this week to fill the order book. Doesn't make a dent in the population though.

It will be interesting how long waro can continue. With the meat processing plants closing down in timaru due to low demand for venison and sheep. Surely the industry is on its last legs.

the iwi land up the Arahura is being opened up for a WARO run this summer.

Interesting, that is being kept quiet it would seem..:huh:

WARO seems to have been in a general lull for a number of years but there's likely to always be a bit of a demand for wild game so maybe it will be here for a while yet.

As for worrying about helicopters bombing up your local patch, I gave up being upset about that a long time ago. There are more animals out there now than there has ever been in my lifetime. I went for a 40-minute flight with my son the other day and saw 6 red stags, 4 fallow and over 100 tahr - in the middle of a hot summer day.

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Originally Posted by BSA

the iwi land up the Arahura is being opened up for a WARO run this summer.

Interesting, that is being kept quiet it would seem..:huh:

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IWI land - private land, doesn’t have to be publicly notified. No big deal.

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Originally Posted by Hook_Grass

Seems there might be a bit more happening over the summer. Had a conversation with my old neighbor who is a pilot, himself and another crew from Blenheim shot the klKaikoura DOC country from the Hapuku,Mt Fyffe and Kowhai. They took 70odd deer and according to him the iwi land up the Arahura is being opened up for a WARO run this summer.

Plenty of deer around, from a selfish point of view it would be great if stags weren't targeted but that's just a pipedream.

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Was in DOC Renwick office yesterday checking up on a few things. They were mildly surprised 70 deer got shot over that area. Their monitoring and local pilot suggests numbers aren’t particularly high for WARO, much easier private land around. Luck on the day I guess.

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Originally Posted by woods223

Was in DOC Renwick office yesterday checking up on a few things. They were mildly surprised 70 deer got shot over that area. Their monitoring and local pilot suggests numbers aren’t particularly high for WARO, much easier private land around. Luck on the day I guess.

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Definitely surprising, up until recently I would frequent one of those rivers and could normally find 20 or 30 deer but that is over a substantial area. The pilot I spoke to has been doing plenty of venison recovery but as you say @woods223 it is almost exclusively easy access private land with efficiency being the focus, generally shooting from a small machine and stockpiling groups of carcasses for a larger machine to whip through and pick up.

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Originally Posted by woods223

Was in DOC Renwick office yesterday checking up on a few things. They were mildly surprised 70 deer got shot over that area. Their monitoring and local pilot suggests numbers aren’t particularly high for WARO, much easier private land around. Luck on the day I guess.

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I'm surprised that's all they got, would have expected twice that.

Alpine as always been smashing them down here

Spoke to a mate of mine down Kaikoura way and he did a morning shotting out the heli 6 weeks ago on private land and shot 30.
Last roar I spent a bit over 2 weeks down around Kaikoura and I have never seen as many deer around, lot more fallow and in places I had never seen them before, I was surprised at the numbers.
Saw some big mature stags and I believe that with the lack of pressure from both hunters and WARO these animals are out in the open a lot more. I have spent a fair bit of time in some areas and not seen the number of good stags as last roar.
Took a couple of guys who had never shot a deer before and their first deer were an 11 and a 14 respectively, good heads. I spent years hunting before I got a stag as good as they got, shows how the times have changed.

A 500 was spotlighting all night in St James not long ago, observed by DOC staff apparently

Wonder if it was old matey from Hanmer

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Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Wonder if it was old matey from Hanmer

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Wouldn't have a clue, just repeating what I was told