Thread: Pest deer on private property.

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

The hardest job of any culling operation is meat recovery

Your first job is to strike hard and fast to avoid educating the pests

Meat recovery would be at the bottom of ground staffs list

Yes. Thats what I meant by shooting to waste. Just get in there with a chopper and go full bore. A good culler doesn't looks back.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Yes. Thats what I meant by shooting to waste. Just get in there with a chopper and go full bore. A good culler doesn't looks back.

yes you are right Tahr - back before WW2 in early culling days they were required to skin the deer shot and dry the skins for sale to help with costs of operations -that did not last that long - powers that be soon realized that it was a waste of time and energy and the cullers were better of to just hunt - hunters can waste a lot of time stuffing around with carcasses and if herd reduction is the goal especially high numbers its wasted effort - I think in many areas we are at the point where it would be good to see hunters out in areas with high numbers shoot some to waste before coming out of bush especially hinds or does - I know that is anti to a lot of hunters but in some areas a good cull out to bring numbers down to healthy levels is what's required -

at this point in time I would be happy to just find a plurry deer to shoot.....stuffed if I know where they are all hiding,certainly not on the DOC blocks around this area.

ha not a fair situation is it hunting - one fallow block I hunt one can see up to 50 in an afternoon and owner limits me to 2 lol - place actually could do with a bit of a hard hit

Believe it or not this is private property on the WestCoast cycle way. They are even out in daylight

PRIVATE property is the operative words.......as long as they have nursery areas like that..the surrounding lands will get a trickle over effect.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

at this point in time I would be happy to just find a plurry deer to shoot.....stuffed if I know where they are all hiding,certainly not on the DOC blocks around this area.

An old mate reckcond they climb trees in winter, never seen one myself but its probably the only place you havent looked Micky

About a year ago around here 12 deer recovered per hour was supposedly cut off point to make money doing waro. People got to get used to the idea of thinning to waste. It seems wasteful but the compliance costs to recover animals makes it a tough call for ground based hunters. Remember, it’s breaking the rules to even give game meat away. Getting back to thinning to waste, a local station thinned 1300 animals to waste not too many years ago and is looking to do another 7-800 in the coming year. That’s how quick the numbers can build up. Personally I try to utilise as much meat as I can but if land owner wants thinning to waste as a priority I don’t have a problem, they got to do what they can to make a living/profit.

About 50% of my income is from animal control (possum, goat, fallow, pigs).

I charge an hourly rate + travel + ammunition + any other expenses.

Where possible I take a pic of the dead animals - not possums - and ensure they're not left on tracks or near waterways. No animals are recovered. No, you/your kid/your mate can't come with me and have a few shots.

No deer in mid canterbury,they all washed out to sea.

Originally Posted by Trout

No deer in mid canterbury,they all washed out to sea.

Pre-salted .....on a serious note hope everyone is ok

Originally Posted by dannyb

I think you have to balance out the revenue you can gain from selling them for pet food, along with your overheads and investment in gear......also skill level.
I know if I was paying per deer shot or by the hour I would want the best bang for buck I could get, and also want someone to clean up as many as possible, not just a few and educate the rest to be wary of hunters/people etc.
I only know one professional culler and I'm sure part of his business relies on selling the meat for pet food as part of the cost consideration.
No one runs a business at a loss for long.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/deer-devi...the-deep-south

A bit off topic topic but if a farmer ask you to shoot hinds only do it don't pack a shit to the farmer about it. I know a few farmers in my area that got pissed off with recreational hunters not following the hinds only rule so just closed the hunting off & get the copper in cull to waste

Originally Posted by dannyb

I think you have to balance out the revenue you can gain from selling them for pet food, along with your overheads and investment in gear......also skill level.
I know if I was paying per deer shot or by the hour I would want the best bang for buck I could get, and also want someone to clean up as many as possible, not just a few and educate the rest to be wary of hunters/people etc.
I only know one professional culler and I'm sure part of his business relies on selling the meat for pet food as part of the cost consideration.
No one runs a business at a loss for long.

If it’s who I think it is, it’s definitely a lifestyle not a decent money maker. Majority of income comes from selling for pet food.

Remember you need to get all your H&S bits in order and your insurances. cant just rock up and shoot if running a business