Ruahine deer control

Received the info below in a recent DOC update. I'd be hearing rumors of such but hadn't seen any official information until now.

As a keen Ruahine hunter, I was wondering if anyone has any further info/details on specific areas where this will affect? (in particular the WARO). Any areas that won't be impacted?

Monitoring in Ruahine Forest Park indicated relatively high numbers of wild deer compared to national averages. Important understory plants, which help a forest regenerate and stabilise slopes, are disappearing.

To address these negative impacts, together with local iwi/hapū, we are drafting an adaptive deer management plan with advice from a newly established Community Deer Advisory Group. This group includes hunting, conservation, and recreation organisations. This will complement our existing work to keep wild goats out of the Park.

Basically, we’re taking a flexible, science-based approach.

Trial actions are taking place this autumn, and findings will help inform our longer term management approach:

NZ Deerstalkers Association hunt: We worked with the Lower Hutt Branch to make it easier for hunters to fly by helicopter into the Western/Central area of Ruahine Forest Park. The hunt took place on 14-17 March 2025. Around 80 deer were removed. Hunters targeted hinds and the branch will provide DOC with track logs and kill way points, and hunter observations. This will help us assess the effectiveness of the hunt.
DOC aerial management: In May, we will carry out aerial control in the remote and hard to access North-West deer Management Unit (MU) - an area of 12,056 hectares. This work also complements possum and rat control being carried out in the Northern Ruahine’s high priority ecosystem unit, an area which contains a rich and diverse range of habitats and species. Where practical and within budget limitations, we will work with community to harvest meat from this operation.
Industry/WARO incentivisation: We have contracted the commercial venison industry to harvest 300 deer, operating under normal WARO permit conditions. Lower weight deer harvest is being incentivised. The work will start May 2025 and finish when the harvest target is met.
All three actions combined, make a start in addressing Ruahine deer impacts. We’ll continue working with the community to assess the effectiveness of each action and refine the deer management approach.

I dont sorry but suspect the usual no fly zone south of the Tamkaki in dannevirke will still apply.
I wrote a trip report a year ago about a tops trips were the feedback on the shoot and scoot that we did all pretty negative, at the time I pointed out if we didn't get on top of numbers doc would with either gun ships or 1080.
The numbers in the central Ruahines is out of control resulting in starving animals over winter and poor stags for the roar hunters.
I walked into longveiw a few weeks back in dark training for the skytower and jumped 8 deer on what is a very busy track, I recent trip over the main range in 2 nights saw over 60 deer without looking...something has to be done and if this means better animals about we should support it.
In the mean time get out there and shoot some deer.

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Originally Posted by BRADS

I dont sorry but suspect the usual no fly zone south of the Tamkaki in dannevirke will still apply.
I wrote a trip report a year ago about a tops trips were the feedback on the shoot and scoot that we did all pretty negative, at the time I pointed out if we didn't get on top of numbers doc would with either gun ships or 1080.
The numbers in the central Ruahines is out of control resulting in starving animals over winter and poor stags for the roar hunters.
I walked into longveiw a few weeks back in dark training for the skytower and jumped 8 deer on what is a very busy track, I recent trip over the main range in 2 nights saw over 60 deer without looking...something has to be done and if this means better animals about we should support it.
In the mean time get out there and shoot some deer.

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We need to start shooting Hinds to waste

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Originally Posted by BRADS

I dont sorry but suspect the usual no fly zone south of the Tamkaki in dannevirke will still apply.
I wrote a trip report a year ago about a tops trips were the feedback on the shoot and scoot that we did all pretty negative, at the time I pointed out if we didn't get on top of numbers doc would with either gun ships or 1080.
The numbers in the central Ruahines is out of control resulting in starving animals over winter and poor stags for the roar hunters.
I walked into longveiw a few weeks back in dark training for the skytower and jumped 8 deer on what is a very busy track, I recent trip over the main range in 2 nights saw over 60 deer without looking...something has to be done and if this means better animals about we should support it.
In the mean time get out there and shoot some deer.

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That's definitely some decent numbers.

I've been of the same thinking of late regarding knocking a few over. My brother and I took 7 animals and saw 19 across an evening and morning the other week (all hinds/yearlings). I felt a little guilty as 'selective cuts' is all we could carry out, but it still seems better than DOC having all the fun. Hopefully any cull operations serve to improve the remaining stock. The heavy browsing pressure is definitely showing an impact in places.

I no longer feel guilty about culling to waste or just back steaking. The deer in there are not in good shape and the undergrowth is non existent in some places, with flat weeds starting to grow because of the non existent leaf litter.

Shouldn't take too long to bang over 300?

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Originally Posted by charliehorse

Shouldn't take too long to bang over 300?

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For the month of september 1976 they got 3617 deer. Colin Tuck got the most in his 500.

One of the Ruahine biggest problems, is much of the access from the west side, are now difficult to access, or a much longer access than previous. Cant speak for the east side but i doubt its better than 25 years ago.
i.e., Purity, Moki, digger's, forks, pohangina, Kawhatau.
If Doc could improvement to access, to many catchments, they should get more hunting pressure, and thus reduce deer numbers.
Always been good numbers of deer, in the southern end, especially tucked up under the leatherwood belt.

Don't you guys forget it's all based on science and doc wordle.
Fkn muppets, they should all be made to stay and work full time as the old cullers did.
I did a trip report also after our fiordland sojourn stating that the browse was taking all the favourite veges and that
the red deer were way too many, all I got was buckshot for my observation.

Just had a week in the Longview/Daphne area - saw over 100 deer for the week. Shot 20+, was shooting to waste by the end of the week. If it was brown it was down.

There was heaps of deer on the tussock tops and heaps of tucker up there for them, even so the deer were generally in only averaqge condition for pre-roar.

If we don't shoot them, DoC will and "we" will get upset at that.

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Originally Posted by southernman

One of the Ruahine biggest problems, is much of the access from the west side, are now difficult to access, or a much longer access than previous. Cant speak for the east side but i doubt its better than 25 years ago.
i.e., Purity, Moki, digger's, forks, pohangina, Kawhatau.
If Doc could improvement to access, to many catchments, they should get more hunting pressure, and thus reduce deer numbers.
Always been good numbers of deer, in the southern end, especially tucked up under the leatherwood belt.

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yes access DOC damn slack in that regard and I dont know the awnser to it except lobby and pressure on them -- this Game Council does not seem to be up to touch either - possibly on here you Ruahine regulars could put foward those access points that need work on - appoint one to then forward that to DOC and GAC - we could do the same here in Taranaki - instead of just having a moan about it - be more proactive

Why are DOC not releasing heat maps as a result of their monitoring to get hunters to head into the more highly populated areas?
Some hunters head into the Ruahines for a hunt and don't see any of the deer that make up these "relatively high numbers" :D

300 wont scratch em

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Originally Posted by Quicknock

Why are DOC not releasing heat maps as a result of their monitoring to get hunters to head into the more highly populated areas?
Some hunters head into the Ruahines for a hunt and don't see any of the deer that make up these "relatively high numbers" :D

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A “heat map” to find deer in the ruahines 🤣🤣🤣

Haven't been there in recent time to see for myself, but am interested in understanding why the population seems to have spiked so significantly in the Ruahines compared to other NI public land places? We dont hear the same stories about Tararua, for example? Is it restricted access cf other places? If so, doesnt that suggest rec hunting can make a material contribution to control, contrary to the generally held view of the experts?

Te Urewera is much the same deer levels are climbing - and certainly many areas of private land deer numbers are well up - about time DOC did start to give the Rec hunter more of a fair go - they always poo poohed the idea that Rec hunters could make any impact and largely they were correct - but the Rec hunter of today well the better ones are a different beast - thermal gear -better long range capability with their firearms - GPS and mapping especially aerial maps -the use of indicator dogs has taken of - -more communication with other hunters for info on areas all add up to a better hunter - and in some areas Rec hunters could make a real differnce maybe not Te Urewera or Ruahines but smaller areas of Public land - now if DOC are doing thermal imaging yes why not release that info - have any of you asked them -

Hinerua and Makaretu have lost access in recent years.

I’d love to hunt Pohingina (from the west) and Purity etc but access issues make it easier to hit the same reliable road ends.

If hunters can’t access areas then go for gold with culling, waro, and subsidised club hunts to the hard to reach areas.

What I don’t want to see is extensive commercial pressure being put on the limited areas where the majority of hunters are corralled into already.

Seeing ‘100’ deer in a week can be misleading as well when your optics and thermals can scan open country as far as the eye can see. I’ve done many trips from Longview - TeHekenga without seeing anything on the walk in.

I must say while I didn’t participate, I was really proud of NZDA for organising the last club hunt up there. Assisting competent and safe hunters to access hard to reach areas is a great start.

Well done.

one area I hunt in Taranaki we have lost three access points all blocked by landowners one could just drive thru they are legal roads but would one have a vehicle when you got back if DOC got of their backside and sign posted them a lot of the problem would be over but not interested- they throw it back at the the District Council who are not interested either - the only option is to have someone stay at vehicle as a guard

This is going to ruffle some feathers but, rec hunters need to be doing more shooting of hinds. Simple. Stop shooting cull stags for “the betterment of the herd”. The waro guys won’t get them all as, they need a 2k buffer from farm land if they can’t get a poison declaration off the cocky

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Originally Posted by Fat ninja

This is going to ruffle some feathers but, rec hunters need to be doing more shooting of hinds. Simple. Stop shooting cull stags for “the betterment of the herd”. The waro guys won’t get them all as, they need a 2k buffer from farm land if they can’t get a poison declaration off the cocky

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I wonder if sometimes, with the dramatic increase of Youtube hunting content, people feel compelled to appear as more 'ethical' hunters by being more selective.
This however starts to shift the focus away from the reality of recreational hunting being largely a pest-control activity (or at least, the majority of hunted species are considered pests).

Well a fishing anecdote would be the Taupo fishery. When I started fishing, the daily limit was 8/day. The fish were plentiful enough and often big and fat.
Then they reduced the limit to 3/day. Quickly the behaviour changed to be more and more catch and release. Trying to up-size your catch because after keeping 2, you were down to 1 left for the day.
Funnily enough, the fish became more plentiful, and year by year smaller and smaller as there were more competing for food in the lake.

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Originally Posted by Ned

Well a fishing anecdote would be the Taupo fishery. When I started fishing, the daily limit was 8/day. The fish were plentiful enough and often big and fat.
Then they reduced the limit to 3/day. Quickly the behaviour changed to be more and more catch and release. Trying to up-size your catch because after keeping 2, you were down to 1 left for the day.
Funnily enough, the fish became more plentiful, and year by year smaller and smaller as there were more competing for food in the lake.

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Correct. My son does a lot of fishing at Taupo and says the quality has declined because there are too many fish. But Taupo is unique unlike other fragile fisheries.

I was going to participate in the Deerstalkers chopper hunt. However after being told it was $400 p/p, only to shoot hinds and no stag antlers would be flown out.
All your own gear and ammo.
I decided fuck that, pay to cull hinds in public land and be told that we couldn't shoot stags!
So i walked in less than 1hr to a new western Ruahine spot, saw 12 hinds, 3 spikers and 1 stag. Also 7 unkowns in the bush in a 2hr bush hunt. I shot 4 hinds for backsteaks only, the stag was crappy but old and he was too hard for me to get to when i tried a couple of days later (he was the only roaring stag heard).
I think I'll start shooting more Ruahine hinds to waste that i see on the other side of the gully or below the leatherwood belt.

$400 is cheap for a heli trip!

I've long been considering coming up from the Wairarapa for a cull day hunt in the Eastern side of the Southern Ruahines but I've not known where to start. My limit is 250m so tops hunting might not be for me. Any ideas? I heard Copper Mine Rd was closed.

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Originally Posted by Fallowdear

I've long been considering coming up from the Wairarapa for a cull day hunt in the Eastern side of the Southern Ruahines but I've not known where to start. My limit is 250m so tops hunting might not be for me. Any ideas? I heard Copper Mine Rd was closed.

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Everyroad end is good bro plenty of slip hunting under that range anyway and bush bashing.

Coppermine track is closed but its an easy scoot around iys under cut from the creek i think still and a bit of a slip further on

I used to go along the Wharite track from the tower for easy access back in the day. Heaps of hunting off either side. A little saw for the leatherwood was handy at times. All slip sort of hunting. I recall some nice spots to the west.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

Correct. My son does a lot of fishing at Taupo and says the quality has declined because there are too many fish. But Taupo is unique unlike other fragile fisheries.

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Lake Brunner would be in a similar boat. Catch and keep as many trouts as you can from there, maybe they'll get bigger

hi team , keen to hunt 3 days eastern Ruahine for meat , no trophy needed just venny and pest control . What would be more productive , Longview area or Sunrise access? open to suggestions.
Recent trip to Kaimanawa , we were fast packing(no gun) Makorako and spooked 12 sika in 30 hours . Will come south for the reds.

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Originally Posted by Helz_water

hi team , keen to hunt 3 days eastern Ruahine for meat , no trophy needed just venny and pest control . What would be more productive , Longview area or Sunrise access? open to suggestions.
Recent trip to Kaimanawa , we were fast packing(no gun) Makorako and spooked 12 sika in 30 hours . Will come south for the reds.

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Id take sunrise at the moment, longveiw thrashed buy hunters at this time of year sunrise track gets you to the top in a less hunted area with good access north and south on the tops.
The slips behind sunrise never lack an animal morning or night.
Just be aware there will be lots of trampers about

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Yip. If the weather is half decent this coming weekend, the hills will be seething with trampers undertaking 4 day missions.

It would certainly improve Roar hunting if hind numbers were culled back, the stags don't exactly need to fight over hinds with the shear numbers of them. Part of the problem, particularly in the Southern Ruahines is that a lot of hunters no longer want to or know how to bush hunt- there's only so much you can shoot by sitting watching over a slip face. Also there are high deer numbers on the private land bordering the Park, with landowners not wanting to control them so there's always an "easy" deer for them to knock over when they want.

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Originally Posted by Riflewalker

Also there are high deer numbers on the private land bordering the Park, with landowners not wanting to control them so there's always an "easy" deer for them to knock over when they want.

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A mate of mine has been taking advantage of this fact for years. If you want easy deer, hunt the DoC side of the bush edge. He will often head off to pick up an easy deer from a road end and be back home after only a few hours.

Didn't need to be told twice to go shoot some more Ruahine deer. Fruits of a quick overnight mission.
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I was on the NZDA cull, a very well organised and successful event run in partnership with DOC and local Iwi. One off permits were issued by DOC allowing hunters to be landed in some difficult to reach areas like the Saw Tooth Ridge area which does not see many hunters. It was hinds only, no stags to be taken.

Check out this very young 10-pointer I photographed, showing plenty of potential for the Ruahine which is known for poor head quality.

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Originally Posted by earplay

Didn't need to be told twice to go shoot some more Ruahine deer. Fruits of a quick overnight mission.
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Deadmans on Saturday?