Thread: Russell Sika Deer Eradication

Just to clear a few things up. The surrounding areas that traditionally blocked access have now given access.
The money this time is pretty extensive compared to previous budgets. They have a few new tricks up their sleeve(which I personally don't think will work).
They are working with a few assumptions. Deer picked up on the cams and dna samples. The 12 dna samples are the obvious starting point to provide a goal.
There is the problem that Sika exist far beyond the range that is being hunted however no one is talking about where these are and neither will I.
They've given the goats a good hammering. There's still some there however.
Barry, there's still quite few. I've seen the proof myself and had interactions a few years back. I hunted them too. That's where it gets hard as low numbers and goats and pigs were the issue.

Sounds like the Sika population in the North is here to stay.

Yes probably but not large enough to be of any interest to rec hunters. I did see a nice stag taken a wee while back by a pig hunter. Also have a few photos but not able to show them out of trust to the suppliers.

Originally Posted by Cowboy

Just to clear a few things up. The surrounding areas that traditionally blocked access have now given access.
The money this time is pretty extensive compared to previous budgets. They have a few new tricks up their sleeve(which I personally don't think will work).
They are working with a few assumptions. Deer picked up on the cams and dna samples. The 12 dna samples are the obvious starting point to provide a goal.
There is the problem that Sika exist far beyond the range that is being hunted however no one is talking about where these are and neither will I.
They've given the goats a good hammering. There's still some there however.
Barry, there's still quite few. I've seen the proof myself and had interactions a few years back. I hunted them too. That's where it gets hard as low numbers and goats and pigs were the issue.

good on ya - I was good mates with the old Contractor hell of a good bloke - if DOC are managing this I have no doubt it will be a clusterfuck -I personally think that they simply dont seem to have the experience to run this sort of operation - ones is always knee capped by lack of budget and Managers high up who want to add their two cents worth but dont have genuine WAC experience - me I was always a hunter first so yes likely there will be sika there for some time - they should have got in hard early when first released -this has been going on for years now -

Was that Alan? NRC are in control of it.

Originally Posted by Cowboy

Was that Alan? NRC are in control of it.

Yeah, Interesting to note the Regional Council involvement.

Have had some experience attempting to push back against that sort of creep in a couple of other Regions ... DoC always keen to shovel their work onto others, and also have observed the self-interested (IMO) actions of Regional Council staff looking to extend their remit into work on PCL .... Another example is where the OSPRI operations start to wind down as bovine TB occurrences reduce, and we get the 'we need to maintain the gains' mantra.

Originally Posted by Cowboy

Was that Alan? NRC are in control of it.

yeah good bugger genuine hunter

Originally Posted by Maxx

Yeah, Interesting to note the Regional Council involvement.

Have had some experience attempting to push back against that sort of creep in a couple of other Regions ... DoC always keen to shovel their work onto others, and also have observed the self-interested (IMO) actions of Regional Council staff looking to extend their remit into work on PCL .... Another example is where the OSPRI operations start to wind down as bovine TB occurrences reduce, and we get the 'we need to maintain the gains' mantra.

exactly I am pleased I am out of that sort of cluster fuck as soon as deer control is mentioned every dick and dog in Regional Council and DOC wants a say despite the fact they could not mange a WAM deer project if they tried - sadly been the case for years - Regional Council in most cases need someone to tell them to fuck off and concentrate on their core business and deer control is not part of it -but no their wannabe hunters want a piece of the action dont they - has not changed and sadly wont -

Wannabe hunters eh? You do realise they use contractors? When I was working in Russell I had almost a decade as a professional hunter, am I still a wannabe @Barrythehunter?

Originally Posted by Fat ninja

Wannabe hunters eh? You do realise they use contractors? When I was working in Russell I had almost a decade as a professional hunter, am I still a wannabe @Barrythehunter?

I was not referring to the actual hunters they have used on the ground - rather the Managers who think they are hunters and want to have a say - I worked in Northland for 5 years when it all started - I do not have confidence in DOC to run it and I will stand by that

Originally Posted by TLB

In recent times many contractors have been issued notice books before for various wild animal control jobs, some of whom will be on this forum. Just have to get signed off which was a fairly simple task.
Issuing a notice can be done very easily as well, not even in person. Then the contractor can enter as they please, any hindrance can result in fairly serious penalties.

However I think that all of the landowners in regards to the job above are onboard. And like most contracts, issuing a notice is a last resort. Liaising with all of the effected parties and bringing them on board is a far better option, especially in the long term.
There has been contracts where landowners have not been forthcoming to the point where there has had to be a police officer escorting the contractor onto the property each day.

contractors have been issued notice books before for various wild animal control jobs-- just to clarify this will be a very different beast indeed to a formal notice from the Minister of Conservation to use the powers under the WAC act to enter and control deer - what the Contractors will have had will be more of a simple permission form ( will be a legal document )-A formal notice from the Minister probably only used every 10 years if then and will have come after Solisitors involved and all other avenues to enter land have been exhausted -it definitely would not be given to a Contractor to deliver and not used in possum control since the WAC act only refers to deer goats etc ungulates - we used a landowner permission form basically for every possum operation -just ties everything up legally

so heres a thought.... the deer were not released on Joe Bloggs property and werent released by Joe so HE PERSONALLY has broken no laws...now the deer/rabbits gorse are there on his land,how is he procecutable for not allowing people on to control what is in his opinion an already controlled thing/resource/pest ??????
DOC best be VERY VERY careful here .or a blanket lawsuit will be taken out against them and they will be forced to eliminate ALL GORSE off land under their control..... I know of a few folks who will be happy to get a bit of that action
sauce for the goose n all that.

30 years ago when I first came to south island,there were fallow in greenstone/caples some in blue mountains and a SMALL well protected herd in albury..... not so small and not so well protected now LOL.


thats a good point about how a 1080 drop actually backfires for pig control..never considered it in that light before today...its popped up twice in conversation.
saw it with wallabies 20 years ago..I for one stopped hunting them as couldnt use them for dog tucker,got rid of my wallaby dog too.
went from shooting maybe a hundred a year to shooting none for 3 years.... back then a big weekend with dogging during day and spotlighting at night might see 60 shot.......compared to the tallies being shot now.

Good luck eradicating that population of deer. From what I understand the numbers are reasonable and the bush thick.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

so heres a thought.... the deer were not released on Joe Bloggs property and werent released by Joe so HE PERSONALLY has broken no laws...now the deer/rabbits gorse are there on his land,how is he procecutable for not allowing people on to control what is in his opinion an already controlled thing/resource/pest ??????
DOC best be VERY VERY careful here .or a blanket lawsuit will be taken out against them and they will be forced to eliminate ALL GORSE off land under their control..... I know of a few folks who will be happy to get a bit of that action
sauce for the goose n all that.

30 years ago when I first came to south island,there were fallow in greenstone/caples some in blue mountains and a SMALL well protected herd in albury..... not so small and not so well protected now LOL.


thats a good point about how a 1080 drop actually backfires for pig control..never considered it in that light before today...its popped up twice in conversation.
saw it with wallabies 20 years ago..I for one stopped hunting them as couldnt use them for dog tucker,got rid of my wallaby dog too.
went from shooting maybe a hundred a year to shooting none for 3 years.... back then a big weekend with dogging during day and spotlighting at night might see 60 shot.......compared to the tallies being shot now.

yes pig numbers can do very well after a 1080 operation evidence they can smell it in bait/ carcasses and don't touch it-they can regurgitate poisoned carcass if they do sample it so sows do well from next berry drops thru lack of possums and of course lack of hunting pressure and up goes population - deer on other hand there can be quite a bi-kill depending on just how hard a winter they have had and how hungry they are

In the meantime the rats, possums and pot holes continue to ravage the people of Northland..... what a waste of money . Many other species doing far more damage in the bush up there.....