Thread: World Record Red Deer!!!!......according to an American

Originally Posted by Rushy

I don't mean to be antagonistic and I am going to probably step out of line here but if an animal is shot on a private sheep and cattle farm or estate (sorry I can't bring myself to calling it a ranch in New Zealand) then how can it be considered free range? The bloody thing is behind wire (irrespective of whether it could jump the seven wire fence blindfolded).

There are fences in Woodhill, are the fallow deer there free range?
Some of the gorges and mountains are a larger impediment to deer than any sheep fence.
Oh, and welcome Barnes Lady

In the US there is a sizable amount of public land that is fenced and used for grazing. There is public land interspersed with private land. There is no way of knowing whether your trophy jumped over a public fence or a private one.
A private land holder cannot round up the deer on his property,that would be illegal. The animals are free to move off of his land. By some hunter's definitions it seems they would be free range animals when on public land and not free range when they cross onto private land. I do not believe it is the owner of the land that makes a deer free range or not , but rather the height of the fence.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Fucking bullshit Rushy. You haven't seen the stations down here. Or if you have you've got a fucking short memory.
Head out of arse about now would be fitting.

My head doesn't fit up my arse as it is to tight. Which bit is fucking bullshit?

Originally Posted by Barefoot

There are fences in Woodhill, are the fallow deer there free range?

No they are not. They are on private land and are owned by the local iwi.

Originally Posted by Rushy

I don't mean to be antagonistic and I am going to probably step out of line here but if an animal is shot on a private sheep and cattle farm or estate (sorry I can't bring myself to calling it a ranch in New Zealand) then how can it be considered free range? The bloody thing is behind wire (irrespective of whether it could jump the seven wire fence blindfolded).

This one Rushy.
Plenty of stations where the back fence is actually just a ridge or a god damned range. There is also plenty of stations that have harder ground than I'd normally hunt.
In fact I know of one where there is tahr (outside the tahr area) I'll pay for you to come down and shoot an animal on it. The tip? Good luck. You might not like going from 500 metres to 1500. But there's a back fence you say, yep, that fucker is down by the road at 600 metres. It's still all part of a station so it's not free range. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I can take you to dozens and dozens of places like this.

Barnes Lady,

Fiordland next April, consider this an official invite. The heads are crap, but man alive do you earn them, and everything is pretty well shot at bow range.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

This one Rushy.
Plenty of stations where the back fence is actually just a ridge or a god damned range. There is also plenty of stations that have harder ground than I'd normally hunt.
In fact I know of one where there is tahr (outside the tahr area) I'll pay for you to come down and shoot an animal on it. The tip? Good luck. You might not like going from 500 metres to 1500. But there's a back fence you say, yep, that fucker is down by the road at 600 metres. It's still all part of a station so it's not free range. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I can take you to dozens and dozens of places like this.

Hmmm, clearly we have completely different views on the matter and as Barnes Lady generously acknowledges, it is fine for that to be the case. It comes down to which definition you subscribe to Wirehunt. For me any genetic influence in the animal from the intervention of man (selective breeding influence) rules the animal out of my definition of free range (as does its being taken on private land. No amount of debate will cause me to ever change my view on that. Thanks for the offer of the trip by the way. I just might take you up on that one day.

So the only free range deer you will shoot is doc land? As soon as you step foot on private land its not free range??? Even if thw private land doesnt have a deer fence in sight?

Agree Rushy, if i cant hunt it for 'free', free meaning i dont have to pay the land owner for the privilege of shooting it and paying extra for every point on its head, then its not free range,

It has been protected to grow that old and sprout those monstrous racks, so 'some' rich bastard can come and drop it.......I dont care how big the property is @Wirehunt or how long they took to drive over there in the landy.....just my 2c

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Barnes Lady,

Fiordland next April, consider this an official invite. The heads are crap, but man alive do you earn them, and everything is pretty well shot at bow range.

Now thats 'Free Range'........

Speaking for myself only. For me to class an animal as a trophy it must have been able to be taken by anybody else. Not paid for and taken on private property where only a select few have access.



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Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

So the only free range deer you will shoot is doc land? As soon as you step foot on private land its not free range??? Even if thw private land doesnt have a deer fence in sight?

Yep. That is my opinion. I acknowledge that others feel differently and I am comfortable with that. For the record, if I am after venison, I will shoot deer anywhere I find them, that is legal for me to shoot at the time. I am also equally happy to not pull the trigger for any one of a multitude of reasons.

I'm with Rushy 100%. Free range is an animal that hasn't been interfered with in any way to benefit the hunter. Selective breeding or selected access ie. private land. That's what me and mine believe anyway.


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What if someone just owns a large parcel of land and only lets his mates/family hunt on it but at no cost (just doesnt want people all over their shit) and has some untouched (in the last few generations at least) animals roving around? youd have to consider those free range

Originally Posted by Haggie

What if someone just owns a large parcel of land and only lets his mates/family hunt on it but at no cost (just doesnt want people all over their shit) and has some untouched (in the last few generations at least) animals roving around? youd have to consider those free range

Hi Haggie, what constitutes 'large' in 'large parcel of land'?.....if the land owner leaves a certain stag he 'owns' that has symmetrical antlers, he then leaves it
to age long enough to grow 'royals' then shoots it and proclaims 'Free range Douglas score NZ record'....i would laugh in his face and say hes full of shit.....

Thats what this discussion is about, take away these misleading terms of 'free range & wild deer'....has the trophy stag in question been left alone for a long enough period to become a world class trophy, because they rarely exist on DOC land

they have (the majority) been shot out in consecutive years during 'Roars'....all these monster stags you see in hunting magazines with a smiling grey haired yank are on 'private property'..........just like the lady in question......again just my 2c