Thread: Deer on the Side of the Road

Greetings All,
I headed into the Kaweka's yesterday for one of my gentleman's hours wanders (sans rifle) and was puttering along the forestry road when I spotted two Sika hinds on the side of the road. This is not all that unusual if you drive slowly on the roads in the area. Needless to say two jumps and they were gone leaving me with what Michael Palin describes as a happy attack. Nothing unusual you say well yes but what struck me was that these two girls were fat. I have been hearing a bit recently about high numbers and skinny deer but these two, a hind and a yearling I expect, clearly had not got the Email. There has been quite a bit of sign on the track recently as well so perhaps I should be taking a rifle on my wanders.
Regards Grandpamac.

Its the hard alpine living Sika that are taking the brunt of our and others' miss-management. Not their fat-cat cousins wandering the low land streets.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Its the hard alpine living Sika that are taking the brunt of our and others' miss-management. Not their fat-cat cousins wandering the low land streets.

Greetings Tahr,
Quite right. An additional factor is that the road is close to an area of pines that was cut and replanted 3 or so years ago. The new plantings are big enough to give cover but not to suppress the feed growth.
Regards Grandpamac.

We’re they all wearing seatbelts? Sorry...couldn’t resist it.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Its the hard alpine living Sika that are taking the brunt of our and others' miss-management. Not their fat-cat cousins wandering the low land streets.

Would have to disagree, the alpine deer did it the toughest last year after one of the worst droughts the region has had for a while so where in poor condition right through winter, an well into spring etc, generally speaking for the eastern kawekas there is actually less deer in the alpine regions than there has been for some time with the bulk of the animal numbers in the scrub/fringe areas of the park(generally in good condition too as they have access to quality pasture feed) Theres just a bit of media attention currently to high sika deer numbers an in some areas it applies, but unfortunately some hunters use it as a poor excuse to shoot whatever in areas that numbers are certainly not exploding. Thats my observations from hunting the area regularly anyway

Originally Posted by Ingrid 51

We’re they all wearing seatbelts? Sorry...couldn’t resist it.

I PISSED MY SELF laughing .

Originally Posted by Ham 7mm

Would have to disagree, the alpine deer did it the toughest last year after one of the worst droughts the region has had for a while so where in poor condition right through winter, an well into spring etc, generally speaking for the eastern kawekas there is actually less deer in the alpine regions than there has been for some time with the bulk of the animal numbers in the scrub/fringe areas of the park(generally in good condition too as they have access to quality pasture feed) Theres just a bit of media attention currently to high sika deer numbers an in some areas it applies, but unfortunately some hunters use it as a poor excuse to shoot whatever in areas that numbers are certainly not exploding. Thats my observations from hunting the area regularly anyway

I interpreted @Tahr post to mean exactly what you have said?


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Originally Posted by MSL

I interpreted @Tahr post to mean exactly what you have said?

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Not sure, maybe I miss understood his post re the miss management etc, in which case I apologize an I geuss we agree afterall

Greetings All,
The eastern fall of the Kaweka Range where I was on Friday has an interesting history. Misguided attempts at farming, right to the crest of the main range, from the 1860's left the area covered with stunted manuka and clay pans. Red deer moved in around 1900 and sika followed about 1960. The early leases had long expired and thoughts turned to forestry with the first trial plots planted in the early 1960's. My first trips into the area were in the late 1960's and it was a pretty barren looking area. Over the next 20 or so years most of the south eastern part of the Kaweka SFP has been planted in pines. This has provided a feed source for the deer that live in and around them. It has long been acknowledged that deer numbers in the eastern fall, often called the front country, are higher than in the balance of the park. The unplanted areas, including the McIntosh plateau, have shown some recovery of vegetation but are also infested with pine wildings mostly Contorta. The later were misguidedly introduced by NZ Forest Service. Still there are a lot of deer about and they are in good nick so a few more trips with the thunder stick should be in order.
Regards Grandpamac.

Best way to see deer is to leave your rifle at home!

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Over the next 20 or so years most of the south eastern part of the Kaweka SFP has been planted in pines. This has provided a feed source for the deer that live in and around them. It has long been acknowledged that deer numbers in the eastern fall, often called the front country, are higher than in the balance of the park. The unplanted areas, including the McIntosh plateau, have shown some recovery of vegetation but are also infested with pine wildings mostly Contorta.

So are you saying the deer population is actually higher in the pines than in the native forest? What is growing under the pines to keep them happy, or are they browsing on forest margins?

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

So are you saying the deer population is actually higher in the pines than in the native forest? What is growing under the pines to keep them happy, or are they browsing on forest margins?

Greetings Ben Waimata,
I think the difference is the amount of road verges, skid sites and lower altitude rather than just vegetation type. The front country does include both pines and native vegetation and both seem to have higher deer density in the warmer rather than higher and colder areas. You are quite right that mature pines have nothing much to eat in them and can be pretty cold when the southerlies are blowing. You don't see too many deer on the roads then. The first few years of each pine rotation before canopy closure also seem to have more feed than later on.
Regards Grandpamac.

Just read this with interest. @grandpamac maybe what your looking for are a few dirty gullies next to the pines that would be a warm place for them to hide when that southerly blows. Our hunt the boundary between the two.
Just an idea.

you may have been driving through Makahu station, always see deer when driving through!

Station owners are pretty nice to chat with.