Deer in Strange Places.

Outside a mates driveway recently [emoji41]

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

granted but that was over 100 years ago - what I mean is idjits releasing wapiti from modern genetics and recently like last 20 years - and many are from modern imported American genetics - different ball game altogether - Waverly south Taranaki - parts of Gisborne - wapiti are a subspecies of red yes - same family as red Cervus but a sub species cervus Canadensis - but two different deer - my point on young hunters trying to enter what is obviously a cross in any competition stands

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Greeting again,
I get your point. One thing though since about the 1950's Red Deer Cervus elaphus are divided into three groups of subspecies. Atlantic, Maraloid and Wapitoid. There are six subspecies of Wapiti in Asia and four more in Canada and the US. All are Cervus elaphus plus a subspecies name at the end. Canadensis is no longer used. The name is now Cervus elaphus nelsoni. Cervus is the genus, elaphus is the species and nelsoni is the subspecies. There are about 32 subspecies in all over the three groups
Bruce Banwell's books are a good source of data. It is still changing as a better understanding is gained. All breed with each other given half a chance as they always have. In NZ subspecies that have been separated from others by distance in their natural range have been clumped together on three small islands. Cross breeding should hardly be a surprise.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

I am convinced that Sika hinds follow you as you hunt through their territory. If you do anything unexpected like take your jacket of to shed some layers they will squeal. Had this happen two days in a row. They will also sneak past you in full view if you are looking the other way, keeping their eye on you all the time. Turn your head and they are gone.
GPM.

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Saw something similar one time.
Somewhere in the Clements Rd location a mate and I stalked together trying to get onto roaring Sika stags. We got into a stag's patch but couldn't see him although he was close. My mate decided to carry on alone a bit further while I stayed put and watched. I could see my mate the whole time and he had gone about 60 or 70 yds when a young stag silently stepped out of thick growth and watched before folowing my mate for a short time. My mate was intensely looking ahead and had no idea. The stag never saw me. It was sactually quite comical and a pleasure to watch. Then the stag dissolved buck into the scrub and disappeared. We both had a good laugh when I recounted with my mate. We were both young then and still learning about Sika.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

I am convinced that Sika hinds follow you as you hunt through their territory. If you do anything unexpected like take your jacket of to shed some layers they will squeal. Had this happen two days in a row. They will also sneak past you in full view if you are looking the other way, keeping their eye on you all the time. Turn your head and they are gone.
GPM.

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Yep, your right. I had a young sika stag I could not locate and twice I went through a small patch of thick scrub and both times when I got out into the open, he squealed at me. The third time I got almost to the edge, made a heap of noise walking out and backtracked sitting off to the side of where I had walked. The stag knew something was up but couldn't work it out, he was almost crawling keeping low as possible when he appeared 5 meters away. He saw me and froze, soon as I moved he was gone. That bloody cunning bugger was following me and I stalked that area thinking I was on to it, but goes to show he had the better of me.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greeting again,
I get your point. One thing though since about the 1950's Red Deer Cervus elaphus are divided into three groups of subspecies. Atlantic, Maraloid and Wapitoid. There are six subspecies of Wapiti in Asia and four more in Canada and the US. All are Cervus elaphus plus a subspecies name at the end. Canadensis is no longer used. The name is now Cervus elaphus nelsoni. Cervus is the genus, elaphus is the species and nelsoni is the subspecies. There are about 32 subspecies in all over the three groups
Bruce Banwell's books are a good source of data. It is still changing as a better understanding is gained. All breed with each other given half a chance as they always have. In NZ subspecies that have been separated from others by distance in their natural range have been clumped together on three small islands. Cross breeding should hardly be a surprise.
Regards Grandpamac.

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I just remember the young fella I think it was out from the coast Waipukerau had head disqaulfied some years ago big multi pont thing judged to be to much of a farmed escappee

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

I just remember the young fella I think it was out from the coast Waipukerau had head disqaulfied some years ago big multi pont thing judged to be to much of a farmed escappee

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Greetings,
That was pretty harsh from the judges, perhaps born of envy. Even scruffy animals can grow decent heads should they get decent feed and plenty of it. This happened with the Otago herd, introduced from Scotland where the heads were average, the early heads in NZ were stupendous.
GPM.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
That was pretty harsh from the judges, perhaps born of envy. Even scruffy animals can grow decent heads should they get decent feed and plenty of it. This happened with the Otago herd, introduced from Scotland where the heads were average, the early heads in NZ were stupendous.
GPM.

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you are right I remember seeing a photo taken in Scotland at a hunting lodge 30 at least red heads on the wall all just skull and antlers most damn poor heads left a lot better lying in the scrub

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Originally Posted by Bushwalker

Thought there were some Sika released/fell out of a trail on the top of the Kopu Hikuai road years ago, DoC sent hunters and dogs in after them. Yes i agree there would have been a lot of fun on the Paninsula

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We live in Whitianga, one of our lads at works dad's used to bowl the odd red up the 309 back in the 90's, long since been clear of them though. There's been a few escapees from our local deer farms but as soon as DOC get a wiff of deer around here its all on with contractors in the hills. The poor goats don't even stand a chance up here with contractors and green rain scheduled for later in the year, the scrub bull's on the other hand are fairly common :XD:

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Originally Posted by Liquidasset

We live in Whitianga, one of our lads at works dad's used to bowl the odd red up the 309 back in the 90's, long since been clear of them though. There's been a few escapees from our local deer farms but as soon as DOC get a wiff of deer around here its all on with contractors in the hills. The poor goats don't even stand a chance up here with contractors and green rain scheduled for later in the year, the scrub bull's on the other hand are fairly common :XD:

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some hunting for the young buggers perhaps - have chased scrub stuff south Taranaki for many years and target the yearlings and the fat looking younger ones - good hunting and great eating - leave the old stuff to breed the heads are crap jersey sort of cross so we just target good eating

Greetings O Wise Ones,
I was doing a little testing this morning and walking back from setting up my target I spotted these.
Attachment 251260
There was a track of these prints leading along an old sheep track towards my water trough. There has been no stock in the paddock for around two months and we had over 100 mm of rain less than a week ago so these prints were fresh so together with my sighting reported in the OP and comments in the replies I believe that we have deer. What do you think?
I reported these findings to my dearly beloved and was informed in no uncertain terms that these animals, whatever they are, have honorary cow status. My thoughts exactly.
Regards Grandpamac.

Nice find gpm.

HONOURARY cow status is great.....we eat beef dont we??? seems you already got permission to shoot there,now to set up ambush and fill freezer with honourary beef... should taste good.

Once they find your dearly beloved's vege patch or flower garden their status might change somewhat.

'Cow status' on our farm lasted about 6 hours, till beloved saw what the stag did to our trees. With a small to mid sized farm (350 acres) the deer don't seem to stay, just passing through, or staying for a week then buggering off (intel via trail cams), so having oood and ahhhhd over a white fallow stag, a red hind, several very tasty stags, a bunch of yearlings via trail cameras, the next ones we see with our own eyes will be headed for the freezer. Unless you have significant bush/steep crappy land for them to hide in, they will just be passing through and most probably be snotted and stuck in someone else's freezer.

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Originally Posted by XR500

Sambar can be very elusive for a horse sized animal. Over the decades they have worked their way up the Rangatikei river valley, to now well past Taihape. One was shot close to the Gentle Annie some years ago.

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Stayed on a farm as a kid in the back of Rangawahia ( Apiti area)1960s and there were Sambar on the farm then. Also well known to others in the area.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings O Wise Ones,
I was doing a little testing this morning and walking back from setting up my target I spotted these.
Attachment 251260
There was a track of these prints leading along an old sheep track towards my water trough. There has been no stock in the paddock for around two months and we had over 100 mm of rain less than a week ago so these prints were fresh so together with my sighting reported in the OP and comments in the replies I believe that we have deer. What do you think?
I reported these findings to my dearly beloved and was informed in no uncertain terms that these animals, whatever they are, have honorary cow status. My thoughts exactly.
Regards Grandpamac.

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fallow print

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Originally Posted by Yesmate

fallow print

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Thanks for that.
I was down to either Fallow or Sika both of which seem possible in our area.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Thanks for that.
I was down to either Fallow or Sika both of which seem possible in our area.
Regards Grandpamac.

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A farmer nearby to your property was super pissed on friday to see 60 eyes looking at him as he went over the back of his farm. A mob of 30 big reds just chewing out his grass.Wants them all shot but is insisting they must be shot by thermal.

Greetings,
I can see that I am going to have to beat the deer away with a stick to get to my car soon.
GPM.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
I can see that I am going to have to beat the deer away with a stick to get to my car soon.
GPM.

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can you please let us know what you see cause my first impression of that print is a small sheep like a hogget

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
I can see that I am going to have to beat the deer away with a stick to get to my car soon.
GPM.

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Geez, if you need a hand waving some 'sticks' around let me know - happy to repay in fluid kind or by negotiation haha.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
I can see that I am going to have to beat the deer away with a stick to get to my car soon.
GPM.

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Talking about deer in strange places, my neighbours got woken up to what appeared to be an early morning fallow party on their deck a while back.

The frustrating thing is they seem to be extremely allergic to the smell of gun oil. Highly visible until the rifle comes out of the safe, then they're gone. Last year I had a red hind eating hay on the paddock while I was tedding it with the tractor (no rifle with me of course). Deer version of the one finger salute.

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

can you please let us know what you see cause my first impression of that print is a small sheep like a hogget

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Greetings,
That is a possibility but my brief sighting of a tannish colour with a white bum reported in the OP, admittedly in gloomy conditions, may suggest otherwise. Our block has been stock free for a few months due to the dry conditions so I am not aware of any stock on our place but would not rule it out either. The paddock is out of sight for all of the local houses including ours. I will keep you all posted on developments.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Attachment 251260

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I tend to concur, that the hoofprint is not Cervine. Too short, fat, and rounded. Most definitely is not Sika, Fallow or even a Red yearling.
Almost resembles a pig ??? or as Barry suggests, a wooly jumper.

Opinions are like arseholes I know.

That print. Too sharp and weight forward to be a sheep. too long to be a boar and not enough weight on rear. definite hard edge. Possibilities. Fallow or a sow. I tend towards fallow.

Any shit in the paddock?

ha ha ha there's going to be egg on someone's face once Granpamac spots it -- I don't care if its me all good fun

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

we have the best hunting now for 40 years - get into it

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I just need to capture that elusive NZ firearms license:TT TT:

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

ha ha ha there's going to be egg on someone's face once Granpamac spots it -- I don't care if its me all good fun

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We might discover something long since forgotten :)..... If its got a black tail feather with a white band, I want first dibs ....... one fetched $46K a few weeks ago.

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Originally Posted by NIMROD

We might discover something long since forgotten :)..... If its got a black tail feather with a white band, I want first dibs ....... one fetched $46K a few weeks ago.

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Jeesuz... I have about 12 of them.

I had quite the disappointing roar chasing bush stags in central NI.
Then I heard them roar 400m from by house. In Auckland!!
And I confirmed they are not livestock/farm deer.

Apparently a wild red got through the fences around my duck pond (on a deer farm) this year during the roar and had to be shot. Certainly wasn't a farmed stag as he had a full head of hard antlers and had not been velveted like the others. Keep in mind this is probably a good 20 minute drive to the nearest hills that sporadically hold deer, only half a km from a busy wee town, and only 300 metres from state highway one. It shows you just how far they will go when the hear/smell other stags during the roar. Talking to the owners they have said its not uncommon. I do imagine the scent of 50 or more red stags during the roar would get carried on the wind a fair way.

contract hunter mate was chasing escaped reds almost at Auckland's southern end

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Originally Posted by NIMROD

I tend to concur, that the hoofprint is not Cervine. Too short, fat, and rounded. Most definitely is not Sika, Fallow or even a Red yearling.
Almost resembles a pig ??? or as Barry suggests, a wooly jumper.

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Greetings,
Point taken. So we are left with the earlier print, possible sighting and an animal moving away in the trees near the house. What, if anything, these were I honestly don't know but will take the bino's if I am walking around the block.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by Floundering Around

Apparently a wild red got through the fences around my duck pond (on a deer farm) this year during the roar and had to be shot. Certainly wasn't a farmed stag as he had a full head of hard antlers and had not been velveted like the others. Keep in mind this is probably a good 20 minute drive to the nearest hills that sporadically hold deer, only half a km from a busy wee town, and only 300 metres from state highway one. It shows you just how far they will go when the hear/smell other stags during the roar. Talking to the owners they have said its not uncommon. I do imagine the scent of 50 or more red stags during the roar would get carried on the wind a fair way.

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Stags will travel 20+ks in a night no problem for a hot woman.Deer in general will travel up to 10+ks to a good feed paddock every night and return home to roost (sleep)thru the day.

Like this fella.

https://youtube.com/shorts/CDsAkx0IuVQ?feature=shared

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Originally Posted by Twodiffs

Like this fella.

https://youtube.com/shorts/CDsAkx0IuVQ?feature=shared

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Looks buitifull jumping over the fence,nice stag.

you fellas obviously havent owned an entire male labrador ....... the nose KNOWS when bitch is in season across town or further away and off they trot lol...stags in wild have much less crap to block up nose so doesnt surprise me they would sniff hinds in season for 20 plus kms away,they sure as heck can smell humans from over km away.