Calls for urgent action over deer control

In a war between hunters and conservationists over the control of one of our most damaging pests, only the deer are winning.

It's nearly 100 years since deer were first declared a pest in New Zealand and we are no closer to coming up with a resolution, says hunter and conservationist John Bissell.

While we procrastinate and argue, the ngahere is suffering, he says.

"There's a wide range of views on deer, in particular, from absolute hatred to highly valued," says Bissell. "No matter what people like myself say, we're going to upset or offend somebody or some people."

There are estimates of 1.8 million deer across the country. They cost farms hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and repair bills every year and they are now invading the most precious corners of our native bush.

Bissell runs Backblocks Environmental Management in Wairarapa, specialising in pest and predator control. He says he's increasingly getting calls from farmers to control the deer on their farms.

"It's hitting them in the back pocket more and more on a larger and larger number of properties around the country," he says.

Until now, deer have been "totally mismanaged" and the only way to bring them under control is for people with different interests and different solutions to work together, he says.

'Every landowner has a responsibility'

Today The Detail looks at the decades-long debate on deer control, new measures by the government to work with interested parties, and the controversial legislation that would see some deer breeds protected and managed.

Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins says the explosion in numbers has not been helped by a slump in venison prices that put off commercial hunters.

Prices have picked up but not to the same level as the boom and bust days in the 1970s and 80s.

Dawkins has experienced the ravages of deer first hand on his farm near Blenheim, when deer ran amok through a forestry block.

"When trees are young, just been planted, they are very susceptible to browsing damage. Unfortunately we had about five hectares chewed out," Dawkins says.

The grass was knee-high but the pests came through and picked out the seedlings.

"We had to do a full replant but that's reflective of what I'm hearing from my Meat and Wool Council nationwide and whether it is damage to farm forestry or pastures or crops it is certainly a theme that's been going on for a few years now," he says.

A Federated Farmers survey found that the damage and repair costs to farms amounted to $200 million a year.

Dawkins says no solid data has been collected on deer but based on population estimates of 1.8 million, numbers need to be culled to 500,000 to 800,000.

"Everyone has a part to play in this. Pointing fingers isn't really a pathway forward and we think every landowner has a responsibility," he says.

'Deer everywhere'

Cromwell journalist Jill Herron was motivated to write a series for Newsroom about pest problems in the southern region after her own experiences hunting, tramping and walking her dog.

"You just keep hearing the same thing, about the level of damage that's happening quietly out in the bush.

"I think it doesn't really hit you until you see it yourself."

Herron's noticed a significant increase in numbers in the last 10 years around the Southern Lakes and Southland.

"Deer everywhere," she says, from the backcountry to the outskirts of towns.

"Where I live in Central Otago I see deer pretty much every second day when I walk my dog down the river or on the council reserve."

She says that the biggest concern that shocked her was the damage to native bush that leads to canopy collapse, when deer strip out the understorey of native forest so there is nothing left for the birds to eat or for insects to live in.

"What it means is that the whole forest falls down and dies."

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