Deer Policy - Public Conservation Land
The new Department of Conservation Policy Statement on Deer Control mostly focuses on deer as a serious conservation pest, but it also considers the needs of recreational and commercial hunters and the deer farming and game estate industries. The statement applies mostly to deer control on public conservation lands, but also includes actions to restrict the feral range of deer, which will occur across all lands.
Key Points
Goal: To reduce the impacts of deer, along with other threats, on public conservation lands, thereby maintaining and enhancing forest regeneration and the protection of native ecosystems.
Priority Outcomes for Deer Control: The feral range of deer, or species of deer, should not be allowed to expand into new areas, including deer-free regions, catchments and islands, and where possible the existing feral range should be reduced. Natural habitats and ecosystems will be maintained in, or restored to, an indigenous natural character, through effective control of deer and other threats.
Hunting: It's recognised that commercial hunting, in particular, provides effective control in those areas that are most suitable for hunting by helicopter. Hunting on public conservation lands will be encouraged where it ties in with management for conservation. Commercial and recreational hunters will generally have open access to public conservation lands.
Recreational hunters kill large numbers of deer in total each year but generally cannot kill deer faster than they can reproduce, and so cannot reduce deer densities to low enough levels to allow regeneration of palatable seedlings and saplings. DoC will not be setting up new areas to be managed for recreational hunting, nor will it be devolving the issuing of hunting permits to a hunter organisation.
The existing hunting permit system will be streamlined and, where appropriate, move to longer-term area wide permits. The option of entirely removing the requirement for written hunting permits for deer will be explored.
Deer Farming and Game Estates: DoC is to work with deer farmers to reduce the risks of deer escaping and establishing new populations. No changes are currently planned to areas where farming of deer is generally prohibited, nor are any changes planned for requirements for holding deer and other wild animals in game estates (safari parks).
Working with Regional Councils: Regional councils will be encouraged to include deer in Regional Pest Management Strategies, particularly in deer-free areas.
Contact for Enquiries
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
Contact this person
