Hunters entering this year’s annual Pureora Hunting Competition are urged to target both hinds and stags, as Department of Conservation staff seek more information on the forest’s deer herd.
The competition, managed by DOC’s Maniapoto team and supported by the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, opened on Saturday (March 15) and concludes on April 27 with a prizegiving at the DOC Pureora workshop.
DOC Senior Ranger Community Ray Scrimgeour says this year’s competition puts the focus on the “dynamic” deer herd found within Pureora Forest.
“From our own data and reports from hunters, we’re seeing deer in different condition depending on where they’re taken in the forest,” Scrimgeour says.
DOC says that around the forest’s edges, the deer are in good condition but in more remote areas there are indications the condition of the animals is poor – suggesting a diet of less palatable plants and high dependency on leaf litter.
Less palatable plants dominate in forests where high numbers of deer have reduced forest diversity and ecosystem health.
Deer hunting in the area helped keep deer numbers in balance with the habitat, resulting in healthy animals and a healthy ecosystem, says Scrimgeour.
“Although a big stag with impressive antlers is always a sought-after prize, we’re also encouraging hunters to target hinds across the forest, as analysing their jaw bones will give us very helpful data on the herd,” he says.
There are no pig hunting categories in the competition this year as DOC has recently completed aerial predator control across parts of the forest to protect significant stands of native trees and birds such as kokako, kākā and kakariki and dogs are at risk from scavenging affected carcases.
The competition is free to enter for any hunter with a current DOC permit to hunt in the area and all entries registered at the prizegiving are eligible to win category and spot prizes.
More information on the competition is available online at Pureora Hunting Competition.
