The majority of white-tail deer on Stewart Island died after eating 1080-laced bait pellets according to research by the Bioeconomy Science Institute, formerly Landcare Research.
The deaths were due to an aerial predator control operation of the Department of Conservation (DoC) last August. Supposedly it targeted feral cats, rats and possums over 40,000 hectares of the Rakiura National Park on Stewart Island. Basically the research found 75% of white-tail deer died from a lethal dose of 1080 bait containing deer repellent. Where deer repellent wasn’t used, the kill of deer was estimated at 97%.
DoC director of biodiversity national programmes Ben Reddiex said some by-kill of white-tail deer was expected.
“The impact was higher than anticipated, however the large majority of the Rakiura white-tail deer population was unaffected, and deer will gradually re-enter and repopulate the operational area.”
DoC estimated the population will recover to pre-poison levels in three to four years.
The Rakiura Whitetail trust said the organisation did not support 1080, but were committed to protecting native species and consider it completely unacceptable for whitetail deer to suffer as collateral damage.
The Rakiura Whitetail Trusts’ primary objective is to maintain an ecologically sustainable whitetail deer population on Rakiura.
“What they fail to address is where will these deer suddenly appear from? A lot of people overlook the fact that not every hunter on Stewart Island is out to kill any deer; many are targeting a mature buck specifically. A mature buck may require an investment of up to six years to get to an age for it to reach its full potential.”
The reality of repopulation is much more complex than simply deer returning to the 1080 area said the Trust..
“From our viewpoint, the presence of dead deer is an unfortunate circumstance. But let us not waste this opportunity to learn from that. The habits and habitat of Whitetail deer on Rakiura are different from anywhere else on the planet.”
Most pro-deer people want a Rakiura that is predator free with a viable population of Whitetail deer.
The Department of Conservation has assured the Rakiura Whitetail Trust of its commitment to collaborating on future management strategies for Whitetail deer on Stewart Island.
We believe this is a significant opportunity to collaborate, set aside our differences, and find a solution that both eliminates predators on Stewart Island and allows for a managed Whitetail deer population to coexist.
Footnote: See www.predatorfreerakiura.org.nz/the-project/hunting/
What nonsense Ben Reddiex spouts. It makes me so angry. Deer are slow breeders, usually one fawn a year, although whitetail sometime have twins. They will repopulate in 3-4 years is nonsense. It shows DoC just don’t comprehend.
Where is the Minister of Conservation over this? What’s his name again?
1080 won’t make Stewart Island predator-free. It will, however, adversely affect a wide range of non target species (including whitetailed deer) and disrupt ecosystem processes. The well-paid DoC “ecologists” who promoted this operation should be hanging their heads in shame.
An experiment using 1080 to poison whitetail on Stewart Is years ago by painting 1080 gel on broadleaf was carried out the end result was “ it was found to be very successful in reducing whitetail numbers “
As Joe says, DoC knew it would kill deer. They are like Forest and Bird’s founder, DoC hate deer.
What happened to the unique whitetail deer herd at the head of Lake Wakatipu where DoC top dressed 1080?
Doc has poisoned it twice that I know of. Because science says 1080 drops cause rat plagues. It is there in Landcare Research studies – 3 years later surviving rats are 3 times original numbers. Utter madness by DoC.
Every 3 or 4 years DoC has to go back because they find there’s a plague of rats.
I meant in my comment that DoC are exactly like AMATEUR botanist Leonard Cockayne who founded Forest and Bird. Cockayne masterminded the 1930 Deer Menace Conference that stereotyped deer as pests, noxious etc – or whatever you call the irrational hatred.
It continues to astound me that DOC and ZIP are surprised that deer are killed by 1080.
Of course they are and they most certainly were in the rubbish experimental series of close drops of 1080 carrioed out for DOC by ZIP..
Oddly the same people continue to say that kiwi did not die but they did disappear from the camera area. Nesting? Not that likely given the time frames and have they turned up again no.
It is assumed by the lovely poisoners that cats which disappeared off camera and have not come back have died, why then not the kiwi?
I do not accept the wonderful doomed subspecies of dotterel they are trying to save has benefitted either, given the percentage increase added to each year that was not counted but assumed to be present. The goodish year that they have had rocks along with the wave like pattern of the past graphs, not usually sustained over even 5 years. One swallow does not a Summer make and therefore a slight increase of dotterel, top of the wave to date does not convince me.
Back to the deer. Hunters are not shut out nor are walkers and huts are not closed. This leads to a casual kind of this is not harmful really state of mind. Hunters and walkers are to use their discretion. Can’t be that bad this Class 1A poison with no antidote then. Won’t hurt to eat a young deer while in camp, have a couple of back steaks because you shot a live deer. Well your choice alright but if that deer has consumed a sublethal dose so will you and if it has consumed but not yet died of a lethal dose then so might you. The symptoms of you dying of 1080 poison can be similar to a heart attack so some of your mates may have already passed this way.
You could try an OIA and see what comes up. I have sent one in three times so far just asking about rats. Did they tell you only one species was apparently killed off. This was obtained from camera data on the basis of nothing on the camera then dead.
In the case of kiwi, nothing on camera means alive? I don’t think so if you are worried about wildlife, don’t, they are already dead. Figures for the deer are horrific as this population is a naive one. Remember the few that are left will not bounce back like the rats two species of which were not even reduced in numbers. Congratulations to DOC and ZIP you will exterminate the deer, kiwi and many other species but you will become great friends with rats.