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.