by CORANZ researchers
Some residents in the suburb of Aramoho in Wanganui are reported by Newstalk ZB as being concerned with hordes of wild deer entering town streets.
One who has lived there for 30 years, said wild deer were freely wandering through the streets and creating disruption for residents, feeding in gardens, leaving droppings and causing near-misses with motorists. ZB Talkback reported while deer entering Wanganui’s city limits is not unknown, there are increasing incidences.
Some residents have fenced off parts of their gardens and fruit trees. Newstalk ZB described hordes of deer entering the town’s limits.
However on Facebook, opinion was squarely in favour of the deer.
Ian Coates said the numbers had been exaggerated and sensationalised. “That looks like a small horde and reporters for NewsTalkZB obviously do not know the meaning of words they used,” he added.
Affliction
Tony Orman author of deerstalking books, said the emotional expression of hordes of deer reflected an anti-wild animal affliction with many New Zealanders.
“Yes one or two deer become invasive pest hordes of pests in the eyes of Kiwi people gripped by pest paranoia,” he said.
Tony Orman said in visiting the US he saw wild blacktail deer in Seattle city limits and Seattle locals just accepted them. At the city of Eugene in Oregon on visiting some friends for a barbecue was a young blacktail spiker deer browsing on the lawn. The host’s tortoise shell cat was playfully stalking it.
“I was amazed that the Eugene folks said it’s commonplace; they liked seeing the deer” he said. “So did I.”
Ed Harcourt of Featherstone questioned the description of “hordes of deer” when in fact it was probably “one for two” deer. He termed hordes of deer as “over-emotional and over-the-top.”
Lawnmowers
On ZB Talkback’s Facebook others spoke in similar vein. Kevin Clark said the deer are not a threat to residents.
“In fact I’d be bloody happy to have deer roaming around our neighbourhood! The fact they keep the grass down on the front of your property, they are almost like Uber eats, dinner delivery to your doorstep, and also they bring nature into your neighbourhood,” he added.
Sandra Nicholson welcomed the deer and said,” For goodness sakes! We are blessed all we have are deer. Oh the histrionics! In other parts of the world people learn to live with wild animals, much wilder than deer.”
Steve Brown said residents were not upset by the presence of deer. adding “show me an upset resident, ohh and how many is a horde?” Pete Brown said authorities should leave the deer alone and regard them as “beautiful to see around.’
However one or two did not agree. Earl Willis said a friend of his who shoots deer from a helicopter, kills hundreds of deer in the nearby Parapara region. “That’s how bad the problem has become.”
But others said the happening was normal.
Deer Before Humans
Dundee Miller said seeing deer was not a new occurrence. Her family use to live in nearby Castlecliff and sambar deer crossed the river heading up the coast years ago.
Josh Rees agreed.
“What residents are you talking about Newstalk ZB? These deer out here have been doing this for years and never bothered us. I hunt but it’s a crack-up watching these animals in town. Cool to see.”
Fenella Tonkin remarked “Rather have the deer than hordes of roaming humans.”
Strange people in Wanganui it seems.
For the past 40 years or so I have been treated to the sight of wild deer in the hills above the Hutt Valley here in Wellington. Pinehaven and Stokes Valley see regular visitors as does Wainuiomata.
More recent sightings in the hills above Wellington itself and not restricted to deer either, pigs are a common sight in the more remote but accessible back blocks along with a myriad goats.
I simply wonder if Wanganui is somehow phobic, or is it more likely simple sensational reporting for the sake of trying to get readership for a dying industry!
Hey John, Wanganui is ok. The facebook comments from Wanganui people, overwhelmingly like the deer; it’s NewstalkZB that needs a kick in the shins.
In the late 1950s an American zoology professor Dr William Graf came to NZ to study the so-called “deer problem” on behalf of the state of Hawaii who were thinking iof liberating deer. He was escorted around by government officials including Forest Service scientists and he said at the end of his visit, NZ authorities had an “anti-exotic wild animal pohobia” and couldn’t see the reality.
I’ve got a photo of 5 red deer hanging around a street corner in Stokes Valley (Lower Hutt) at 5am. Nobody got upset. Why should they? If you don’t want deer in your backyard, buy a dog. Deer hate their smell.
We all should welcome the animals coming in closer, as we must embrace the wild better than we have done in the past. Part of God’s domain, so we must look after them.
How lovely that these beautiful animals grace the streets and gardens of the people of Wanganui, how lucky they are. There is also the opportunity to fill the freezer with prime meat, very important these days – have you been shopping recently and seen the price of steak and lamb, beyond my budget but fortunately I can still afford the cost of a cartridge.
It’s funny how a handful of animals can turn into “ hordes “ a handful of rabbits seen by a cockies wife turned into thousands, a neighbour had hordes of possums every night terrorising her lap dogs and eating her garden I had two traps there for a week and caught one possum. There’s a few dreamers about.
Wasn’t that long ago deer were on the don’t shoot list by many landowners and still are by a few.
I would bet that all of these people that complain argue with the mirrors, the Asian country’s treat them like gods, Tony Orman mentioned the US, they’re a national treasure, there hunting session helps balance the population, there are ways of doing the same in NZ if there ever became a real problem.
Yes game management – pretty much unknown in NZ – is the answer, instead of paranoia and hatred and extermination policies which never work anyhow.
This reinforces my view that Newstalk ZB is the Petrie dish where conspiracy theories are incubated and then exposed to the air for all to breathe – much like the alleged escape of the Covid19 virus from a mysterious germ warfare lab???
Perhaps the radio hosts were emotionally affected by the Xmas song about Grandma being run over by a reindeer.
Few animals are more afraid of humans than deer. Let them roam free.
Wanganui has clearly never got over the culture fostered by former Mayor Michael Laws. Once the Māori bashing craze died away they had to find another victim, Pity the deer.
Interesting to see how the “deer in the street” story has captured both concern and amusement - and that reflects the mixed reality here in NZ. Wild deer roaming into Wanganui’s suburbs might look charming to some, but it’s also part of a much bigger issue: deer populations expanding beyond rural forests and farms and creating real problems for locals, gardens, roads and regenerating bush. Deer are a listed pest in NZ, and councils, landowners and hunters have long debated how best to manage them so they don’t damage native plants, crops or create safety risks. It’s good to enjoy nature - but we also need practical, community-based management that protects people and whenua alike.
It’s hard not to smile at this story. Many New Zealanders would consider themselves extraordinarily lucky to look out their window and see wild deer passing through their neighbourhood - a reminder that we still live in a country where nature has not been entirely pushed to the margins. Labeling deer simply as “pests” ignores their beauty, their long presence in our landscapes, and the genuine sense of connection people feel when wildlife appears close to home. Complaining about deer because they inconvenience gardens or lawns feels like a very small price to pay for living alongside something real and alive. Perhaps instead of demanding removal, we could learn to coexist a little more graciously - and recognise that encounters like this are a privilege many urbanised societies lost long ago.
I lived in Patterson Street and never once saw a deer in all the time I was there. My friends would find them in Brunswick Road from time to time. Good family food for the freezer.
Come to Northland where it is not uncommon to find feral dogs and cats. You take your chances when walking along some of the beaches.