Sika deer hunting in Kaweka Forest Park

Sika stag

Image: Malcolm Lock | ©

Introduction

Help control sika deer and allow mountain beech forests to flourish in the Kaweka Forest Park.

Hunt to help our forests

Effect of sika deer

Rugged and beautiful, the Kaweka range dominates the skyline of western Hawkes Bay. The Kaweka Forest Park encompasses 60,000 ha of this region, providing habitat for a number of native species – including mountain beech.

In the late 1990s, a study found browsing by sika deer was having a widespread detrimental influence on regeneration and species composition of the mountain beech forest within the Kaweka Forest Park.

In 1998, the Kaweka Mountain Beech Project began to address the issue and the Kaweka Hunter Liaison Group was developed. The group agreed that aerial deer control supplemented by enhanced recreational hunting would be the control method used to address this issue.

Control of sika deer

Aerial deer control was carried out over approximately 20,000 ha of the park from 1998 to 2015.

Aerial deer control was ceased for a period of time to allow hunters the opportunity to show that recreational hunting can maintain deer populations at the level needed for canopy recovery.

Hunters are encouraged to harvest as many sika deer as possible in order to help the mountain beech canopy regenerate. DOC will carry out monitoring to evaluate whether or not aerial deer control needs to be reintroduced.

How hunters can take part

Check out the resources below, then:

plan your hunting trip in an area that shows the need for further deer control. Be safe while hunting – see hunting and firearms safety
harvest more animals from areas that have higher deer populations
join the discussion at the Kaweka Hunter Liaison Group

For more information, contact:

Hawke’s Bay District Office
Phone: +64 6 834 3111
Email: napier@doc.govt.nz

Deer density maps

Deer density (faecal pallet index monitoring) in Kaweka Forest Park:

Helicopter operators

Get a list of helicopter operators in Kaweka Forest Park.

Hut use

A notification system is in place to help helicopter operators and their customers plan use of huts in Kaweka Forest Park. See notifications of hut use (username: pub, password: public)

Notes:

Notifications are made by helicopter operators on behalf of their customers.
Notification doesn’t guarantee a bunk or exclusive use of the hut. Hut use is still first come, first served – go prepared to camp in case the hut is full.
In the peak period of April–May, there is a maximum stay of 7 nights in any one location – notifications of longer stays will be cancelled.
Notifications can be made up to 18 months before the first day of use.
Notification is not a record of trip intentions – tell someone your plans and leave a date to raise the alarm if you haven’t returned. Also record your stay in the hut log book.