Dannevirke: 'We're a mecca for hunters'

Jack Ferrick is an avid hunter.

Putting food on the table won't be a problem for Casey Phillips and Jack Ferrick after a successful hunting trip up the Tamaki at the foot of the Ruahine Ranges west of Dannevirke on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The hunter gatherers were thrilled to bag two magnificent red stags; the largest of which will be made into sausages and salami, while the smaller one will provide tasty steaks for the barbecue.

"There are heaps of deer up in the hills at the moment," Casey told the Dannevirke News.

"There's plenty of feed for them and with lots of young ones in Dannevirke starting to get into hunting, this is great."

While the stags hadn't been weighed when the pair pulled up in Dannevirke yesterday morning, they believe the largest was well in excess of 200kg.

"It took four of us to get it down the hill," Jack said.

Bradley Phillips and Vinnie Scott provided the extra manpower for the carrying duties, both happy to be along for such a successful hunt.

"We're trying to get them into hunting too," Casey said.

With hunting in his blood, Dave Kerr, of Dave's Sports World on High St, said Dannevirke was paradise for hunters.

"We're pretty spoilt here, with plenty of red and fallow deer on our doorstep and supplying to hunters is 50 per cent of my business at the moment," he said.

"This weekend, I've got a guy from Tauranga coming down to go hunting and we're a mecca for hunters."

Mr Kerr said there were now more deer than ever in the hills here.

"Despite there being more hunters than ever there are twice as many deer than when I started hunting 30 years ago," he said. "With the roar coming up, quite a few people are keen to get out there and as long as they take care and don't shoot each other that's fine."