Northland Regional Council and Department of Conservation launch wild deer cull

An aerial view of Russell Forest, taken in 2018. Photo / John Stone

Northland may be on the brink of becoming the largest deer-free area in mainland New Zealand if a planned cull of the wild animals proves successful.

A decade-long plan to remove all wild deer from the region to preserve its rare ecosystems is being launched by the Northland Regional Council (NRC), Department of Conservation (DoC), and local hapū.

Illegal releases of wild deer and escapes from farms have caused the animal to establish some small populations in Northland, where they have historically been absent from.

First to go are sika deer in the Russell Forest, which is the largest inland forest and scrub area of the eastern landscape and is between the Bay of Islands and Whangārei.

Both council and DoC say the forest is an important regional example of a warm temperate rainforest that contains kauri, tawa, kōtukutuku/tree fuschia, totara, and threatened bird species such as the North Island brown kiwi.

Northland Regional councillor Marty Robinson, who represents the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa constituency, said sika deer had been illegally released in Russell Forest around 35 years ago - hundreds of kilometres from their regulated feral range in the central North Island.

The elusive deer pose a threat to Northland’s biodiversity as they eat a wider range of plants than other deer species, he said.

The eradication of sika deer, which started this week, is expected to cost $1.5 million and involves a four-year partnership between NRC, Ngāti Kuta, Patukeha, Te Kapotai, Ngātiwai and DoC.

DoC’s Northern North Island director Sue Reed-Thomas said although Northland’s population of wild deer was small and scattered, immediate action was important as the animals have the potential to breed rapidly when food is abundant.

There would be a considerable cost to the region if they were to become widely established, she said.

“We have a unique opportunity with the funding provided by the Government for deer management and goat control in Budget 2022 to remove the current populations and prevent further establishment of wild deer into the future.”

NRC has already committed $5.9m over nine years to manage deer. The department will also help fund the initiative.

Reed-Thomas said the eradication programme will involve thorough and inclusive consultation processes, that aim to strengthen partnerships with the deer industry and farmers, communities and other stakeholders.

“This will develop a programme of work that’s developed by the region for the region.”

Robinson said the next step in the wider eradication strategy is to design early engagement to test the idea of a wild deer management strategy for Northland in more detail with hapū, iwi, the agricultural sector, and other stakeholders.