Public to have say on managing NZ’s first ‘special deer herds’

New Zealanders will soon be invited to give feedback on draft plans to manage sika and wapiti deer as the country’s first ‘Herds of Special Interest’ (HOSI), Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has announced.

Speaking alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the annual Sika Show in Hamilton’s Mystery Creek — New Zealand’s largest hunting trade event — Meager said the plans propose a new, hunter-led approach to deer management in the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks for sika, and in Fiordland National Park for wapiti.

“These changes will allow conservation-minded hunting groups to sustainably manage herd numbers and create new opportunities for economic growth in their regions,” he said. “Hunting is a valued tradition among many Kiwi families, and healthier deer herds can support both recreation and tourism.”

The draft plans include strategies for recreational hunting management, community partnerships, professional deer control, meat recovery, and ecological monitoring. Mr Meager emphasised that conservation values would remain protected, with herd numbers managed to balance hunting opportunities and forest biodiversity.

He said the plans were developed following proposals from the Central North Island Sika Foundation and Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, supported by the Game Animal Council. “Hunters are one of our biggest conservation assets,” he added. “These plans acknowledge the vital role they play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.”

Public consultation on the draft plans will open soon, with Meager encouraging hunters, conservationists, and the wider public to share their views on how best to achieve sustainable outcomes for both wildlife and the environment.