Deer hunters feed hungry Marlburians

MICHAEL HEYWARD, Department of Conservation

Hunters, conservation and the community have all come out on top after a managed hunt last month resulted in 192kg of venison donated to a Blenheim foodbank.

The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) organised the managed hunt on the tops of Nelson Lakes National Park’s Matakitaki Valley. Thirty-nine keen hunters flew in by helicopter to 13 blocks across the remote tops for a week, removing 202 deer and six chamois.

NZDA’s Dave Haynes says the hunt was a win for the National Park as it keeps deer numbers managed, a win for recreational hunters who got to fly into a zone that is otherwise difficult to access, and a win for the community because all of the meat went to a foodbank.

“We were able to donate 192kg of mince, sausages and patties to a local Blenheim foodbank, thanks to grants from the Blenheim Lions Club and Lotteries for the processing costs,” he explained. “The meat will make a difference for the community.”

Dave noted the hunting in the area is hard yakka but added it was an absolute privilege to be there.

“Most hunters are conservationists by nature as well,” he noted. “We want to see native environments thriving as being out in pristine wilderness adds immeasurably to the hunting experience.”

This was the third managed hunt NZDA had run in this area, Dave said, and the group hopes to do more in the future.

DOC Nelson Lakes Operations Manager John Wotherspoon called the collaboration with NZDA “a great relationship, and everyone gets something they value out of it.”