A Bird in the Hand: Hunting, Fashion and Colonial Culture

Hunter, Kate

doi:10.26686/jnzs.v0i12.491

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…(Figure S1). Restrictions on sport hunting were removed in 1930, and from 1957 to 1973, a hut and track network was established to aid government cullers (Hunter, 2009; Map S2). Deer culling by government‐employed foot hunters was undertaken from 1958 to 1988, when kill rates exceeded one deer per hunter day (mean 563 red and sika deer killed annually; Davidson & Fraser, 1991).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hunting of sika deer over six decades does not restore forest regeneration

Husheer,

Tanentzap

2023

Journal of Applied Ecology

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High densities of native and introduced deer hamper the regeneration of temperate forests worldwide. Sport hunting is often the sole means of deer control, but whether it can restore forest regeneration remains uncertain. We assessed the potential to restore forest regeneration using unrestricted sport hunting alongside commercial harvesting and government‐funded culling of introduced sika deer (Cervus nippon) across a 594 km2 landscape in North Island, New Zealand. We used six decades of repeated measurements of forest regeneration and deer presence, alongside monitoring of tagged stems in a 20‐year paired exclosure experiment, to determine whether deer control restored regeneration. In our exclosure experiment, mountain beech (Fuscospora cliffortioides) seedling and sapling density, growth and survival were variable but consistently higher when deer were excluded by fencing. Sapling counts in unfenced plots were ≈3–10 times lower after 60 years of deer control compared with unfenced plots, before sika colonisation and other mountain beech forests without sika deer. This result suggests canopy replacement remains at risk despite government‐funded culling and encouragement of sport hunting. Individual‐based demographic models show that mountain beech is unlikely to regenerate following canopy gap formation in our study landscape unless deer impacts are reduced from current levels. These demographic models predicted present‐day forest regeneration far better than two widely used proxies of deer impact: plot‐based counts of saplings and estimates of deer densities from faecal pellet counts. Synthesis and applications. Here, we show that intensive culling beyond that achievable by sport hunting is needed to reduce deer densities enough to assure canopy regeneration. These interventions will be necessary in the many places worldwide where sport hunting is being relied upon to protect forests but appears to be failing. Given the controversy associated with deer culling, and the need for clear evidence to justify its implementation, we suggest managers could strengthen the evidence base for their interventions by collecting data to build demographic models.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hunting of sika deer over six decades does not restore forest regeneration

Husheer,

Tanentzap

2023

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…One such New Zealand study, which included a review of past New Zealand studies, reported that ‘experiencing nature and the social aspects of hunting are the top two hunter‐based motivations, while the excitement of seeing deer and obtaining meat are the top two motivations relating to animal interactions’ (Woods & Kerr , p. 39). A sense of connectedness that hunters have with hunting as a long‐standing aspect of New Zealand culture (Hunter ) may also contribute to its mental health benefits.…”

Section: Beneficial Human Health Impacts Of the Existence Of Fdgp In ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Public health aspects of feral deer, goats and pigs in New Zealand: A review to inform eradication decisions

et al. 2015

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The research described in this paper sought to review the public health issues arising from the presence of feral deer, goats and pigs in New Zealand. Key findings were that while recreational hunting of these animals is likely to provide physical and mental health benefits, and contribute to food security, likely healthrelated harms from these animals include (i) injury risks from the associated firearms used in hunting; (ii) as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases; (iii) reduced mental health benefits of wilderness experience and natural ecosystems; and (iv) likely contribution to flooding risk via forest damage. Further research could better quantify these issues.

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A Bird in the Hand: Hunting, Fashion and Colonial Culture

Abstract: A Bird in the Hand: Hunting, Fashion and Colonial Culture

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Hunting of sika deer over six decades does not restore forest regeneration

Hunting of sika deer over six decades does not restore forest regeneration

Public health aspects of feral deer, goats and pigs in New Zealand: A review to inform eradication decisions

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