deer behaviour change

No evidence of negative effects of aerial 1080 operations on red deer (Cervus elaphus) encounters and sightings in South Westland forests

Recreational hunters are concerned that aerial 1080 operations in New Zealand’s forests may adversely affect deer hunting, but data are rarely gathered in a way that enables such effects to be assessed. Between 2011 and 2015, we recorded two relevant indicators of the recreational hunting experience – number of red deer (Cervus elaphus) encounters, and number of individual red deer seen – in 865 person days of quarterly surveys across seven blocks of native forest in South Westland, New Zealand.