Since the 1850s deer have been an iconic feature of the New Zealand high country, raking in millions of dollars every year for commercial hunting outfits as well as international exports. We love welcoming a range of hunters hoping to bag a stag or harvest some fresh venison for the freezer, it's a great way to manage the booming population in our neck of the woods. However with around a quarter of a million wild deer roaming around New Zealand, it is fair to say that hunters are not enough to manage the population - more back up is needed.

If you have ever explored our trails you may have come across a few pockets of lush native plant life. These are tucked away in gullies where the deer cannot graze due to the gradient, allowing natives to flourish and create a diverse habitat for birds and other wildlife. At Blue Mountain Station we are very keen on encouraging the growth of these native plants and doing our bit to help out as much as we can. Recently we purchased a variety of natives for planting around the Station, and last week we welcomed Peter Spencer Bower from Wanaka Helicopters as he flew 66 culled deer out of the Station for us as part of our deer population control measures. The population around the Station is quite large, allowing us to remove excess individuals to keep damaging grazing down. We have a target of removing around 100 individual deer before fawning, as well as targeting pigs and wallabies.

As always we are trying to contribute to the Predator Free 2050 target, and encourage visiting hunters to go for small game while on the lookout for more attractive targets.