Trophy Red Deer Hunting
Red deer were introduced to New Zealand in the 1850's. The famous Otago herd was established in 1871 with deer from Britain. Trophy red deer stag hunting first took place in the 1880's near Queenstown and Wanaka in the South Island of New Zealand.
In New Zealand the deer hunting season runs from February to August. The best time for bow hunting is March or early April with the rut beginning in mid March and peaking 15 - 20 April. Good trophies are still taken until mid August when weather conditions make successful hunting more challenging. Tahr and Chamois can be hunted year round and they are in their best winter capes from late March untill July. We hunt them in expansive open range territory.
New Zealand is home to some of the world's biggest red stags and the fact that the trophy quality continues to improve is testament to the quality of the original herd.
The big stags are hunted in managed areas and for Cardrona safaris the territory we have them in is their natural habitat with excellent cover and plenty of draws. The area is broad and we access it with 4x4 with a spot and stalk style of hunting. Deer farming is a mainstream farming enterprise in NZ so you will see high fences and farmed deer as you drive around the country similar to what you experience in South Africa.
The Red Stag is one of the most majestic animals of the world and holds a special place in any trophy room.
