Red Deer in New Zealand: A Complete Hunting Manual

Red Deer in New Zealand is a New Zealand hunting classic. It has sold over 10,000 copies and is the essential handbook for hunting Red deer in New Zealand. In this new paperback edition best selling hunting authors Roger Lentle and Frank Saxton offer a unique blend of hunting experience and science, drawing on the knowledge of many seasoned hunters plus research into wild red deer in New Zealand and other countries. The key to successful hunting is to know your quarry. This book helps the hunter to ‘think like a deer’ and get better results. Red Deer in New Zealand combines practical deer-stalking experience with research data about red deer behaviour, biology, diet, seasonal changes and much more in a useful blend of practical ideas and theory. It covers the behaviour of wild red deer under New Zealand conditions through the season and according to the weather; the ‘roar’ and the cycle of reproduction, and how they have responded to ever-increasing human activity in the bush. Other aspects covered include hunting tactics, tracking, reading sign, butchering, safety, dogs and identifying and ageing animals at a distance. Illustrated with many photographs and excellent line drawings as well as numerous anecdotes, this book will appeal to all who enjoy hunting – and in particular to those who want to improve their tallies.

Table of Contents Contents; Introduction; 1. Signs they leave; 2. Their senses; 3. What they like to eat; 4. Effects of weather on Red Deer; 5. Their regular behaviour patterns; 6. Some hunting strategies and tactics; 7. Dogs for deerstalking; 8. Shooting and tracking wounded deer; 9. From forest floor to kitchen table; 10. Ageing: conformation, antlers and teeth; 11. Red deer evolution: grass or tree eaters?; Glossary; Bibliography; Index