Study: wild deer cause significant damage to Hawke's Bay farmers

Primary sector economist Peter McIntyre has analyzed the impact of wild deer on agriculture and concluded that the scale of the problem is underestimated by landowners. The use of thermal imaging technology from drones and helicopters demonstrates that the actual number of animals on sites can exceed estimates by five to six times. According to the study, a herd of 100 individuals feeding on productive pastures costs farmers more than $10,000 annually. Over a ten-year horizon, taking into account a discount rate of 8.4%, the losses exceed $100,000. If foregone profits due to the inability to grow forage crops are also taken into account, the damage doubles.

Farmer Sam Stoddart, whose farm borders 8,000 hectares of scrubland, notes that 800 deer on the edge of his land consume an amount of feed equivalent to the diet of 1,200 sheep, which could generate about $145,000 in income per year. The animals not only destroy crops, such as young cabbage, but also prevent the use of fields for high-value crops and reduce biodiversity by destroying local vegetation.

To combat the problem, experts suggest economically viable measures, including the installation of fencing. A standard fence costs $40,000 per kilometer, while adding an electric fence to existing structures costs about $8,000 per kilometer. Marie Taylor of the organization Plant Hawke’s Bay emphasizes the need for collective action by farmers to create protective perimeters around problem areas, similar to the experience of possum control. She also points to the need for increased government funding for pest control programs.

In turn, the Department of Conservation (DoC) reports that it is monitoring wild animals on public lands, where their presence has been recorded on 83% of sites. According to Mike Perry, the DoC's wild animal manager, the agency has increased control efforts due to additional funding received in 2022. At the same time, in a number of Hawke's Bay districts, in addition to deer, wild goats pose a serious ecological threat, for which separate population reduction measures are being carried out.