NZDA H&W 198 WEB

forests at higher altitude within
the sika range also appear to be
vulnerable.
Mountain beech is not particularly
palatable, but at higher densities the
intense activity of sika at canopy
gap sites results in the hedging and
eventual death of most mountain
beech seedlings, changing the habitat
to a more browse-resistant vegetation
community. Where mountain
beech forest once existed, a heavily
grazed Coprosma scrub “deer lawn”
environment develops – unless deer
impact is managed. This process is
taking place in many parts of the
Kaweka, Ahimanawa and Kaimanawa
ranges.
Studies since the early 1980s have
also shown that while red/silver beech
forests are regenerating throughout
the lower-altitude areas of sika
habitat, selective browsing by these
deer has increased the density of lesspalatable
pepperwood in beech forest
understoreys below 1000 m elevation.
The challenge with a HOSI for sika is
to manage these environmental issues
by minimising adverse effects of sika,
and to maximise their hunting value.
Why a HOSI?
The draft proposal describes
a sika HOSI as “a means of
enhancing existing relationships
and realising increased benefits for
both conservation and hunting
… [that] will provide benefits to a
wide range of stakeholders, given
the iconic nature of sika and the
value hunters place on the species;
the impact the species has on
important natural habitats; but
also, the potential to better manage
many aspects of the sika herd to
achieve improved outcomes for both
hunting and conservation, as already
well demonstrated in the Kaweka
Mountain Beech Project. This
proposal will extend those benefits
to a much wider range of sites, where
there is currently no management
occurring.”
The GAC Act and HOSIs
Section 2.1 of the Act provides
for the Minister of Conservation to
declare a Herd of Special Interest
for a species of game animal on
public conservation land (private
land cannot normally be included),
subject to a number of conditions.
The animals need to be of special
interest to hunters and capable of
being managed for hunting purposes,
and a herd management plan must be
prepared.
Once a HOSI is established it can
be managed by a number of measures
such as issuing permits and holding
hunting ballots, and setting other
conditions under which the animals
may be hunted in the HOSI area.
Generally, however, the sika HOSI
proposal is more about making better
use of existing hunting effort rather
than imposing restrictions.
As the draft management plan
shows, sika fits these criteria very
well. The herd largely exists on
public conservation land (parts of
which have already been designated
Recreational Hunting Areas) and
can be defined by species and place.
It is of special interest for numerous
reasons, including trophy and meat
value and the value of the hunting
experience. In many places the herd
is one of the most accessible hunting
resources in New Zealand, thanks
to the network of state highways
Mountain beech canopy collapse in Kaweka Forest, c. 1997, showing sika deer impact. The Kaweka Mountain Beech Project has demonstrated
that beech regeneration is successful if the animal numbers are managed, and that the effectiveness of that management can be measured by
faecal pellet counts. This means it can be relatively straightforward to manage sika for environmental as well as hunting benefits.
Photo: Cam Speedy
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 198 - Spring 2017 23