Deer repellent smelling like rotten oranges has been trialled in Rakiura this winter to reduce 1080 by-kill.
It’s hoped the pellets will divert white-tail deer prized by hunters away from the poison, as Stewart Island is one of only two places in Aotearoa where they can be hunted.
It’s estimated that fewer than a handful of pellets is enough to kill the small deer.
The curious smell keeping animals away from 1080 on Stewart Island – Watch on TVNZ+
And the first-ever aerial 1080 drops on the island began this winter, focused on saving pukunui. There are only around 100 birds left.
Rakiura White-tail Deer Trust spokesman Adam Fairmaid told 1News: “This isn’t an anti-1080 stance. It’s just a stance where we want to see the white-tail herd exist.”
Each year, 3,500 people use the hunting huts on the island, and people come from all over the world to hunt the herd, bringing in millions to the Southland economy, he said.
Deer do some damage to the bush, but the Department of Conservation’s drops have been focused on clearing predators such as cats, rats and possums.
Manaaki Whenua has been helping a trial using the scent of rotten oranges covering the pellets – to put deer off eating 1080.
Predator Free Rakiura general manager Darius Fagan said the trial was challenging, however, because “There was a high density of rats and possums that got to the bait quite quickly and before deer had a chance to.”
Despite this, Manaaki Whenua recommended the repellent be used in future drops on the island.
But the Department of Conservation told 1News it was continuing discussions on “decisions to use deer repellent for future aerial 1080 operations on Rakiura”.
