Whitetail |

Whitetail

Whitetail Buck

Whitetail deer also known as the Virginia deer is a medium-sized deer native to the America’s. Whitetail were introduced to New Zealand in the very early 1900′s. They were considered excellent hunting in their native habitat of the Americas and were introduced for the purpose of hunting. Two releases were successful, one on Stewart Island, the other on the western shores of Lake Wakatipu. Whitetail deer have remained restricted to these areas. Although most often thought of as forest animals and browsers rather than grazers dependant on relatively small openings and edges, white-tailed deer can equally adapt themselves to life in more open prairie/grassland and savanna woodlands.

Whitetail have a reddish-brown coat in the spring and summer which turns to a darker grey-brown through autumn and winter. One of the recognizeable characteristics of whitetail deer is it’s white underside and tail (hence Whitetail) which it shows when alarmed by raising the tail while fleeing. Male deer are termed bucks and usually weigh from 130 to 300 pounds (60 to 130 kg) females (doe) usually weigh from 90 to 165 pounds (40 to 75 kg). In new Zealand whitetail tend to weight about 25% less than they do in their homeland. They cast their antlers from July/August and the rut occurs from April-June.

Information on gaining access, permits and additional information on hunting Whitetail can be obtained from the Department of Conservation’s Stewart Island (Rakiura) hunting information – Permits and hunting blocks page. Click HERE to go there now.