In order to control the wild deer issue plaguing Northland's Russell Forest, professional hunters are culling feral goats who have been getting in the way.
The team of professional hunters targeting goats in the Russell Forest. Photo: Supplied / Northland Regional Council
A small herd of about 40 sika deer in the forest has been designated as top priority for eradication by Northland Regional Council because they can spread tuberculosis and kauri dieback.
But chairperson of the council's Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party Jack Craw said wild goats were getting in the way of the eradication programme.
"A sika DNA survey was undertaken in May last year across sika habitat to enable costs for an eradication to be assessed and techniques to be reviewed in anticipation of a looming eradication project this year.
"The collection of deer faeces and use of DNA analysis provides information on the home range and identity of individual sika and is a technique which has worked successfully in other deer eradication projects around New Zealand and the world."
But the high number of feral goats within the forest was a complicating factor as their faeces could be confused with the deer.
"Subsequent analysis of goat faeces inadvertently collected as part of the sika survey will add significant costs and time to the operation."
Craw said it was more economical to send professional hunters into the forest to cull the goats.
"A team of professional goat hunters will be hunting goats over approximately 2500 hectares of private and conservation land over a two-week period using kiwi aversion trained bailing dogs, as well as a helicopter for transport to high ridges."
The hunters would also be trained in kauri dieback mitigation methods to ensure the disease would not be spread during the hunt.
Craw said when the goat numbers had been reduced, a DNA survey would be implemented over the entire Russell Forest to confirm the sika population, which would take five to six months.
"We will then know how many we need to target in order to eradicate the herd."