A call to manage a population of deer on private land in Nelson has led to a donation of venison to a food rescue programme.
Victory Community Centre coordinator Steve McLuckie and NZDA committee member David Haynes with some of the donated venison. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Nelson branch committee member David Haynes said a managed hunt was undertaken in order to sustainably manage the number of animals on a recreational property at the request of the landowners.
"They came to the Nelson Deerstalkers to say they're having problems with some pigs rooting up the ground and damaging some tracks there along with other animals and asked us if we could come in and try and sort of manage those two more sustainable levels."
Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Branch president Greg Couper and committee member Carina Jackson culled the deer along with goats and pigs.
Haynes said hunters often shared meat among family and friends, but in this case, they decided to have it processed into patties and sausages to donate to Kai Rescue.
More than 60 packs of meat were donated to the charity, which would then be passed on to those in need.
"Every single piece of those animals was used, so it's real nose to tail eating and there's zero waste."
Members of the Nelson branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association with Nelson Environment Centre chief executive Anton Drazevic and Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Haynes said wild game animals were a valuable resource for New Zealanders and a single deer could feed about 100 people.
"The whole concept of anybody going out there and considering them to be cold and left on the ground dead is absolutely abhorrent and so here's a very small example of a really positive thing we can do with our game animals now and into the future.
"This is the first time we've actually hooked up with a community organisation that saves food and I'm hoping it won't be the last."
Nelson Environment Centre chief executive Anton Drazevic said the organisation had not received a donation of venison since its inception four years ago and while it regularly received bread, fruit and vegetables, donations of meat products were rare.
Food that would have otherwise gone to waste has been saved by Kai Rescue and has been distributed to charitable organisations like the Victory Community Centre in Nelson. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
The Kai Rescue programme is focused on redirecting food waste from landfills and receives food from supermarkets and local producers that is unable to be sold.
It is then distributed to more than 60 charitable organisations in the region, including the Salvation Army, Victory Community Centre, Barnados and the women's and children's refuge.
"Every tonne of food waste that goes into landfill generates two tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, so anything that we can do to recover food and redirect it to those that need it most benefits not only the environment but our community."
Drazevic said it was an "amazing opportunity" to be able to partner with the NZDA and redistribute venison to those who needed it most.