Sambar in New Zealand
For more information e-mail Steuart of NZ Hunting Info Ltd
There are 16 sub-species of sambar described from South East Asia. The New Zealand and Australian wild sambar herds are derived from the large bodied Sri Lankan sub-species (Cervus unicolor unicolor) and are bigger than red deer. Outside of Asia, sambar can be found on St Vincent Island in the Carribean, Australia and New Zealand.
During the 1980s a moratorium was placed over hunting of sambar because their survival was considered to be threatened. While this was a technical victory for hunters, significant poaching of sambar continued. Today the moratorium has been lifted but access to these animals remains difficult.
They are found in two discrete herds. see map
One along the coast of Manawatu and the other east of Rotorua.
But within the boundaries of these two herds, the animals are unevenly distributed and survive in pockets
rather than as a continuous population.
Hunting of the Manawatu herd is controlled and administered by the Sambar Deer Management Committee (SDMC) based in
Palmerston North. Visit their website Sambar Permits for more information.
In the Manawatu, the hunting season of 2005 consisted of only six consecutive weekends with the balloted blocks
being on both DOC & private land.
Currently there are probably less than 100 animals harvested per year in this area.
Farmers have complained about sambar damage to their crops so the SDMC has responded
by organising spotlight hunting of the affected properties.
Sambar occupy a variety of habitats, often in proximity to farmed land. This habitat includes
sand dune country, secondary growth and exotic pine forest.
Their habit of hiding in cover during daylight hours and moving out to feed at night makes them a difficult deer to hunt.
Unlike red deer, sambar can live in close proximity to human habitation provided there is sufficient cover
for them to hide in during daylight hours.
The Rotorua herd is theoretically more accessible because sambar are found over a larger area, much of it DOC administered land. However reasonable animal numbers are only found on private properties or in corporately owned forests where access is restricted. In this area sambar also occupy scrub and native forest. The annual harvest from the Rotorua herd is not known because hunting is not tightly controlled and monitored as is the case with the Manawatu sambar.
Trophies
New Zealand trophies compare well with trophies from the Sri Lankan subspecies from which they originate. Only one other subspecies from the Indian subcontinent produces larger heads. The top NZ trophies are superior to the best Australian trophies.
Best NZ Sambar Head
Douglas Score 280 3/8
Antler Cast
Nov/Dec
Antlers Hardening
April
Rut
June/July/August
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For more information e-mail Steuart of NZ Hunting Info Ltd
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