How the red deer brought the Wild West to New Zealand

New Zealand is a magical place, with stunning natural beauty and amazing scenery. From national parks, golden beaches, indigenous forests to expansive mountain ranges that stretch on endlessly, the opportunities to explore abound. The cities and towns too hold their own charm; some surreally modern while others hold an old-world charm that harks to a previous era. One thing that is guaranteed, for a small county there is much to explore.

And more than just a tourist destination there is also a massive export industry for amazing New Zealand produce, including wine, honey, butter, cheese and venison to name but a few. New Zealand produce offers exceptional quality, given the drive towards sustainability and environmental awareness.

But one export with a history of crazy wild-west style antics may surprise readers, and that is the tale of the red deer. How a small introduced population back in the late 1800’s has led to an internationally…