Have you ever wanted to go Fallow Deer hunting in New Zealand? Look no further than Kaweka Hunting. We offer the very best fallow deer hunting on the island along with amazing accommodations that will keep you coming back. Fallow deer were first introduced to New Zealand in 1864. Similarly, like the red deer, they came from Europe. Flourishing on both the North and South Islands, they’re the second most numerous deer in New Zealand, following the red deer.
New Zealand Fallow Deer Hunting
Fallow Deer Qualities
The rut for the Fallow deer runs from early April to late May. They turn aggressive during this period. The bucks lose all fear during the rut, and they may even fight until death. This species is variable in color, with four main variants, common, menil, melanistic and albinistic. Common forms have a brown coat with white mottles that are most pronounced in summer with a much darker coat in the winter. Albinistic is the lightest color of fallow deer, and they are almost white. Common and menil are darker, and melanistic is very dark, even black. Interestingly, even though they are albinistic, they are not considered albinos because their eyes are dark, rather than red or pink.
Most herds consist of the common form but have menil form and melanistic form animals amongst them.
The name “fallow deer” is thanks to the pale brown color of the deer’s coat. Interestingly, they are the only deer that come in a variety of colors, as described above. Fallow venison has excellent flavoring, which is similar to beef and is incredibly tender. On average, fallow bucks weigh between 46 to 93kg, and fallow does weigh on average between 35 to 56kg. A fallow deer is considered full-sized once they reach three to four years old. Fallow deer have some of the most interesting antlers, which are comparible to moose antlers, and can become fairly large.
