Deer Wars

Host of the award winning podcast series Deer Wars, Paul Roy brings you his next series - Search & Rescue NZ. Head to the hills, scour the bush, and dive deep into the caves with a series that takes you behind the scenes of the rescues in New Zealand's unforgiving outdoors. Go out with the volunteers who put themselves on the line to rescue complete strangers. Host Paul Roy looks at the evolution of rescues from the do-it-yourself operations of the 1960s to today's highly managed efforts. They all have one thing in common – something went wrong and someone needed help.Listen to the first episode of Search & Rescue NZ, Between Heaven and Earth, and hear the rest of the series in your favourite podcast app.Search & Rescue NZ on RNZ PodcastsContent warning: this series contains graphic descriptions of rescues and fatalities, as well as some strong language. If unsettling personal stories affect you, please take care while listening.Thanks to the LandSAR volunteers who shared their stories.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The era of live deer capture had an aura of glamour to it. But the reality for those involved was very different. 

The success of live capture and the skyrocketing prices inevitably encourage poaching.

By the mid 70's things were about to change dramatically. The hunters had become so efficient they were shooting themselves out of a job.

The mid 1960's are the golden years for aerial hunters. Venison prices are high, fuel costs low and there seems no end to the deer. But something has to change.

Shooting from choppers is a game changer but teams are learning from scratch, working at break-neck pace in such dangerous terrain that an accident is always on the cards.

The arrival of helicopters turns the culling business on its head. Hunters shoot deer from the air and with big money to be made, venison recovery will never be the same.

Suddenly everyone wants to be a culler but who will make the cut?

The elimination strategy hasn't worked. In 20 years, the cullers have shot perhaps 10% of the deer. It's time to up the ante.

Red deer run rampant across the high country in New Zealand, causing extensive environmental damage. A 50-year effort to control the invasive animal gets underway.

Deer Wars tells the story of the 50-year struggle to control New Zealand's red deer population. Lives were lost and fortunes made.