Story: Deer and deer farming

Helicopter wars

Helicopter wars

At the peak of venison recovery in 1973, exports reached 3,500 tonnes from about 140,000 carcasses. At one stage there were 50 helicopters competing for deer in the southern South Island. Many adopted illegal and often dangerous tactics. Two RNZAF Iroquois helicopters were sent to the region to try to prevent poaching of deer from Fiordland and private properties. This cartoon satirises the air force’s involvement.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Reference: Neville Peat, Hurricane Tim: the story of Sir Tim Wallis. Dunedin: Longacre Press, 2005, p. 110.

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Ken Drew, 'Deer and deer farming - From deer stalking to helicopters', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/cartoon/15802/helicopter-wars (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Ken Drew, published 24 Nov 2008