Business Rural Autumn 2021

64 | Bigger and better antlers the focus for Foveran Deer Park sire Cane, (841 IOA at five years) displays a massive head of antlers. Richard Loader L eading New Zealand deer stud Foveran Deer Park bucked the trend at its 38th on-farm sale of stags in January this year, selling 44 of the 52 on offer, averaging an enviable $5500 per animal. Through an intensive breeding programme in what is believed to be New Zealand’s largest deer stud, Foveran Deer Park strives to supply the New Zealand deer industry with the very best in genet- ics for fast growing high-end trophy antler stags. With an impressive 841 inches of antler last year, a stag called Cane is currently Foveran Parks biggest sire stag. Those 841 inches take into account the length of the main beam, the tynes, two circumference measurements, the burr and the inside span. “It wasn’t long ago that 500 inches of antler was a world record,” says Farm Manager Barry Gard. “We’ve produced a few world record trophy stags off the property and continue to strive to get bigger and better antlers. The current world record is a stag called Metaphor which was bred here and was purchased by Janey Hayes from North Canterbury as a two-year-old. She grew it out and is the current world record holder. But there are bigger and better stags coming through.” Located in the Hakataramea Valley, 55 kilome- tres inland from Oamaru, North Otago, Foveran Deer Park encompasses 2646 hectares and has had three generations of Robertson family owner- ship. From flat terraces to rolling hill country, the farm’s annual rainfall measures a trifling 450mm a year. “We put irrigation on the farm to produce better pastures so the animals can perform to their best,” explains Barry, who has been the farm’s manager for the last 15 years. “Having said that the deer live in a fairly commercial environment and the most common feedback we get from buyers is that the deer shift very well to other properties.” About 285 hectares of the farm is irrigated, including 115 hectares irrigated by a recently commissioned pivot. Barry came to Foveran Deer Park 31 years ago when he met Bob Robertson (Junior) overseas. “I thought I might try it for a couple of years and see if I liked it and I’ve been here ever since. DEER » Foveran Deer Park I came into the operation just as Bob was importing German hinds from the United Kingdom and then we started embryo transplanting to increase the number of that particular strain. We did that for a number of years and about twenty years ago we started introducing other genetics, rather than just straight German, over that original German herd with a view to producing high quality trophy stags.” Bob and Barry worked together over a number of years trying to improve the stud all the time and when Bob passed away a few years ago Barry continued the pioneering breeding work they had started, focused on carrying out Bob’s legacy. Producing animals for people to take away for breeding in their own herds, Foveran Deer Park’s animals are designed first and foremost as trophy sires rather than for their velvet. “We sell animals out of the stud for breeding and we also have our own park on the farm for our own trophy hunting operation. Other people also come to us to buy trophy stags for their own trophy parks. The stags that don’t go onto the sale that are grown out to older animals for trophies are velveted on the way through.” Barry says while Covid has prevented overseas hunters from coming to New Zealand, Foveran Deer Park’s hunting company continues to get bookings and deposits from overseas hunters and is confident the industry still has a very bright future. “We’ve produced a few world record trophy stags off the property and continue to strive to get bigger and better antlers. DINZ QA Accredited Drivers/Crates (Single Decks, Double Decks, Specialised Trophy Crates and Rubber Matting fitted throughout ) For Safe, Honest and Cost Efficient Transporting of: For all enquiries contact STEPHEN GRANT: Kill Stock, Farm to Farm, Sire and Trophy Stags. M. 027 433 5159 E. otagodeertransport@xtra.co.nz Proud to be associated with Foveran Deer Park i i Proud to be supporting Foveran Deer Park PROFESSIONAL LIVESTOCK BROKERS LEADING WITH TRADITIONAL VALUES FOR EXPERT KNOWLEDGE, KNOW HOW AND CAN DO, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PW&A LIVESTOCK BROKER Are proud supporters & Agronomists for Foveran Deer Park Hawker Deer DEER VELVET & ANTLER BUYER Graeme Hawker : Mobile: 027 432 3453 Email: louisehawker@hotmail.com P O Box 524, Wanaka 9343