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The Best of RNZ's Podcasts. From the extreme, unique, wild west-like highs and lows of the deer hunting industry in NZ, we cover this multi-generational project to control the red deer population. Deer Wars tells the story of the 50 year struggle to control, hunt & farm New Zealand's red deer population. Back-country legends tell tales of fortunes made and friends lost.

  • 1[Deer Wars] E07: Deer Wars This is episode seven of nine. 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. From 1967 on, businessman Tim Wallis had exclusive hunting rights to all of Fiordland National Park and was taking out deer in their thousands. Resentment from other operators at being excluded came to a head in 1973 in the so-called Helicopter Wars with constant poaching in the park. It went too far with helicopters being sabotaged and eventually the RNZAF stepped in to try and sort it out - to no avail. But things were about to change dramatically again in the industry. The hunters had become so efficient they were in danger of shooting themselves out of a job. As deer numbers diminished it became uneconomic to keep flying and the end was in sight. In desperation the industry tried their hand at live capture to set up deer farms. It was highly risky work at first. Leaping on running deer from a helicopter – known as bulldogging - or firing tranquiliser darts into animals. Each approach had its own problems of having to be so close to the animals - and the ground. What saved the day was the invention of net guns. The first were very crude and took a terrible toll on the shooters with their savage recoil. Many a net was fired into the rotors or snagged on helicopter skids or tangled in bushes and crashes increased. Eventually more sophisticated guns were developed that the pilot could fire remotely. Because of tax breaks for investors, the so-called "Queen Street farmers" got into the game, and the demand for live deer skyrocketed. The price of a hind rose from three or four hundred dollars to three, four and even five thousand dollars a beast. On a good run, pilot and shooter could make $10,000 before breakfast - unheard of money for the times. Written and presented by Paul Roy. Sound engineer - Alex Harmer. Additional sound engineering - Jeremy Ansell and William Saunders. Executive producers - Katy Gosset, Justin Gregory and Tim Watkin. Deer Wars is made with the support of a Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho, Piki Ake! Kake Ake! New Zealand Oral History Grant from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage to Iguana Productions. [Season 2023, Episode 07, Friday 10 November 2023, 05:00]

  • 2[Sporting Witness] The lost tapes of a Manchester United hero In 1994, Manchester United goalkeeper Les Sealey recorded his memoir. However, the tapes were lost and almost thirty years later they are being heard for the first time. The lost memoir of former Manchester United keeper, Les Sealey. In 1994, Manchester United goalkeeper Les Sealey sat down to record his memoir. He'd played a key role in helping Alex Ferguson win his first trophy as United's manager in 1990. No takers were found for Les' story and the cassette tapes were stored away in a friend's attic. Les died from a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 43. More than twenty years on, the tapes have been re-discovered and turned into a book called "On Days Like These: The Lost Memoir of a Goalkeeper." Matt Pintus has been listening through the tapes for Sporting Witness. Released on: Saturday 25 November 2023

Primary Title
  • Features Hour
Secondary Title
  • Deer Wars | Sporting Witness
Date Broadcast
  • Sunday 3 December 2023
Start Time
  • 07 : 00
Finish Time
  • 08 : 00
Duration
  • 60:00
Channel
  • Radio New Zealand National
Broadcaster
  • Radio New Zealand
Programme Description
  • The Best of RNZ's Podcasts. From the extreme, unique, wild west-like highs and lows of the deer hunting industry in NZ, we cover this multi-generational project to control the red deer population. Deer Wars tells the story of the 50 year struggle to control, hunt & farm New Zealand's red deer population. Back-country legends tell tales of fortunes made and friends lost.
Classification
  • Not Classified
Owning Collection
  • Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
  • Radio
Languages
  • English
Captions
Live Broadcast
  • No
Rights Statement
  • Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Genres
  • Community
  • Documentary
  • Environment
  • Feature
  • News
  • Sports
Hosts
  • Catriona MacLeod (Presenter, RNZ News / Features Hour)
  • Paul Roy (Writer / Presenter, Deer Wars)
  • Matt Pintus (Presenter, Sporting Witness)