October Club Night
Introducing Rob Allen who is our guest speaker for the club night to be held on Tuesday 10 October.
Rob Allen grew up in Galatea and has hunted the local rusa deer since the early 1970s. His two brothers continue to farm in Galatea Valley and one remains a keen rusa deer hunter. In this time the habitat and the hunting pressures on rusa deer have changed considerably. Rob’s background is not only as a hunter but also as an ecological researcher. He studied forestry at the University of Canterbury and he worked as a forester for the New Zealand Forest Service. He then undertook a PhD on the biogeography of Rocky Mountain forests in North America. Returning to New Zealand he has researched the ecology and impacts of exotic species such as deer. A recent publication used trail cameras to determine the seasonal habitat preferences of rusa deer and is the basis for part of the talk.
Link to the publication found here - http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0128924
The talk will first consider the natural distribution and liberation of rusa deer around the world. This will be followed by a bit about their biology and distribution in New Zealand. He will then consider the findings of the trail camera study in relation to seasonal habitat preferences. This will be followed by an array of slides showing aspects of rusa deer lifestyle at Galatea.
We are always on the lookout for new and interesting guest speakers, if you know anyone or have someone in mind you would like to see at our club as a guest speaker, maybe you are a guest speaker yourself or simply have an interesting and relevant idea that would merit an audience from our members. Please contact the committee on our email address auckland@deerstalkers.co.nz
