SCI Advises New Zealand Wildlife Managers on CWD Prevention

SCI Guide and Outfitter Liaison Scott Talbott traveled to New Zealand in July to meet with wildlife management officials from several agencies, as well as New Zealand SCI members, the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association, and others to discuss chronic wasting disease (CWD). CWD is a prion disease that has severely impacted various deer species across North America. New Zealand is currently CWD free and is taking all precautions to prevent the disease from reaching their soils. 

As former director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Talbott is uniquely qualified to speak on the impact of CWD on deer and elk in Wyoming and the potential threats of the disease entering New Zealand. He helped officials there identify methods to prevent the introduction of the disease. The meeting was very positive and an excellent opportunity for open dialog.

Talbott also met with guides, outfitters and deer farmers at three regional meetings organized by the New Zealand Professional Hunters Guides Association to discuss the consistent measuring of complex red stags trophies. The meetings were graciously hosted at Poronui, Lake Hawea and High Peak Station.  Considerable discussions focused on SCI’s trophy measuring rule book and the complexity and difficulty of measuring extraordinary trophies. Talbott worked with participants to ensure future consistency and accuracy in measurements of New Zealand red stag trophies. Excellent discussions and feedback were received from the participants. SCI thanks those who hosted and attended these meetings.

Talbott also met with representatives of the Māori Nation, hosted by Māori Matua Tom Loughlin, along with members of the New Zealand Game Animal Council and the Sika Foundation. The three groups are collaborating on an ongoing study focusing on the range and distribution of young sika deer stags and how that information can be used to help manage the species in the future. Net gun crews caught and collared young sika males lured into open parks in the scrub. Talbott also had the opportunity to sample the hunting in New Zealand, hunting sika deer with the Māori to assist with their population studies.