Deer Industry Today

There are an estimated 3,800 farms in New Zealand with deer. These farms range in size from smaller lifestyle properties to extensive stations. 

Generally deer are farmed as part of a diversified livestock portfolio with other species including sheep and cattle.

There are approximately 1.7 million deer farmed in New Zealand (est. as at 30 June 2006) - half the world’s farmed deer population. Split roughly 40 percent in the North Island and 60 percent in the South Island, there are an estimated 1 million female deer ('hinds' or 'cows') and 700,000 males ('stags' or 'bulls').

Young deer are known as 'fawns' or 'calves'.