The wily Fallow Deer (Dama dama) is found in only a few select areas of New Zealand.

The palmated antlers of the Fallow bear a resemblance to those of the Moose, however the resemblance ends there, for unlike the lumbering North American giant, the Fallow is one of the smaller deer species. Many venison aficionados maintain that Fallow venison is the best tasting of all.

In our private hunting areas we offer ‘Game Ranch’ hunts for Fallow Bucks. As with our other deer, we have managed our Fallow herds to produce some of the largest Fallow Deer available in New Zealand, if not the world.

The fascinating Fallow can come in a wide variety of colours ranging from black and pure white to menil, or spotted. With their unique antler formations and differing coloured skins, they make a wonderful wall trophy.

The ‘Rut’ for Fallow begins in April and finishes at the end of May, while hunting is also available February through September.

Normally a timid animal offering a high degree of hunting difficulty, the ‘Rut’ often proves to be the undoing of the Fallow Buck. It is during this hot-blooded time that the male of the species gets very vocal and aggressive towards other animals and the surrounding vegetation. The croaking/grunt of the buck’s challenge is quite unlike that of other deer species. The ‘Rut’ then is the prime time for trophy hunters. It’s also the period when the maximum number of bucks can be found out and about in the comparative open country, rather than hiding in the scrub and tree lines watching out for danger.

Late season is also a great time to hunt Fallow as the bucks group up, where we often find bucks that haven’t been seen all season.