ther'are many discussions here in europe about the reasons of the red stag (free range)trophies dimension. One of the most important thing they said are the climate and the food's abundance. What about New Zealand? The climate there seems not very different from here but the trophy quality seems bigger. Ther'are some special reasons?

Breeding and feed,Red Stags from Estates in New Zealand bred and fed to grow huge heads.

What about those huge wild stags that were shot 'back in the day' TP??

Given the good genetics and careful breeding I think NZ has the soil fertility and environment to grow huge heads in the wild, without the game ranch treatment.

There are still huge wild heads shot today,but this thread will just turn into big shit fight.

The big heads of the past from public land were the pinicle of what could be acheived from good feeding and age. There are still some around, and the conditions are still there to produce them again, just needs management. The store bought versions are just plastic copies of an ideal.
Ring you tonight TP.

of course my request was about the free range areas. I'm not interested in the population in the enclosures.

quote:

Originally posted by TOP_PREDATOR:
There are still huge wild heads shot today,but this thread will just turn into big shit fight.

Doesnt have to mate!!

The red deer stock originally introduced into New Zealand came from selected breeding animals specially selected from the the best that England had to offer. Remember that the reds were introduced here for sport by the landed gentry of England and they certainly made full use of this little paradise to obtain their top trophies.

Obviously the genetic pool of these first animals still exists and combined with a country that has no natural predators, a temperate climate, a wide range of natural forage rich in minerals and nutrients, it is little wonder that NZ has and does produce outstanding trophies.

Some areas here, although with good deer populations, have never produced good trophy heads. One that I have hunted and shot in is southern Fiordland where the American moose were introduced and lived for sometime. The red and moose heads taken in this area never achieved the status of trophies whereas just north and still in Fiordland, the introduction of American Wapiti (Elk) was a raging success with huge trophy heads taken and still available.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:

quote:

Originally posted by TOP_PREDATOR:
There are still huge wild heads shot today,but this thread will just turn into big shit fight.

Doesnt have to mate!!

Doesn't have to Matt but it will

quote:

Originally posted by TOP_PREDATOR:
There are still huge wild heads shot today,but this thread will just turn into big shit fight.

Everything on here does.

New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, British Isles, Mainland Europe, Russia, the United States, and Canada all have big trophy red deer genetics.

True wild red deer over 400 or 500 SCI points are rare in the wild. Doesn't matter where that wild is.