Hosted on approved ground
Fallow deer Hunting in New Zealand
A hosted fallow deer hunt in New Zealand runs ~$4,500-$8,500 all-in for a hosted hunter on a 3-4 day fallow hunt (outfitter package + Huntica 20-40% hosting fee), excl. international flights. Floor: a self-contained 3-night package incl. a Bronze fallow buck runs ~$5,900 (Mountain Hunters), or a la carte ~$1,200-$2,200 day fees + $1,900-$3,500 trophy = ~$3,100-$5,700 outfitter cost before the hosting fee. Add ~$1,500-$3,000 if exporting a trophy to the US (dip/pack + freight + clearance). all-in over 3-5 hunting days (fallow-only is often taken in 2-3 days; most book 3-5 to allow weather and add a second species like red stag, tahr or arapawa)., best hunted march-may with a 95-100% success rate. Free-range alpine and estate hunting across both islands. A Huntica host is on the ground for every day of it.
Daily rate
$300-$550/day per hunter (1x1). Mountain Hunters 2026/27: $400/day Feb & May-Jul, $550/day peak roar Mar-Apr (1x1); $300-$450/day on a 2x1. Observer/non-hunter rates typically run ~$250-$350/day at NZ lodges. BookYourHunt entry meat/management hunt lists from $300/day.
Trophy fee
$500-$7,500 by quality. Cull/management buck ~$500; wild/representative buck ~$1,900-$2,500 (Mountain Hunters Bronze $1,900; TrophyHunting.co.nz 'Wild' $2,500); Silver (200-225 SCI) ~$3,000-$3,500; Gold (225-250 SCI) ~$5,500; Platinum/Elite (250+ SCI) $6,500-$7,500.
All-in (typical)
~$4,500-$8,500 all-in for a hosted hunter on a 3-4 day fallow hunt (outfitter package + Huntica 20-40% hosting fee), excl. international flights. Floor: a self-contained 3-night package incl. a Bronze fallow buck runs ~$5,900 (Mountain Hunters), or a la carte ~$1,200-$2,200 day fees + $1,900-$3,500 trophy = ~$3,100-$5,700 outfitter cost before the hosting fee. Add ~$1,500-$3,000 if exporting a trophy to the US (dip/pack + freight + clearance).
Live 2026 sources: Mountain Hunters NZ 2026/27 packages page (daily rates, medal-class trophy fees, package inclusions/exclusions); trophyhunting.co.nz NZ fallow buck hunt tiers ($2,500 Wild / $3,500 Silver / $5,500 Gold / $6,500 Elite, season Feb-Sep, rut Apr-May); BookYourHunt.com NZ fallow listings (36 NZ hunts; Otago meat hunt $800/1 day; flat-fee trophy fallow ~$3,000); globalhuntingsafaris.com NZ fallow. Hosting fee = Huntica model (20-40% on outfitter cost). Export costs from Four Seasons Safaris NZ 2026…
Best months
March-May
Typical length
3-5 hunting days (fallow-only is often taken in 2-3 days; most book 3-5 to allow weather and add a second species like red stag, tahr or arapawa).
Success rate
95-100%
What’s included
- ✓Professional guiding throughout the hunt (1x1 or 2x1)
- ✓Lodge accommodation and all meals
- ✓Beverages / open bar (most NZ lodges)
- ✓Use of quality firearms and ammunition (lodge rifle option)
- ✓Local ground transfers to/from the hunting area
- ✓Field preparation of trophies (skinning, caping, skull prep)
- ✓Huntica host physically present on the trip (the hosted model)
Usually separate
- —International airfare and excess-baggage charges
- —Trophy export: dip/pack, taxidermy, crating, freight and shipping (~$1,500-$3,000 to the US)
- —Visitor Firearms Licence and Police firearm-import permit (if bringing own rifle)
- —Travel/hunt insurance and personal items
- —Special or private charter transfers
- —Additional/second-species trophy fees beyond the package
- —Gratuities
- —Pre/post-hunt accommodation and domestic flights within NZ
Permits, trophies & logistics
- CITES: Fallow deer (Dama dama) is NOT CITES-listed — no CITES permit needed to export. NZ DOC provides a downloadable non-CITES declaration letter to reassure foreign border authorities.
- NZ export: MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) export certificate ~NZD $50 + courier; trophies must be cleaned/dried to meet biosecurity rules. Routes: finished mount, 'dip & pack' to a US taxidermist, or European skull mount.
- US import: USFWS Form 3-177 wildlife declaration at port; USDA APHIS sanitary requirements (cleaned/dried bone is simplest; raw/unfinished hides face stricter handling); customs broker typically used.
- EU import: no CITES needed for fallow; veterinary/health certification and approved Border Control Post entry apply to hides/skulls under EU animal-product import rules — finished/treated trophies are simplest.
- Firearms: Visitors need a NZ Visitor Firearms Licence PLUS a Police permit to import the firearm and ammunition — apply ~4 months ahead. Most hosted hunters skip this entirely and use the lodge's rifle under guide supervision.
- No general big-game licence/draw for introduced game like fallow on private/estate land; access is via the outfitter. (DOC permits apply only to public conservation land.)
Fallow deer in New Zealand, at a glance
- ◈Fallow deer trophy fees in New Zealand scale by SCI/medal class from roughly $500 (cull) to $7,500 (Platinum 250+ SCI), with a representative wild/bronze buck around $1,900-$2,500 (Mountain Hunters, trophyhunting.co.nz, 2026).
- ◈Daily/observer rates run about $300-$550 per hunter per day in 2026; Mountain Hunters charges $550/day during the peak roar (Mar-Apr) and $400/day in Feb and May-Jul, with lower 2x1 rates.
- ◈The fallow rut (the 'roar') peaks in April-May, and the broader fallow season runs February through September; estate animals can be hunted nearly year-round.
- ◈Fallow deer (Dama dama) is not CITES-listed, so no CITES permit is required to export the trophy from New Zealand.
- ◈An MPI export certificate costs about NZD $50, and US-bound trophy export (dip/pack, crate, freight, clearance) commonly totals around $1,500-$3,000.
- ◈Foreign hunters bringing a rifle need both a NZ Visitor Firearms Licence and a Police import permit, applied for ~4 months ahead — or can simply borrow the lodge rifle.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a fallow deer hunt in New Zealand cost?
A hosted fallow deer hunt in New Zealand typically runs ~$4,500-$8,500 all-in for a hosted hunter on a 3-4 day fallow hunt (outfitter package + Huntica 20-40% hosting fee), excl. international flights. Floor: a self-contained 3-night package incl. a Bronze fallow buck runs ~$5,900 (Mountain Hunters), or a la carte ~$1,200-$2,200 day fees + $1,900-$3,500 trophy = ~$3,100-$5,700 outfitter cost before the hosting fee. Add ~$1,500-$3,000 if exporting a trophy to the US (dip/pack + freight + clearance). all-in for a 3-5 hunting days (fallow-only is often taken in 2-3 days; most book 3-5 to allow weather and add a second species like red stag, tahr or arapawa). hunt — daily rates of $300-$550/day per hunter (1x1). Mountain Hunters 2026/27: $400/day Feb & May-Jul, $550/day peak roar Mar-Apr (1x1); $300-$450/day on a 2x1. Observer/non-hunter rates typically run ~$250-$350/day at NZ lodges. BookYourHunt entry meat/management hunt lists from $300/day. plus a $500-$7,500 by quality. Cull/management buck ~$500; wild/representative buck ~$1,900-$2,500 (Mountain Hunters Bronze $1,900; TrophyHunting.co.nz 'Wild' $2,500); Silver (200-225 SCI) ~$3,000-$3,500; Gold (225-250 SCI) ~$5,500; Platinum/Elite (250+ SCI) $6,500-$7,500. trophy fee, with a Huntica host present throughout. Live 2026 sources: Mountain Hunters NZ 2026/27 packages page (daily rates, medal-class trophy fees, package inclusions/exclusions); trophyhunting.co.nz NZ fallow buck hunt tiers ($2,500 Wild / $3,500 Silver / $5,500 Gold / $6,500 Elite, season Feb-Sep, rut Apr-May); BookYourHunt.com NZ fallow listings (36 NZ hunts; Otago meat hunt $800/1 day; flat-fee trophy fallow ~$3,000); globalhuntingsafaris.com NZ fallow. Hosting fee = Huntica model (20-40% on outfitter cost). Export costs from Four Seasons Safaris NZ 2026…
When is the best time to hunt fallow deer in New Zealand?
March-May (the fallow "roar"/rut peaks Apr-May; Mountain Hunters charges peak-roar daily rates Mar-Apr). Broader season runs February through September; estate/ranched fallow can be hunted nearly year-round but rut produces the most vocal, huntable bucks and best capes. A typical hunt runs 3-5 hunting days (fallow-only is often taken in 2-3 days; most book 3-5 to allow weather and add a second species like red stag, tahr or arapawa)..
What is the success rate on a fallow deer hunt?
Very high, ~95-100% on managed/estate ground. Outfitters (e.g. trophyhunting.co.nz) state guides "guarantee shot opportunities" on fallow buck hunts; fallow are abundant and hunted on controlled ground, so a representative buck is near-certain in 2-3 days. Note: Huntica brand bans the word…
What is included in a hosted fallow deer hunt?
Typically included: Professional guiding throughout the hunt (1x1 or 2x1), Lodge accommodation and all meals, Beverages / open bar (most NZ lodges), Use of quality firearms and ammunition (lodge rifle option), Local ground transfers to/from the hunting area, Field preparation of trophies (skinning, caping, skull prep), Huntica host physically present on the trip (the hosted model). Usually excluded: International airfare and excess-baggage charges, Trophy export: dip/pack, taxidermy, crating, freight and shipping (~$1,500-$3,000 to the US), Visitor Firearms Licence and Police firearm-import permit (if bringing own rifle), Travel/hunt insurance and personal items, Special or private charter transfers, Additional/second-species trophy fees beyond the package, Gratuities, Pre/post-hunt accommodation and domestic flights within NZ.
What regulations apply to a fallow deer hunt and trophy?
CITES: Fallow deer (Dama dama) is NOT CITES-listed — no CITES permit needed to export. NZ DOC provides a downloadable non-CITES declaration letter to reassure foreign border authorities. NZ export: MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) export certificate ~NZD $50 + courier; trophies must be cleaned/dried to meet biosecurity rules. Routes: finished mount, 'dip & pack' to a US taxidermist, or European skull mount. US import: USFWS Form 3-177 wildlife declaration at port; USDA APHIS sanitary requirements (cleaned/dried bone is simplest; raw/unfinished hides face stricter handling); customs broker typically used. EU import: no CITES needed for fallow; veterinary/health certification and approved Border Control Post entry apply to hides/skulls under EU animal-product import rules — finished/treated trophies are simplest. Firearms: Visitors need a NZ Visitor Firearms Licence PLUS a Police permit to import the firearm and ammunition — apply ~4 months ahead. Most hosted hunters skip this entirely and use the lodge's rifle under guide supervision. No general big-game licence/draw for introduced game like fallow on private/estate land; access is via the outfitter. (DOC permits apply only to public conservation land.)
Field Notes
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