Aerial Hunter

The era of deer control and venison recovery in New Zealand has often been likened to the American Wild West and the boom-bust tale of the demise and near extinction of the bison. Subsequently both bison and Red deer have survived the slaughter, and attitudes to both species have altered dramatically. Anti-deer propaganda and the widespread perception that our land was being rapidly washed into the sea ushered in the era of the “culler” or Government shooter employed by the Department of Internal Affairs and the NZ Forest Service. Many amazing stories have been told of this era, and more are yet to surface. Astute marketers soon realised that huge quantities of prime meat were rotting on our mountainsides and small, somewhat tentative consignments of export venison soon expanded to a veritable avalanche for which there was an insatiable demand. Mans ingenuity knows no bounds. Pack-horses, wheel tractors, jet-boats and fixed wing aircraft were all brought into service to help transport the carcasses from the bush. And then came the helicopter. Piston-driven at first, but soon superseded by faster, more manoeuverable, and above all, more powerful turbine machines. The undisputed king of them all, the Hughes 500D is still being used as a shooting platform to this day. This is the story of a remarkable hunter whose entire adult life has revolved around the hunting of deer initially as a culler but then as a ground shooter, fixed wing hunter pilot and lastly as one of the best and most experienced helicopter pilots in the business. Richard Dick Deakers story is truly amazing if only for the fact that he is still flying regularly in his 65th year. This is also the story of many others pilots alive and dead, of shooter Jeff Carter and of brother and fellow pilot, Syd. Dick Deakers story is a tale of determination, fortitude, courage and exploitation.