CHASING WHITETAIL BUCKS (2021) is my new book - Click here for details
320 pages in full colour with over 250 pictures.
My first book - Chasing Whitetails (2019) has sold out and is now a collectors item.
In 1979 I went on my first hunt on Stewart Island and although I had previously hunted Red and Fallow Deer, Chamois and Tahr, it was Whitetail Deer that fascinated me. Since that first hunt I have been to the Island more than one hundred times. . The history of our whitetail has always interested me and there is sufficient evidence to believe there is reason to question the origins of our deer. There has been a lot of misinformation published over the years and I have endeavoured to set the record straight.
Contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
John DeLury
Heres what some people have been saying:-
Brendan CoeThis is one of the best hunting books published in the last few years. JD tells the story of the Hunter Hut Trust, which so many hunters benefit from. The hunting stories are excellent with plenty of trophies and John generously shares his knowledge on where to go and how to hunt the blocks he has visited (most of them). The photographs are excellent and feature on most pages throughout the book. This publication is the benchmark for Stewart Island hunting books to date.
Andrew RowlandJust receive your book and I must say of all the books I have bought this is by far a quality looking read and I think I will be in the shit latter as I will be having a problem putting it down. Congratulations on and great book.
Daryl Crimp wrote this review in The Fishing Paper & Hunting News. The Fishing Paper & Hunting News review."
AGING WHITETAIL DEER FROM THEIR JAWBONES
AGING WHITETAIL DEER FROM THEIR JAWBONES
The only way to truly tell the age of a deer, is to examine the teeth.
Within a few days of birth deer have seven teeth in the upper and lower jaw. These are Incisors, Canine and Premolars.
The rear teeth, the molars, begin to erupt between 2 - 5 month with Molar 3 erupting between 18 - 24 months. Therefore deer can be aged quite accurately up to about 3 years of age by tooth eruption.
Jaws aged to 2023
Of these 1000 deer only 21 were over ten years of age.
Of the mature bucks:-
6 yr old: 14 point DS 141
6 yr old: 8 points DS 166 10 yr old: 9 points DS 144
6 yr old: 8 points DS 140 10 yr old: 4 points DS 66
7 yr old: 8 points DS 120 10 yr old: 5 inch spikes .
7 yr old: 8 points DS 167 11 yr old: 4 points
7 yr old: 11 points DS 150 11 yr old: 3 inch spikes
7 yr old: 8 points DS 150 11 yr old: 9 points DS 146
9 yr old: 4 points 13 yr old: 4 points DS 65
11 yr old: spikes 15 yr old: spikes
It would seem that bucks reach their peak potential at about 6 - 8 years of age and decline from 9 -10 years old.
The results clearly indicate that Whitetail on Stewart Island do not live to 20 years of age as some writers would have us believe. It also suggests that the trophy potential of bucks is declining at early as 9 - 10 years.
Clean (preferably boiled) jaws can be sent to:
Stewart Island Whitetail Research Group, PO Box 1588 Invercargill 9840
Jaws can also be left with John or Ray.
Please ensure they are dry and wrapped in newspaper not plastic.
We need to know, sex, block, date and hunter’s name and contact details.
This is not a DoC project but one carried out by hunters wanting to learn a bit more about the whitetail deer we all enjoy hunting. Please assist by returning as many jaws as possible, especially the very young ones.
We are keen to get as many jawbones as possible. Please send clean jawbones (one side only will do). The best way is to give them a good boil. Boiling makes the teeth easier to get out.
It is essential we know which sex the deer was. Mark each jaw with your own code and gender. It is helpful to include any information about antler size with the bucks and any other observations you might like to add. We suspect many hunters don’t bother to send in jaws from fawns and yearlings as the age is obvious. We would like your young deer as well as jaw size may give an indication of animal condition.
Please supply block shot, sex, date and your name and address & email. We will advise the ages of all jaws supplied.