New Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit

New Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit

The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) congratulates Roy Sloan and David Hodder, who have both been recognised as Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for their outstanding contributions to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Congratulations to everyone in this year's New Year Honours List: https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2025

Roy Sloan

For services to conservation and game hunting

Congratulations to Roy Sloan, General Manager of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, who has been announced as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to conservation and game hunting.

Roy has been involved in the FWF since 2005 and was instrumental in working with DOC to establish the world class management system for the wapiti herd. The deer management, funded by hunters and ballot applications, partners and sponsors, has focused on removing red deer and hybrids, with more than 18,000 deer removed from the 175,000-hectare wapiti range to establish ecological threshold levels.

A further partnership was established between FWF and WithWild to provide venison to New Zealand restaurants, which helps fund a predator trapping network and backcountry hut maintenance. The FWF's work is crucial to preserving whio (blue duck) and other native birds through this programme.

His leadership of FWF has provided a highly sought-after recreational hunting experience, improved conservation outcomes and a model for game animal management in New Zealand, including 18 tonnes of Fiordland Wapiti Venison being supplied to New Zealand foodbanks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roy was also a Game Animal Council member from 2014 to 2016.

Watch a video on the remarkable true story behind New Zealand’s wapiti (elk) deer herd and the events that led to the formation of the FWF: https://youtu.be/VFcM2gAU-7Y

David Hodder

For services to outdoor recreation and conservation

Mr David Hodder has been involved with the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) in various capacities since the late 1960s.

Mr Hodder became a branch member in 1971, was Vice President of the Hawke’s Bay branch from 1978 to 1981, and was a member of the National Executive for 24 years until 2005. He served as Vice President from 1984, then President from 1989 to 1992, and in 2011 was made a Life Member. He was a member of the Himalayan Tahr Control Plan Advisory Committee from 1993 to 2018 and a member of the Wapiti Crown Herd Management Committee. He became Chairperson of a heli-hunting sub-committee in 2010 when the Department of Conservation (DOC) allowed aerial access for hunting of chamois and tahr. He has been a committed volunteer over 50 years from the grass roots level to advising DOC and holding positions on conservation boards, research committees and implementation groups. He has been a keen advocate and negotiator for public access. He has helped organise and run hunter training programme HUNTS and conservation projects, and provided hands-on assistance with trap lines, hut and track maintenance, and formal animal control programmes. Mr Hodder has helped with Search and Rescue operations and provided forecast and message relaying services with mountain radio.

Join and Support NZDA

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https://www.deerstalkers.org.nz/join-and-support-us/branch-finder/