Game Changer

The arrival of helicopters turns the culling business on its head. Hunters shoot deer from the air and with big money to be made, venison recovery will never be the same.

It's the early 1960s and helicopters have turned the culling business on its head. Aerial hunters are shooting 150 or more deer a day, chasing big profits but courting incredible dangers.

With low fuel prices and venison selling for a pound a pound, this is an absolute gold rush. Fortunes are being made and, in some cases, lost.

But the risks are also growing. These are inexperienced pilots in underpowered choppers, flying with a bare minimum of training, anywhere between five and 50 hours. Today a pilot would need between 200-300 hours minimum for this type of work.

The hunters learn their dangerous craft on the job and it's a steep and sometimes deadly learning curve. Crashes, deaths and bad injuries are common and it's the wives and families who bear the burden.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details