Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 110 i NZ Hunter

This is a question being asked by more and more by bowhunters. Should I have my gear set up to create a large wound channel which may or may not see my broadhead completely pass-through an animal? Understanding New Zealand hunting conditions helps in deciding this. Most of our hunting areas are in the wilderness, in the bush, areas an animal can easily be swallowed up in. Ideally, we want to be able to have the animal travel the shortest possible distance and leaving an easy-to-follow blood trail. The problem with blood trails is that they regularly do not begin until blood fills the animal’s chest cavity to the height of the lowest wound, either the entry or exit hole. Frequently I have witnessed no blood for the first 30-40…

What you might not know is Robbie’s personal background and the story behind the Foundation. His career in science and conservation is, frankly, rather impressive. I managed to grab some time with Robbie while he was in the southern hemisphere for the Wild Deer Expo in Australia, to talk hunting, public perception, and the work of The Origins Foundation How did you first become interested in wildlife and hunting? I grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, a city of eight and a half million people, so I didn’t really have any exposure to hunting or friend circles that hunted. I didn’t know or have an opinion about hunting. Even though my family had grown up as hunters we had stories about hunting, we had trophies on the wall from hunting…

THEMOUNTAINS IN THE REGION OF THE LEWIS PASS HAVE A NEWHUT! SO WHAT DO A FEW YOUNG HUNTERS AND A LOST YELLOW TENTHAVE TODO WITH ALL THIS? Here’s some backstory to the original hut, how it came to be there and got its name, and why it has been replaced and how the new build played out, including a fresh new generation of keen hunters ‘giving back’ and adding to our rich heritage of huts. Read on. Dave Saunders is a longstanding and seemingly tireless volunteer with the NZDA in North Canterbury and back around 1969 was hunting with other young mates on the tops of the Lewis Pass. “Most of our expeditions were above the bushline, using tents, so the lack of huts never bothered us until the day…

REMOTE HUTS WEBSITE It is one of the smaller rivers in central Westland and drains the Hitchin Range which is a frontal range that borders the Waitaha Valley. The lower Kakapotahi has a small gorge that opens out onto a river flat and some marginal farmland in its mid-section. The gorge itself offers some good kayaking and the hut is a fairly easy walk up the river from the farm. The access road up the valley has deteriorated a lot over the last few years and a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is now needed to get the 10 or so kilometres from SH6. For this reason Polluck Creek Hut doesn’t get a lot of visitors, which is a pity because it offers some good hunting and fishing as well as some…

The main offerings were a 4.5-14x50, 6.5-20x50 and 8.5-25x50 – all with 30mm tubes, and weights around 22 ounces. If I look in my optics cupboard now I still see quite a few Mk 4s in there, that have only really been superseded as newer zero stop options became available. These scopes proved to be very reliable back then. In fact they are still my go to for a test scope when I going through a trial and error process to work out what is wrong with a rifle that won’t shoot. I mount one of the old proven Mark 4s in trusted rings and bases and know that’s one variable I don’t need to worry about! Leupold built on the reputation of the original Mark4 with the release of…

The podcast was by The Experience Project, and titled “Why small calibres may be better for big game hunting” an interesting title I know. I gave it an honest unbiased listen and was shocked to find a lot of my observations over the last 15 years, aligned with what this bloke on this podcast was saying. While I knew everything he was talking about, I hadn’t heard it put together like this. It gave me a fresh perspective on calibres. For a bit of context through the last few winters I have guided herd management hunts where I'm seeing up to 75 deer shot a week. The hunters used rifles of various calibre and projectile options. This allowed me to witness the effectiveness of a wide range of calibre and…

Profiling the aweosme work hunters do around New Zealand Submit ideas to luke@nzhunter.co.nz Matt has been involved with the BCT for a few years now and I love how he and his family have been involved with other projects in the community as a way of “giving back” (and he’s quite understated too!) Matt ‘happened into’ hut work as part of some refurbishment work that the BCT was doing for huts along the Te Araroa trail. That initial contact via fellow hunter George Bithray and DOC Rangiora has led to this new passion which sees Matt on a couple of projects each year with work on the Deception, Hamilton and Kiwi Huts being other recent jobs he’s been part of before the Brass Monkey build. This hut was prefabricated at…

Anything that damages native or young forestry, it’s on my list; deer, rabbits, hares, possums, pigs. Most of that work happens at night, in planted gullies or tree lanes, carrying a rifle, shooting sticks and handheld thermal. Good thermal gear makes a real difference in both efficiency and effectiveness. I tested the Hikmicro Falcon FQ50L 2.0 handheld and also had the Stellar SH35L thermal riflescope on a 22 and 223. Here’s how they performed and my take after putting them to work in the field. HIKMICRO FALCON FQ50L 2.0 HANDHELD RRP$5699 Within Hikmicro’s thermal monocular range the Falcon FQ50L 2.0 is a top spec model. It’s an upgraded version of the earlier Falcon with a few smart changes that make a real difference on the ground. The first thing I…

Unlike a mark where your dog goes after what he sees fall, a blind retrieve demands trust, precision, and teamwork to guide your dog across fields, swamps, or open water to an unknown destination. Whether it’s a crippled duck sailing out of sight or a pheasant dropping into heavy cover, turning that basic fetch command into a reliable set of voice commands and hand signals to steer your dog to the unseen fall will elevate your hunts and recover more game. This progression isn’t overnight magic; it’s built on foundational training, patience, and incremental challenges. START WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION Before diving into blinds, ensure your dog has mastered the basics. A strong “fetch” command means your dog eagerly retrieves, holds the object firmly, and delivers it to hand without…

Sid’s a good mate of mine - always there when you need him, goes the extra mile Not really much of a talker, keeps himself to himself but is good company, and always keen to get out for a walk and he does as he’s told most of the time - you guessed it, he’s my dog. While out on one of our regular evening or early morning walks, he managed to run down a rabbit, as there are a few along our route. Rather than let him have it for his dinner, I will use it for this recipe instead. Loui, who was a good mate of Sid’s and headed back to the farm life, also caught a few earlier in the year, and I processed them and put…

The weather looked good, and it was the peak of the roar, so we packed up and got on the road. I really wanted to get a big stag, some good footage, and some tasty meat. We got to the car park and were soon paddling on our way. After only twenty minutes, we heard our first roar, so jumped out of the boat and walked over. We roared a couple of times but got no answer, which was a shame, but still a promising start. Thirty minutes later, we heard another roar, but this time it was much closer. We got out of the boat, but same as before, there was nothing to be heard or seen. After two hours of paddling, we got to Hidden Falls Hut and…

This announcement marks a pivotal moment for New Zealand's licensed firearm owners. The proposal offers a targeted rework of current laws and systems that will please some and frustrate others in our community. Our diverse group of over 240,000 licence holders includes hunters, sport shooters, collectors, and pest controllers, so you can’t please them all. The full bill remains under wraps, but we can discuss the press release and the key changes guidance document. THE WINS The standout achievement removes the Police from frontline regulatory roles. This change creates a dedicated, independent agency to oversee the firearms sector. The new body handles all licensing and registration duties. Police withdraw entirely from these functions. This separation restores balance after years of strained relations. The agency reports directly to the Minister for…

Passions and politics It’s been another busy few months for the hunting sector. It was a great experience attending the Sika Show as CEO of the NZ Game Animal Council (GAC). I had many interesting and insightful conversations with recreational hunters, businesses and hunting sector organisations. I’m continually amazed by the passion and knowledge held by New Zealand hunters. I would like to congratulate the Sika Show organising committee for hosting another incredible event that brought many people from across the sector together, and congratulations also to all those who entered the competition. Whether you came away with a prize or not, your entries support the Sika Show and show that hunting opportunities across New Zealand are strong and significant. HUNTING POLITICS It’s been difficult to avoid how political hunting…

Better Hunting is a free online training platform built by the NZ Game Animal Council to help hunters improve their skills and knowledge, while helping them understand their obligations and responsibilities as hunters and firearms users. The courses and resources are intended to provide a pathway and support hunters who go on to do practical training, such as the NZDA HUNTS courses. The content is designed by New Zealand hunters, for New Zealand hunters. You can do the courses on your phone and even download them for offline viewing using the app. For new, inexperienced and casual hunters, the two main courses, Hunting Essentials and Firearm Essentials, cover foundational hunting and outdoor skills. There’s also an Introduction to Pig Hunting course. More experienced hunters will still find useful information throughout…

As editor of NZ Hunter Magazine I’ve read thousands of hunting stories. We produce some of the world’s finest outdoor articles, and standing out above that crowd is no small feat. Across four books, Pete’s writing has taught me much. He blends detail with artistry, says exactly enough, and selects the perfect moment to anchor a tale. This book brings us tales across continents and eras - short stories set in Africa, Scandinavia, South America, India, even Antarctica. Tiger, buffalo, stag, snow leopard. Yet Pete also brings us home again, shedding fresh light on the legends of our own backcountry like the opening article in this very issue. Even we pig hunters will find something in these pages. One of the standout chapters for me was learning more of the…