NZ Hunter Issue 98

The Sika Show was a resounding success – apart from the rugby Sunday morning – and there was a lot of great information and displays. Well done to Mike and John and everyone who contributed to making it a great event. And despite the election being over it was great to see National and Act still fronted at the Show. Now while we wait to see the exact makeup of the coalition (at the time of going to print), I feel pretty confident we are going to be able to make some good gains for conservation and hunting over the next few years. Money is going to be tight and we need to empower and support sensible community initiatives like those examples from the Fiordland Wapiti, Sika and Tahr Foundations…

It had been a great feeling to crawl under the fly the night before, and we'd all planned on a bit of a sleep in, but Nigel and I couldn't help sitting up and grabbing the binos after cracking our eyes open to the magnificent vistas outside of the fly. With a rest day in front of us we laid gear out, checked the weather, and spent a lot of time evaluating the route up La Perouse now that we could see it in front of our own eyes. Greg made a final offer to Nigel and I, asking if we wanted to come up the mountain with them. It was conflicting – we had the chance to climb one of New Zealand's most remote peaks with a highly competent…

We planned to hunt two Southern Alps ranges that we had scouted previously, using our knowledge from past experiences. The last weekend in March saw us heading on our first trip to an area in which I had hunted during the previous roar. I had taken a shot at a decent stag but missed or wounded, and hadn't recovered him. Experiencing the feeling of guilt is terrible for any hunter; there's nothing worse having this experience when hunting. I made the effort to go back three weeks later with Lachie and my dog to attempt to find the carcass but had no luck. Naturally, this stag weighed on my mind for the following twelve months, so the plan this time was to see if that stag was still alive in…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To Dougal was showing me around the block, and in typical Taranaki fashion the weather was wet and windy. Our first hunt had us working our way through the flat country between the Okahu and Oaonui streams, keikei and supplejack grabbing and trying to trip with every step It wasn't long before Dougal's dog Jess opened up with a good bail, and as we worked our way through the myriad of swamps and tangled bush to secure my first tail, I was hooked. We were expected to spend extended periods in the bush, follow the rules, dispatch as many animals as possible, submit the tails, and hunter's diary, and get paid for it. What more could I ask for? “Professional hunting” or “hunting for a living”…

For some reason, these little animals are my favourite to hunt. Having targeted a big one for several years and never quite managing to make it into the “10 Inch” club, it was high on my list of things to tick off My best effort so far was a very old West Coast doe that I had seen in 2021 with a kid in tow, and then in the same spot in 2022. She was barren that year so decided to take her, and just in time, as judging by the amount of horn rot she had I don't think it would have been long before she lost them. She went 10 1/4 on the good side and 9 3/4 on the other. After getting close to the magic number…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To There are many aspects relevant to planning and preparing for a hunting trip. These include, but are not limited to, weather, camping, navigation, river crossings, clothing, food and equipment, and emergencies preparedness. Specific considerations for these may well differ significantly depending on whether your hunting trip is below or above the bush line where the environments and terrain are very different. Do not underestimate the importance of a dedicated pre-trip planning and preparation phase, as this is the key to having a safe and successful hunting trip. Your considerations should include the purpose of your trip, your fitness, equipment, and that your skills and experience match the environment and terrain you plan to travel. If they don't, consider tagging along with a more experienced party…