Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 102 i NZ Hunter

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE HOW TO We currently build a lot of 20 inch barreled 7mm Remington Magnums as they are far handier to use with a permanently attached suppressor than a 24 inch or longer barrel while still providing ballistic performance that will get you out to 500 yards or so in a hunting situation, and the 7mm PRC being a little more efficient should work even better Yes, we’re going to lose velocity and some would say you may as well go for the 7mm-08 if you going to chop the barrel. But no, we have proved over and over you will still get significantly more velocity out of a 20 inch 7mm Mag than you will out of a 20 inch 7mm-08. Yes, you lose more velocity per…

Early on during Level 1 lockdown, I’d made the decision to prepare for a trip once we reached Level 3. The goal was to pull off an epic solo mountain hunting trip and discover some new hunting areas along the way. Timing with work meant holding off till the last week of May. There was a good weather forecast for the week and the trip was on. Arriving at the car park, the rifle was strapped onto the pack with trekking poles in hand for the two-hour climb to the halfway point and a cup of tea at the hut. A stag hee-hawed about half an hour short of the hut and understandably didn’t respond to my very average roar in reply. The outside of the hut was littered with…

A passionate advocate for women in the outdoors and the female representative for the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, Britt's journey from North Island beach dweller and ocean lover to discovering a love for the vast wild places of the Southern Alps and Fiordland is equal parts inspiring and instructive. I had the pleasure of meeting Britt on the Wāhine and Wapiti trip, a five-day wilderness expedition organised by the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation earlier this year. Her story offers valuable insights and practical advice for anyone looking to embark on their own hunting adventures or pursue ambitious outdoor goals. Let’s get to the highlights of our conversation. WHAT ROLE DID THE OUTDOORS PLAY IN YOUR LIFE GROWING UP? I was brought up in Tauranga, on the ocean, we weren't really mountain people…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To I would hazard a guess that this creek probably got its name because of something to do with gold exploration, which is a common theme on the coast. With a relatively high camp at 1300m above sea level and being a little open and exposed to wind from a few directions, it would be an interesting place to be when we get those classic May/June storms that really drop the temperature and get the tents flapping. And given the elevation, once we do get a couple of those storms through, I’d be packing the appropriate tools for snow travel. With generally easy travel and hunting in all directions through the numerous guts and folds, and a heap of scrub to keep an eye on. As…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Testfire As I said back then, these are the best volume for weight and spec packs I’ve ever seen! Well we’ve had the opportunity to use these Terminus packs for the last few months so now I can comment on more than just their specs! These are the differences from the Col and Sky shelf packs previously tested: 1. The frame consisting of four carbon composite rods is sewn directly to the bag to make the strongest light weight frame system. 2. The bag material features ultra high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) – a fiber that is 15x stronger than steel per unit of weight – blended with hightenacity polyester. The fabric is then laminated with a waterproof film for protection from the elements. The result is a material…

I have lost count of how many Opening Weekends there have been, but there have been countless that could be classed as unremarkable. This one will be hard to beat. This year, a new mega blind and location for us raised hopes and expectations but the site was largely unproven apart from a few previous scouting expeditions and the odd wee hunt by Hunter in previous seasons. Several weekends were spent with the team and Hunter and Jovan did an extensive pre-nail and paint. Then there was a massive effort by Wayne, Hamish, Luke, Steve, Brett and Hunter to build a large blind only accessible by boat. Friday night's arrival was a sporadic but raucous affair; a mad scramble in what was left of the daylight to get supplies and…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Food & Fauna Now that the duck season has finished, what do I do with them? I hear most people get salami made with theirs, if they can find a butcher that will accept the meat due to the shot that may be in it as it blunts the mincer blades! Those who don’t have a duck plucker, or use wax to remove the feathers, will probably just breast them out. However this recipe uses the legs and the old-time technique of cooking it slow, then shredding the meat, packing it back into moulds, and sealing it with butter. The reason for sealing it with butter is that it has great keeping qualities, and before refrigeration was available, the main ways to preserve meat were to either…

I had been reading hunting magazines, including NZH, and was tempted by the prospect of being able to fly into one of those remote South Westland valleys, camp, and hunt tahr for a week. As a career tramper and occasional climber, I was already familiar with some of the locations, known for their challenging terrain and demanding conditions. These places are defined by the intense effort required, not to mention frustration and apprehension. Carrying a pack load of gear and food for a week or more I would tramp into some of the most inhospitable places on earth. But flying into the wilderness, where you are normally unable to land at any other time, with all your kit – now this was game-changer. “I’d love to do that one day”…

I love running on the Te Anau foreshore in late March evenings as the stags start roaring. The anticipation of getting out into the bush to hunt gets hard to contain every time you hear another stag bellow its frustration. My mate Andrew and I traditionally head out every roar for three or four days, camping in the nearby Takitimu Mountains. Our regular morning coffee catch-ups transition from mundane family or work stories to organising the hunt and guessing when the stags will be going nuts. The 2022 roar was a fizzer with a 1080 drop destroying the deer numbers and only one stag located groaning. We managed to stalk in on him, and he was a very lonely old boy with the ugliest head I've ever seen. I remember…

Weather events had put paid to any previous attempts, but now everything aligned perfectly to allow me to finally stroll the tops safely with all my children. It was a simple plan; extend a two-day adult hunt into a four-day child-friendly hunt. A good dollop of summer snow greeted us on arrival in the mountains, something that would provide substance and fun in the days to come. Packs on and a well-planned leading ridge would provide the access to our chosen hunting spot. While the boys James (9) and Isaac (8) would definitely have their fun in the mountains it was my five-year-old daughter Madison-Rose who would set the pace and tone of the trip. A couple hundred metres into the first climb she explained that her legs were tired…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To Glen Thurston and Sam Manson are working to break down mental health barriers within the hunting community with their new online platform. Their brainchild is Mental Hunts, a new YouTube hunting channel dedicated to breaking down the stigma around mental health in our firearms community. On this channel they want to open the discussion about mental health and provide education and resources for their community. The topic of mental health hits close to home for Glen, who openly says he has battled with his mental health his whole life. In October 2019, Glen found himself struggling and one of the outcomes after reaching out for help, was his firearms licence being revoked. As both a keen hunter and needing firearms for work, losing his firearms…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To A large sign on the outer wall warns of a low avalanche risk. Unlikely as the biv hasn't been hit by anything of that nature since 1968 when it was built, and the possibility ever more remote as the climate warms. Because of the difficult access, foot visits to the biv are averaging around two to three per year. There is the odd fly-in by chamois hunters but even with this, the eight visits logged in 2017 stood out as a record. Top Waitahu Biv has been designated as minimal maintenance by the Department of Conservation but has had some recent work done on it and is in great condition. It is a two-bunk design and is unique in having a mini coal range snugly…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Testfire Since then the First Lite collaboration range has extended, and our NZ distributor, Mountain Adventure, have got the best of the winter range below. This is some tough, lightweight gear with a liftetime warranty across the board. STALKER SLEEPING BAG The Stalker is the flagship bag in the First Lite partnership with Nemo, and the cipher camouflage features across the range in their ‘stealth sleep system’. A -18’C rated winter bag, this is the gear you want for those frozen June and July missions. Made with 800FP hydrophobic (and RDS certified) down for a great warmth to weight ratio, it comes in three sizes: Short (66 in/168 cm), Regular (72 in/183 cm) and Long (78 in/198 cm). I used the Long, which has ample room for…

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NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To If you can see it, the pieces slowly come together. For me, it’s extremely satisfying picking up the bow and attempting to out-craft a deer in its own living room. I hadn’t really had a good sneak around in the bush since the roar. And to be honest, the roar is very different to a cold, winter’s day sneaking about the place. Things slow down a lot and there is not a lot of movement, so sometimes you must look for the finer details to get the results. I will take you on a little bush hunt I did recently and hopefully share some knowledge as the yarn unfolds. I knew the area pretty well so even though I hadn’t been there for a few…

The programme is also intended to provide a pathway and support hunters going on to do practical training, such as through NZDA’s HUNTS courses. The platform has tonnes of content all designed by New Zealand hunters for New Zealand hunters. You can do it on your phone and even download the courses for offline viewing using the app. For new, inexperienced and casual hunters, the two main courses, Hunting Essentials and Firearm Essentials, cover basic hunting and outdoor skills. More experienced hunters will still find useful information throughout many of the modules, in the maps, forecasts, hunting and ballot calendars, intentions form or games. Each module has a short quiz and there are assessments you can do to ensure your knowledge is up to date. Visit our website to check…

Looking back to move forward The NZ Game Animal Council recently turned 10 which has prompted some reflection. During the five years I've been with the GAC, I’ve had the great fortune of being able to work with some incredible leaders within the hunting sector So, I thought for this column I'd talk about some of the things in my life that have shaped me as a hunter and some of the changes I've noticed in the hunting sector over the last 5-10 years. Hunting and being outdoors has always been a big part of my life. I have been lucky to be immersed in hunting my whole life, right from a young age. At 14 I shot my first deer. At 16 I got my firearms license. As a…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Testfire It certainly spiked my interest at the time as I’m always on the lookout for new and creative angles to incorporate into our television episodes. Late last year while visiting distributor Ampro Sales in Wellington, the team mentioned they were looking at bringing these hunt specific ‘QuietKat’ e-bikes into the country and wondered if I’d be interested in being an early product tester. A very quick reply of “absolutely” from me has seen us putting the top spec Apex Pro through its paces since early in the year, and in recent months, the all-rounder Apex Sport, and hub-driven Ranger too. What sets these bikes apart from your standard e-bike you’ll find in the local bike shop? As mentioned, they’re designed with hunters and anglers in mind,…

On the heels of a contentious 2022 with some disputes over a public river, perforated decoys and a liberated floating maimai we were looking forward to a change of scenery in 2023. We had a fun family day getting set up out the West Coast, two hours’ drive from any drama in a magnificent slow corner of the river, it looked perfect. It had a great big sandbar for loafing and ducks pouring in all the while. We repurposed an old calf shelter roof to build an epic 3x3m maimai with extensive rails for scrubbing all around the sides to allow for 360” shooting. It had a shelf for the BBQ, seating, and doors for the dogs – any more and we’d need a building consent! We stood back and…

THERMOTHOUGH TUNDRA INTRODUCING THE THERMOTOUGH JACKET, CRAFTED FOR THE RELENTLESS HUNTER SEEKING UNMATCHED DURABILITY AND CORE WARMTH IN THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS. Engineered with a rugged Nylon RipStop outer shell, this jacket ensures formidable insulation when the temperature plunges. Packed with advanced Primaloft® Silver down blend, it shields against wind and repels water, keeping you protected and focused. Welded baffles enhance its robust design, fortifying you against the elements while maintaining superior core insulation. Total weight is 1216gms. Ideal for those who demand uncompromising performance in extreme cold. RRP: $429.99 MEN'S SC ACTIVE LEGGINGS INTRODUCING THE MEN’S SC ACTIVE LEGGINGS, ENGINEERED FOR THE DEDICATED HUNTER BRAVING WINTER EXPEDITIONS. Utilising Thermalflex® fabric, these leggings deliver exceptional warmth without added weight, perfect for underneath your Stoney Creek hunt guard trousers. Stay warm, stay…