Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Hunting in New Zealand

OLD DARK.!!!!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> It's all I drink. At room temp as well. Don't like cold beer. No taste. And I don't wear shorts here at all. Damned sandflies would suck me dry of blood. If I do wear shorts it is over polyprop long johns, socks and boots trout fishing or tramping.
You can keep Queenstown. Very pretty but it is a tourist trap and at Mt Hutt was the ONLY time I have been skiing. Stupid pass time. Capt-e if you ever get back, we'll wander 300mtr up to the pub and have a few 'Oldies" then stagger back down home. The West Coast is the real New Zealand. Everything else is just an imitation of the rest of the world. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Been drinking a lot of Red Lion myself here. Any beer is good beer, esp when someone else pays for it.

That should have been Lion Red.

Back in the US now; you Kiwis have a wonderful country. I should be back in January or so.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Thank you. We know. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> You come back soon and come down to the South Island. Then you will see fantastic

Hey Lindsay:

I just saw your post about wearing shorts over polypro. That is my favorite hunting outfit, esp in the mountains. Get too warm, take off the polypro and hunt in the shorts. Throw in a gore tex suit, a few fleeces, and you are all set.

Don't take off the polyprop on the West Coast. The sandflies will eat you alive <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> They are worse in summer but hardly noticeable in the colder months. Just starting to come around now.

Hey Kiwi's

just found out I am headed back to NZ in December. North Island. What can I hunt? I could fly ot the south island as well. Do you think i could do a "do it yourself" chamios or tahr hunt? I could also hire a guide/chopper, but want a fair chase hunt.

Quick question, I have read on a few sites about the Elk hunting there in NZ. How good is it? Sounds almost too good to be true. My Cousin, My Dad and myself are thinking about saving up the pennies and going there for a Red deer and an Elk hunt. Pluss we are avid fly fisherman and want to spend some time droning a few flies. Anyone with some suggestions on this?

Lr December is Mid summer mate and its hot as hell also deer will be in Velvet, and bush hunting will be impossible noise wise due to leaf litter, you can hunt chamois and thar they will be in there summer coats but weather should be more settled, lindsay could give you a better idea as he is living right in the middle of high country hunting, {still chamois up mary's creek top of the Taipo Lindsay ?} and I wont be going south untill April for the roar. but I do have a dozen days off over xmas/new year if you want to go for a back country wander.

Demon mate, forget about Elk in N.Z except on some stinkin game farm, 90% of elk were live captured in the 1970s/80s for relocation out of the Fiordland national park but have never left the state venison farms <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Going after Red or Sika stags or Thar and Chamois is a better trip, I have no idea of costs but it is much better to chopper into good hunting country and stay in a mountain hut and using it as a base {cost a few bucks a night} than hiking in which can take 2/3 days . you will need to be fit, think climbing 3/4000 feet every day for chamois and thar and bush stalking all day for Deer, I think you call it still hunting, you walk everywhere; no horses, no atv's you can get sunburnt and snowed on on the same day <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> and in all probability you will never see another hunta all the time you spend in the mountains, I spent 10 days on my last Roar trip in the Otehake Wilderness area and saw no other person, if thats kind of what you want come on over <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

Trout Fishing is terrible here now, only every second Rainbow or Brown going over 5lb, and you might only get one double figure trout a day <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Honestly tho you gotta work hard for stags and hunting is in very thick bush, you gotta be fit to climb for Chamois and Thar, The fishing, fresh and salt is great.

hey Demon:

It is a beautiful country and EVERYONE outside of Auckland hunts and fishes, or at least it seems so. The people are very friendly. Plus they have a PM who is really hot looking, right guys?

Thats a bummer to hear that the Elk hunting is mostly game farm. Still the others are intrigueing. The biggest problem is my Dad. He was in an accident about 10 years ago and only has part use of his left leg due to it being fused together. In otherwords, hiking is pretty much out of the question, he has to use horses. So it sounds like hunting in NZ is out BUT fishing definatly isnt!!! Last year when we went to thge Fly Fishing World Trade Show we met a few guys from NZ with a guide service and they offerd to take us out for free if we helped them with advertising. Thats what got us hooked on going to NZ and now is a dream trip. Were hoping to maybe go in there next fall or the following spring. One can only pray!!

Hey Kiwi guys:

I have to be in Auckland on Dec 2 and 3, and after that, I am going to go Tahr and Chamois hunting. The guide has two winter capes that I will sub out for the summer ones I will shoot.

It is all hiking, no helicopters. Climbs of 2500-3500 feet each day, which, as they say in neighboring Australia, is a "piece of piss."

Any of you guys in Auckland?

I fly into Queenstown and hunt near Wanaka. What do you guys think?

Wanaka eh? Who's your guide? You should get a chamios in that area although you will need to drive an hour or two north to the Mount Cook area for the tahr. And NO NO NO it won't be a piece of piss to climb 2 - 3000 ft in our alps. Do what your guide suggests. He's the man.

I live in Hokitika which is about 4-5 hours drive west and north of Wanaka. It is absoltutley bloody stunning where you are going. And I think you will have a truely stunning time. Good luck and let us know what happens.

Lindsay Thompson
www.colonials.co.nz

Lindsay:

Cardrona Safaris is the outfit. John Scurr is the owner. Getting pretty pumped about this hunt - could be a lot of fun.