Lets see your New Zealand hunts

Wyo_Roadhunter · Dec 25, 2022

Well it looks like it's finally going to happen. We booked a hunt in NZ back in 2020 and now that everything is opening up we have our flights booked for May. What's the must do's while you're in NZ? We'll be there for around 13 days. I know the stag isn't much of a hunt but I'm way excited for the Tahr. If anyone has pictures from their hunts I'd love to see them. I think we booked it for 400" stag so post the score if you have it cause I have no clue what a 400" stag looks like ?.

yotebuster17 · Dec 25, 2022

I went in 2017 I believe. If I could do it over again, I honestly wouldn’t even hunt. Well I’d duck hunt as that was cool. The sight seeing was incredible. I went with my wife and a few other couples. The group we went with was set up to do helicopter tahr and chamois, which I assumed was helicopter access. Turns out it was a really intense few hours of road gunning in the southern Alps bail and wale style out of a helicopter. It was intense and kind of a rush but I wouldn’t do it again. The stag are all high fence there, and same story, it’s the only high fence critter I’ve ever shot and will be my last. My stag scored 430. Honestly I could think of 3,834 different ways I could spend that money on a hunt if I had it to do over. The country and people are incredible but the “hunting” is way overrated. If you could line up a helicopter transporter and take backpack gear in and kill a tahr that way, I could get on board with that for sure as that would be a badass mountain hunt for sure!!!

Wyo_Roadhunter · Dec 26, 2022

Thanks @yotebuster17 . I definitely agree the stag I'm excited to shoot one but I know they are canned so I'm alot more excited for the tahr. The outfitter said we can go up with a helicopter or hike just whatever we wanted. So I feel like the tahr will be more rewarding. Looks like you got some great animals though!

Wapitiwilly · Dec 26, 2022

I would try and hunt your stag with a bow. The ranch we hunted was 10,000+ acres and bow hunting was pretty legit. I have had friends hunt ranches that were considerably smaller with rifles and didn’t enjoy that part of NZ. Hands down the friendliest people I have met ant the country is of the chart’s amazing.
I spent 21 days there and would go back in a second.
I wouldn’t hunt but fishing and bird hunting is as good as anywhere.
Be careful on the upsale of stags. Most places charge by size and the cost can be surprising.

JB1975 · Dec 26, 2022

Wapitiwilly said:
I would try and hunt your stag with a bow. The ranch we hunted was 10,000+ acres and bow hunting was pretty legit. I have had friends hunt ranches that were considerably smaller with rifles and didn’t enjoy that part of NZ. Hands down the friendliest people I have met ant the country is of the chart’s amazing.
I spent 21 days there and would go back in a second.
I wouldn’t hunt but fishing and bird hunting is as good as anywhere.
Be careful on the upsale of stags. Most places charge by size and the cost can be surprising.View attachment 98044

That is a stud. Huge mass.

G-Hought3 · Dec 26, 2022

Who are you hunting with? I went there on a hunt back in 2012, my stag scored 375.

I ended up living on the North island for work for about 2.5 years 2018-2020 and shot Tahr, Fallow, Sika, and some more red deer. Mostly DIY hunting with a few private land mixed in. I’d say fallow is probably one of my favorites. Being a resident there I would deer hunt year round, having fallow or Sika steaks for lunch almost every day was one of my favorite parts of living there!

yotebuster17 · Dec 26, 2022

Wyo_Roadhunter said:
Thanks @yotebuster17 . I definitely agree the stag I'm excited to shoot one but I know they are canned so I'm alot more excited for the tahr. The outfitter said we can go up with a helicopter or hike just whatever we wanted. So I feel like the tahr will be more rewarding. Looks like you got some great animals though!

Who are you hunting with?

Wyo_Roadhunter · Dec 26, 2022

yotebuster17 said:
Who are you hunting with?

Going with Peele Forest Safaris.

@bowhunter3 that looks like a fun place to live!

nfh · Dec 26, 2022

I know spey creek pulls some studs

Wyo_Roadhunter · Dec 26, 2022

Wapitiwilly said:
I would try and hunt your stag with a bow. The ranch we hunted was 10,000+ acres and bow hunting was pretty legit. I have had friends hunt ranches that were considerably smaller with rifles and didn’t enjoy that part of NZ. Hands down the friendliest people I have met ant the country is of the chart’s amazing.
I spent 21 days there and would go back in a second.
I wouldn’t hunt but fishing and bird hunting is as good as anywhere.
Be careful on the upsale of stags. Most places charge by size and the cost can be surprising.View attachment 98044

This thing is crazy looking! Also is it a pain to get a bow over there?

G-Hought3 · Dec 27, 2022

Way easier to get a bow over there then a rifle. No paperwork is required to travel with a bow so you just count it as a checked bag. Although it’s not very hard to get a temporary firearms certificate in NZ either.

Vanilla · Dec 27, 2022

Never been to New Zealand, but if I did, I definitely would want to fish.

yotebuster17 · Dec 27, 2022

I would recommend just using house guns if you go. You won’t be doing any long range shooting and they seemed to have decent stuff there when I was over there.

elkboy32 · Dec 29, 2022

A buddy of mine and I went 4 years ago on a DIY backpack on public land for tahr. It was a pretty incredible experience. We spent three weeks on the South Island, with a four day hunt. We took the wives as well. Vacation if a lifetime. I hope to one day draw a bighorn tag, but figured this was a guaranteed way to do an alpine hunt. We both shot 13” bulls. I wouldn’t hesitate to go again. The public land stag hunts look fun as well. They don’t get as big but I doubt you would have a one and done feeling.

bolsen · Dec 29, 2022

bolsen · Dec 29, 2022

After that we hunted with glen dene and shot one silver and a bronze

TerynItUp · Dec 31, 2022

I’m itching to get back. One of the best trips I’ve ever been on. I was a guest of a general contractor out there who took me hunting so I didn’t have much say in how or what we were going to do and ended up on a helo hunt. Cruising around the alps was badass but not really how I would have preferred to hunt tahr. Some hairy $hit went down in the chopper that day, I was not surprised when I heard our pilot was killed in a crash just 60 days later. RIP Nick.

If I went back again, I’d spend more time fishing, it was amazing.

Wyo_Roadhunter · Dec 31, 2022

Great pictures everyone! Do you guys think tahr would be worth trying to get with a bow or just use a rifle?

Moe · Jan 1, 2023

Sign me up! All of it looks like a good time.

muleybeast · Jan 1, 2023

My bucket list fishing trip right there. Those trout pics reaffirmed my dream. Thanks for sharing.

woodruffhunter · Jan 10, 2023

Wyo_Roadhunter said:
Going with Peele Forest Safaris.

@bowhunter3 that looks like a fun place to live!

Never hunted with them but I do know Bert. He is nuts!
There is never a dull moment being around him. He is a great person and has a great family. My friend hunted with him and had
a great time.

Please post a hunt report and I hope you have a great time!

Wyo_Roadhunter · Jan 10, 2023

woodruffhunter said:
Never hunted with them but I do know Bert. He is nuts!
There is never a dull moment being around him. He is a great person and has a great family. My friend hunted with him and had
a great time.

Please post a hunt report and I hope you have a great time!

Just talking to him at the Expo and talking to him on the phone he seems like he'll be fun to hunt with!

woodruffhunter · Jan 10, 2023

Yes, that is where I met him when I had a booth at the Expo.
They would be at the top of my list if I was going.
Ask him about hunting with Colorado Buck

elkhuntn247 · Jan 10, 2023

Headed down in May for a DIY Tahr hunt ??

G-Hought3 · Jan 11, 2023

Wyo_Roadhunter said:
Great pictures everyone! Do you guys think tahr would be worth trying to get with a bow or just use a rifle?

Probably depends how much time you have to be able to dedicate just to tahr. The mountains in NZ are insane compared to US mountains. I’d say Tahr hunting would be incredibly difficult with a bow, unless your outfitter has some lower private land to hunt. Sometimes they come down into the lower grasses and that’s about the only time I’ve heard of people having much success getting close. I went on a solo Chamois hunt with my bow and it just wasn’t worth it, too many times I could have potentially died trying to make a stalk, being alone I just didn’t dare do it.

Bearpaws · Jan 13, 2023

Wifes' NZ hunt

mozey · Jan 13, 2023

I've also got a NZ hunt for the last week of May (was initially supposed to go in 2020). Have stag, fallow, and tahr on my list. These pics are awesome--getting my blood pumping.

Tikka · Jan 13, 2023

Bearpaws said:
Wifes' NZ hunt
View attachment 99863

If she was just a little farther away, it would appear bigger… just for next time…

Homer · Jan 13, 2023

Bearpaws said:
Wifes' NZ hunt
View attachment 99863

damn she's small....

Hnttillmt · Jan 17, 2023

DIY. At the end of the trip I thought I would either be back every year or I would move there. Got engaged on the trip…..and neither of those two things are on the table anymore!

mozey · Jan 17, 2023

Hnttillmt said:
View attachment 100288DIY. At the end of the trip I thought I would either be back every year or I would move there. Got engaged on the trip…..and neither of those two things are on the table anymore!

That pic looks like a postcard. Either way, sounds like a win win for you. Much congrats.

Wyo_Roadhunter · Jan 17, 2023

Hnttillmt said:
View attachment 100288DIY. At the end of the trip I thought I would either be back every year or I would move there. Got engaged on the trip…..and neither of those two things are on the table anymore!

That picture is AWESOME!!! I like 2 of the options you had

liecabucks · Jan 17, 2023

Quite the place to visit. We did our trip in 2017. Our hunt for tahr was a helicopter drop in the mountains for a week or so. Self guided, all but the fishing day trip and the hunt for varmints one night. Crazy to think we put it all together for under $2500 a piece, including airfare. Definitely a trip I wont soon forget. Man, I use to be in shape ?

WVF-AirForce · Feb 21, 2024

G-Hought3 said:
Who are you hunting with? I went there on a hunt back in 2012, my stag scored 375.
View attachment 98078
I ended up living on the North island for work for about 2.5 years 2018-2020 and shot Tahr, Fallow, Sika, and some more red deer. Mostly DIY hunting with a few private land mixed in. I’d say fallow is probably one of my favorites. Being a resident there I would deer hunt year round, having fallow or Sika steaks for lunch almost every day was one of my favorite parts of living there!
View attachment 98079 View attachment 98081 View attachment 98082

Looks like and awesome work assignment! I’m in the Air Force and always wished there was a base in that neck of the woods to get assigned to. I’ve been gathering info to do a similar diy hunt targeting fallow deer and possibly tahr (time permitting). Would you be willing to share some information/recommendations since you’ve lived there I feel like you have more experience than most. I live and hunt all over ID and would be happy to help you out up here if that’s something you’d be interested in