Carl 9.3x62
Well-known member
Watched it a couple days ago, haha
Is New Zealand Over-hyped?
- Thread starter Trigger50
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rwc101
Guest
Guess I'm an outlier, but I would be too distracted to go hunting if I made it to New Zealand.
Kiwi
Well-known member
What would you do instead?
R
rwc101
Guest
See as much of the country as I could.
thebestusernamesaretaken
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How bad is the red tape? I would perfer to bring the meat home to share with friends who couldn't make it.
Hawk Tuah
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I do not think NZ is over-hyped. It has good hunting. My trip was not DIY. It was public land with no helicopter assistance, but was guided.
I did the math the best I could and as I went off-peak season (Nov), the guide fee was less than I'd pay DIY. If I ever go back I'd consider either ...with other hunters splitting costs I'd probably go DIY, but if I went alone I'd likely use the same guy. I'd like to get a chamois at some point, and I'd also like to find a houndsman to run hogs.
I was after tahr and killed a good one. I also got two bonus red deer spikes. We saw a lot of tahr but apparently the red deer were not common in the area. He said "shoot!" when they jumped out and "again," after the first one dropped. He liked red deer meat more than tahr and they have no seasons or limits which is definitely different. As Glass eye said....all big game there is considered invasive pests on crown land.
NZ has a cool deal with their mountain shacks spread around to sleep in. Better than a tent for sure.
Having done some other international stuff, it was really great to just bring the skull, horns and cape back on the plane. I got a little paper in NZ at their department of conservation or whatever building, then filled something out on the way back for USFW. Stateside they pulled me aside at customs and looked at it (skull was boiled by me and clean with horns separate but cape was folded in salt and still moist.) No hassle whatsoever.
I know you are most interested in deer, but the alpine species are pretty similar to a mountain goat hunt and really neat.Seeing those mountains was worth the trip alone.
I did the math the best I could and as I went off-peak season (Nov), the guide fee was less than I'd pay DIY. If I ever go back I'd consider either ...with other hunters splitting costs I'd probably go DIY, but if I went alone I'd likely use the same guy. I'd like to get a chamois at some point, and I'd also like to find a houndsman to run hogs.
I was after tahr and killed a good one. I also got two bonus red deer spikes. We saw a lot of tahr but apparently the red deer were not common in the area. He said "shoot!" when they jumped out and "again," after the first one dropped. He liked red deer meat more than tahr and they have no seasons or limits which is definitely different. As Glass eye said....all big game there is considered invasive pests on crown land.
NZ has a cool deal with their mountain shacks spread around to sleep in. Better than a tent for sure.
Having done some other international stuff, it was really great to just bring the skull, horns and cape back on the plane. I got a little paper in NZ at their department of conservation or whatever building, then filled something out on the way back for USFW. Stateside they pulled me aside at customs and looked at it (skull was boiled by me and clean with horns separate but cape was folded in salt and still moist.) No hassle whatsoever.
I know you are most interested in deer, but the alpine species are pretty similar to a mountain goat hunt and really neat.Seeing those mountains was worth the trip alone.
Hawk Tuah
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He didn't have the awesome winter coat because I got him in November but I got him mounted anyway.
Kiwi
Well-known member
Thats a great tahr and an awesome collection surrounding it!
November was an excellent choice, its a great time to hunt tahr. I do a spring (Oct - Nov) tahr trip each year and its one of my favorites of the year. Warm weather, long days and tahr nice and low.
S13tsilvia
Active member
Australia also has plenty of reds, sambar, chital and fallow , fishing at similar costs and very low licensed fees etc.
Plus we leave the sheep alone over here
Plus we leave the sheep alone over here
glass eye
Well-known member
I think you're confused with Australia.
Schaaf
Well-known member
New Zealand doesn’t exist. It was originally started as a PR campaign to get people to visit the Southern (less desirable) hemisphere. Bummed to see we have a few forum members that have bought into the media push hook, line, and sinker.
glass eye
Well-known member
Forget about it.
You sure about that? Sure Australia too. Wasn’t It in Kiwiland that semi autos were banned because someone got shot. Any countries related to the crown end up that way. The British were never into their subjects owning weapons.
glass eye
Well-known member
Yes, I was there right when the "ban" took place. No problem bringing my Browning A5.
The "ban" was restricting carrying capacity of ammo. For shotguns it's 7, so no more magazine extensions. Don't remember what the restrictions are on semi-auto rifles as I don't hunt big game with semi-autos, I use a bolt so it was a moot point to me.
Yes they made restrictions but they don't affect hunters unless you are annihilating herds from a helicopter.
It's too bad for guys that have to hunt deer with a semi-auto and 20 round magazine.
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RobertD
Well-known member
I agree with Kiwi that is a beautiful collection of mounts. That (African) lion looks to be extremely well done, the details about the face are perfect.
This thread is making me more interested in hunting down there one day, more than I already was anyway. What other specie besides red deer, chamois and tahr are common for hunting? Fallow deer?
glass eye
Well-known member
Reds ( most abundant ) fallow, sika, rusa, sambar, whitetail, elk (mostly, if not all are all hybrids with reds ) then there are tahr, chamois, Spanish goat, pig, wallaby, possums.
Oh, and moose
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I agree----
If time permits when you go, fly into Aukland, take the train to Wellington, ferry to Picton, then rent a vehicle and drive south.
We were there before the Lord of the Rings, so a different movie came into my mind, several times actually, and I said so out loud. "We are not in Kansas anymore toto" It is beautiful !! And the beauty does not end when the hunting starts.
I would get as much information as possible from Glass Eye, Idahonick and other U.S. citizens about their experience in traveling to New Zealand to hunt, as your initial question was, is New Zealand over hyped. After speaking to them, if you decide to go, then for sure you should reach out to members like kiwi hunter and other New Zealand citizens. Very nice of them to offer to help you.
glass eye
Well-known member
Back to the original question; Is NZ over-hyped ?
I love to travel and hunt, and I love exploring new areas and species. But there are some places that I return to over and over again.....
.....Alaska, Hawaii, and New Zealand. I don't see myself ever growing bored and tired of any of those three.
I love to travel and hunt, and I love exploring new areas and species. But there are some places that I return to over and over again.....
.....Alaska, Hawaii, and New Zealand. I don't see myself ever growing bored and tired of any of those three.
What’s it like bringing a gun over ? Also I have hunted Hawaii a couple times but always nervous about bringing my own gun there looked like in Maui at least you had to register gun in 3 days of arival? But was also told there is an exemption in Hawaii on nr hunters for a period of time. If this derails this topic too much just ignore the questions
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