Yeti GOBOX Collection

New Zealand Research

Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
282
Location
Dillon/Helena MT
So i was looking at websites today about hunting in NZ and see that almost all of the outfitters i have found only guide estate or fenced hunts... which is fine but thats not what i want to do. I would consider doing a private land free range unguided or possibly a public land semi guided just because its so different from what i know but i really cant find much information.
I know some of you on here have lots of NZ experience and some of you are residents so i thought i would ask... is there a way to hunt NZ with a outfitter who would do an unguided or semi guided free range hunt? Just so I would have a little help as far as where and how? I would even be open to private lands ( I guess ) as long as it is free range but am not sure if this is much of a thing in NZ.
It seems that all outfitters i have found seem to be focused on penned hunts for giant famed stag that you buy in advance or helicopter hunting for tahr.

I would like to hunt the deer species of NZ someday in the not too distant future and I don't care if I shoot one, or if i were to shoot a tiny one, as long as its not in a pen and I would really like to see something when I go, I want adventure in a new country not a guarantee that i will shoot something. :cool:

Any ideas or suggestions for a very unknowledgeable person?
 
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MT, I hunted NZ 10+ years ago. thee was a Chopper pilot in Hasst (South Island). I think his name was Morgan ? But they would take you up and drop you off. You can pretty much google "Helicopter Pilots" from NZ and talk to any about dropping you off. There are some true NZ Cowboys out there. We did a Drop camp and took some that way. Tough country.... Tough !

We were focused on Chamois and Thar though.
 
I'm not a guide but happy to help with your New Zealand trip.

If you did travel to NZ I can point you in the right direction or take you out for a hunt if the timing works. I bow hunt public land all over NZ for deer (wapiti, sika & red), chamois and tahr and get a few animals but no big heads. If you are fit, and put the effort in, you should be able to get a deer, tahr and chamois unguided on public land.

I'm hunting WY in Sept and would be happy to meet up and discuss your plans if you are any where near Jackson / Dubois at this time.
 
So i was looking at websites today about hunting in NZ and see that almost all of the outfitters i have found only guide estate or fenced hunts... which is fine but thats not what i want to do. I would consider doing a private land free range unguided or possibly a public land semi guided just because its so different from what i know but i really cant find much information.

Any ideas or suggestions for a very unknowledgeable person?

So many options for a hunter who is keen to go self guided over there. Animals are not easy and very switched on as they are potentially being hunted 12 months of the year. Most of the americans i have taken out over there find it hard to adjust to hunting critters so switched on in very challenging habitat. Have realistic expectations on animals, sizes and conditions, give yourself plenty of time, research a lot and go climb some hills.

A self guided hunt in the alps, successful or not for me would be twice the experience of a guided hunt and 3 times as rewarding, no matter what result. If guys can backpack and hunt elk in wilderness country then NZ is doable.





I'm not a guide but happy to help with your New Zealand trip.


I'm hunting WY in Sept and would be happy to meet up and discuss your plans if you are any where near Jackson / Dubois at this time.

Good offer bloke, always nice to have a keen hunter on the ground with lots of experience to fire questions at. If you need any extra advice shoot us a pm and i also might be able to help answer questions.

good luck
brad
 
canterbury thar hunting guide(john royle)nz
punch that into your computer
also join us here on the nz hunting&fishing forum for any help you may need

as previously stated ya just gotta be FIT
 
No sorry Les, no post yet. Will do ASAP thou. West coast ended up more R & R as my son ended getting pretty sick, so did some waterfowl and laid low.
 
Neat post - often thought of AK, or Africa, but this might be my bucket list hunt!
Sister was there and met some blokes who hunt!
Wish she would have married one???
 
Sorry to revive an old thread but: anybody got any recent recs for helicopter pilots or other "drop camp" type hunts on public land? I'm just starting out my research but planning on going mid-March 2020 for hopefully two full weeks. Bowhunting, not interested in size of animal, I just want to experience the mountains and hopefully connect on an animal or two. Particularly interested in Tahr, Fallow/Red/Sika Deer, Pigs.
 
You could try James Scott 03 751 0853.

Just tell James what you are looking for and he will recommend a good area.

Suggest you prioritise your species and target one or two Eg if your top species is tahr you should head to Tahr country and you’ll have a chance of chamois and maybe deer.

Recommend you head to the South Island as it has the species you listed except sika.

Don’t underestimate the weather and terrain, it’s different than North America. Plan your hunts around the weather forecast.
 
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Thanks, I'll call James tomorrow! Definitely planning on flying into Christchurch and hunting from there. Totally makes sense on focusing species efforts: I'll probably try to do one week focused on deer and one week focused on Tahr. Probably in that order so I get a bit more in shape during the deer hunt and have a bit better time hiking around the mountains for the Tahr 😂 Will definitely take the weather into account though. Thanks!
 
Regarding the weather, its a good idea to have multiple hunt plans. When I hunt tahr I have a plan for the west coast (great weather forecast), east coast (if the forecast is average) or no hunting (bad forecast). The west coast refers to the western side of the Alps.

I'm flying to Christchurch tomorrow (from Wellington) for a backpack tahr hunt for a few days and will post a report. If you like what you see, PM me and I'll share the trip location and relevant details.
 
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Cam,,my friend rang today from geraldine,,says snow is low on the downs(just slightly west of geraldine)went down there early nov last year and it was all white as,,had to stay in a hut as the snow was very wet
 
Les, just got back from my hunt. Weather was great and snow high enough it wasn’t a problem.
 
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