Thread: Hunting in the Snow

Lovely spot up there!

Last time i was up there i shot a scrubby stag on the southern face of the triangle turn off, i should have spotted him earlier from the high point as i had taken a spell and was getting some photos but never thought to get my binos out.


Got to here and saw him trotting off as he was on to me well before i saw him, quickly took the shot and dropped him only to see the biggest Ruahine stag i have personally seen run over the shoulder at a high rate of knots heading towards the big Tarn


I bolted off after him with just my rifle only to watch him get further and further out of range, I don't think he stopped until he was in the Pourangaki



Camp on the Triangle turn off


Sun coming up over Te Hekenga


North to Maungamahue


Spectators!! there was a group of hinds up above me watching the whole thing play out and they were still there the next morning, i suspect they wanted to cross over into the Oroua but i was in their way

That stag must have damn near run through where we always camped.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

That stag must have damn near run through where we always camped.

Yep that's where i was originally heading & normally camp at to!

Nice photos,thanks.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Do you know where the track forks and cuts into the creek and then picks up on a spur onto the tops? Last time I was there it was getting overgrown but its good access.
For years there was a slasher we left in the Totora at the camp but I guess its gone now. And the hidden hut on the way up from Scanlon creek? Ever stumbled onto that?

Yes stumbled into the hut twice after losing the track on the way back down.
Definitely going to take my saw along. Lots of windfall last time I was up there.

I think thats where i went wrong didnt go to the creek and just bashed into leatherwood.

Might have to do a winter mission me thinks

Got caught up there in a blizzard up there back in the 70's. Wet snow is something a lot of overseas visitors struggle to understand. On a good day you can see both coasts from the Tops of the Tararuas or Ruahines. That close to the coasts, any snow stays wet, and keeps all your gear saturated and slightly below zero. Far from acting as an insulator as it can in Northern America and Europe, it acts as a refrigerator, pumping all the heat out of you.

Anywho, great day going in on Saturday. Not a bit of snow anywhere.

Half way though Saturday night the sound of the stream outside Triangle hut stopped... Its snowing heavily.

Up on the tops in a wet snow storm, howling southerly gale. Turn back to the hut after about 20 minutes after hitting the Tops...and our footprints had disappeared in less than 50 yards. Headed down out of the gale into the headwaters of the Mangawharariki stream. Stopped and built a snow shelter to which we attempted to attach our fly to. Thermal mats had only just become a 'thing', so only about half of us had them. So it was two people per sleeping bag, second bag thrown over the top, those with bivvie bags (Ha!!! big orange plastic bags to keep you wet all night from condensation) and we chattered and froze all through the night.

As soon as it was light we were up and out of there. Blue sky. Heaps of snow that only just took your weight, till you broke through and skinned your shins on it. 15 minutes of that and swap around and let someone else have a go and forging a path through the snow. An hour later a fixed wing flew over, spotted us, waggled its wings and buggered off. Our parents come to see how we were getting on!

Didn't stop at Rangi for long, as it was always a cold hole unless you spent considerable time foraging for firewood.

I think the Rangi Hut has been replaced at least twice since these photos were taken.

Originally Posted by Sika 8

Lovely spot up there!

Last time i was up there i shot a scrubby stag on the southern face of the triangle turn off, i should have spotted him earlier from the high point as i had taken a spell and was getting some photos but never thought to get my binos out.
Attachment 228771

Got to here and saw him trotting off as he was on to me well before i saw him, quickly took the shot and dropped him only to see the biggest Ruahine stag i have personally seen run over the shoulder at a high rate of knots heading towards the big Tarn
Attachment 228772

I bolted off after him with just my rifle only to watch him get further and further out of range, I don't think he stopped until he was in the Pourangaki
Attachment 228773
Attachment 228774

Camp on the Triangle turn off
Attachment 228775

Sun coming up over Te Hekenga
Attachment 228776

North to Maungamahue
Attachment 228777

Spectators!! there was a group of hinds up above me watching the whole thing play out and they were still there the next morning, i suspect they wanted to cross over into the Oroua but i was in their way
Attachment 228779

Your second photo. Not sure about now but 45 through to 25 years ago it always held velvet stags. There was a well defined track up out of the creek to those old slip/ feeding areas. I too saw the best Ruahine stag Ive seen on that face but he was in the velvet so we left him (it was after my meat hunting days).

Originally Posted by XR500

Got caught up there in a blizzard up there back in the 70's. Wet snow is something a lot of overseas visitors struggle to understand. On a good day you can see both coasts from the Tops of the Tararuas or Ruahines. That close to the coasts, any snow stays wet, and keeps all your gear saturated and slightly below zero. Far from acting as an insulator as it can in Northern America and Europe, it acts as a refrigerator, pumping all the heat out of you.

Anywho, great day going in on Saturday. Not a bit of snow anywhere.

Half way though Saturday night the sound of the stream outside Triangle hut stopped... Its snowing heavily.

Up on the tops in a wet snow storm, howling southerly gale. Turn back to the hut after about 20 minutes after hitting the Tops...and our footprints had disappeared in less than 50 yards. Headed down out of the gale into the headwaters of the Mangawharariki stream. Stopped and built a snow shelter to which we attempted to attach our fly to. Thermal mats had only just become a 'thing', so only about half of us had them. So it was two people per sleeping bag, second bag thrown over the top, those with bivvie bags (Ha!!! big orange plastic bags to keep you wet all night from condensation) and we chattered and froze all through the night.

As soon as it was light we were up and out of there. Blue sky. Heaps of snow that only just took your weight, till you broke through and skinned your shins on it. 15 minutes of that and swap around and let someone else have a go and forging a path through the snow. An hour later a fixed wing flew over, spotted us, waggled its wings and buggered off. Our parents come to see how we were getting on!

Didn't stop at Rangi for long, as it was always a cold hole unless you spent considerable time foraging for firewood.

I think the Rangi Hut has been replaced at least twice since these photos were taken.

Attachment 228804

Attachment 228805

Attachment 228806

That's insightful (bold underline, above)

Originally Posted by Sika 8

Lovely spot up there!

Last time i was up there i shot a scrubby stag on the southern face of the triangle turn off, i should have spotted him earlier from the high point as i had taken a spell and was getting some photos but never thought to get my binos out.
Attachment 228771

Got to here and saw him trotting off as he was on to me well before i saw him, quickly took the shot and dropped him only to see the biggest Ruahine stag i have personally seen run over the shoulder at a high rate of knots heading towards the big Tarn
Attachment 228772

I bolted off after him with just my rifle only to watch him get further and further out of range, I don't think he stopped until he was in the Pourangaki
Attachment 228773
Attachment 228774

Camp on the Triangle turn off
Attachment 228775

Sun coming up over Te Hekenga
Attachment 228776

North to Maungamahue
Attachment 228777

Spectators!! there was a group of hinds up above me watching the whole thing play out and they were still there the next morning, i suspect they wanted to cross over into the Oroua but i was in their way
Attachment 228779

Te hekenga & High Ridge rear right of photo

Camped up above Rangi hut back in May, there was a bit of snow around too, in hindsight a bit too much. was hoping for a nice sunny day and deer out enjoying the sun but woke up to more like a blizzard so had breaky and trudged on back to my ute. better luck next time!!

Its amazing how many people use that site, and yet in all mine and brothers trips up there, we never arrived to find it in use. That campsite could tell some stories of its own!

Wow. I too have thought of a bit tops snowy winter mission but it has yet to transpire. The excellent feedback here reminds me of an absolute freezing school trip to the Rushine in snow. And then I remembered the wet, slushy snow. Thanks to all for tracks cut long ago, the great stories and amazing photos. It is a stunning place indeed

Presumably you’ve put your knees and hips through a fair bit doing that. Are you still on your originals?

Originally Posted by Lauries Hut

Presumably you’ve put your knees and hips through a fair bit doing that. Are you still on your originals?

Only just. Dose myself up with anti-flams before I head out the door for a hunt. Grin and bear it in between hunts. Knees and a hip. Wrist. Arthritis. Had an X-ray for chest pains last week. Results were that I have a "healing" broken rib - that injury was 9 moths ago - I thought that would be well healed by now.