Thread: Advice for a new hunter - Tararuas

Hunting till last light and then finding your way out in the dark can be a bit nerve racking if you dont know the country. I would take a fly and sleeping bag and sleep where I finished hunting in the evening. Johnny on the spot for a morning hunt too

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Hunting till last light and then finding your way out in the dark can be a bit nerve racking if you dont know the country. I would take a fly and sleeping bag and sleep where I finished hunting in the evening. Johnny on the spot for a morning hunt too

Thanks mate in reality I was likely only going to get there for first light and stay until late afternoon before heading back as a first trip out, exactly as you said so I wouldn’t be walking out in the dark until I at least knew the route well. Plus with a 1 year old at home the wife would be blowing up if I spent all day/night out having fun haha 😂

Originally Posted by sharps no 1

Clems creek was a good spot years ago when deer were as scarce as rocking horse shit, a bit of a boulder hop in places but there were slips there that were always good for a bit of venison. You can sidle out on the cone side back to walls whare or cone hut or the other way towards makaka and further up river.

Awesome thanks for that mate really appreciate it, will give it a look when I head out, it’s a lot closer to my walk in spot so may a good option for me

Some good advice here. I have shot the odd deer in there over the years I agree. Totara Flats is a great place for a keen young hunter. First light on the flats opposite Sayers can be good value. Also good spots up any of the side creeks around the flats learning and checking slips etc. Just make sure your ability matches your hunting area and style. Small steps mate. Hunt the flats and slips at daylight and plan to be bush hunting from an hour or so after daylight for the rest of the morning. Late morning they are often up and feeding in the bush too. The Tarries are never that good on day hunts. Getting three hours in and staying overnight is always more profitable. Aorangis are also really good. Cheers

Here's a tip for a good keen man and now l can't do it any more l don't mind passing it on. Don't underestimate the true left from walls whare to totara flats. There was a track we cut back in the 60's and used till the 90's, pretty rough in places but every time we got the meat, pigs and deer. Every one hares off to the flats but sometimes the best place is right under yer nose. For those who don't know the true left is sposed to be looking downstream.

Walking the tracks is a good way to start in an area. Set your phone or gps to record your route in daylight and it will be handy when youre crashing through after dark on another trip. Your original idea to do the full cone ridge totara flats and out on the sidle track is a good one if youre quite fit and have some experience of tramping or mountain running. Im not sure what the route from cone saddle through the head of clem ck to makaka ck is like. To get to the flats from the road by first light you will need to leave by 4 AM. A waste of nice bush walking. A gentle walk up to totara flats and sayers hut and back to familiarise yourself with the area would be nice. Expect to see other people up there specially at dawn and dusk. Can you get someone to drop you off and do a through trip from holdsworth lodge to waiohine (walls whare). It would be the same length and extra interesting.

Google a couple of clearings close to each other off the beatn track.Get the wind right and sit and watch especilly the 1st and last hour of day light.Three hours walking at most all day.Six hours of watching and learning.Less walking and more watching.

Good thread this. Applicable to other areas

We probably need to get a few things straight

- if you are new to hunting, then the likes of the river flats of totara and tutwai cone would be the best places to start. a few km's of country can be covered and you will learn the most through the seasons about what the deer are up to. Navigationally not too hard.
- its not easy hunting, anywhere, the deer just arent standing there by the bushes ready to be shot. sometimes you get the odd easy one but for the most part it will be hard work, but you will feel great when you get back to the carpark with your 20kg load of meat, wet boots and sore shoulders and legs and you can say 'f-k yeah i actually did it!'

in terms of the hunting:
if you get terribly lost you can use the river to get back to the track/hut. stalk the flats for the first hour or 2 after daybreak, head in either direction so long as the wind is at your face. as others stated, the first 2-300 metres above the rivers are worth bush hunting.

what i usually do is go in for a scoping out mission which is just a tramp, walk along the tracks and put face to what the map shows. find where some sign is and whether the deer are there or not. then when i spot my favoured weather/wind pattern i will go back. its important to know your area, because say you shoot a deer late in the afternoon ( or after lunch in winter and you are far in) you could be walking out in the dark, having this prior knowledge you will feel more comfortable getting back to your camp or back to the carpark.

another good tactic would be after your early morning flats stalk would be to climb a ridge above said bush terraces, sidle across to another side spur and stalk back down. again, you can note which heights/bush types the sign is, food source, warmth etc

Originally Posted by scoped

We probably need to get a few things straight

- if you are new to hunting, then the likes of the river flats of totara and tutwai cone would be the best places to start. a few km's of country can be covered and you

what i usually do is go in for a scoping out mission which is just a tramp, walk along the tracks and put face to what the map shows. find where some sign is and whether the deer are there or not. then when i spot my favoured weather/wind pattern i will go back. its important to know your area, because say you shoot a deer late in the afternoon ( or after lunch in winter and you are far in) you could be walking out in the dark, having this prior knowledge you will feel more comfortable getting back to your camp or back to the carpark.

another good tactic would be after your early morning flats stalk would be to climb a ridge above said bush terraces, sidle across to another side spur and stalk back down. again, you can note which heights/bush types the sign is, food source, warmth etc

so you KNOW THE AREA...IDONT and said so...now do us both a favour and read what I typed...and compare it to what Ive left of what you have........and then laugh...cause its the SAME ADVICE.....

Really appreciate all the advice guys, I would say I’m fit but just not experienced in the hills so will take it easy with some shorter day trips initially to get an understanding of the area and what are some suitable spots. Awesome to get some specific areas to look into, will be sure report back here when I’m successful!

Originally Posted by Hg1990

Really appreciate all the advice guys, I would say I’m fit but just not experienced in the hills so will take it easy with some shorter day trips initially to get an understanding of the area and what are some suitable spots. Awesome to get some specific areas to look into, will be sure report back here when I’m successful!

I think we would like to hear how your trips went regardless!

Originally Posted by scoped

I think we would like to hear how your trips went regardless!

Haha of course!