Thread: Advice for a new hunter - Tararuas

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

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.

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.

I have pulled deer out of Coal and Clem Streams many years ago. You don't have to walk for miles. Good luck!

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.

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 Micky Duck

never been there...BUT you planning 7-8hr walk....minimum....could be far more productive to walk for hour or two to good vantage point,stay UNSKYLINED and sit and let binoculars do the walking.....far better to walk couple of hours,look for another hour or two,move along a little more,look some more,hopefully find and shoot/recover animal and walk the 2 hours back....if you shoot animal 4 hours in,either way its a 4 hr carry back out....
take water,make a cuppa when you get bored looking,then look again..sooner or later animal will pop out.hopefully you can then plan how to get into range without being winded by animal....
good luck.

classic, you dont know the area, but are offering 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!

Originally Posted by scoped

classic, you dont know the area, but are offering advice.

really???????????? I dont drive a VW Beetle either but pretty sure could talk you through it...... my comment/advice was intended to make OP think about logistics and HOPEFULLY make them think about how to hunt area better than just ANOTHER armed tramp.....
maybe I should just stop offering advice fullstop???????????????? and leave it to you perhaps???????
and people wonder why folks dont bother posting anything anymore......maybe go watch utube clip of pissheads using thermal gear on public land is your idea of good advice.....its not mine......

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.....

Originally Posted by scoped

classic, you dont know the area, but are offering advice.

As it turns out this area has little opportunity for skylineing and you wont need to carry any water. ( maybe a small bot ifyou walk the full length of cone ridge. ) It good general advice MD butnotso applicable to the lower waiohine. I think when people ask about a particular area we should try and focus on that.