Thread: Advice for someone from Across the ditch coming to Nz to hunt som Red deer

Originally Posted by Timp

what equipment is typically needed for camping out for a hunt?

Tents, food, sleeping bags i'm guessing

and I'm not certain but i believe its quite difficult these days to fly in with our own rifles, does anyone know if this is the case?

Firstly, welcome to the forum mate. Heaps of good advice passed on to you already so far by everyone who's replied.

I'm a fellow Aussie (now living in the top of the south) and trying to do the same for my old man, get him over here for as much hunting as he can handle before he can't.
Shoot me a private message if you like, always happy for a yarn but here's my input after 5 years of living here and getting going hunting.

- If you plan things well with the weather, a tarp and sleeping bag good for a comfy night slightly either side of freezing will be all you need. If you can't help what the weather is doing and want to be out there anyway, just like in Tassie you could get all four seasons in an arvo, end up wet to the bone so a solid (but backpackable) tent is the go.

- You can apply for a visitors firearms license but it has to be done no later than 4 months before you plan to arrive in NZ (I think they are valid for a year?)

- Winter hunting for Reds is extremely difficult, never mind the temperature/conditions challenge. The animals move very little from their yarding areas in the bush and this is the time of year that rookies like me will blunder around smelling a hut on the clearing outside the hut but not seeing a damn thing, while a seasoned kiwi bush stalker will shoot one in the same patch of bush that he's been shooting deer for twenty years. Spring to Autumn is best.

- Get a copy of Red Deer in New Zealand (https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/search?s...0new%20zealand) and if possible, Stalking the Seasons Round by the Roger Saxton and Frank Lentle. The latter is out of print and hard to come by, but maybe another forum member may be able to part with a copy. I reckon those two books have potentially saved me from years of learning it the hard way...

- Helicopters are great but they can cost an arm and a leg if you are flying outside of their busy times or to somewhere far off. If you want to do a fly in trip its cheapest to be doing it for a roar ballot period because the chopper is already running, but a one off trip could be a more expensive flight for the chopper company. They have to get landing concessions from DOC etc and this all ends up getting passed on to you.
There are definitely places you can go on foot that few bother to walk in to during the year but come the roar everybody flies in.

- Download the NZtopo50 south island map to your phone, if you haven't already.

Anyway, feel free to get in touch with me directly mate - I'll help out any way I can, and might be able to hook you up with a set of wheels to get around in if you choose to hunt the top of the south.