Akatarawa Forest

G'day all,

I've been marching about in the Ronga's (Rimutaka Forest Park) with my bow looking to put my dent in the goat population. I was onto a herd a while back for a couple of weeks and there must've been some culling going on because I found a couple of them (carcasses) recently in close proximity rotting away. I've taken down a young lone billy since then but I'm thinking I'll have to just try somewhere new and give up on that herd (probably all shot out).

The Akatarawas are a little further North and looks pretty good on the satellite map (bit closer to the road, not as much hard hiking as the Ronga's). Not sure what's in there though as I'd be starting all over again in a new area.

Anyone seen any sign of critters or am I wasting my time? It's difficult to gauge the numbers as DoC is pretty vague about what's where and how many.

I know there's a fair amount of private lands on the borders and I don't want to be wandering near the farmer's lands either--that risk is non-existent in the Ronga's

Cheers,
Will


P.S Anyone with a dog in the Wellington area is free to take that aforementioned billy out of my freezer. I just took the 4 legs and left the rest but he's not going to be a good eater for humans. Only 3-4kgs but meat is meat!

Permit to hunt Akas is from WRC

They used to give out the best map too for trail riders
Call em up and ask for a -free- trailbike permit. They post it out with a good map of all the trails there

Got onto a mob of goats there a couple of years back up Hydro rd and around the forestry area but no idea what has happened to them these days

There doing a chopper op at the moment in all the GWRC blocks including the Akatarawa's, hence the caucuses. Hunting wise its really hard going in there with thick bush and low animal numbers etc. Goat wise i don't think theres a lot through the park, i've only come across them in the northern part from the Kapiti side. If your wanting more productive goat haunts i'd head to the south eastern side of the Rimutakas in the first instance or into Otaki forks.