Best peaks/slips/flats parks for glassing? (keen to try this out over bush stalking)

Back2Hunt....4 posts....Auckland....worked on a deer farm.....You sound keen.....Just go and do it like has been said or go and hire a guide if you are not confident?

Just like anyone else....We drove the car to spot "x" on DOC land....About half way between Wellington and Auckland....Put the tent/fly up not far away from where we parked the car....and a deer was shot "x" meters away from the campsite...big deal.

About a week ago i drove the car to spot "x".....I parked the car.....had a short walk and photographed some deer.....May put the photo/s up in the previous post "Wellington Slackers"

How many deer are there in New Zealand? It would be interesting to know?
NASA radar technology such as FINDER....Finding Individuals For Disaster and Emergency Response and other NASA satellite imaging technology? Perhaps this "Wild animal data" is known already within New Zealand government departments?

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Originally Posted by stug

There have probably never been more deer in NZ than now. Most places will have deer. Just pick a spot and go. If no deer first time, give it a couple more goes then try elsewhere if no luck. Make sure you stay right till dark or get there before first light if hunting the morning

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Was thinking about deer numbers last night, at present would be the easiest time in the last 50 years for new or inexperienced hunter to achieve. Deer are there for the ones who can get off the couch.

Around Kime, people die of hypothermia.
The other main causes of death in the NZ mountains are are river crossings and falls.

Look at the mountain safety council web site and see if you can buy a paper copy of the bushcraft manual.
https://www.mountainsafety.org.nz/le...urces/manuals/
Planning and deciding whether to turn back are the key survival skills.

Shoot every hind you see, anywhere, at any time of year. Even if it is shoot to waste.

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Originally Posted by Bagheera

Around Kime, people die of hypothermia.
The other main causes of death in the NZ mountains are are river crossings and falls.

Look at the mountain safety council web site and see if you can buy a paper copy of the bushcraft manual.
https://www.mountainsafety.org.nz/le...urces/manuals/
Planning and deciding whether to turn back are the key survival skills.

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Id have thought anyone looking to do this has done courses or learnt from elders etc. All I can imagine is they were under prepared (either wrong sleeping gear or possibly wet gear and nothing dry)? Is very sad but at same time it makes me think how similar it is to free diving. Mother nature will get you if you are not prepared and experienced. Thanks for that info. One thing I take everywhere on water or in the bush is my PLB on my person.

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Originally Posted by gimp

Shoot every hind you see, anywhere, at any time of year. Even if it is shoot to waste.

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Was only worried about shooting a preggers with a soon to pop fawn. How does the meat on youngns up to yearlings taste?

I also like Rabbits, big fan of rabbit meat. But need to get friendly with some local farmers. Eventually I hope to own a lifestyle working farm (ie pays for my existance mainly). But was looking at a bach in the Malborough sounds and thought dang thats nice. 4 hectares, a nice house with little work needed and my own berth for a small performance catamaran. If I could do both that would be ripper, with those gorgeous hills above Nelson lakes seeming to provide a fair number of deer action.

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Originally Posted by Back2Hunt

Id have thought anyone looking to do this has done courses. All I can imagine is they were under prepared? Is very sad but at same time it makes me think how similar it is to free diving. Mother nature will get you if you are not prepared and experienced. Thanks for that info.

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It happens to experienced people too, my mrs knew the lady in the last couple on this list. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113...enced-trampers

as has been said, Tararuas and Ruahines have plenty of tops (and peaks)
Tararuas have extensive open tops, in the central range, take 2 days to get there, often. more accessible places near roadends, like Otaki forks, Holdsworth easier to get to but more people about
plenty of leatherwood, to.

Ruahines have more open tops, are higher than the Tarries. steep in places.
deer numbers higher, also.
central range can be accessed in a day, in many places.
IMO camping out is best there

need to be fit, for both.
wouldnt say deer numbers higher than ever, 1930s,40s were much more about. cleaned out most of the tastey vegetation.
Tararuas 1080'd last winter, so might be bit quiet there for a while
lot of huts, no need to camp, often

be prepared to go out before daylight, and back well after dark
check the MSC Plan My walk app
https://planmywalk.nz/home

might not have places your going, but worth reading re conditions, gear etc
pay attention to the weather forcasts
often when winds are forcast to be strong, they will actually be gale force, and dangerous. especially the tararuas
Tararuas have most deaths in NZ for hypothermia, and is a "hotspot" for SAR in the country

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Originally Posted by Back2Hunt

Was only worried about shooting a preggers with a soon to pop fawn

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Don't worry about it. It's an arbitrary concern. Deer die of many things and none of them want to die of anything. It's silly to care about. The deer doesn't care when or how it dies, but we as hunters need to make more effort to contribute to management or we'll lose the social license to maintain huntable populations of wild animals.

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Originally Posted by Tararuas hunter

as has been said, Tararuas and Ruahines have plenty of tops (and peaks)

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Ive found so many open spots its just not worth going past central districts. I like the look of the area north off Ruapehu on the Tongariro, does that produce many deer? Then you could almost pack the car up, head to the lower Kaimanawa tops, if no good B line to the Kaweka tops. A lot of high country action. Not so keen on the sound of 1080 areas for a while though so probably Kaweka and low Kaimanawa would be the go I think for me.

Fitness is what Im working on now. Had an accident Im still recovering from, so trying to follow the drills some of the kiwi guys put on youtube. Luckily got hills around me to train on.

Obviously the closest and easiest for me would be the Kaimais. But not sure if there is open high country as Ive always been in the bush there.

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Originally Posted by gimp

hunters need to make more effort to contribute to management or we'll lose the social license to maintain huntable populations of wild animals.

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Amen to that. IMO need to see them beyond food, of course respect any animal that dies to keep us going, I do that with fish, people spend forever with them, some even just chuck them in the bin live, mine get the iki immediately. But with deer they are a pest. IMO we need to be part conservationists for the beautiful small parcel of real NZ we are left with and given number are high (maybe not like the mass culls of the 30s etc) I see your perspective and agree. Wondering how tasty a 3 month old would taste haha. Im following the lamb theory.

Have got most of my gear as I do environmental work, so a lot of its there already. Merino is my friend. Im thinking rifle wise something like a Tikka 3x. Not sure if there are any other affordable options, I always like to be slightly different haha. But Ive seen them and they look good for the price. Looks like Ive got enough money for all the gear I need after insurance from my crash but cant afford everything top of the range. Thinking merino layers and something like one of the simple hunting and fishing smocks. Will put some blue camo high viz somwhere. They seem to keep the majority of drizzle out but breath, where my hard shell jacket is both noisy and its not the best for letting the sweat out, its ok and will do for the times it starts bucketing down where Im likely to be in my bag or in a hut.

Thanks everyone, Im pretty confident, Ive done this before, is sort of like riding a bicycle. Im sure doing some leg work I will get to know my own areas.

Waipakihi Hut, follow the river in from the end of the road 8-12 hours. Choice. For the Kaweka, Mackintosh Hut. 2-3 hours. From there I can literally explore all the high country huts and try and find some good spots.

Legal access and land ownership is shown on the walking access NZ web site
set the base map to topo
Here is Otaki Forks
"clear" areas where you can see the contours are private land
One of these squiggly lines is a farm/logging track and the other two are river beds that would have had farmable flats. In most places river beds are public land but not quite all.
magenta is public roads (not all formed, some just legal "paper roads")
Light green is Reserve. Check if your DoC hunting permit covers it. Sometimes you can get a permit.
The dull green is standard Doc land, generally covered by a hunting permit.
Attachment 186888

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Originally Posted by Bagheera

Legal access and land ownership is shown on the walking access NZ web site
set the base map to topo
Attachment 186888

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Thank you very much. Its quite similar to the DOC maps but you can overlay everything which now means I do not have to go back and forth between the DOC maps and Google earth. So lets take Raukumara, if I stick to the public/doc identified on this mapping system, I will avoid pissing anybody off by straying across Iwi land or private blocks?

Still having a go with the tool to see how I can use it. Do a lot of people use it when out and about? I sold my Garmin handheld. Im wondering what the best map would be to use via GPS on your phone? In saying that the better half has tough tablets for their GIS work so I could "borrow" one of those. I will always carry a printed map and compass however.

Just a post on the safety of Tongariro. Good video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inmO...nSafetyCouncil

With it being so busy with hikers all year round, I dont think the main area would hold a lot? Im thinking the flats north that move on toward the bush edge might be better.

But so far I see the Kaimanawa and Kaweka as the better highland peak hunts.....

Which of the NI forests hold more Reds than Sika?

All of them less the kawekas and maybe the kaimanawa. Theirs alot of deer round at the moment go for a look mate the ruahines is a great time were 0ff f0r a week on the 4th cant blimen wait

Sika dominate in Kaimanawa and Kawekas. Reds everywhere else. Good luck. It sounds like you are a bit rusty so don't expect a Deer first trip. Also it might pay to get some shooting practice in. A rangefinder is a must have for open tops hunting. Be sure to post a trip report.