Thread: Big Pig Marks - Riverhead Forest and other urban animals

We currently have a forestry crew there who are generally there from wee hours of the morning. They haven’t seen any sign in last 3 months as opposed to crew in woodhill who nearly hit a few on the drive in every morning. Who handles the pest control for riverhead - would guess it’s a no hunting zone?

I don’t think anyone does. It’s always had a few posssums lurking around.
Always plenty of dog walkers in there so any close to the roads get clobbered by the local Jack Russel’s 🤣

Has been thrashed by local pig hunters for years. You can’t get a hunting permit for the place so any pig hunters with a gun always keep them well out of sight.
In the 5 or so years I hunted it I never actually saw a deer, just their marks in certain areas.
The pigs in there are extremely hard to catch and you’ll pretty much never see any rooting etc up by the roads. They stay down in bottom of gullies, usually in a place where they can smell dogs coming.

This was my location FYI

yep. Deer prints along Rahanui/Campbell and at end of most skid tracks off those roads, and also further east/north between Escott/Spinlay, and in the mature pines between Whakatahi/Blake. Out there at least twice a week and see them every time.

You would have been on the gorsey/clay track between the newer plantings (with thick gorse/pampas) and more mature forest.

Been out there, with the dogs, for the past 10+ years
Never seen any deer or pigs, plenty of rabbits and fired shotty and 22 shells though.
I assume the locals spotlight the place ?
Rahanui Rd used to be my ‘go to’ but lately the whole forest has got a lot busier.
Never seen so many horse riders, mountain bikers and dog walkers.

Forestry. That area on the map Ive never been to. That whole side of the forest used to be known as “the nursery”. That is, strictly no hunting. It was an area for sows to have their litters in peace.
Was always a sad time for anyone caught intentionally hunting it.

Another walk today in a different area and more deer prints. Not far from Robinson road. A few interesting fungi also







Biggest pig I ever saw in there was on Old North Road early one morning in the cutover when I was driving to work.

I’ve done some culling work in Auckland and there is more around then most people realise

Out and about in Hunuas today and came across recent deer prints in two locations

Area had been 1080d about 6 months ago so they must have come back from nearby

was in riverhead saturday morning and saw heaps of hoof prints just up road from the where they're currently logging by the range, where it goes back into the forest then does some gentle ups and downs. Thought they were deer but couldve been pigs now I think about it as there was quite a lot of little prints.

Found a rub earlier this year at northern end of the forest. I'm 6'. Wouldn't mind catching up with him.

Forestry
Those marks in hunua will be pig.
I’ve pig hunted in there a lot last 15 or so years and have never seen a deer mark.
Having said that though a friend of mine saw a young stag at Wairoa dam early one morning once.
Every year the council fly the place on a frosty night with thermal gear looking for deer.
There has always been a lot of deer behind the 2 big quarries at Papakura and drury. There’s a corridor of scrub and bush from there to hunua ranges. The council hunters hammer this corridor to prevent deer establishing in the ranges.

Originally Posted by Maddoghunter

Forestry
Those marks in hunua will be pig.
I’ve pig hunted in there a lot last 15 or so years and have never seen a deer mark.
Having said that though a friend of mine saw a young stag at Wairoa dam early one morning once.
Every year the council fly the place on a frosty night with thermal gear looking for deer.
There has always been a lot of deer behind the 2 big quarries at Papakura and drury. There’s a corridor of scrub and bush from there to hunua ranges. The council hunters hammer this corridor to prevent deer establishing in the ranges.

The council and doc managed to get hunua goat free they reckon so the cullers would have shot any deer/pig they came across too.