Thread: First hunting trip to NW Ruahines

Morning All, at the start of the New Year I will be heading of on my first proper hunting trip, spending 4 days in the North West Ruahines, staying at Kawhatau Base with a couple of mates.

Just wondering who's hunted this area, what the terrain is like and what the animal numbers are like?

In the unlikely event that I actually bag a deer what is the best way to transport it back home? Roof, boot of truck, or chilly bin? (if I can get hold of one)

Sorry for the stupid questions, cheers.

Hi have you talked to the farmer bot going through the farm to get to the kawhiatau base as its my understanding that the farmer has close the road & no one can go through as the road is on private land & it s been closed for a few years I could be wrong but if you haven't talked ( know ) the farmer then it mite pay to ring to doc & found out diffently befor you come down

Kauwhatau has been closed for quite some time. I’d love to be proved wrong but pretty sure it’s still that way. It’s either a long walk from Mokai or a new spot.

Butcher your animal in the field. Bone it out and let the meat set in the shade or overnight (find the coolest spot with some airflow that you can find). Cover it so it doesn’t get fly blown. Get it home and refrigerated as soon as you can. You won’t get a whole animal out of there unless you shoot it in the car park. A deer on the roof is the domain of an epic pull through and is to be avoided.

Yip access shut unless in the know.You can walk up the river then up to the base . Real shame its shut up had a family Christmas up there a few years ago having BBQ and beers Xmas eve and a big velvet stag walked out on the hut clearing , kid wouldn't let me shoot it because it looked like Rudolph !!

Wow $60 per night for the hut

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-re...kawhatau-base/

From what my mate was saying, the road is closed off but he knows a farmer with some adjacent land so we should get access through his paddocks, should only be a 20-30 minute walk after that.
Sako - $60 is for sole use, and it has kitchen, bathroom, generator (I think)

Originally Posted by ArmourerMark

From what my mate was saying, the road is closed off but he knows a farmer with some adjacent land so we should get access through his paddocks, should only be a 20-30 minute walk after that.
Sako - $60 is for sole use, and it has kitchen, bathroom, generator (I think)

If you can get in there legitimately, I’d say go for it. What ever you do don’t put any of the meat in a plastic bag before it cools down properly.
Have fun good luck and write a report and post it up.

I have good luck keeping boned out meat double bagged in the stream with a cairn of rocks over it to keep it in place and keep the eels out.
I want a taxidermied boar to strap on the roof of my car whenever it pleases me.