First time New Zealand hunting - August / September

Hello everyone,

as this is my first post in the forum I'll give a short introduction first:

I'm 26 and live in Hamburg (Germany) and have been hunting for about three years now. Main species we hunt in the area I am active in are roe deer (hunt starts the day after tomorrow :cool:), wild boar and fallow, as well as smaller animals like hare, fox and all sorts of birds... For a much longer time I've been into the whole outdoor / trekking / tramping thing which I did in quite a few parts of the world. From 2005 to 2006 I did a Work&Travel in New Zealand and got to know a lot of the country which was basically all very impressive working in all kinds of environments and jobs. Especially working on the Mesopotamia Station (if anyone knows???) was definitely a lifetime experience!

The reasons I post here is the following: At the moment I have nothing to do until my studies start again in October and I was thinking about going back to New Zealand in the meantime to get the possibility to combine tramping / hiking with hunting. If we hunt in Germany we get in the car, drive to the hide, sit there for a few hours and then drive back. It's very nice but still I guess that the way the hunt takes place in New Zealand is completely different and a way that I would like to get to know. If everything works out I woukld like to stay most of the time on the South Island, mainly beginning of August until end of September.

Therefore I have a couple of questions which I hope you can give me advice on:

- How about the weather in that period? I understand that the season would be end of winter / beginning of spring. When I was in New Zealand in 2005 I was in the North Island at that time, but how is it in the South? As the mountains are not so high, what about the snow? I don't mind a bit of snow and temperatures below 0°C, but if there are metres of snow etc. I guess hunting would not be possible.

- How likely is it for me, given my lack of "local intelligence" to get to the right places to be able to hunt some animals? I am definitely not the "trophy hunter", but I would just like to walk out in the montains and look for animals. I don't have a big preference for any species, as for me its more the experience than the type of animal or trophy.

- I would probably be on my own as my friend with whom I was planning won't be able to join me. Maybe there are people here who would want to join me for a hunt?

- I understand that the regulations are very hunter-friendly so I guess I won't have a big problem? Declaring my gun at the airport, buying a hunting permit at the DOC and thats it, right??

Well, I guess a lot of more questions will be comping up the more certain this whole "project" will be, but I would just like to get some general input from you, if you think that this is crazy and I will most likely not be able to see any animals or whether this could be feasible...

Looking forward for some feedback!
thanks,
Jan

Welcome to the forum Chenin. the South Island would certainly provide you with opportunity to hunt multiple species of animal. Permits to hunt on DoC land do not cost anything so focus on getting your rifle in to the country and the permit will the be a matter of getting on line and down loading a permit. there are a lot of forum members in the South Island that I am sure will point you in the right direction.

Cant help much with the south but there will be someone here who can. Good luck.

Hi Chenin, pretty much what Rushy said, just a note on weather, it can still be very cold down there at that time, snow levels will come and go just need to pick the weather - I recommend a friendly local to get you started

August, time on your hands and really fit I assume?

A hut pass from DoC which lasts 12 months and as many hut visits as you like in the right grade of hut. Permits are online and free for all the doC areas. A note here, I think August is still off season for the major tracks. So you have got a lot of very handy huts around Fiordland and no trampers to deal with ;) The gas is turned off in them for the off season so you need cooking gear and a sleeping bag. Done. This opens up some very cool area's that hold deer and you can travel real light.
Be warned though, some people can't handle the bush down there as it's pretty intense in places, shooting deer at under ten metres.
The weather will do what it does, but snow won't be any kind of a major problem down low. If you do get some as a rule it will be gone in a day or two.

Dusky track (serious track) Access by boat and can take you over to one of the sounds.
Lake Alabaster/Horoko Access to track end via car
Lake Monowai Access to track end via car
Kepler track Access to track end via car
Back Valley Access via rowboat from Manapouri (This opens up a lot of ground)

This list right here is easily 3-4 weeks worth. Easily. And you can live out of DoC huts for the whole thing.

PS: Get a hold of Norway, he might have some good tips for you coming from over that way.

Welcome Chenin, enjoy your adventure 'mein freund' Im sure you will have a great time down there.....

Hello and thanks for the welcome!

At the moment I am beginnig to click through all the information which is available on the DOC website which seems great to me, especially the topographic map. I also have a Lonely Planet "Tramping New Zealand" flying around somewhere which I need to dig out.

So you mean that there won't be big snow for a longer period, even on the east side of the southern alps?

I will take a full tramping package with small tent & cooker with me. Even if I will definitely use the huts, I also want the possibility to be independent and go to some places further away from huts etc.

Is the SpotX Guide for hunting worth purchasing or are the places mentioned there "over-hunted"? I thought of buying it to get a better impression about on which areas to focus my stay.

Question regarding the equipment: Is the 8x57IS a common caliber in New Zealand?? That what I use here in Germany and I would like to use the same gun in New Zeland, even though its a big heavy and has a very big scope :-(

@wirehunt: Thanks for the tips, I will check out some maps etc. about the locations, I just remember from my last trip that the "dusky track" was THE wilderness experience in New Zealand...

Any more tips and informations are very much appreciated.

I've read somewhere that it is common for hunters in New Zealand to use a helicopter to get to more remote places. That sounds really cool, how much does it approximately cost?? I guess the pilots will also have good tips on hunting spots!?

The very big scope will be no use to you in Fiordland unless you hit the tops. I wouldn't bother doing that, they have had a hard time from the choppers doing venison recovery and that is also the spot you get some serious weather.

Ring Malcolm and Sue at Mesopotamia and speak to them

Thanks for the comments. Regarding the helicopter: I meant using the helicopter only as a means of transport to get to remote places, not hunting / shooting from the helicopter or something like that. The scope is a zeiss 3-12 x 56 which is good for night hunting, but weights heavy (total weight of gun + scope 4,5kg (~9 pounds 14oz)).. so probably not the best choice.

Another tip I got was the Nelson Lakes NP, as the weather might not be so severe as in the Fjordland.

Nelson lakes is a fantastic area.
Reasonable numbers of deer but you will want to be looking in the bush;) a few Cham and pigs also.

You won't want to be caught on the tops in bad weather anywhere in the south island.

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

have a think on what you want to get on to also. youve got tahr,chamoi,red,fallow,wapiti,pigs,goats,roos. thats just the beastes that you cant carry in one hand. you will have to keep a eye out for moa in the back country . good pair of binos and wet weather gear are a good idea also. maybe able to get out for a hunt

I just ordered a copy of the SpotX Guide, I hope the purchase was worth it, but at least I get a good overview on the weres and hows... Anyone of you has experience with GunCity in Christchurch? I will probably buy a gun from them and then take it home to Germany afterwards. I am thinking about a Tikka T3 lite with a Leupold VX2 3-9x40... Are there public shooting ranges near christchurch I could visit??

Apart of the gun, I have most of the gear ready.. Binocular (Leica 10x32), tent, sleeping bag, clothes, etc...

What do you mean with keeping an eye out for moa??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chenin

I just ordered a copy of the SpotX Guide, I hope the purchase was worth it, but at least I get a good overview on the weres and hows... Anyone of you has experience with GunCity in Christchurch? I will probably buy a gun from them and then take it home to Germany afterwards. I am thinking about a Tikka T3 lite with a Leupold VX2 3-9x40... Are there public shooting ranges near christchurch I could visit??

Apart of the gun, I have most of the gear ready.. Binocular (Leica 10x32), tent, sleeping bag, clothes, etc...

What do you mean with keeping an eye out for moa??

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Chenin, GunCity are quite expensive so it would pay to shop around for such a generic combination as aT3 lite with a Leupold scope as you could easily find a better price. I will leave it to a Christchurch based forum member to point you in a right direction there and to answer the question about a range. As to the Moa comment, that is a large flightless bird that is long since extinct so the likelihood of you encountering one is quite remote...... (but then you never know as stranger things have happened) ha ha ha ha

no they are still about , seen one by the bealey pub up arthurs pass way. ... also a plb(emergency locator beacon )just in case it goes tits up and you need help. you can hire them Beacons | Rent a Beacon .

Hi Chenin, there is a public night at the local hand-loaders association range every tuesday night near the international airport $15 per shooter. Range only goes out to 75m though but it is a start. The Deerstalkers assn open their range (right next door) one saturday per month dates can be found here: NZDA North Canterbury Homepage then click on public events- $20 per non member. You can sight in to 200m there.
I have a couple of contacts in smaller firearms shops in ChCh so can probably find you a cheaper T3 setup than at Gun city. (Good choice with the T3 lite i have one in 7mm08). Feel free to PM me. Cheers, Richie.