Forum Spot Burning

[30.06king]

I'm old school. Hunting is simply that hunting.
To hunt out and work out where they are oneself.
I don't want to be told where to go, or a hot spot or location.
I'll tell someone a general area eg Urewera, Kaimanawa etc but that's it.
It always puzzles me when people ask about specific information on a spot.
Half the fun of hunting a new location is the unknown and uncertainty.
Its an adventure trying to work out best routes by trial and error and making mistakes and generally trying to piece everything together ones self.
It makes any success that much more enjoyable and rewarding.
Especially if its a one off hunt like a ballot block or a once in a lifetime trip.
Being told before hand, would for me take away some of the mystery and excitement.
Doesn't matter if success isn't achieved, as seeing new country and experiencing the newness of it all makes the hunt challenging and rewarding enough not a kill.
So many people want to be practically led to an animal or the GPS coordinates of where they may see some. That's not hunting, that's gathering.
I don't care if a trip to a new spot doesn't reward me with a kill. If its too my liking and peaks my curiosity then I know success will eventually follow. Maybe not straight away, but if you follow basic fundamentals of hunting and piece together learnings from subsequent trips then success will eventually be a give in. If its a one time only trip and I didn't kill anything then no loss. Hunting is like that sometimes otherwise it would be called shooting.
It seems modern day "Hunters" are more about instant gratification and social media likes than the processes involved to make a successful hunt.
I think I've mentioned in a previous post Im a bit of a weirdo. I just like the process of working out a hunting location myself rather than having somebody else's hard work given to me. It defeats the definition of the word hunting in my opinion.
PS Everybody does what they do how they do it. I don't expect others to do it my way, its just the way I roll. That way any success is all mine and not attributed to others. That would dilute the experience for me.
And before anyone asks, yes I have taken new people hunting and yes have helped others achieve initial success.

Great attitude and well explained. I like it

[woods223]

When it involves public land areas I don’t have any problem sharing info about animal numbers or general locality but not usually on public forums. As others have alluded to there are individuals out there who want results for minimal effort but that’s just how some people swing. There’s also others that take advantage of the info and effectively rape an area or broadcast the info far and wide. That’s a risk you take. Public forums may not be the best place to share specific locality or animal information but that’s individual choice. Occasionally it doesn’t hurt to share basic info to help someone out on forums such as this one. For instance, I didn’t have a problem passing along some general info to someone recently about hunting the Long Gully block on Molesworth. After 50+ years of venturing onto this and neighbouring stations I don’t mind sharing a bit of info, especially now that two of them are under DOC stewardship. It’s up to each individual to decide how much if any information they share, whether it be on a public forum or face to face situation.

[Happy Jack]

I am often out looking for animals at the least once a month if not more often in summer, am I successful? Not often, do I have fun and enjoy the backcountry? Yes, would I appreciate a bit of advice occasionally? Of course.

If its offered its certainly appreciated, if it isn't well I'm still going to go out anyway because if I don't go its only my fault.

I have had advice from members here but always in a PM and it helped me find animals but I still had to do the hard yards and get boots on the ground.

[andyanimal31]

Quite often I get asked and I point them at general areas around here (doc land)
If they want to shoot easy ones tied to a fence they pay the going rate.
Some people have been offended that I send them to places that money changes hands for an easy deer.
Go figure!

Sent from my SM-A556E using Tapatalk

[Micky Duck]

Wallabies I'm more than happy to point out where folks can go and shoot a few...the expectation of that experience is where it gets tangled. I don't have access to fifty- hundred animals a day blocks...if I did they soon wouldn't be.... But if you prepared to walk,watch and then shoot quickly I can normally put folks into area they will at very least get half dozen OPPORTUNITIES to shoot a wallaby. What folks do when they get to block is weird sometimes,some listen to suggestions and do ok.othets don't and say no animals there. I don't tell folks where to go for a deer in fine detail but will make broad suggestions. As has been said by others,it's finding them and sussing out area that's big/huge part of the hunt.

[XR500]

Can you recommend somewhere to shoot a trophy stag with the minimal effort on my part required?

Yip. Last time I went for a wander there was a monster stag cruising about. But was a bit beyond the range of my .222

This is pretty close to where I saw him: 43.5950° S, 170.1418° E

[308]

I'm old school. Hunting is simply that hunting.
To hunt out and work out where they are oneself.
I don't want to be told where to go, or a hot spot or location.
I'll tell someone a general area eg Urewera, Kaimanawa etc but that's it.
It always puzzles me when people ask about specific information on a spot.
Half the fun of hunting a new location is the unknown and uncertainty.
Its an adventure trying to work out best routes by trial and error and making mistakes and generally trying to piece everything together ones self.
It makes any success that much more enjoyable and rewarding.
Especially if its a one off hunt like a ballot block or a once in a lifetime trip.
Being told before hand, would for me take away some of the mystery and excitement.
Doesn't matter if success isn't achieved, as seeing new country and experiencing the newness of it all makes the hunt challenging and rewarding enough not a kill.
So many people want to be practically led to an animal or the GPS coordinates of where they may see some. That's not hunting, that's gathering.
I don't care if a trip to a new spot doesn't reward me with a kill. If its too my liking and peaks my curiosity then I know success will eventually follow. Maybe not straight away, but if you follow basic fundamentals of hunting and piece together learnings from subsequent trips then success will eventually be a give in. If its a one time only trip and I didn't kill anything then no loss. Hunting is like that sometimes otherwise it would be called shooting.
It seems modern day "Hunters" are more about instant gratification and social media likes than the processes involved to make a successful hunt.
I think I've mentioned in a previous post Im a bit of a weirdo. I just like the process of working out a hunting location myself rather than having somebody else's hard work given to me. It defeats the definition of the word hunting in my opinion.
PS Everybody does what they do how they do it. I don't expect others to do it my way, its just the way I roll. That way any success is all mine and not attributed to others. That would dilute the experience for me.
And before anyone asks, yes I have taken new people hunting and yes have helped others achieve initial success.

Not a weirdo or if you are then that is at least two weirdos who have the same attitude

[whanahuia]

Yip. Last time I went for a wander there was a monster stag cruising about. But was a bit beyond the range of my .222

This is pretty close to where I saw him: 43.5950° S, 170.1418° E

Longitude and latitude. ReallY??????

GPS pin required these days.

[H.M]

Its public land, this secretive shit doesn't sit well with me, and it makes us hunter's look all bitchy and moany. If you want to put it out there and tell people where you are thats everyone’s personal choice. I don't hide it, as someone else will most likely be hunting that spot the next day or weekend anyway. Just get out and enjoy and share if you want to and don't share if you don't want to. Simple.

[Tahr]

It's easy to be liberal about this topic while there are heaps of deer everywhere and there is no price on their head. Being generous with information is painless.

It would be a different story if they were worth money again, they were being hammered from the skies, they were getting scarce and access was getting closed-up. That was how it used to be and everyone was pretty tight lipped. The blabbers got pulled into line pretty quickly. A few of you chaps would have a black eye.

Context is everything.

[whanahuia]

Humour aside, the hunting landscape is changing. There a re a lot of horror stories around the access to information/Social media etc and hunting.

One anecdote told to me recently was, Locals were dismayed after one TV show depicted a promising stag being left but identified where it was and the result was a whole heap of added pressure too the area and a dead stag as well as a number of other young stags shot by parties who flew in and didn't wish to go home empty handed.

My heart was just recently broken when I saw a very remote spot I hunt and put some effort into route finding to get too it, displayed in all its glory by a hunting influencer Including enough info to get there. Fair enough in some ways as the guy obviously did the same work as I and it's down to him what he chooses to show. But I fear it will become the new Bluewater route, which has now become a state highway for influencers and others. Every second West Coast video seems to be from there.

I'll happily give an aspiring hunter some tips and tell him spots that are worth trying. But I keep some locales too myself as well. Its situational.

[gmm]

I believe its different times now. Back when I started hunting there was still a lot of deer recovery going on and a lot of pressure on numbers so ground hunting on public land without local knowledge presented hard hunting. Back them there was no forums, social media or anything like the information on areas there is today.
We could afford 1 fly in trip a year and it was only by taking the time to talk to other hunters you got an idea of which area was good. You learned to hunt and there was a lot of satisfaction of hard-earned success, which at times was at best a deer each in a solid week of hunting. You never disclosed where you shot anything, we always used to hide gut bags to ensure no one could see them as they stick out like dogs balls.

I have no problem if people want to post their success and disclose spots it's their choice. It's the same as it has always been, back in the day we only told people about our successful trips, with a bit of bullshit added, it's exactly the same with social media, what you see is only the success and often tinged with bullshit, the difference is you don't have to buy a few beers to get the stories, or the bullshit going.

Everyone is different, hunting for me is far more than shooting an animal. There is nothing better than hunting new country, the excitement of wondering what might be over the next ridge or in the next catchment. I like looking at a new spot and working out the hunting environment and how to get to where I believe the deer will be.
I'm in my 60's now and am lucky enough to have cultivated good relationships which give me access to good hunting spots with good numbers, however these were earnt over time, and I value the relationships I have with some of these landowners as much as the hunting. I still like the challenge of hunting on the DOC estate, have access to good top country with plenty of deer but love bush stalking.
I don't mind telling other hunters about spots in general, just like the days past this often happens after a few beers for some reason

[Twodiffs]

Humour aside, the hunting landscape is changing. There a re a lot of horror stories around the access to information/Social media etc and hunting.

One anecdote told to me recently was, Locals were dismayed after one TV show depicted a promising stag being left but identified where it was and the result was a whole heap of added pressure too the area and a dead stag as well as a number of other young stags shot by parties who flew in and didn't wish to go home empty handed.

My heart was just recently broken when I saw a very remote spot I hunt and put some effort into route finding to get too it, displayed in all its glory by a hunting influencer Including enough info to get there. Fair enough in some ways as the guy obviously did the same work as I and it's down to him what he chooses to show. But I fear it will become the new Bluewater route, which has now become a state highway for influencers and others. Every second West Coast video seems to be from there.

I'll happily give an aspiring hunter some tips and tell him spots that are worth trying. But I keep some locales too myself as well. Its situational.

This post is further proof we need a 'don't like' button.
My son who is nearly 30 recently asked me if I could take him and his mate (whom I've never met) to my spot X. Josh knows where it is because he's been there many times since he was 11....it's just that deer weren't the reason for being there at that time. Anyway, I declined him, I trust Josh and I'll take him there anytime but I couldn't trust that his mate wouldn't take advantage of the knowledge.

My spot X isn't a secret in the town, the locals know about it and there's enough animals to go round, what protects it somewhat is access and being remote.

[Trout]

Wallabys n tahr,no problem telling where.You just gota get out of bed,drive n walk there.Deer only in which region,not spot xs.It takes you yrs to get yr spot down to a fine art.I know which areas some guys on here hunt deer.But I don't nag them where exactly.Thats their choice to tell me, I wont ask and I dont care.I get enough deer as it is.

[Snoppernator]

Was thinking about making a sign to put up along one of my spots. There happens to be one particular older orange clad hiking youtuber that seems intent on taking footage of all secret trails and spots in the upper north island for the entire world to see. Took me ages to figure out my spots and there he is complaining that they aren't well marked (funny that). There's also a reason a lot of camp sites/huts are derelict. At it's not from lack of use.

I get the sense that a lot of this is driven from deep insecurity - which drives the need for recognition and applause. Try myself to not post every successful hunt, and post the odd failure, just to keep this in check.

Hat's off the no doubt the hunter that felt the need to put this in place.... I did giggle...