Thread: Heli sika dropping multiple parties into the same block

Originally Posted by bigbear

If it is a public hut and the helicopter company told me this was the case what they were doing i would be fine. (but would change my plans)

I think it was couple years ago a company down south was dropping hunters basically on top of hunters along a ridge or in the general area. He was just collecting the money flying in as many hunters as possible .
The few times i've flown in i will work with the pilot in that general area and get dropped in to a fresh spot and ask if he has had any over parties in that area. Most heli company's that want a good name will be straight up.
Its still not a 100% that somebody hasn't walk in or another heli hasn't dropped another party in.

I thought that with DoC blocks the helicopters could only drop off at designated pads, DoC get well paid for something that costs them nothing...landing fees

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

Flew into Te Pukeohikarau one time, 4 of us had the hut to ourselves, by the time the sun went down there were 13 of us in the 6 bunk hut...a bit of top-n-tail bunking for a few days...another tramping party called in at sunset and decided to push on to the next hut, Harkness, I think, we didn't tell them that we had already flown there on our way in and hut was full.

Back when Hamish had Helisika he dropped us off at the Oamaru for a couple of days until he could get us up to Te Matai due to weather conditions, a woman at the hut informed us that the hut was divided into male and female dormitories and there was no room for us as all male bunks were taken and she and her daughter were in female dormitory...soon got told of top-n-tail for her kids and mixed gender for bunk rooms...I think she sat up all night keeping an eye on sleeping hunters and trampers.

When we used to fixed wing fly in the helicopters used to fly straight down the valleys, now that the blocks are chopper only they fly the block boundaries...so I noticed in the North Arm a couple of weeks ago.

The arrogance of trampers in the bush never ceases to amaze me.
Once got told in the middle of winter that I couldn't come into a hut because there was only a group of female trampers in it.

It's almost as if they think they own the place. Yet nearly every hut and track was made by cullers and hunter's.

Flew out of Milford into the Kaipo,chopper pilot informed us no one had been in there for awhile ,the hut book said otherwise to the point he flew a party out that morning lying prick.

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Originally Posted by Cigar

Surely on public land you aren't booking a hunt or a block, you're booking a flight. Different story for the private blocks though.

Perfect reply, operators drop clients where they ask and pay to be dropped (within the operators concessions).
Agreed that it's poor form if they don't make you aware of other known parties prior to booking or undertaking the flight.
Also, public land generally has multiple operators holding concessions to land and commercially fly people there.

It is the roar on public land in a non bookable hut. You cannot be serious if you think they aren't going to drop multiple parties off.

The kaweka has a booking system for heli providers as part of their permits to fly.

The big huts are managed by turangj doc which I belive has a different management strategy.

One could simply ask the heli provider, "how many parties have you flown in to x hut" when booking.

Pretty common sense to think that large popular huts would be full during the busiest hunting time of the year.

I've never had oamaru to myself even mid week in the middle of the winter

Kaweka system sounds like a good idea.

Originally Posted by JessicaChen

When looking at the website I was under the impression that paying to hunt in an area meant you were booking the private hunting block for your hunting group. Especially with the hefty land fees. But I guess there may be different fees and expectations for public blocks, and being lifted into a public open doc area I would definitely not expect exclusive rights to it.

What are some of theses land fees?
No such thing in other places I’ve flown into over last few months.


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Originally Posted by Danny

What are some of theses land fees?
No such thing in other places I’ve flown into over last few months.


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Think this is confusion between DOC hunting public land and the Private Hunting Blocks such as those Heli-Sika fly to.
The Doc block's unless on a ballet system could well be free for all and any company with a landing permit can fly parties into them, plus walk ins and trampers.
The Private blocks are differant and yes you should be the only ones there (unless by prior arrangement). Any walk ins hunting would be poaching, but note that many do have DOC access tramping tracks through them.

Z

I remember reading the Tussock hut book in 90's in May post roar. An April post read " Have counted 30 hunters between hut and head of valley, thanks Heli Sika" That post has stuck in my head to this day. Even if this is not correct, and that is quite possible, that is a lot of hunters in there in a small area. Even flying in half that number is a lot in that area. The post went on to say they were stacked three deep in camps. The people sign I saw backed it up. This has been happening for years and some companies are worse than others. I agree that no one should expect a public hut to themselves but some companies have a reputation for a lot more BS, while some work in with others and make sure they are keeping people apart as best as possible. At the end of the day if you hear of companies being shifty with information and you keep giving them your money then they will keep doing it. Would you prefer a block system that means you will struggle to get in anywhere? Tough call. Anyway I worked hard and shot a nice old 7 in valley head. One of two deer seen for the whole trip. He must have been suffering from PTSD

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Not really a bad analogy. If you know the Boyd, Oamaru and Waipakahi, they can be busier than some pubs. Going to any of those three huts and expecting to be there alone is very wishful thinking. Especially this time of year.

For sure.........but equally I'd expect the pilot to tell you what you're likely to encounter, so that you can reconsider?

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

The private blocks have a daily fee associated with them. Just because they can.

But the hut use is free

Originally Posted by Maxx

For sure.........but equally I'd expect the pilot to tell you what you're likely to encounter, so that you can reconsider?

Reconsider what?...that you might not fly?...fat chance of chopper dropping out of a trip...I seldom ask pilots anything, I know if I was one I would be bull shitting up large...the only time I believed one was when he said we cant land as there were 3 deer on the strip.

Just come back from 2 weeks in Sth Westland (DOC Hut but hard to get to). Flew in, got set up and a chopper from another co landed. The pilot was a bit upset that our pilot hadn't communicated to him that he had a booking heading in. In that area at least, the expectation is that everyone knows who is where and parties try and maintain distance. Over the 2 weeks we had to negotiate no-go areas with several other groups.

Haha yeah mate. The walk is half the fun anyways!
I never expected to have waipakihi hut to myself, hence why it was a stop over at the end of the trip, but hey, I see both sides of the coin. Just thought I'd get a gauge on the general feeling around this topic, doesn't affect me much because I flew with heli sika once and that'll be the last time I fly into the kaimanawas with them