Thread: Help wanted with economical goat and fallow hunt

Time for you to hop in your car and go make friends with some absolute strangers again, @Nakihunter. Cos that's the way its done. Face to face is the only way. You might get some clues or hints on a forum, but really, the only good way to set up your friends' shooting trip in NZ is to do the leg work yourself. When I have mates coming over here from overseas, I make damn sure I've got everything covered ahead of time. I set up the permissions, recce the land, check out the likely spots, work out our camping spots. A lot can change in a little time.

One recent example is a property I went to for years. Hadn't been for about 18 months, called up and quick chat with the missus, she said "sure come on down!" but she neglected to tell me about the huge slips, blocked accesses, the washed out bridge and the fact there had been a bulldozer and excavator working 14 hrs a day for weeks on end. Hardly any deer there now, all buggered off. They'll be back, but if I'd taken some OS mates in there with the place it in that state, I would have felt like a complete tit.

Its no time to find out the hard way that a piece of internet "advice" is a crock of shit, when you've got your mates in tow.

On a forum like this, no one knows a thing about you, how you present, how you speak, how you look. Instinct is used to judge a man's character, and that ain't possible on a screen and a keyboard. It isn't hard, just gotta make the time and put some miles on the clock. That's just the way it is. The DOC website would be a good place to start your research.

Thanks for the constructive suggestions mate.

tetawa's suggestion is exactly the kind of info I am looking for.

Those are all the things I do. Just normal. For example I was out trying to get a pig on a mate's farm near Marakopa. I did shoot a pig but shot it too far back and lost it. Driving back home, I took the coastal road. Beautiful country I had never been through before. Saw some goats along the way. Hear of spots with plenty of goats. I stopped and drove up to 3 houses. Stopped and spoke to 2 or 3 farmers moving stock on the road. No luck. All of them are selling goats. They offered to sell them to me. I might have to just offer to pay them per goat to shoot on the property.

As I already mentioned, I have hunted all over NZ. Been into the absolute boondocks of the Motu a few times. Mangataphri & Hunua, farms & reserves on the Kawhia road, some of the valleys around Whakatane, Wanganui fallow blocks & some farms, Central NI many many times, Whiroino forest, Puriora Forest, Wairarapa, a farm near Tamaranui, a farm near Purangahau and another near Ekatahuna. Many farms in Taranaki and some reserves, some farms in the South Island for deer & wallabies, farms near Rotorua. I am sure there are others I have forgotten.

I have checked out most of the people who advertise hunting blocks. Things have changed a lot in the last 10 to 15 years. We used to go into Lochinvar station to Wilderness lodge. They now only operate guided hunts and groups. 10 times more expensive now. I have taken a few deer out of Tatarakina at very reasonable cost. Iwi politics and changes - I also lost the old contacts. Another economical place in Wanganui / Wai Iti has changed hands 3 times.

I didn't post here because i am lazy or stupid.

I still need to call a few old mates I haven't spoken to for a couple of years. I know of a few places near Ohakune, Ratahi, Tamaranui that used to allow hunting at a nominal rate per day.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Time for you to hop in your car and go make friends with some absolute strangers again, @Nakihunter. Cos that's the way its done. Face to face is the only way. You might get some clues or hints on a forum, but really, the only good way to set up your friends' shooting trip in NZ is to do the leg work yourself. When I have mates coming over here from overseas, I make damn sure I've got everything covered ahead of time. I set up the permissions, recce the land, check out the likely spots, work out our camping spots. A lot can change in a little time.

One recent example is a property I went to for years. Hadn't been for about 18 months, called up and quick chat with the missus, she said "sure come on down!" but she neglected to tell me about the huge slips, blocked accesses, the washed out bridge and the fact there had been a bulldozer and excavator working 14 hrs a day for weeks on end. Hardly any deer there now, all buggered off. They'll be back, but if I'd taken some OS mates in there with the place it in that state, I would have felt like a complete tit.

Its no time to find out the hard way that a piece of internet "advice" is a crock of shit, when you've got your mates in tow.

On a forum like this, no one knows a thing about you, how you present, how you speak, how you look. Instinct is used to judge a man's character, and that ain't possible on a screen and a keyboard. It isn't hard, just gotta make the time and put some miles on the clock. That's just the way it is. The DOC website would be a good place to start your research.