Thread: Mangatawhiri / Hunua access

Hi all

Next month I am planning to spend some time wandering around the DOC open hunting area at Mangatawhiri/Hunua. I sorted an online permit but was wondering what is the most straight-forward way of getting to the actual "green" hunting block?

Appreciate any pointers

Tracy

PM me Tracy

Hey guys just came across this thread.. I've been wanting to get in to the hunua's for some time now. Just wondering where would be the best access point too the hunting block, and if there's any safe places to park etc..
Thanks in advance

Thomas

yea i have been looking in to that block as well wouldnt mind having a look my self

Have a play with this Maps and geospatial services: About DOC

And have a play with this Walking Access Mapping System

Originally Posted by Dynastar27

yea i have been looking in to that block as well wouldnt mind having a look my self

It gets pretty thick in there in places.

Originally Posted by Rushy

It gets pretty thick in there in places.

Nothing OPCz cant handle

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Originally Posted by phillipgr

Nothing OPCz cant handle

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dam straight man OPCz were a hard bunch

Doing a recce in a couple of weeks. Will post on here how I get on. Best access is from Lyons Rd end. It's as safe to park there as anywhere else in the country. Mainly pigs in here guys, but am determined to verify whether deer sign exists at all in this block. I've heard nothing but "wasting your time and effort" comments from other locals I know. Plenty of fallow out Waiuku/Awhitu/Port Waikato ways though. Just access being the issue there too.

Yeah iv heard the same! I was working with an older guy a couple if months ago who reckons while out shooting bunnies out waiuku way managed to shoot him Self a wild fellow, but that of course was on private land.. Do you know know if there's any public land/blocks out port Waikato? By any chance?

No. I even asked the guys at the Drury NZDA when I was thinking of joining... They knew all about it, but were so cagey and secretive I actually wondered of they were poaching. Not a very friendly bunch of guys so I didn't join.
There have always been fallow running wild up the Awhitu peninsula, so best plan is to dress sensibly, have a shave and go for a drive to door knock farmers in likely looking areas. I don't have the patience for that personally DoC land in the central north is a sure thing so I prefer to drive down there

Yeah I wouldn't waste my time and money on gas driving around there just to be turned down! Being a young half cast Maori definitely wouldn't help my chances of gaining private access either haha.. Much easier to drive the extra 2hrs or so down the line like you say it's a sure thing!.

Thomas have a look at that DOC web site I put a link up to, on the left-hand sidebar scroll down until you find open permit hunting areas, go to an area that you like the look of and click the box on and off, it will highlight all the open hunting public land , it also has free camping areas, Doc campgrounds and plenty more

Also door knocking is like fishing, if you don't put a bait out you will never hook up, and also liken it to a numbers game, the more people you hit up the more of a chance you will get a yes

Hunuas , yes there are some Reds floating about, id say thou it would be like looking for that needle in a hay stack, a guy I brought rams off had one run through his farm one day, another bloke I know sees the odd one on his boundary and I also know of some cullers that had a hell of a job tracking one down they fenced into a covenanted area

I've lived in the area for the past six years and have never bothered to go for a walk into Mangatawhiri Forest because all the locals I ask say "you'd be very lucky to see one in there, but an escapee from Maramarua or Clevedon sometimes wanders through." I've heard more stories from good sources saying there are deer seen and shot on local farms, but not one of these farms has actually been on the boundary of Hunua Ranges nor the Open Hunting Area of Mangatawhiri Forest.
I'll go for a wander next weekend and see what I can find but not holding my breath. If I find there is actually a reasonable resource here, I'll post honestly on this thread for forum members to exploit

By the way, I've hunted and seen pigs in the Hunuas, but absolutely no deer sign between Hunua, Paparimu and Kaiaua.