Since this time last year DoC Nelson Lakes has been opening up the southern end of the NLNP to helicopter hunting access twice a year (spring and the roar). This initiative is an attempt to control Deer and Chamois numbers in an area where access is usually difficult and animal numbers relatively high. This area is open to WARO for part of the year but it's effectiveness depends entirely on venison prices and lately operators have been finding more productive areas to hunt.
This spring eight blocks are open for three 6 day periods and are allocated on a first come first served basis. I was lucky enough to get the Burn creek block, so my wife and I and a couple of friends made plans for the adventure.
Unfortunately, 3 weeks before the trip an old back injury reemerged and I was thinking I might be stuck around camp for the whole trip. Luckily it had improved enough by the time we left that I felt I was going to be able to get around at least some of the block without too much bother.
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Home for a few days.
Flying in with Murchison Helitours, we arrived at the block around mid day on Monday. The weather was calm and overcast (the best we were to have for the trip) and S immediately put us on the board with a couple of evening reds. Next morning we awoke to snow which lasted until mid afternoon and while L and S were out for a wander I managed to nail a hind from the hut door as it wandered past :)
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Wednesday gave us a day of rain and wind which kept my wife and I hut bound but L and S braved it and saw 5 more Reds but didn't manage a shot because of the strong and fickle winds.
Day 4 and the wind had eased but there was a constant ebbing of cloud and fog up and down the valley and over the tops. Ali and I headed for the tops in the hope conditions would improve enough for us to have a decent look around.
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The wet snowgrass was treacherous underfoot and these were a valuable addition to the kit.
We made the top of the ridge at around mid-day and as I peered through the cloud I spotted 3 Chamois on a very steep ridge in the head of Junction creek. One looked to have pretty good horns but it was difficult to tell through the ever thickening cloud.
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I pulled out my range finder but because of the cloud was unable to get a reading. I guess the distance to be between 250 and 300 yards so dialed accordingly and settled in over my pack. At the shot a satisfying thump was heard and I quickly moved onto a second animal with the same result. The third Chamois made good it's escape. Ali had been watching the shoots and said the first animal had fallen our side of the ridge and slid down into a chasm at the top of patch of snow on the steep face. The second had gone the other side.
We sat for a few minutes to gather our thoughts and decided to wait and see if the cloud cleared enough to get a better look at the situation. We had lunch and in the breaks in the cloud I ranged where the Chamois had been at 276 yards (lucky guess) and saw recovery was not going to be an option in my current state.
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Looking down Junction creek towards the Matakitaki
The next few hours were spent making our way back to the hut and enjoying the occasional views and the company of a couple of locals.
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After an afternoon nanna nap at camp I decided to head up stream from the hut to a spot I have seen a Chamois in the bluffs the previous evening (a benefit of having a spotting scope). If it turned up in the same place I was confident of getting a shot. On the way up the valley I spotted an animal skylined on the opposite side of the valley. On closer inspection there were three in residence.
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They were only just over 300 yards away but safe for the moment as again I would have no chance of recovering them. I got to where I hoped to see the animal from the previous evening and waited. About 30 minutes before dark 3 Chamois emerged from the bluffs above me. One in particular looked like a decent buck, another one was very blond compared to the other ones I had seen. The buck was exactly where I wanted him. High above me (270 yards) and feeding above a sheer face. He should fall straight into the creek I was in.
I lined up the shot (thankful of the Firedot reticule) and dropped him on the spot. He slid and tumbled off the bluff only to get snagged up on a ledge part way down:oh noes:
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The bluff system at the head of the gully the 3rd Chamois shot was in.
I then turned to see what the 3 animals across the valley from me were doing and saw they were making there way up and out of the gulley they were in. I decided to do my bit and take the doe of the group and leave the yearling and young buck. Using my walking poles as a bipod I managed to drop the doe at 436 yards leaving the others to make their way up and over the ridge.
Friday morning the rain set in again. We were due for a 2:00pm pick up but the helicopter arrived at 9:00am with the pilot saying it was now or Sunday. A very quick pack up of camp and we were off into the gloom and back to Murchison. In spite of the weather we had a very successful trip with 5 deer and 4 Chamois taken between two hunters. Overall 13 deer and 19 Chamois seen so plenty left for the next group going in.
Just this morning I watched @Norway's fantastic video of his Chamois hunt in Austria and couldn't help but compare the vast differences in our hunting situations. Animals seen as valued resources as opposed to introduced pests. And the striking similarities. The challenging terrain that makes for a physically and mentally testing hunt. It also bought to mind the fantastic resource we have in our back country hut network and the history that goes along with it. The hut book at Burn creek dated back to 1991 and is only 1/4 full! Hopefully those who have the power will preserve these treasures for generations to come.
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