Oamaru Hunting - Waitangi Weekend

Hi,

I am yet to do any hunting around the Oamaru hut / Jap Creek despite having flown over it a few times. I am thinking about heading in over Waitangi weekend (walk in Friday evening) and out on Monday.

I am hoping to get some guidance on the amount of people likely to be using the hut - I'm guessing I should take a tent as well in case its full? Plan is to use the hut as my base and day trip from there.

Also, as a general rule, how far should I walk from the hut to avoid the majority of hunters? I'm not after any spots - more than happy to put the work in to find the deer but more wanting an idea how many km I need to put between myself and the hut each morning to get away from most people. Also quite keen to check out the Jap creek area as I have read plenty about it over the years.

Also, as I don't want to be one of those people who ask and don't give anything back, if anyone wants information on the Upper Mohaka Helisika block send me a PM and I can give you a few tips on what has worked for us in there.

Cheers

Take a lightweight tent

An hour from the hut is a good rule of thumb, find fresh sign then hunt

Bush sika are enjoying stands of large native trees at the moment and ridgelines -to beat the heat and flies

If you are going to watch an open area then get into position before first light, the sika are feeding in the cool of daybreak (4.50am)

Thanks for that. Is there much room outside the hut for tents? I don't want to pitch it where helicopters land but also wouldn't mind being close to the hut to use the facilities.

Plan is early morning starts then a snooze over lunch then hunt through to dark again

In response to how far you should hunt away from the hut, that should be determined evening prior to a hunt around the candle light. I've always asked others where they are hunting so we don't bump into each other.

what 7mm said ^^

Ring HeliSika and the rest of them would be my best advice see how many they got going in, its a pretty packed hut usually.

ive only been to the oamaru hut twice , both times were late jan early feb (Auckland anniversary and Waitangi. ) everyone always said it would be packed......not so one time there was just a couple of Japanese fly fishermen and the other time just one other hunter . the only reason I could think of was that everyone was still taking advantage of the good weather to be out in their boats fishing..... so you might get lucky and it could be quiet

You never know whether it will be full in there. I've been there when it's overflowing and other times I'm the only one. In April this year it was packed to the rafters, I did one hunt, saw another person in the Bush and thought bugger this and walked out, that was the last time I was there. Went at camped at a couple of different roads instead and saw no one. If you were going to hunt Jap creek I'd fly camp up there, it will save you a couple of hours walking each day. The huts a good spot to explore from as there are lots of options.

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Originally Posted by Genty

Thanks for that. Is there much room outside the hut for tents? I don't want to pitch it where helicopters land but also wouldn't mind being close to the hut to use the facilities.

Plan is early morning starts then a snooze over lunch then hunt through to dark again

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Heaps of space to camp down by the river. 25m from the hut.