Printable View
Hi All,
Myself and a mate are keen to explore some new hunting areas around Hamilton. We are keen to have an overnighter based at Daly's Clearing Hut, has anyone had any success up there? I'm not after anyone's honey hole or particular spot x, but if anyone who is familiar with the hunting in that area wouldn't mind flicking me a PM on areas that are worth investigating or avoiding, that would be most appreciated.
Cheers!!
Do a forum search for keywords like Waitawheta - it'll come up with results like this: https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....d.php?p=411701
It's a few years old now, but there are animals in there.
I live in Waitawheta - and look right at the park from the kitchen window - the place is crawling with tourists, mountain bikers, trampers now that the Hauraki Rail Trail is so popular. Its a very stupid area to still be a DOC hunting area. There’s been all sorts of problems with hunters who don’t know how busy it is scaring the bejeezus out of trampers, one confrontation between trampers and a couple of hunters at Dalys Clearing Hut was quite well publicised couple of years ago.
DOC came through the northern part of the park last year with a contractor and cleaned out goats and pushed a couple of small mobs onto the private properties bordering the park either side of Dickeys Flat where I finished the job. The one DOC officer who knocks around a fair bit (Thames based) is hard case and very full of himself - ex FAO I believe - anyway avoid him like the plague he’ll follow you everywhere ranting and raving. They are dead against hunters in that part now and I can see their point cos its so busy but its surely up to them to get the status of the area changed. They don’t want any game at all in the north.
Stretch’s comments in his 2015 thread about safety are right but its even busier now than it was then. I know the tracks from Taieri Rd and Franklin Rd like the back of my hand and if you do see goats they’ll be right on the track or in the river. There’s fuck all feed in under the canopy. Straight up mate I’d never go shooting goats on those tracks just not worth the risk, IMO.
Don’t confuse this advice as a local bloke who doesn’t want anyone else going in there. I never go in there with a gun. Its just not a good mix, tourists and hunting. The area has changed so much in the last few years with the rail trail and heaps more lifestyler subdivisions, so we’re off in 18 months or so, too busy for us.
If you're keen to explore them walk in a bit further. It's pretty cold and wet and tramper numbers will be less at this time of year. Have a look at waitawheta hut or te rereaatukahia hut ( wear blaze) and further south mangamuka and hurunui huts. If you can , do a some day loop walks like pylon track waiorongomai stm. Or a walk through from te tuhi rd to wairere falls ( Goodwin rd).
Not saying there are any goats in those places and there's definitely no deer in the kaimais but this is a good time of year to check out the tracks and look for north facing windfall areas, slips and bluffs where goats like to hang out and where minimal trampers and bikers go.