Thread: Seeking Advice - Persevere, change location, try for something else

Go wallaby and goat shooting , it will teach you more than you think . For one it will be planning as in when/where to be and the stalking , then there is the learning to look & not just bumble around .
You are on the right track but just need those attributes to temper your abilities and there are a lot of things to learn , even shot placement and reactions to the shot can only be learnt through experience . We were all there sometime , just building up confidence is something.

thanks all might drive south and try for some wallabies this weekend or next to change it up and then have another crack at the creek system I've been exploring after

My advice is go back to the spot you’ve seen deer and keep putting in the effort there. I’d only go to a new spot if you want a change of scene. In my experience if you’ve seen a few there’s probably more. Once you crack that area it will all fall into place, eventually. Being patient will make you a good hunter in the long term. Enjoy the process.

And don't believe the naysayers who don't like the taste of wallabies: D

We rate it both as mince and biltong!

Originally Posted by nonvegan

And don't believe the naysayers who don't like the taste of wallabies: D

We rate it both as mince and biltong!

Born in Australia I can tell you I’m a fan of both roo and emu, both great meats in my opinion


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Well there is no shortage of hoppers around at the moment....get in touch if decide to go pop a few and can't think where to head to. Won't guarantee huge numbers but you will see a few and should get shot away if don't dilly dally too much lol.

I see you live in Darfield you could join the Malvern NZDA. They do branch hunts frequently. There is some very experienced hunters that would be only to happy to help. PM me if you want more information.

Hi Liam,

Sounds like you are in the right spot which is half the battle from my (also late start) experience, so would keep working it and trying to get the wind right so they don't smell you first I also think getting to know a spot better and better is a huge advantage, so keep plenty of notes\ GPS points where you see sign and animals so you start to know the hot spots.

As for the goat\ wallabies spot. I have a goat spot I love going to when I have a bit of a dry spell with deer, pretty much a guaranteed for a few of them. As you mentioned it's a bit of a confidence boost and you'll definitely feel more invigorated when you do the harder hunts for deer. The goats\ wallabies can be great butchering practice as well which is something you want to get right when you shoot that first deer. A lot of people snub goat meat, but I don't mind it at all. I usually only take the nannies. Once I took a couple of Billy legs back for the dogs, one of them ended up in a curry my wife made and neither of us could tell it was a Billy from the taste. We only realised later when she mentioned it wasn't glad wrapped like some of the others...

Guided hunt - I think these can be productive and its how mates and I started getting into hunting, but obviously a big difference between the farmland deer and those on public land. Sounds like you have a bit of experience so could be worth while chatting to the guide to see if you could lead and then he can just give advice along the way to make it more of a real world experience.

@liam_s shoot me a message and I'll try help you get something before xmas

Not all of us are born into a hunting family. I found taking up spearfishing seriously and then getting into hunting that it can be pretty lean initially. Fluency comes with repetition and perseverance. Half the fun is in the reflection, failure and enjoyment of the learning process. There's no rush here. Paraphrasing an excellent article written in NZ Hunter mag a few years ago by Johnny Bissell "wear through five pairs of boots"... has a nice ring about it. Remember not every hunting area is flush with deer, not every Youtuber gets a deer every trip, and hunting Public is probably on balance gonna be harder than hunting farms. Be careful of comparison, it ruins joy. If your seeing deer, reflect on the hunt, potential mistakes made, and get back in there - and win.