Sika Roar Dates - Theories

Just returned from 5 days chasing the cunning buggers in the Kaimanawas and as Ive often experienced there was hardly any roaring. Hunted Sika for a few years now and I am yet to strike a lot of roar action during my trips. Reds are pretty predictable with a shorter roar period in my opinion. Plenty of theories out there. Weather, daylight hours, animal condition from spring growth, moon cycles etc.

Keen for a bit of discussion, what's your theory and how do you decide when to head out? My theory so far is that you just have to pick some days and hope for the best! haha.

i dont have a theory but i have sat on the te iringa track at 2-3 am on april 12 under a full moon and it was crisp in the past, and just listened to them for ages nutting off

A very well known hunter of Sika is known to roar them right through to november.
Go figure

Has been a very quiet sika roar this year. Came out Friday after a week and barely a peep out of them

Yep they can roar right thru the winter if the conditions are right. Camped on the Te Iringa clearing in June one year and listened to 3 different stags going off.

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Someone out there still has my 2 dvds of Neil Philpott on Sika hunting.
If you can track them down they are very good viewing.

Mid April through to the end is good usually but as with any of the deer they vary from year to year. I liked chasing them around Anzac weekend.

Your last theory is the best Stagstalker. Pick your time off and hope for the best. Because remember they can be completely different from one valley to the next, and the moon is the same as is the daylight hours etc. I have just come out of the kawekas and we walked through one gully and not a peep was heard..went over into the next and the gully had at least 3 stags going to town. Same area, same conditions yet roaring in one gully and not in the other. And yes there were deer in the first gully.... Also show a hind on the last night and she was still feeding a fawn at the udder I discovered. So therefore she would not cycle until she has finished lactating. So she might not cycle for another month and that could possibly mean some roaring action then.

Yep same here, had a cracker 2016 roar and the last few have been average and this year being the worst with no wallows or scrapes recently used and no single calls. always go in around 13th-20th. Was dead in my valley but another hunter said there was roaring where he was probably 2 hours away from me. Probably better off travelling in the roar and keep going until you come across some action. Early june is the best time to hunt sika imo, still call them in easy and less pressured.

We normally go 3rd week April and have good roaring more single calls.This year went 1st week not nearly as vocal more hee haw calls .Still got onto stags and not so many people about.

What do people consider to be "the sika roar" - stags being vocal or more specifically single calling. I heard heaps of territory calls, but no single calling the two days I was in Kiko Rd last year (20th April and 27/28th April).

I bought a hunting book from the 60's or 70 's off here. He reckoned late April all the way to mid march.

And he mentioned that it is possible to roar stags in a fair few months after the roar. But they won't roar back.

Every area differs with some typically going earlier then others. I’ve got areas I’ll hunt in early April and others I will focus on later in the roar, only way to learn that is hunt the areas a lot and learn over a few years where the stags hold and when they typically roar.

In saying that it can still be hit and miss. Some years they just seem to stay quiet while others they go to town. I will generally try to find stag sign and then wait them out camping nearby so I’m on the spot when they start roaring.