Tips for a newbie in the Roar - Hunting reds- Kaimai Mamuka Forst Park

Ye mid week and think lke a cunning stag,smell like a hot hind looking for it.Good luck.

sounds fun in the kaimais... the range in the tararuas im flying into, we must of had 5odd stags on each ridge running down from the open tops to the river system we were in, and over the length of about 1km of river system we had around 2 dozen ridges... we literally had 50 roars from different animals each mornig.

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Originally Posted by Larskramer

if a stag holds up in a certain spot. and the only once that are moving in on you tend to be spikers etc. would the one holding up possibly be a bigger stag ? and is there a way to differentiate a good animal vs a not so good one ? thats my question.

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He will only be dominant, not necessarily larger in antler size. More likely to be bigger bodied and older.

Thanks everyone for the great tips!! Some good learning for a newbie like myself, appreciate the time and effort.

One of the more important points is to watch the wind. One small whiff of human and the stag will shut right up and boost off. Keep in mind if approaching one or if one is approaching you. Smart animals will circle you just out of sight and catch a whiff of you downwind and get out of there before you see them. I think I read in one of Saxton and Lentles books (Red deer in NZ?) to try and match the rate at which they roar, that way they will think you are a similar-sized stag, i.e. worth a fight. I think if you roar slower they will think you are a bigger animal and piss off. Or maybe it's faster, can't remember? I've also heard the trick where you station a mate some distance away with a roaring horn while you sneak in silently on the stag. Of course, be very mindful of the wind while doing this, this can be easier said than done on a light wind day in the bush though. Get something to easily tell wind direction. I like to use a lighter as it's very sensitive but the noise and sight can be a problem, maybe a really thin piece of cotton or something could work too.

Above all else (and this goes for everyone)....POSITIVELY IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET. Be safe out there.

Lots of good info guys. A good read. Haven't been out in the roar since before covid. Itching to get out this year. It's fast approaching, so go luck everyone!

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Originally Posted by Juicy

One of the more important points is to watch the wind. One small whiff of human and the stag will shut right up and boost off. Keep in mind if approaching one or if one is approaching you. Smart animals will circle you just out of sight and catch a whiff of you downwind and get out of there before you see them. I think I read in one of Saxton and Lentles books (Red deer in NZ?) to try and match the rate at which they roar, that way they will think you are a similar-sized stag, i.e. worth a fight. I think if you roar slower they will think you are a bigger animal and piss off. Or maybe it's faster, can't remember? I've also heard the trick where you station a mate some distance away with a roaring horn while you sneak in silently on the stag. Of course, be very mindful of the wind while doing this, this can be easier said than done on a light wind day in the bush though. Get something to easily tell wind direction. I like to use a lighter as it's very sensitive but the noise and sight can be a problem, maybe a really thin piece of cotton or something could work too.

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the mate trick is good - but get your mate to roar much the same way each time and wait a few mins after the stag has roared before he roars back - mix in the odd hind call to - the reason for getting your mate to roar the same sort of way each time is so you can tell its him - the bush and wind can make it difficult to pinpoint roars at times - I have had mates moan like hell that they got halfway to where they thought the stag was and then could not tell if it was me or the stag roaring - or maybe a little grunt cough at end - just some way that you know that was ya mate roaring