Umukarikari Track Advice

Hi team,

I'm planning to go out the Kaimanawa next weekend for a overnighter in the Waipakihi hut, via the Umukarikari Track.

Been to the neighbouring Kaweka and Ruahine couple of times. How does the Kaimanawa compare to those areas?

At the moment I have a 223 that I can consistently hit a clay target with at 200m, and a 308 at 100m (still getting used to the gun). Which would be the more suitable one to take out? What sort of shooting distance would be typical in this area?

Any other tips about the area would be genuinely appreciated.

Thank you.

308 for sure, have you much experience on hunting animals?

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Originally Posted by HNTMAD

308 for sure, have you much experience on hunting animals?

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Lots of small game, usually with the 22.
Heaps of goats, usually with the 223.
Complete noob when it comes to deer and pigs. Done plenty of miles trying, but just don't see them for some reason.

Sweet, slow down, look and look again, defo take ya 308

Gd luck

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Get your binos and find a nice spot to sit in the evening where you can look out over some broken bush/open country. Stay until it is too dark to see. Do the same thing first thing next morning.
Use whatever rifle you feel most comfortable with.

Or speed up a bit and cover more country, you will soon or a later bump into something

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Originally Posted by HNTMAD

Sweet, slow down, look and look again, defo take ya 308

Gd luck

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Excellent, thanks for that.

Like shearer said do plenty of glassing at dawn and dusk. The sika should almost have their summer coats by now and should be easy to spot. Definitely take the 308. I haven’t hunted the waipakihi before but it appears to be big open country. In this sort of terrain shots of 200yd or more are common. To flatten deer at these distances with a 223 requires precision shooting with premium projectiles that penetrate and expand consistently. It is an expert’s weapon. The 308 has a lot more energy and a greater margin of error if the shot isn’t quite on the money. I’ve used both cartridges quite a bit and the 223 always remained in the safe on a sika hunt...

.308 for sure,more margin of error..

It's a long walk for a over night hunt, be a good 5 hours each way from memory which doesn't leave much time for hunting and your also walking past alot of reasonable hunting along the way. Better off to camp up on the top there if the weather is good.

There's some good hunting once you reach the first bush edge from the car park. Its a grind over the top to the river. If you just want to get a deer, you will walk past a lot this time of the year if you go right over the range. There is a camp site on the right not far past where you break out of the bush, and you can hunt along the ridge towards the top of the Urchin loop track.

If you camp above the bush edge you will have to carry water (I think?). Can't remember there being any handy up there.

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Originally Posted by Shearer

If you camp above the bush edge you will have to carry water (I think?). Can't remember there being any handy up there.

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Around Easter a mate and I had to drop down to the first creek head at the top and it was a gentle trickle

Yea water will be scarce but you can get it up there. There's generally water about 50m before the Bush edge if you drop into the little creek on the true right of the track.

Yeah Bugger going all the way to the waipakihi hut for an overnighter its a big walk with plenty of up. Get up to the bush edge and base yourself there. Shots pretty common at 300plus in there although usually you can get closer.

Good bush hunting off the tracks once you are a ways up there too, have shot deer with 50m of the track there and bumped them when walking.

Go for an explore either way, its a bloody mint walk, view is epic off the tops

Great place to be. I've stayed in the hut a couple of times and it's great. Gets a fair bit of foot traffic. Echoing what others are saying though - I spooked a sika about 5 minutes walk from the car on my last trip. And have run into the over the urchin side too.

Instead of starting a new thread just on water ill ask here if thats ok?
Other than the water source that's been mentioned just before you break out of the bush is there anywhere further along the ridge say from midway along the open tops to before you start dropping down to the river where you could get some water. I realise you would have to drop down the side into a creek head just wondering if anyone knows from expierance which one would be the best and most reliable one to drop into. We are also planing a trip in there in the next couple of weeks we intend on camping out on the tops to start with then we may carry on to the hut then up into middle range area.
Thanks

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Originally Posted by 6.5

Instead of starting a new thread just on water ill ask here if thats ok?
Other than the water source that's been mentioned just before you break out of the bush is there anywhere further along the ridge say from midway along the open tops to before you start dropping down to the river where you could get some water. I realise you would have to drop down the side into a creek head just wondering if anyone knows from expierance which one would be the best and most reliable one to drop into. We are also planing a trip in there in the next couple of weeks we intend on camping out on the tops to start with then we may carry on to the hut then up into middle range area.
Thanks

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Depends on the weather. If you know its unreliable water source then take a 2 litre bottle of water. Better safe than sorry

I'm not sure about the water before you come out of the bushline, but there is some on the EASTERN side of the ridge. You sort of exit the bush, walk 100m sidling a bit on the south side of a spur then come to a north-south ridge with a wind scoop where you collapse down in the shelter just out of the wind. Poles turn left and head further up to the range towards Umukarikari. You have a great view of a big scrub basin and tussocky ridges and there are about 3 tent sites within 40m of you. This is where you drop down a dry creek for about 50m and find a trickle of water.

About an hour further north along the range (past Sharp Cone and near to Umukarikari 1591) there is a big basin in the middle of the ridge with a creek in the middle of it. Tread carefully through the moss.

This is a reasonably popular area so expect to find other hunters and trampers camping around or burrowing into the scrub.

In fine weather it will be a nice trip.

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Originally Posted by Bagheera

I'm not sure about the water before you come out of the bushline, but there is some on the EASTERN side of the ridge. You sort of exit the bush, walk 100m sidling a bit on the south side of a spur then come to a north-south ridge with a wind scoop where you collapse down in the shelter just out of the wind. Poles turn left and head further up to the range towards Umukarikari. You have a great view of a big scrub basin and tussocky ridges and there are about 3 tent sites within 40m of you. This is where you drop down a dry creek for about 50m and find a trickle of water.

About an hour further north along the range (past Sharp Cone and near to Umukarikari 1591) there is a big basin in the middle of the ridge with a creek in the middle of it. Tread carefully through the moss.

This is a reasonably popular area so expect to find other hunters and trampers camping around or burrowing into the scrub.

In fine weather it will be a nice trip.

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Yeah the creek up high in the big basin past the high point is a spring I believe so usually has water in it.

Stayed in the Waipakihi hut many many times. One time the weather turned ultra shit, the whole hut was shaking. Seriously powerful weather. (The building is huge.) The next day was howling with wind and snow in the tops. I could barely stand upright, I got blown over a few times.

Always sika in the bush, go slow and stalk your way up until you come across sign.

Thanks guys that's a huge help