Anybody come across sika in Uruwera's.
Printable View
Anybody come across sika in Uruwera's.
Nah. You?
Not really Uraweras, but I know of one 8 point Sika Stag shot inland from East cape, Private land but free range, only one they have seen there,
Whirinaki edges is or was the odd spattering...I’ve seen the little Kehua
Not heard of any. It is a large area so not unlikely.
I would speculate that it'd be a disaster for hunters and the environment.
The various anti groups would probably try an claim that they were released.
And it'd upset the red's and rusa population and might have a less than satisfactory outcome.
Especially when there's no shortage of them in their traditional habitat.
Minginui.
Did you personally see one?
I hunt a fair bit in that area and I've never heard or seen one. It's not far as the crow flies from SH5 so it wouldn't surprise me though.
There were always rumour of sika around Hautapu hut area back in the 1960s and occaisionally since. Personslly I nevet saw or shot one there. I did watch a rusa stag neat Mt Tauhara around 1980, but never any more in that area. There were also Sambar south of taupo in the 1970's -80's in a small area. One sambar stag was captured swimming in the lake and killed and recovered by two fishermen whom I knew.
Used to be a colony of them behind the old Hautapu Hut, haven't been there for years but would never believe that someone has shot the last one. @Danny still patrols this area so he might be able to update.
Did see them in the 1960's when hunted the Hautapu area regular, can't remember if I shot any. Rumour was that in earlier times when there were wild dog packs in the Lockinver- Poranui Station area that they were "dispersed" over the Matea - Plateau area.Quote:
Originally Posted by Woody
I stay up there often March - May a few nights to see if I could hear anything but only the odd Red...I’ve done it a bit as I have always been fascinated by them. I have heard one up behind the Waipunga South hut 20 years back.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetawa
Both my father and poppa have shot them behind the Hautapu hut up towards the Plateau.
The only one I have actually seen was South road- north of the Pukeroa as it squealed at me and bolted (old man up and missed it). I was about 11 at the time.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I was 50/50 last year if i heard one but a cuzzie confirmed it this year.
Back in the 70's through to now we new about the Hautapu Sika population ( Whirinaki), I have shot several and one that was a definite hybrid ( sika face, body size, light spots but lacked the white arse more like a red).
In recent years the population has taken heavy hits from 1080 as they are more susceptible to it than reds. Seen a nice sika stag with half grown velvet about 3-4 years back so there would be the odd one still about.
Attachment 137161
The morning this photo was taken he with the dog took a big Sika up behind the hut.
East Cape there are some pockets.
When I made the statement that they would still be there and not shot out, left 1080 out of the equation, which was a bad decision.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mooseman
Through the 80's we used to regularly see them close to Plateau hut, maybe 8 or 10 some days, they weren't the target species so we left them alone except for a spiker that collided with a .223 bullet and temporarily filled some vacant freezer space one day. One spring morning late 80's coming down from Whites clearing heading for the Waiau River we saw a young Sika stag standing on the river flat just below the confluence of the Wairoa and Parahaki streams, he probably crossed over from the Hautapu/Plateau Hut mob and took a wander down the Moerangi Stream. The Sika that are on the East Coast were all liberated in the 90's DOC have had a few aerial shooting campaigns to try and sort things out. It's a bit like a zoo down there.
Awesome to hear....
I know a guy who shot an 8 pt stag not far from Maungataniwha last year. Not unreasonable to think they could be in there in pockets.
This a cool thread, great to have a vast array of experienced hunters to contribute
@Danny, be an influx of hunters Plateau- Hautapu area from next week.
Good luck to them. Whole place was bombed at the end of last year.
Yep good luck to them, they’ll get twice as much as I will which will be three fifths of f all... looking forward to some peace and sleeping in my tent... [emoji4]
This is a very interesting thread. Spoke to a guy who reckons he saw a fallow but that was down the south end
South end, do you mean Waipunga Valley.Quote:
Originally Posted by superdiver
... what made him think that mate? Colour/size or antlers? Interesting stuff... how’d your mate get on before lockdown up that prescribed location?Quote:
Originally Posted by superdiver
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Okataina 1989.
Didn't push the subject, he just said he saw a fallow (has shot them elsewhere before so can ID them). Was down waikaremoana ways. Was surprised but could be the locals releasing animals seeing they think they are above law in that part of NZ. Old mate never got away thanks to lockdownQuote:
Originally Posted by Danny
Saw an article in the paper (Herald I think) about 10 years ago, where DOC were going in to eradicate some Sika from the Motu area, pretty close to one of the spots I go to. I thought I heard a squeal once, but could not confirm. Could have been a bush pig:thumbsup:
Plenty of weka around Motu parts. I must admit to having been caught out by a sika once not terribly far from there as the crow flies, squeeled at me and crashed off through bush, in a spot I would never think there was sika. About 2yrs later, I was in same spot, and it happened again, this time I saw it, and yep, it was a weka. In my defence I've no experience of hunting sika in NZ. I've spotlighted them overseas while camping, but was only armed with a 9mm Sig, and shooting deer was verboten.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lentil
