Thread: whats needed when hunting the south island

Boots - up north I used lightweight Solomon boots but down here they’re ok over the warmer months but don’t last long up on the mountains as they take more of a punishment. A solid leather boot works well as they handle the punishment better and also keep your feet dry over the colder months, you DO NOT want to get your boots wet over winter!

Gaiters - not only do they keep out the rocks, crap, snow but also give some protection against matagouri, spear grass which you’ll learn to hate.

Warm clothes - a good down jacket, macpac halo is great, good thermals, rain gear which I bought a set of ex army rain coat and leggings from an ex army store which fold down to nothing are solid pieces of gear for bigger all $$$

Sleeping bag - over winter you need a good -10 bag

Ice axe / crampons - nice items to have BUT they can also get you into a world of hurt as you can soon think your Edmund Hillary and get you into country you can’t get yourself out of. Sometimes it’s just easy to go up, up and up some more but not so when it comes to coming down. It you want to get into serious alpine then do an alpine course.

Walking pole - highly recommended as they help with your knees but also balance when walking off the hills.

Optics - you need to see the animals and your going to spend ALOT of time sitting behind a pair of binoculars so a good 10x is a must, a good quality spotter also helps assess an animal which saves you time and energy by not pursuing it due to it not being a shooter. A good range finder is also a must as it’s often hard to judge distances even when shooting across a valley.

Give it a year or two of hunting and you’ll soon see what you reds, what works for you and what doesn’t but by far just get out and go hunting as that’s often our biggest challenge… getting out ��