Thread: New member moving to NZ later this year

Greetings and salutations.

My wife was recently awarded a fellowship and our family is moving to NZ some time in late August or September. We're from the States, and I've called Montana home for the past couple of decades, though I grew up in Hawaii. I spent a good bit of my 20s and 30s hiking around with rifles, shotguns, and bows, and casting about in rivers, streams, and lakes. I make no claims to be any kind of expert, especially when it comes to hunting, but I've finally got to the point where I can consistently find most of the game species I target—mule and whitetail deer, elk, pronghorn, various birds—and even harvest a dumb one on occasion. I'm excited to learn some new species and new terrain and get plugged in with a community of like-minded folks. Hence the reason why I'm here, writing this intro. We're not sure exactly where we'll be living, but likely somewhere on the NI (likely Wellington or Auckland), as that's where my wife's work is based.

I'll probably have questions about what gear I should (or shouldn't) bring with me as we get closer to packing time. I have acquired a great deal (some would say too much) gear over the years and will welcome feedback on what's worth shipping over.

On that note, if anyone needs particular items from the States that don't take up too much space, I don't mind acting as a sherpa. Shipping times are long, however, so I can't promise a reasonable timeline.

I'm curious to learn about any conservation minded hunting and/or angling advocacy groups in New Zealand. I'm pretty active with a group called Backcountry Hunters and Anglers out here, and would be keen to join a similar group in NZ if such a thing exists.

If anyone would like any information on hunting or fishing in Montana (or fishing around the US), I'd be more than happy to share.

Thanks in advance,
Miles Nolte