Innehållsförteckning för Issue 60 - August/September 2017 från NZ Hunter

We’d like to thank all the writers and readers who have made NZ Hunter the number one selling Outdoor Interest magazine for the last nine years. The NZ Hunter family just keeps getting bigger and better! To celebrate, in conjunction with Mark and Martin at Te Awaiti Hunting Adventures and the fact it’s nearly Father’s Day, we’re offering the wonderful prize of a hunting weekend for a father and son or daughter – see next page for details. In response to the results of our Facebook survey on the future direction of the magazine, we’ve got a number of new series’ starting this issue that I’m sure you’ll find interesting. Anyone wanting to send photos into the mag, please read Matt Winter’s article “Photographing your Success” on page 68…

Tim and I had arrived at the DoC campsite late the night before and were going to wait for another friend of ours, Jim to arrive later in the morning before heading into the hills to look for tahr. After a quick brekky and a strong coffee we were into glassing the high slopes around camp, waiting for the sun to hit us and provide some warmth. Soon the familiar blend of tussocks and alpine scrub that can be seen through one’s binoculars was broken by a dark mass. “Bull tahr!” Tim’s ears perked up as he turned to ask where. “Up there” I replied. Further investigation with the spotting scope revealed two bulls feeding up high in the morning sun. We spent the next hour watching and waiting until…

I’ve tried to educate and challenge hunters with a few of my opinions and hunting styles, and along the way I’ve enjoyed learning from others and being exposed to what they are trying. Recently I connected with fellow outdoorsman Seon Crockford and heard about his passage into lightweight adventuring. It’s been a journey that has taken him fully into the ultralight camp, and a little way back again, so that he can combine other pursuits with his meat hunts. Interview: Seon Crockford At nineteen, Seon started travelling around the world, exploring and adventuring. Most of his professional career though has been as a yacht captain and the most unique of those jobs was captain to the Cabrinha Quest, a kitesurfing and surfing expedition around the Pacific, which he skippered for…

We were lucky enough to get our hands on the new range recently, and have had a lot of fun using them for things like pre-dawn jetboating and after work pest control. The MT series feature a number of improvements over previous models. By far the most important is the capacity to recharge through the USB 3.0 port, the same fitting found on many modern gadgets, including Samsung phones. As we mentioned in the review of the new MH10 headlamp, this charging system is significantly faster than the old USB 2.0 models. Other new features include a battery charge indicator and a transport lock to prevent turning on accidentally. All MT models have an IPX4 rating and are covered under the LED Lenser 7 year extended warranty. The 7 year…

01 Sako Roughtech Pro Sako Roughtech Pro is a true hunting and shooting rifle designed for regular big game hunting. The Roughtech stock has a fully integrated aluminium bedding that ensures precise, rigid chassis, as well as a rough surface texture that ensures a solid grip in all weather conditions. It is equipped with a fluted barrel and an advanced high energy dissipation recoil pad. All stocks come with two 5 mm spacers for length of pull adjustment. The receiver is drilled and tapped for mounts, and weaver rails are available. The Roughtech is available in a wide range of calibres , and stainless bolts and actions can be ordered. 02 Napier of London, are specialists in gun care and the chosen supplier to many leading gunmakers around the world.…

As it’s approaching Father’s Day the competition will be open to any father and son/daughter combo, so you could even enter it for a deserving father (or child!) that you know. The prize is a two-day guided father and son/daughter meat hunt on the stunning 20,000ha Te Awaiti Station located near Martinborough in the South Wairarapa. How to Enter All you need to do is read through the mag and answer the following questions: 1. What are the two species of deer that can be hunted on Te Awaiti? 2. What’s the TOTAL number of points on Red stag antlers that appear in this issue? If the same Red stag appears in more than one photo (such as Eddie Smith’s story on page 18 ), count the points you…

Invermark Estate, Glenesk, Scotland was the source of New Zealand’s famous Otago Highland Red deer herd some 145 years ago. Highland deer have been written about by many authors over the years, but by none more renowned than the late author D. Bruce Banwell who wrote the books 'Highland Stags of Otago' and 'Great New Zealand Deer Head' series. I visited Invermark while on a recent trip to Europe. My intention was to exercise the age old Scottish "right to roam" at the Estate in the hope of catching a glimpse of a stag. Not only was I able to set foot on such hallowed ground to see the majestic Scottish Red deer, I was also given the further privilege of meeting Lord Dalhousie and Richard Cooke, Estate Factor, at…

Neither company is content to rest on its laurels; every year they come out with new and innovative models with specific hunting situations in mind. VX-5HD 3-15x44 So what is different about the new VX-5? To start with the most obvious, the zoom range is 5x as opposed to the VX-6’s 6x. Other than that it seems to have all of the 2016 vintage VX-6’s features: a high-definition optical system for maximum contrast and clarity, and the Twilight Max™ light management system for great low-light performance. They are both filled with an argon/ krypton gas blend with larger molecules for the ultimate in moisture-proofing. The CDS-ZL2 (Custom Dial System ZeroLock 2) elevation dial locks in place so it cannot be inadvertently rotated off zero. A press of a button will…

Since their introduction in 1907 in the Mt Cook region, they’ve thrived in New Zealand conditions and can now be found virtually everywhere throughout the South Island, from Fiordland to Nelson, with the highest numbers tending to be concentrated around the Westland glaciers. The other beauty of these animals is that you can chase them almost all year round, as their capes and coats look great in both their summer and winter phases. These agile little creatures are unique in a lot of ways and can provide a few headaches when you’re learning to hunt them. With that in mind, here’s some handy tips designed to help those new to alpine hunting to get the drop on these smart critters. 1) EYESIGHT As I’ve already mentioned, their incredible eyesight is…

On the Thursday night, somewhere between Auckland and Invercargill, Callum and I caught up at the pub for dinner and talked over the weekend’s hunting options. Friday morning we were up, caffeinated and out the door well before sun up with the whole day before us to scout, glass and plan the next two days. A phone conversation with my trusty farmer a few days prior had given us an idea of the birds’ movements and with that information, we headed off to what I imagined would be our first spot X. If you have the time, scouting is key to a successful goose hunt. Not long after we parked up at the spotting site, the first group of birds was on the move. It was just getting light. The…

The Lower North Island Red Deer Foundation (LNIRDF) went to the High Court early last month over DoC’s refusal to consult fairly over allowing helicopter operators to hunt and kill deer for the commercial wild venison trade in forest parks and other public land. This practice is known as Wild Animal Recovery Operations, or WARO. DoC’s 2015 review of WARO permits resulted in several areas previously closed to helicopters being opened for commercial deer recovery. This included quashing long standing closures to WARO operations in the Ruahine, Tararua and Rimutaka Forest Parks. DoC failed to consult with hunters as it was required to do, yet it had consulted with the helicopter operators. In his judgement, Justice Simon France agreed, saying he was satisfied that the process was unfair because of…

This trip was going to be shared with a couple of good mates and seasoned hunters, Marnix and Mike. As always the objective was to secure a monster bull worthy of a spot on the wall. Nervously we watched the big fronts rolling up the West Coast prior to our trip, hoping things would settle down for our allocated time in the hills. On arrival at the helipad, we began unloading from our vehicles a mountain of gear that seemed bigger than the 500 itself. The pilot grinned and shook his head and I could imagine him thinking ‘here we go again’. To my dismay, the only item that didn’t make the cut was my small, collapsible chair – a high demand item in camp. Touching down at our new…

My roar trips over the last few years had been missing those real big boys that everyone dreams of seeing. Not through lack of effort; it was more a case of hunting areas with poorer genetics that had no history of producing consistent trophies. This roar, I had set myself a goal of shooting a mature animal with no less than 12 points. During the next three weeks, my mates Phil, Jake, Carl and I were to hunt three areas that we knew held good numbers of deer, each with a history of producing good heads. Over the first 16 days of the trip, we hunted all kinds of country in Central Otago and non-balloted Fiordland. We had plenty of run-ins with stags, ranging from young 10s with awesome potential,…

Grand Winner The next generation getting an armchair ride and bringing home the birds!! Cousins Isaac Hinton, Jonty Tresidder and Blake Tresidder First deer for 8 year old Leo Ravel. Shot at 346 metres with a Ruger 243! Rhys out for his first duck hunt on closing weekend with his Dad and Uncle on the Thames River. Harrison McShane (13) with his first deer, a Fallow buck Toby Morrison out there doing it Dayna Br iggs (11) out hunting with her dad. Shot while it was beating up a spiker ! The winning photo receives a Hunting & Fishing voucher to the value of $100. Send all your photos to editor@nzhunter.co.nz Note: Photos must be of a suitable size for printing - a minimum file size…

There is an increasing awareness that all is not well in our mountains and that just because the forest is still green, it does not mean it is fine. When it comes to environmental awareness and concern, most of us hunters have a desire to see our mountains, flora and fauna protected while still enjoying a quality hunting experience. One of the key things that hunters need to come to terms with though, is that just because we spend lots of time in the bush, it does not necessarily mean we have all the answers about what needs to be done to protect our environment. It is a hugely complex issue and the scientists don’t have all the answers either. We can all contribute but none of us holds the…

For some, the main motivation might be the simple pleasure of spending time in outdoor environments and immersing themselves in nature. For others it might be the camaraderie of friends and mates, while other people revel in the chance to escape the stress and pressures of day-to-day life. At the end of the day, however, the overriding common denominator is the fact that we enjoy hunting game animals. Hunting is an inherently unpredictable pastime when it comes to putting an animal on the ground. Success is never guaranteed and it is often physically and mentally strenuous, not to mention costly in terms of finances and time. With all those considerations in mind, I think any success we do have has earned the right to be recorded and documented accurately in…

On one unarmed walk onto the Mole tops above the Matakitaki river, I experienced one of the most frustrating encounters with birds I have ever had. At the time I had already been into my photography for several years but had yet to capture any images of kaka let alone good quality ones. About halfway to the bush line my friend turned to ask me what the noise was up in the canopy. “What noise?” ... I hadn’t heard a thing. Stopping to listen for the sound seemed like a very good excuse for a rest so I wasn’t complaining. A few minutes later I heard it too and immediately recognised the sound as that of a kaka. As a wildlife photographer the sight (or sound) of a new species…

I was about to shoot down to Marlborough for a few days hunting with good mates Paul and Freddy and the Trailblazer daypack looked like it’d be pretty handy for the “diesel stalking” we had planned. First impressions were of a bulky but extremely tough and hard wearing pack. Manufactured in the USA and 100% waterproof, the main material is Crooked Horn’s proprietary GrizHide, laminated to weather-proof nylon pack cloth. Like most things American, the Trailblazer has been built with comfort in mind, with heavily padded shoulder straps and hip belt. A built in bow/rifle pouch folds out from underneath the pack to allow hands-free carrying. Two small Velcro pockets on the back are designed to keep a knife and radio immediately available, as are the dual water bottle pockets.…