Innehållsförteckning för Issue 70 från NZ Hunter

This year was no different except that one of Ed’s mates, Wills from England was coming along. Our hunting party consisted of Lee, Ed, Wills and I. We have done a few trips together into the Kaimanawas, staying in a private cabin and then heading up onto the tops. Every year we seem to get better and wiser. I have learned so much with this crew that I usually hunt with and I’m very confident in all our abilities. On the first day Ed and Wills teamed up and headed off to the tops to set up the fly camp. Lee and I were doing a day mission. We have set areas in which each party will be and we carry UHFs and have set times for communication. Once Ed…

I was embarking on an adventure with no idea of what I was in for. I had little to no plan and let my passion for backpack hunting dictate my direction. Little did I know how profound the impact of this would be. After a couple of months of finding my way around, everything began to come together for me. I solidified a plan to hunt tahr on the East Coast in a new area, and the ‘stoke’ was setting in. The next day around mid-afternoon, I loaded up my pack and departed into the mountains. I had a long climb before me but put my head down and started walking. I reached the hut just as the sun vanished from the horizon line. With enough light left to glass,…

Leaving work on Thursday and not knowing what the long weekend was going to consist of, I ended up meeting Gregor, a good friend of mine. Over a few beers, we stayed up late with Gregor’s dad Sam, talking about hunting trips we’d done. It was tempting to stay up even longer and carry on chatting about these trips and the fun we’d all had, but we decided to get some much needed rest, ready for the long day ahead. We got up reasonably late the next morning and Gregor’s cousin and her friends put on a wicked breakfast with all the goodies. All fuelled up, we decided to start our mission from the base of the river and head all the way to the tops. The trusty old 2.8…

Back in 2017 we took off with a short window available due to the usual work commitments, and the last-minute packing resulted in a few oversights, particularly on my part. Luckily Mark was much more organised and he’d packed more than the couple of dehydrated meals I had. The first evening was spent walking a big loop from the truck and back again, trying to catch up to the infrequent roars we could hear before the light ran out. We never managed to lay eyes on a stag but we did see a few other animals out and about, doing their thing. Not so used to being anywhere near the truck, we took full advantage of the luxury by cooking on the tailgate and drinking a beer. We even opted…

The Mallard is New Zealand’s most numerous and most widely distributed waterfowl, occurring right throughout the country. The species is also present in some of the sub-Antarctic islands and Chatham and Kermadec Islands. From a habitat perspective, Mallard ducks are able to thrive in a wide variety of environments, which would go a long way to explaining why they are such a widespread and rapidly expanding species. Their habitats include urban streams and parks, most flowing rivers and streams, drains in pastoral farming areas, lowland lakes and estuaries and hydro-dams as well as high country tarns. Very adaptable is the old Mallard. Interestingly, over time, with their rapid expansion (combined with hybridisation) the Mallard has come to 'displace' the native Grey duck, causing the Grey duck population to slowly decrease.…

Here at the bottom of the country, even non-hunters can’t help but notice that something is in the air. Sure, it’s the start of autumn but it runs much deeper than that. The whole province changes. Rugby is played after work so people don’t have to play on the Saturday of opening weekend. Bottle stores run promotions for hunting jackets and decoys. Pie shops, butcheries and bakeries do a roaring trade and run special duck hunters’ packs. There’s even duck widow lunches organised by the pubs. The local hunting store is the place to be with lots of people buying gear they don’t really need just so they can talk hunting and there are trailer loads of manuka for scrubbing maimais everywhere. In the early hours of Friday morning the…

We reviewed these back in Issue 9, March/April 2009. These became our optic of choice for about five years, until the other main European optics brands Swarovski and Leica overtook them again by including a means of allowing for uphill and downhill shooting into their respective units. While the Zeiss RFs had a superbly capable rangefinder for their era, they did have a couple of draw backs – one the lack of any inclinometer or true ballistic range (TBR) feature, and two, the fact the electronic pathways of the LCD display were actually visible in one of the barrels, and significantly reduced the light transmission in that barrel. We knew Zeiss was working on a new model for some time now that would deal with these issues and bring it…

Bushnell Forge Spotting Scopes Every detail matters to expert shooters Bushnell Forge spotting scopes are built with the most exacting specifications to ensure nothing is missed. The ED Prime Glass lenses deliver true-to-life colour, even in low-light conditions. IPX7 waterproof construction, plus they’re protected by EXO Barrier, a permanent lens coating that repels water, oil, dust and debris. Dual-focus for fine-tuning the clearest image possible, not matter the target. Sliding sunshade included. Choose from straight-through or 45° angled models more the ultimate in viewing comfort and versatility. From RRP$1,739.99 www.ampro.co.nz Bushnell Elite Tactical XRS-II riflescopes The XRS II is Bushnells flagship optic, crafted to the most exacting standards Delivering precisely-aimed rounds at extreme distances is a skill honed with practice and the proper scope. ED Prime Glass delivers rich color…

A skilful landing on the Bull Gully beach at high tide meant a hasty unload and a wave to our pilot before Jack and I were left to the heavy stillness of a drizzly, misty evening. Despite the rain we were eager to get into the bush. We set up camp, strung up a fly and headed up the ridge for the last hour of light. We were rewarded by a bugle opposite us on the big slip, and it was tempting to think that this steep ridge we were on could be used to access the main coastal ridge. I’m not recommending it, but if you’ve done it, let me know! The next morning we crossed the creek and went straight up the face through wet boulder terrain until…

I was not feeling confident the wild stags would be roaring though as it was still a bit early for the spot I was going to, which I have hunted for a few years now and know really well. My Granddad hunted the same area starting in the 1950s, so I have a pretty good idea of when the stags really get going there. I couldn’t be bothered wandering around on my own all day so I decided to ask my good mate Cam to come with me. I’ve known and hunted with Cam for years – but he’s a true blue pig hunter and that’s all we’ve ever done together – except for shooting the odd hind. He’s never really been a deer hunter but I thought if we…

While selecting the wrong shutter speed can ruin an image, intentional variation of shutter speeds can produce some really great photographs with some additional very cool effects. There is a time and place for fast shutter speeds and also specific situations where slower speeds will yield better results or a desired effect. A few years ago I built a homemade floating camouflage blind for photographing birds on lakes and ponds. It was (I say 'was' because I am now on prototype number three) basically a rectangle framework of five-inch PVC piping sealed at the joins so it would float. I fabricated a tent pole-style overhead frame of plastic one-inch irrigation hose which acted as a 'skeleton' for a leafy-style camouflaged drape. A small piece of marine plywood was cable tied…

In this one I’d like to focus on the next hut down the valley, Moonbeam. The hut is named after the big fast flowing side creek that it sits above. Although theoretically a DOC fully maintain hut, Moonbeam has long been a de-facto Permolat project. It is located high on a terrace on the true left of the Waitaha River at 465m altitude, and is a comfy and well-constructed 6-bunker with open fire built in the early 1970’s by the NZFS. The montane forest around the hut is beautiful with tall stands of totara, pahautea (mountain cedar), rata, kamahi, and quintinia. Moonbeam is a relatively low-use hut, often hardy types heading for Ivory Lake in the head of the valley There is the odd fly-in hunter, but few take the…

Alfie had recently shot his first tahr so it was my turn to have a shot at the big game on this trip. We were going into the Southern Alps on public land so Dad had told us that we may not see any deer, let alone have a chance to shoot one. I was up at 6am on Saturday morning and Dad, Alfie and I quickly ate some breakfast. When we finished loading our gear, we said goodbye to Mum and my sister before starting our journey. On the way we picked up a pie, met up with my Dad's mate Terry and headed for the gravel road. After about two hours of driving, we transferred our gear onto the quad bikes to head up the riverbed. We were…

They dug right down to their supplier’s suppliers to see where the raw product came from, which I commend them for. It’s easy as a consumer to ignore the supply chain - exactly like people who buy meat from the supermarket and then complain about hunting - so these guys have done the homework on the ground in China and found what they did and didn’t like. Going down that road they’ve taken the steps of eliminating plastic packaging, swing tags etc. and are making all kinds of adjustments along the way with various fabrics and membranes to help out where they can. The time and effort in designing to these standards and the cost of procuring such materials does mean you pay a little more these days, but the…

I don’t salt wild ducks first as you do with the farmed ones – the wild ones are lean enough – salting them will dry them out. If you are using farmed ducks, work on 12g salt per kg, rub over the meat and leave for 12-24 hours, then wash and pat dry. This recipe also works well for venison shanks, although you may need more duck fat for the cooking process as they are bigger. Goose meat also lends itself very well to confit. Duck Confit • 4 duck legs and thighs, cleaned and trimmed • 2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme • 2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife • 2 cups duck fat (you may need more depending on the…

We knew we wanted to go after Sika at some point but were waiting on ballot results to confirm our plans. With fingers crossed, we watched the Wapiti ballot online and although we didn’t draw a central core block, we were happy to get the second period in the Large Burn. We were also lucky enough to draw a Wanaka roar block and the dates coincided perfectly. Our Wanaka trip started in typical fashion with the Subaru loaded up and headed south from Ashburton. We stopped at the house in Twizel in time for a quick fish that evening, securing a couple of good salmon for the people we would stay with along the way. The next day we headed to Makarora where we met family friend Rick who would…

It's been something I've wanted to do for a while – and on public land too. I'd never had luck with shooting deer in the past, things just hadn’t gone my way. I have been on many successful tahr trips with my wife but was yet to get a deer. I had just come off night shift and had set the alarm for lunchtime, when I loaded up the Land Cruiser and pointed it towards the Canterbury high country. I drove the truck as far as I could go and walked the remainder of the trip, arriving at the hut in the dark by headlamp. I was shocked to find that nobody else was in the hut and there were no recent entries in the hut book. Things were looking…

We had left Almaty that morning at around 3.30am and 300 kilometres of highway driving were followed by 200km of one of the worst roads you can imagine. Then we topped it off with a leisurely 200km of bone-crunching off-road travel. Our driver Yerdos put in a superhuman effort that day. With 22 hours of flying and a 14-hour layover in Dubai on the way, we were well and truly over travelling and glad to sit down to a proper meal. It seemed like we’d been planning this trip to hunt Mid-Asian ibex for my whole life. Uncle Bernard had wanted to do it for his 50th birthday and I was going to be the bag boy…ten years later we were finally here. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are the three…

It was late April and we only had two short nights away due to work commitments. After a feed, we stoked up the potbelly fire and climbed onto our bunks listening to the roar of the wind outside. Sleep didn’t come easy that night as I lay awake planning the next day’s hunt and the challenge the wind would present. After a restless night I crawled out of the pit to boil the billy and kick start the day with a hot brew before Emma and I left camp at the change of light. We had an hour’s tramp to get to our chosen circuit for the day. Stooped low with our hoodies pulled tight to keep the relentless wind out, we followed the rutted horse track steeped in history…

I continue to be asked for advice on particular packs, shelters, sleeping bags, rifles and footwear etc and I have to be honest…I don’t do technical specifications well, nor do I have a wealth of knowledge about the different brands all over the globe. Everyone has their own opinion on such things as gear anyway. But here’s the thing… You’ll know that for many years now I’ve been an advocate of going lighter and, for example, was possibly the first NZ hunter to use a cuben fibre shelter and pack here. I’ve chronicled some of my moves through the pages of this magazine where I’ve presented this as a journey…to discover how a truly ultralight philosophy might work for us hunters. For new readers, just get your hands on Issues…

I'm going to adhere to the usual 'facts and information' format rather then a 'how to hunt' series - there are others way more qualified than I am to cover that subject. The Mallard duck in New Zealand originated from 17 small importations of game farm birds brought out from England between 1870 and 1930. The acclimatisation societies of the time subsequently began breeding programmes and up until 1974 had managed to release 30,000 birds. By the 1970s, the Mallard had become the most common waterfowl in the country. One of my favourite outdoor recreational activities is fly fishing. Back in the day I used to do a heck of a lot of it. During one era of my life, night fishing for huge Brown trout in a couple of…

It was just a matter of throwing a flask, some ammo and a caller in my bag, grabbing a bag of ‘deeks’ and not forgetting my gun and dog of course, and I was off. This morning there was no 4am alarm, no trailer to load, no batteries to take off the charger nor any other things to remember to load into the truck in the hurry to get on the road so we had time for a big decoy and blind setup. I picked up my mate Murray and we arrived at the pond about ten minutes before shooting time. We had not been there since last season but the farmer had told us he had put a few ducks off it the previous day. We chucked the decoys…

It all began with the original Xtrema back around 2000, designed as the premier waterfowling gun to shoot the big 31/2 ” steel shells. Then came the Xtrema2, and in 2012 a total revamp called the A400 Xtreme, which has been our waterfowling gun of choice ever since. When Ziggy from Beretta NZ said he was bringing down the new A400 Xtreme Plus to shoot with us for the closing week of the 2018 season, I must admit I was fairly nonplussed. Our 6 year old A400s had performed so reliably through much abuse and only very occasional cleaning that I was struggling to see what could be improved upon to the extent Beretta could tempt me into a new model. So let’s look at the new A400 Xtreme Plus and…

Tahr Cull Update By the time you read this we expect that the tahr cull operations that were due to start last spring will be underway again. Here’s a quick update on what has been happening. Ben Reddiex has been appointed to a new role managing implementation of the Himalayan Tahr Control Plan and the tahr cull operational plan. Previously, Andy Roberts did some of this work in addition to his role as Eastern South Island Operations Director, and some of it happened in regional DoC offices. Ben’s appointment recognises the need for a sole purpose manager for this significant job. Ben has a background in introduced animal management. He completed his PhD on rabbits and has worked at Landcare Research, DOC and MAF in introduced animal related roles. Over…