Innehållsförteckning för Issue 103 från NZ Hunter

Spring has sprung with some lovely warm days but there’s certainly been a sting in the tail along with it As I write this alpine passes are closed all across the country and North Canterbury is having the lowest snow fall in living memory – for the second time in a month! We are well and truly into prime avalanche time now for the next few months so tahr hunters beware and pay attention to the avalanche advisory’s latest forecast before venturing anywhere near or just below recent snow falls. And it would also be very advisable to do an avalanche safety course run by Outdoor Education NZ to ensure you can travel safely in the alpine backcountry areas this time of year. www.avalanche.net.nz Visit www.nzhunter.co.nz for this issue's "Spot the…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To The humble goat has long been the first kill for many hunters and that’s no different for bowhunters. Aside from being the first, they also make for a great refresher when it comes to making a good, clean kill. Here are some aspects that make the good old goat a great thing to chase, regardless of your skill level. OPPORTUNITY In a lot of cases, a bowhunter might get a half dozen opportunities at deer over a year’s worth of hunting trips. It can be a long time between deer kills and, in that time, you can lose your edge. For example, an opportunity might pass you by and in that moment, you don’t manage to execute the kill on that one deer. You see…

With the talking over, Dad headed out to the fishing lodge in the ute, while Mum and I took the bike. On the way out I spotted a hind with a yearling. After crossing the creek we unloaded the ute at Tautawai Cabin. Later that evening we went for a walk up a hill we call Big Poi Poi, and spent ten minutes listening for deer, but nothing. Looking through Mum’s binoculars I couldn’t see anything, but a little while later, Mum spotted a couple of hinds and some yearlings. We kept watching them, hoping to see a stag, but instead heard a nice, powerful roar. The stag continued to roar, then suddenly another stag roared back. Listening to the stags roar back and forth was like music to my…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To The Adams Flat landing site is sheltered and provides a huge amount of scope to hunt, which is possibly why it’s one of the more popular blocks in the ballot. With vast amounts of scrub to watch and a few substantial side creeks to access the tussocks, there’s certainly more than enough terrain to keep even those larger groups of hunters entertained. With the flat itself being at about 750m above sea level, it’s safe to say that in the later periods you’ll be dealing with a little snow and slippery travel in those frozen side creeks. Over the last couple of years DOC has been trialling ground based control of nanny numbers in this area, and Tom Brookman who is DOCs programme lead for…

Best Grip are an Italian company who make tungsten carbide tipped studs for footwear, tyres and basically anything you can think of! People have been using studs on their boots for a very long time. Hobnails have been around since the ‘caligae’, nailed Roman sandals, which facilitated the greatest military expansion in the history of mankind – a pretty good invention. Right through to the ‘tricouni’ favoured by early NZ cullers – a French invention from 1912. You don’t see tricouni much now, but they were common right through until the 80’s. Particularly when paired with the infamous Bullers – basically short gumboots with laces for those not familiar with them. Boot studs are a modern progression on these ideas, though much more user friendly and durable. They are essentially…

Yet we know everyone wants to see this world-leading network of facilities carry on into the future. Our backcountry huts and tracks are a key part of connecting Kiwis with our amazing places. They’re part of a legacy built up over many years. Many of our huts play a part in conservation activities, as bases for the trapping programs that run along many of our tracks. They’re also vital part of keeping everyone safe and providing ‘shelter from the storm’. One way everyone can make a difference is by giving each of our 900 backcountry huts a spring clean this November. Those involved will spend an hour sweeping out the huts, cleaning the windows, wiping benches, taking out any rubbish, as well as leaving a spare roll of loo paper.…

After a few cold winter trips, returning home empty-handed, Raddy and I were fizzing for our first spring hunt. Added to our excitement was the fact that we had access to his old man’s jetboat – the perfect tool for a meat mish. We’d both managed to get half a week off work, but we still left at sparrow’s fart on Wednesday morning, determined to squeeze every second out of our time in the hills. Our mates Aidan and Smylie were joining us on the Friday for an extended weekend hunt. It couldn’t have been a more perfect morning- not a breath of wind. The lake was pure glass, mirroring the snowcapped peaks and bush-covered hillsides rising above the lake in all directions. We made full use of the conditions,…

I had been reading hunting magazines, including NZH, and was tempted by the prospect of being able to fly into one of those remote South Westland valleys, camp, and hunt tahr for a week. As a career tramper and occasional climber, I was already familiar with some of the locations, known for their challenging terrain and demanding conditions. These places are defined by the intense effort required, not to mention frustration and apprehension. Carrying a pack load of gear and food for a week or more I would tramp into some of the most inhospitable places on earth. But flying into the wilderness, where you are normally unable to land at any other time, with all your kit – now this was game-changer. Last issue I covered the Edison and…

Maia is a beautiful black and tan, Vizsla-Heading Dog cross. She was a very cute pup, about the size of a hedgehog, with soft floppy ears. My dad was as excited as I was to meet the new puppy. We took Friday off work and drove down to Rotorua to meet with the truck driver. He had brought Maia all the way up from Dunedin in a cardboard box that sat next to him in the cab. I think he was a little sad to see her go, and wanted to ring the breeder to see if there were any left of her litter. We spent all afternoon playing with Maia in the back yard and trying some simple drills, linking actions to commands. I used The Deer Dog Training…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To The Butler is one of the main tributaries of the Whataroa River in South Westland. The hut is a Department of Conservation maintained sixbunker that is popular with fly-in tahr hunters, as well as climbers and the more hardy tramping types. The attraction for humans and beasts alike is undoubtedly the spectacularly beautiful alpine setting, with big glaciated mountains, and rivers that tumble through cascades of massive boulders. It’s one of the best of our many unique landscapes. If you are heading to Top Butler on foot, it’s reasonable to give yourself around one and a half days to get there from the Whataroa roadend, although it could be done in one long one by really fit types. The track is rough and unformed but…

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Despite my parents owning a tourism business that brings hunters from all over the world to shoot Fallow and Red deer, I have only been allowed to shoot rabbits and goats. I remember feeling jealous for the first time when I was six years old. A classmate came to school one day boasting about how he’d shot a 16-pointer. My entire primary school roll at the time was just ten kids so hearing all the details of his epic hunt was the most exciting thing to happen all month. I know I should’ve been excited for him, but I spent the 40-minute bus journey home on our dusty, bumpy gravel road feeling sorry for myself. I’ve dreamt about hunting for as long as I can remember. I’ve read books about…

Better Hunting is a free online training platform built by the NZ Game Animal Council to help aspiring hunters improve their skills and knowledge, while helping them understand their obligations and responsibilities as hunters and firearms users. The courses are intended to provide a pathway and support hunters who go on to do practical training, such as the NZDA HUNTS courses. The content is designed by New Zealand hunters, for New Zealand hunters. You can do the courses on your phone and even download them for offline viewing using the app. For new, inexperienced and casual hunters, the two main courses, Hunting Essentials and Firearm Essentials, cover foundational hunting and outdoor skills. There’s also a new Introduction to Pig Hunting course too. More experienced hunters will still find useful information…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Events & Politics Demystifying Herds of Special Interest Herds of Special Interest (or HOSI for short) is not a new term but is gaining momentum as a future management concept for New Zealand’s game animals. While the ability for a Minister to designate a HOSI has existed since the Game Animal Council Act was established in 2013, no HOSI has ever been created. The reasons for this are complex and include political considerations, insufficient resources and lack of a formal process for considering proposals and developing a herd management plan. From 2022, the Game Animal Council (GAC) and Department of Conservation (DOC) have both been able to focus some efforts on establishing a process for HOSI to be designated by the Minister. HOSI is a key focus…

We did test a wide range of powders back in Part 1, and again with the different bullet weights in Part 2 Reloder 26 has proven to be the best powder across most bullet weights and barrel lengths, and that and Reloder 23 are all we tested with the 20 inch. Unfortunately it is in high demand and low supply, hence some people are struggling to source it - and Reloder 23 is not much better! The next best all round powder was 2217/H1000. Retumbo/2225 was ok with 160gn and heavier but we couldn’t fit enough in with the lighter bullet weights. StaBall wasn’t as good with 175gn and up, worked fine with the medium weight 150 and 160gners, but again we struggled to fit enough in with the 140gners.…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Food & Fauna Classic slow-cooked rolled boneless rabbit is the concept for this recipe, and after talking to an Italian friend, he said it doesn’t really matter what goes into it. Eating rabbit is quite common in the Mediterranean, especially in Italy and France, and possibly making a bit of a comeback here as well. A farmer I know in South Canterbury cuts rabbit up into small pieces, deep fries and passes it off as chicken so his kids will eat it! High in vitamin and low in cholesterol, rabbit offers a tasty alternative to other white meat on the market. The hardest part for this recipe will be boning out the rabbit and possibly tying it up ready for cooking, but if you have a small…