Innehållsförteckning för Issue 105 från NZ Hunter

It was a rough chopper ride beating into the south-westerly gale, but we had a sunny weather window for a few hours before a new cold front arrived overnight. The machine finally angled down towards the main river to drop off Garth and Tony on a strategic terrace where several large side streams converged. A camp here offered access to multiple ridges, ensuring quality day-hunt options no matter the wind direction. My son Jeremy and I flew on, tracking up a beech spur onto a level tussock ridge where the helicopter put down for three minutes, giving me time to stash food and two water containers beside a rocky outcrop. Climbing back on the chopper, we flew south over a couple of catchments and climbed higher to the nearly bare…

When Daddy was walking the length of Fiordland he found a spot with lots of deer and a secret hut hidden in the bush. For this April trip, we planned to fly in and stay at that hut for about nine days, depending on the weather, and then walk back out which would take about another six days. This meant we still had to go pretty lightweight, but we could still take good food and firewood. Timing the roar can be difficult, so we flew in on the second of April so that we would hopefully find a roaring stag for the fifteen days we were there. It was a good flight and the weather was amazing. I was very excited. We unpacked our gear into the hut. We tried…

My name is Dave Helliwell and I’m an Air Crew Officer (ACO) and Paramedic on the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter based in Tauranga. Our company, Search and Rescue Services Limited operates 8 Rescue Helicopter bases across the central and lower North Island. I am also a hunter and often get out on adventures in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. These dual perspectives have given me a deep appreciation for how hunters can prepare for emergencies and assist rescue crews when things don’t go to plan. How it works from our side is when we receive a Search and Rescue (SAR) ‘tasking’ it either comes via the NZ Police or RCCNZ (Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand). Generally, missing or overdue persons are from Police and beacon (PLB) jobs…

Myself and two other volunteers accompanied a BCT team doing a rebuild of South Huxley Biv. Our job was to assist the carpenters Clint Jarvis, Mark Williamson, and Jason Kerr with the demolition of the original biv and then do some work on the route up to the biv from the main Huxley Valley. This was my first trip into this area and so it was a great opportunity to check out a valley that I’d heard lots about from my outdoor friends and colleagues. The Huxley is a rugged catchment that backs onto the Huxley Range and Main Divide. Brodrick Pass in the head of its North Branch is a favoured crossing for alpinists over into the Landsborough Valley in Westland. Most of the peaks surrounding the valley are…

Few of us can jump straight into a pair of high end binos when we start out hunting or if we don’t spend hours at a time glassing The R3 and R5 lineup continue that famous Bushnell value, and we’ve been playing around with the R5 10x42 binocular and R5 2000 rangefinder for the last few months – from coastal South Westland to South Canterbury highcountry. BINOCULARS Available in 8x42s and 12x50s, as well as the 10x42’s tested here the R5 use phase coated Bak4 glass in their prisms, and dielectrically applied multi coated lens throughout the optical system – to minimise distortion and loss of light. The external lens have an EXO anti smudge and water repellent coating. The R5 optical system does not have the more expensive fluorite…

Fittingly, we met at the Wapiti Café in Te Anau, where Roy shared his deep personal connection to Fiordland, talking about the story of his early days with the FWF, to now being a driving force behind its success. Roy also offers us a glimpse into the exciting developments on the horizon for the Foundation. What was your first experience in Fiordland like, and how did it shape your connection to the area? When I was 17, a best friend’s father took us across to the Glaisnock to go hunting. We didn’t know anything about the area, or much at all about Wapiti. He chucked us off the boat at the mouth of the Glaisnock and said, “See you soon.” I remember walking up the Glaisnock and feeling something really…

On this trip, a cracker box, packaging and Gladwrap were scattered across the main track, dislodged by the wind from where they had been stuffed in adjacent tree roots only days earlier. It’s a timely reminder of the clear and present danger of roar hunting pressure returning to the hills. This tends to be my cue to hang up the Salomon trail runners for a month or so until the stags and hunters have finished their tango. But, with 20 days out, we still had time for one last silent hīkoi through the bush to hopefully pick up a yearling or hind. This is up close and personal bush hunting, where my dog Kai and I work as a team to try to outwit the graceful animals that frequent this…

We've all experienced those unforgettable trips where the weather co-operates, the stars align, and everything comes together for the hunt of a lifetime. During these moments, we encounter high-quality game and perhaps even harvest an animal. However, not every hunt goes as planned. Sometimes, relentless rain makes glassing impossible, helicopters disrupt the area, other hunting parties have already targeted the valley you aimed for, or you overlook critical factors like 1080 and animal distribution maps. What It Takes to Succeed To be a successful hunter, you need more than just passion, grit and determination. You need to be fit, precise, know your area, understand animal behaviour, a good shot and have a little bit of luck. Even the most skilled and fit hunter face’s obstacles, that’s a part of the…

To achieve this, the Government will rewrite the Arms Act 1983 and update the supporting Arms Regulations 1992, which together make up New Zealand’s rules on firearms to keep people safe. At the time of writing the COLFO is in the process of reading the discussion document and a submission guide is available free to you at www.colfo.org.nz. The discussion document itself has been written in a manner that is easy for everyday people to read, understand, and give feedback on. The purpose of the review is to assess the performance of the current Arms Act and help the Government understand which areas of the law need to be changed and improved. This is not a comprehensive review of the firearms system and has two key parts that are not…

Bucks have tusk-like canines, sharp and up to 45 mm in length, used in fighting and defense, combined with simple antlers on abnormally long pedicles which extend downwards, reinforcing the top of the skull with prominent ribs of bone. They are native to south-east China and Timor, and first arrived in the UK in the 1850s, released to the wild from Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire around the 1880s. Some will recognise this famous abbey, as some of New Zealand’s original game animal introductions of tahr, Sika and Red deer were generously gifted by the Duke of Bedford from this estate back in the 1890s, and for that we must be eternally grateful. Autumn rains drummed against our rental car as my wife, Donna, and I drove down the narrow country roads…

We reviewed them thoroughly in issue 82, but we’ll recap a little here before going into the new model they have just released – the absolutely stunning 14x52s! The NL Pure design has enhanced field flattener lenses – that deliver an almost flat, completely distortion-free image – right up to the edges. It also has SwaroVision – their fluorite lens optical system that delivers pin-sharp contours, high-contrast, and true-to-life images, allow you to make out every detail. Their innovative lens coatings provide excellent colour rendition with high light transmission – 91%. Physically they are a short, single bridge design. The focusing wheel is in the usual EL position, but the dioptre adjustment is a rotating ring with a protruding centre. This dioptre ring has a central detent, but no lock,…

I knew there were a few good stags in my areas from the regular checks on my trail cameras. Looking over the SD cards and seeing some quality stags had given me all the information I needed to be confident that I had a good chance of running into one in April, or was I being overconfident? My April was mapped out with a good number of days in public land for the first half of the month, then in mid-April, I was taking my wife on her first roar trip. One thing I have been doing over the last 12 years is actively using trail cameras in the bush where I like to hunt. I have the choice of hunting open country or farm edges, but I prefer to…

I rolled over and nudged my partner. “Babe, guess what? It's hunting time! Time to wake up!” She responded with a groan, barely registering my words. I pulled myself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, switching the kettle on. Still half-asleep, I mentally ran through my gear list for the trip: • Gun – check • Ammo and bolt – check • Binoculars and bino pack – check • Rangefinder – check • Boots, socks, and gaiters – check • First aid kit, EPIRB and GPS – check • Camera and tripod – check • Bag, food, and drink – check • Head torch and handheld – check • Meat bags – check • Puffer, coat, beanie, gloves – check • Sunscreen – check The kettle started to…

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. We’ve also just released an Introduction to Pig Hunting course. More experienced hunters will still find useful information…

Welcome to my first article for NZ Hunter as Acting General Manager of the GAC. Thank you for your continued support for the GAC and bear with us as we hold the fort through our transition to a new CEO. A BIT ABOUT ME I have been with the GAC since 2022, employed as the Principal Advisor – Policy and Research. My role involves pulling together the views of the hunting sector, government policy, regulatory settings, and scientific knowledge to identify and pursue practically sound pathways for improved game animal management and hunting across New Zealand. As hunters, our choices on the hill are key to achieving sustainable solutions to game animal management in a way that also provides benefits across the board – for recreation, communities, commerce and conservation.…

The Lambert landing site is fairly sheltered and somewhat low at 700m above sea level, and is situated at the start of rock and gravel covered flat and just behind a large boulder, and is fairly well protected from flooding etc. Being that bit lower means that there’s a little less chance of the valley being snowed under in the later periods, and it will also thaw out a bit quicker but in general you won’t see much sun. There’s a fair bit of hunting around camp with all the scrubby ridges and steep creeks to climb. And a bit of a bush bash downstream gives access to a bunch of slips on either side of the river, as well as another steep creek that can be climbed all the…

Well back in 2015, Ruger made some huge changes to their mainstay bolt gun design, to the extent that it was totally unrecognisable as having come from the same company that produced the M77. We reviewed the then new American back in 2016, and this model has continued in production unchanged until now. Ruger have come out with a facelift model called the Generation II. The base action has not changed, but we’ll briefly run through the features that made the American such a deviation from the M77 again. The cylindrical receiver is investment cast with no protrusions like recoil lugs, scope bases, trigger blocks or magazine mounts. This is the way most mass produced rifle receivers have gone these days to minimise material wastage and machining costs. It does…

But three months is not long when we consider preparing a young dog for his first season or contemplate the physical fitness needed for our seasoned campaigner. Training a gundog for duck season involves a blend of physical conditioning, skill enhancement, and mental preparation. Here's a guide to getting your gundog ready for the season. UNDERSTANDING YOUR GUNDOG'S ROLE First, it's essential to understand the role of your gundog in duck hunting. Gundogs, whether they are retrievers, spaniels, pointers or setters are expected to: • Retrieve downed birds from water or land, often in challenging conditions. • Remain steady to the shot, meaning they should not break for the retrieve or run in on birds until commanded, which is crucial for safety. • Navigate to and from the blind or…

Apart from that, isn’t it great as the nights are generally warmer and daylight hours longer, and a perfect opportunity to barbecue for dinner It is generally quickly cooked food with less fuss than other methods, and this recipe of smashed venison burgers fits the bill. Smash burgers are different to the normal burger in the sense that the meat patty is exactly that - smashed down on a hot plate, so a lot thinner. Some 60 years ago, in the state of Kentucky, an employee placed a can of beans on top of the patty to maximise the flavour and this is how the smash burger was born. The smash-burger approach involves placing the meat on a hot pan or skillet/grill and smashing and flattening it out as it…