NZ Hunter

word from the editor

This spring has had the usual mix of weather so far, but we have had a few cracker days in between fronts that we’ve managed to get up high on the mountains and down low in the rivers and make the most of. By the time you read this the deer should be mostly in their summer coats except for the yearlings which are always the last to change, making these young and tender animals easier to distinguish – just try and leave the knobbies, the yearling stags! The election has been and gone and we have a new Conservation Minister for the next three years. Kiripatu Allan is by all reports a very astute person and I am hopeful we will be able to build a good working relationship with her…

q&a

HI GREG I was just wondering what your thoughts are on a Tikka 6.5PRC with 20" barrel as an all-round cartridge for shooting all NZ deer, chamois and tahr. I currently have a brand new Tikka 7mm Rem Mag (never been fired) and I’m trying to decide whether to shorten it to 20 inches like one of your SuperPigs but still capable at longer range, or go the 6.5 PRC route? I should note I will only be using factory ammo, for now anyway. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, SAM HI SAM The 7mm Mag beats the 6.5PRC with factory ammo. Out of the same 24” length barrel, the Hornady Precision Hunter 7mm Mag does about 2875fps with the 162gn ELD-X with a .627 G1 BC, versus the 6.5 PRC doing around 2850fps with the 143gn…

the midnight bull

The U-shaped valleys carved by ancient glaciers tower over me, covered by dense podocarp forests that climb up the imposing granite bluffs reaching to the sky. This is where the keas soar above the windswept tussock and snowcapped peaks. The echoes of the helicopter disappear once it’s over the saddle. I stand next to the deep lake waters that look the same colour as the cup of tea in my hand, stained with tannins from the lush foliage constantly delivered by the rivers and countless waterfalls that appear only when rain falls The local weka appears to greet me and I see plentiful trout lazily swimming by as I battle hungry sandflies. Suddenly the silence is broken by the reason I have come to this place…it almost doesn’t seem real… it’s…

solo wandering

In March I scored a set of free ferry crossings that gave me five days in the middle to get some hunting done, so to make the most of my time I thought I was about due to explore some of the southern Marlborough tops country I’d had a taste with the trip to the Clarence so I was keen to see what else was hiding in those rocky scree-laden heights. By evening on the day I was dropped off deer were popping out all over the show, it seemed I’d landed right in the thick of things. Fully twelve hinds appeared before the first stag showed though. After setting up camp I walked down the ridge and found a scrubby old stag with spindly wee antlers but in beautiful condition, I…

redemption alpine double

Monty was as keen as mud and was already in the valley with his old man Garth. I was to meet them a few hours up the valley and then we would continue on to a head basin we had talked about visiting, and where Monty had previously seen some good-sized animals. On arrival at the road end at midnight, I crammed a few hours sleep in, amongst the sandflies trying to eat me alive, before hitting the trail and meeting the boys around 9am. Garth had had some success, shooting a couple of deer so he headed back to the road and would continue home. After the farewells Monty and I headed up the valley in search of an alpine double, even if it was between us. After a few hours of…

west coast summer chamois

I figured the best thing to sort that out would be a solid summer hunting mission. With the freezer pretty stocked up on venison and stags still being in soft velvet, I decided a South Island alpine hunt would be the ticket. I gave my mate Liam a call to see if he was keen on a hunt and he required very little convincing. He had been holidaying with family in the Marlborough Sounds and was also well overdue to get back in the hills. After some discussion around target species, weather forecasts and logistics, we decided to head to the mighty West Coast in search of chamois bucks. I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to chamois hunting as I grew up and undertook my hunting apprenticeship in…