NZ South Island 2019

[Born Hunter 17,763]

13 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

Bet he is dying to gjve is some shooting equations or graphs of the  terrain or summat tho 30 year ago an Shelly would have been a slide show sorta guy I reckon

Lol, I’m really not a very technical person. I know, I’m a confusing individual! 

Edited May 27, 2019 by Born Hunter

[Ted Newgent 4,896]

On 23/05/2019 at 08:00, Born Hunter said:

I'd love to! I could spend months either there or Montana hunting Rocky Mountain Bighorn, Dall, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mountain Goat, Caribou and legit spot and stalk Bear. But america is SO expensive because the demand in the hunting market is massive. I mean that's great because hunting dollars fuel their conservation efforts and they have probably the best conservation model in the world. But it doesn't leave much opportunity for a lad from a working class background like myself. I mean I'm doing alright considering but I'm not exactly wealthy. LOL

I feel an adventure over there without a rifle though is on the cards.

Next hunting adventure will likely be Scotland. But I'm really looking forward to a three dayer on the bucks this weekend! Pack the wagon and hit the road, can't wait.

Head over here to Sask canada 

and i will get you set up on a big black bear or a huge trophy whitetail

the exchange rate is alright for you heading this way

[Ted Newgent 4,896]

Absolute belting photos

wicked write up

thanks for posting this up

much appreciate it

 

i have always wanted to do NZ or even go there to live

[shovel leaner 7,650]

That’s the best write up I’ve read on here . Fantastic hunting mate .... respect  

[jiggy 3,209]

17 hours ago, Born Hunter said:

Lol, I’m really not a very technical person. I know, I’m a confusing individual! 

Did you see any red deer. My friend worked over there for a year and said the stags he seen had huge racks.

[Born Hunter 17,763]

1 minute ago, jiggy said:

Did you see any red deer. My friend worked over there for a year and said the stags he seen had huge racks.

Not free range, that I can remember. I got the impression shooting deer over there was a bit like rabbit shooting over here, ie no big deal. Well, other than during the roar or in high country, that's considered somewhat prestigious.

But yes I did see plenty of Reds....... on the deer farms. TONS of deer farms! I also saw Whitetail and Elk. Both firsts for me.

What you have been told is correct. Though, the total freaks often come from private land high fenced 'hunting'. But tbh I find those heads pretty grotesque. Public land over there is producing some utterly fantastic natural looking heads! Honestly it seems they're so abundant that they're just stacked on the shelf in the shed of every serious hunters place! Heads that over here a recreational stalker would consider a once in a lifetime trophy. I wish I had taken photos.

A decent public land Red is something that would/will take me back there. And probably Chamois.

[jiggy 3,209]

3 minutes ago, Born Hunter said:

Not free range, that I can remember. I got the impression shooting deer over there was a bit like rabbit shooting over here, ie no big deal. Well, other than during the roar or in high country, that's considered somewhat prestigious.

But yes I did see plenty of Reds....... on the deer farms. TONS of deer farms! I also saw Whitetail and Elk. Both firsts for me.

What you have been told is correct. Though, the total freaks often come from private land high fenced 'hunting'. But tbh I find those heads pretty grotesque. Public land over there is producing some utterly fantastic natural looking heads! Honestly it seems they're so abundant that they're just stacked on the shelf in the shed of every serious hunters place! Heads that over here a recreational stalker would consider a once in a lifetime trophy. I wish I had taken photos.

A decent public land Red is something that would/will take me back there. And probably Chamois.

It will make the 11 pointer on my wall look small so. I've seen photos of 23 pointers. Like you say the small ones over there are bigger than huge ones here.

[bird 9,897]

great post and pics .

[WILF 46,809]

On 24/05/2019 at 11:56, Born Hunter said:

Now for the red letter day! Maybe not for a proper pig hunter, but for a English fella who just wants to experience a proper pig hunt it was!

We were back at the deer farm and on foot hunting the bush. Three dogs, the two experienced trusted pig catchers and a youngster. Basically we set off into the bush and the dogs cast off hunting around us until they hit some scent and then hunt away. Kurt's focus then goes to his tracker and he assesses what is going on. If he moves, I follow.

At this point I should explain a few things. Kurt's dogs are holder/bailers, rather than hard holders or straight bailers, which meant more than I realised until he explained. Basically holder/bailers sort of assess the pig/boars size/danger and bail or hold accordingly. A hard holder always hits it's pig and a bailer almost always bails (there's definitely parallels with terriers here). The adaptive nature of his type of dog tells the human side of the team whether the dogs have got a decent pig or a small one. Also, not running hard holders means he doesn't feel there is a benefit to running protective gear on his dogs. I'm sure there are 'experts' that will disagree but I ain't one of em.

The first bit of action we got was the sound of squealing in the distance. That'll be a smallish pig that the dogs have immediately pinned. When we got there the pup and one of the older dogs were into it. I ended things and Kurt told me what he thought had happened while he whipped the guts out. He reckoned the dogs had split with his other dog on another.

Eventually we had all the dogs back and set off again. At some point I carried that little pig back to the truck but I honestly can't remember when, lol.

After a while the dogs have hit something and we're tramping all over the bush following the tracker. I haven't a f***ing clue where I am so getting lost would be a bit of a f**k up and Kurt ain't one for looking back to check if you're still alright either. When he goes, you're with him or you're left behind.

Now, I was pretty sure I could hear intermittent bailing, no squealing just bailing.... Kurt couldn't hear shit but he was getting way more restless based on what his tracker was telling him. Once I told him what I could hear we were f***ing flying! He knew it was a decent pig, probably the problem boar we were after.

As we came into shot there was grunting and the two older dogs had it lugged up in a creek, strewn with dead-fall. The pup was elsewhere. Sods law! Anyway I was buzzing now we had a proper 'boar'. I quickly checked Kurt was happy for me to get into it and I was down in the creek.... A bit too hastily! The dogs must have let go (maybe as they saw me jump in?) and the damn pig turned to face me and eyed me up. I had no footing at all, lol, with the pig coming at me. Fortunately the dogs had it again and I retreated to the bank to make a more intelligent approach. Picked my footing better and grabbed a leg.

Kurt was cheering me on  and told me to haul it up on to the bank but with two f***ing great lumps of dogs lugged up with it pulling the other way I struggled and decided it wasn't happening. Best thing to do was push back into the creek and deal with it there. I flipped it, pinned it and stuck it. It's not particularly difficult but ya just need to figure it out. It's a new thing and I was 'enthusiastic'. 

 

Should fire this in the dog section mate.......it’s gone from the best to the worst section on the whole site.

 

[Born Hunter 17,763]

9 minutes ago, WILF said:

Should fire this in the dog section mate.......it’s gone from the best to the worst section on the whole site.

 

I thought about spreading bits around the different forums and decided to just post here in this quiet corner. Save arguments. 

I might extract the pig hunting part and chuck it up in there if I feel brave.

[sparky the hunter 72]

Cracking post!

It's my dream to head south and do some of the stuff you have but family and life get in the way for a while.  Make your memories while you still have your youth mate, I look forward to your next post.

[Tyla 3,179]

This is a public land stag we shot on my trip. No massive trophy but something I will never forget

[Tyla 3,179]

We had to cross this valley on the way to the tops every hunt. It was steep as but that somehow made it more fun

[Born Hunter 17,763]

1 hour ago, Tyla said:

This is a public land stag we shot on my trip. No massive trophy but something I will never forget

That head would find space on my wall! Well done

[Tyla 3,179]

It was a pretty epic hunt, we'd been out since dawn and climbed up to the opposite side of the valley. We'd had a few roaring but nothing we could get close to. This guy replied once then came crashing in, could see his antler tops coming up the hill towards us above the fern and he was roaring all the way. He appeared at 20m but i could only see his back end, my mate took the shot and the stag was so pumped he didn't even notice but kept coming up the deer trail i was on. I shot him again at about 5m and dropped him. He was so close I didn't even use the scope just eyed down the barrel like a shot gun. That got the heart pumping I can tell you. He wasn't charging me but he was coming at speed up the trail and there was nowhere else for me to go. When we skinned him out the first shot was a solid chest shot with a 30.06 and he barely even flinched, shows how pumped they get in the roar