New Zealand DIY Free Range Hunt of a Lifetime!!

[wilkes]

Packed

The two on the other side of the river

Gear

 

[realunlucky]

Love this adventure. That country has the wow factor x10

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[wilkes]

Love this adventure. That country has the wow factor x10

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I'm Mormon and love visiting Utah. You don't have it too bad there yourself!

 

[realunlucky]

Grass is always greener elsewhere I guess. Utah is pretty diverse and many beautiful places but. ......we don't have any thing that comes close those mountains

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[ebhegele]

the camel part threw me off for sure but heck yah buddy!

 

[wilkes]

the camel part threw me off for sure but heck yah buddy!

Camels in Australia are like Coyotes in the US. Only... we eat them.

 

[elkbowkevin]

Hey Wilkes great job on the stories. Just like being there but,,alot drier.. LOL

Some beautiful country there for sure. Definately has been on one one my go to places for decades. Never made it there, yet.

BTW, what's the Camel taste like? I was telling my wife about them there, and that they were totally populated there. Thats gotta be alot of meat and one helluva pack out.

 

[wilkes]

Hey Wilkes great job on the stories. Just like being there but,,alot drier.. LOL

Some beautiful country there for sure. Definately has been on one one my go to places for decades. Never made it there, yet.

BTW, what's the Camel taste like? I was telling my wife about them there, and that they were totally populated there. Thats gotta be alot of meat and one helluva pack out.

Thanks for following the journey.

Definitely get down to NZ if possible. I would recommend a full DIY experience and completely forget the guides and ranches if possible.

It's been a while since I ate Camel so I don't know what to compare it to. It is good though! Maybe closest to Goat meat. Luckily most Camels can be found and shot within driving distance as the land they occupy is generally flat. You also wouldn't be anywhere near them without a tough vehicle.

 

[Dinger]

what's the Camel taste like?

For me, I think it tastes like what you would expect Camel to taste like......it's not popular for a reason. I had it whilst on an exercise in the Pilbara region in the late 90's, unless I'm short on options I won't go out of my way to do it again.

Being a pest animal and non-native, meat recovery to the extent you are used too in the US is not practiced. The combination of pest status and climate make meat recovery very low on the priority list for most Camel hunters/shooters.

 

[jwb300]

Camels in Australia are like Coyotes in the US. Only... we eat them.

Actually they are nothing like Coyotes... Unless you are in some pretty remote country you won't see them and they certainly aren't as numerous as Coyotes.

 

[JP100]

Thanks for following the journey.

Definitely get down to NZ if possible. I would recommend a full DIY experience and completely forget the guides and ranches if possible.

It's been a while since I ate Camel so I don't know what to compare it to. It is good though! Maybe closest to Goat meat. Luckily most Camels can be found and shot within driving distance as the land they occupy is generally flat. You also wouldn't be anywhere near them without a tough vehicle.

There are some real guides here that will take care of you in you in real country.
Interesting to read your view of our hunting. Heavy packs with 4 deer I bet!!!

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[JP100]

And good thing you guys didn't head to Fiordland. Bit tougher down there. No huts or tracks

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[ozyclint]

this folks is a real red deer 'trophy' in NZ. anyone can shoot a 43 pointer let out of a yard into a big pen.

well done wilkes.

 

[wilkes]

And good thing you guys didn't head to Fiordland. Bit tougher down there. No huts or tracks

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Sorry mate, I have offended you. I did clarify in my original post regarding the guides and ranches over there. They (you) have a place in hunting for sure and before I decided to go full DIY, I did seek help from guides. I was simply advising him to go full DIY if the option is available. Again, in my original post I mentioned the fact that a guaranteed animal wasn't as interesting to me as an adventure with the possibility of seeing nothing.

I was hoping to make this hunt sound just as difficult as it felt for me. From your reaction in various posts it seems to have done that. No sugar coating it, it was hard for me. I expect Fiordland to be much more difficult and I hope I get another chance at a hunt there one day. And to clarify, I spent 2 nights of a 12 day backpack hunt in a Hut. Cheers.

 

[wilkes]

this folks is a real red deer 'trophy' in NZ. anyone can shoot a 43 pointer let out of a yard into a big pen.

well done wilkes.

Some of us know aye mate! Thanks brother.

 

[wilkes]

Actually they are nothing like Coyotes... Unless you are in some pretty remote country you won't see them and they certainly aren't as numerous as Coyotes.

I only compared with coyotes due to the numbers. There were over 1 million wild camels in Australia as of 2008 and obviously you have to be in Camel country to take one.

 

[nvgoosehntr]

Thanks for telling your story Wilkes!

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[realunlucky]

Great read thank you again

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[bz_711]

Really enjoyed this - thanks for taking the time to share.

Totally agree that a hard earned DIY hunt with lower odds of success can be even more exciting and adventurous than an "easier" hunt with guide for top end antlers.

...had some good laughs as well...sure makes me want to load the pack and just head off into the wilderness

 

[blackdog]

What an adventure!! Thanks for taking the time to share an experience many will never either have the chance to do or the balls to do it.