New Zealand DIY Hunting?

[DaveC]

That's cuz ur ozzy

Way harder if ur from the states.

You can't even do the online paperwork without a resident gun license number

Not my experience. It's easier to bring a rifle into NZ on a plane than it is to take one across the border into Canada via car.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Fair enough. We brought a 44 wheelgun through from alaska. my nz experience it's been a pita. But we go to live for chunks at a time not a quick hunting trip.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Any kiwi's want to borrow me a 223 suppressor for a weekend wallaby hunt? I could buy a cheapy from fishing and hunting and resell on trademe but I'm after a hardy if possible. I'll trade some bombass smoked king salmon straight from the bay. Welcome to wring my rifle out as well.

 

[Tshug]

done so many times. it really is very easy to plan for. PM me if you'd like help.

I'm very interested in taking a trip to New Zealand for a DIY hunt. Looking for a tahr and chamois and possibly a stag. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated. By the way I'm a newbie so if I do something wrong I apologize in advance

 

[Murray Qld]

There has been a number of changes to pu pic land hunting in nz, including getting a visitors firearm licence, and the big tahr culls going on by the gov at the moment.
But still a magic place to hunt

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Call off the hunt. 22nd to the end of may nz is closed.

our friends are freaking out trying to come back to the states.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

There has been a number of changes to pu pic land hunting in nz, including getting a visitors firearm licence, and the big tahr culls going on by the gov at the moment.
But still a magic place to hunt

import permit is easier for us from states then in the past really.

tahr aren’t really being culled in huge numbers in a lot of the places that hunters are getting to. My mate in Canterbury is in the hills 2-3 days a week on average and said all our go to honey holes are still holding.

 

[Bkeddie]

I Know this thread has been dead for a bit but wondering if there is an update to the NZ tahr DIY hunts. My wife and I are going over for a month, mid April to mid May and was really wanting to do a DIY Tahr hunt during our time. I have most of my permits in place and have spent hours on the internet picking spots to target. I however have never been to New Zealand and don't personally know anybody who has hunted it. Looking for tips from any locals or other DIY guys out there. I have spent my life chasing sheep and goats throughout the Canadian Rockies so have a solid foundation for the back country requirements. More so wondering about the Tahr. What are they doing this time of year? How high or low can I expect to find them? Are they in Bachler groups? What is a common shooting distance this time of year? And if any of the areas I am looking at going have been culled recently?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[passinggas33]

I Know this thread has been dead for a bit but wondering if there is an update to the NZ tahr DIY hunts. My wife and I are going over for a month, mid April to mid May and was really wanting to do a DIY Tahr hunt during our time. I have most of my permits in place and have spent hours on the internet picking spots to target. I however have never been to New Zealand and don't personally know anybody who has hunted it. Looking for tips from any locals or other DIY guys out there. I have spent my life chasing sheep and goats throughout the Canadian Rockies so have a solid foundation for the back country requirements. More so wondering about the Tahr. What are they doing this time of year? How high or low can I expect to find them? Are they in Bachler groups? What is a common shooting distance this time of year? And if any of the areas I am looking at going have been culled recently?

Any help is appreciated.

I literally just returned last night. Just a quick word, getting a rifle in and out of New Zealand is stupid difficult last time I checked. Takes months with all the new rules. Might want to check in on that, as you might already be outside the timeline. I didn’t take a gun but the guide I was with discussed this extensively.

 

[StupidLightweight]

BKeddie, if you don't have time to get a rifle permit approved, see about bringing a muzzleloader or crossbow. I've done the DIY NZ hunt twice. It's worth it.

 

[Bkeddie]

I did submit everything a month ago and I dont leave till april 16 so im crossing y fingers. I considered renting a gun but then I would have to do a guided hunt and I was really wanting to do a DIY one. Ill keep the muzzle loader and crossbow in mind. Thanks for the tip. Were you successful on your trip

passinggas33?​

 

[CB890]

I Know this thread has been dead for a bit but wondering if there is an update to the NZ tahr DIY hunts. My wife and I are going over for a month, mid April to mid May and was really wanting to do a DIY Tahr hunt during our time. I have most of my permits in place and have spent hours on the internet picking spots to target. I however have never been to New Zealand and don't personally know anybody who has hunted it. Looking for tips from any locals or other DIY guys out there. I have spent my life chasing sheep and goats throughout the Canadian Rockies so have a solid foundation for the back country requirements. More so wondering about the Tahr. What are they doing this time of year? How high or low can I expect to find them? Are they in Bachler groups? What is a common shooting distance this time of year? And if any of the areas I am looking at going have been culled recently?

Any help is appreciated.

Hey mate, kiwi here.

Through this time period there will be a transition from them being largely solitary to finding Nannie’s to begin rutting, right into full rutting potentially. Will really depend on exactly when you are planning to hunt in the month time period you mentioned.

In terms of high or low, probably mid level- whatever that means. I honestly don’t think much about this. They will be where you find them, if you’re in tahr country then they’ll be there somewhere.

I can’t see a situation where shooting distance is dictated by time of year, they’ll be as close as you can stalk them.

Your best bet to find out if where you are going has been culled would be to google “doc tahr cull maps” they have pretty good maps of where they shoot every year and also will note bull sightings if they are outside of national parks

 

[passinggas33]

I did submit everything a month ago and I dont leave till april 16 so im crossing y fingers. I considered renting a gun but then I would have to do a guided hunt and I was really wanting to do a DIY one. Ill keep the muzzle loader and crossbow in mind. Thanks for the tip. Were you successful on your trip

passinggas33?​

I was. I went after some red stag. Did this trip as “one last adventure with dad”. Had a great time and even though this was a “high fence hunt”, because we had put very strict parameters on ourselves for what we wanted to kill, and asked the outfitter to hunt in a specific way, it made it “feel” like a “real hunt”. We hiked. We did deer drives. We glassed for hours. It wasn’t just a get out of the truck, shoot something, then get back in, kind of thing. Overall we were really happy. A little teaser of what we accomplished.

 

[Bkeddie]

Hey mate, kiwi here.

Through this time period there will be a transition from them being largely solitary to finding Nannie’s to begin rutting, right into full rutting potentially. Will really depend on exactly when you are planning to hunt in the month time period you mentioned.

In terms of high or low, probably mid level- whatever that means. I honestly don’t think much about this. They will be where you find them, if you’re in tahr country then they’ll be there somewhere.

I can’t see a situation where shooting distance is dictated by time of year, they’ll be as close as you can stalk them.

Your best bet to find out if where you are going has been culled would be to google “doc tahr cull maps” they have pretty good maps of where they shoot every year and also will note bull sightings if they are outside of national parks

That's awesome. Thanks for the info. Big help forsure!!! What time of year is your favorite to chase the tahr. In the rut? Middle of winter?

 

[CB890]

That's awesome. Thanks for the info. Big help forsure!!! What time of year is your favorite to chase the tahr. In the rut? Middle of winter?

I do like the rut, brings the bulls out of the woodwork and can make them a bit easier to find and there coats are excellent.

I also enjoy summer too as there is less snow and ice making the hunting more accessible, but they lose there coats

 

[Bkeddie]

I was. I went after some red stag. Did this trip as “one last adventure with dad”. Had a great time and even though this was a “high fence hunt”, because we had put very strict parameters on ourselves for what we wanted to kill, and asked the outfitter to hunt in a specific way, it made it “feel” like a “real hunt”. We hiked. We did deer drives. We glassed for hours. It wasn’t just a get out of the truck, shoot something, then get back in, kind of thing. Overall we were really happy. A little teaser of what we accomplished.
View attachment 683359

That's awesome man. Smiles say it all!!! Glad to year you guys crushed it. Are you getting mounts done up over there then shipped back west?

I do like the rut, brings the bulls out of the woodwork and can make them a bit easier to find and there coats are excellent.

I also enjoy summer too as there is less snow and ice making the hunting more accessible, but they lose there coats

Got ya. How are the coats around end of April early may? Nice work passinggas33. You can see the success in the smiles on your faces. Are you getting them mounted over there then shipped back west?

 

[passinggas33]

That's awesome man. Smiles say it all!!! Glad to year you guys crushed it. Are you getting mounts done up over there then shipped back west?

Got ya. How are the coats around end of April early may? Nice work passinggas33. You can see the success in the smiles on your faces. Are you getting them mounted over there then shipped back west?

We are going to have them salt the hides, and then just split the skulls and send them back. I have a buddy that is a taxidermist and has done a few of them and would like to do ours. I’m going to shoulder mount mine, but my dad isn’t sure what his plan is quite yet. Shipping will be cheapest that way as well, and that is huge expense, so I’m hoping to save a little money doing it this way.

 

[Bkeddie]

We are going to have them salt the hides, and then just split the skulls and send them back. I have a buddy that is a taxidermist and has done a few of them and would like to do ours. I’m going to shoulder mount mine, but my dad isn’t sure what his plan is quite yet. Shipping will be cheapest that way as well, and that is huge expense, so I’m hoping to save a little money doing it this way.

I was just wondering what it like getting raw hides across the boarder. Did you send it to a taxidermist who salted and slit skulls? Or is your outfitter doing that? Do you need and special permits to bring raw animal parts back?

 

[passinggas33]

I was just wondering what it like getting raw hides across the boarder. Did you send it to a taxidermist who salted and slit skulls? Or is your outfitter doing that? Do you need and special permits to bring raw animal parts back?

I sent all of my stuff to a taxidermist who will do all of the export paperwork. I’m working with a broker to handle all of the import paperwork. The taxidermist will split the skull and salt the hide for me as part of the process. So I’m not 100% sure about all the other paperwork.

 

[Bkeddie]

I sent all of my stuff to a taxidermist who will do all of the export paperwork. I’m working with a broker to handle all of the import paperwork. The taxidermist will split the skull and salt the hide for me as part of the process. So I’m not 100% sure about all the other paperwork.

I see thanks for the info!!!