New Zealand Safaris experiences???

[Torrent50]

Looking into a red stag and tahr hunt in New Zealand with Jim Gibson at New Zealand Safaris. Wondering if anyone has hunted with them and would be willing to share your opinion(s)/experience. Thanks in advance.

 

[abbrown]

Can’t comment re this person, but would recommend my friend who is also a guide. PM and can give details if interested.

 

[Bowfisher]

No info to help you but give us a good report when you return. I'd love to get there someday. Do the two critters you mentioned and then do a bunch of culling on goats and pigs with the bow. Night possum shoot would be epic also.

 

[Nickziegler]

I had several talks with him prior to me booking my new zealand hunt. We ended up going with a different outfitter. Jim seemed like a great person and very personable. His tahr hunts are on private land and don't utilize a helicopter to get you into the area which is nice to not have to pay, however I was looking for a more physical wilderness tahr hunt. We used helicopters to access the alpine and were dropped until I killed my bull. Those areas the helicopters bring you is amazing but a very physical hunt. I would say if you looking for a nice bull tahr without using helicopters in an area not as "extreme" as the wilderness areas NZ safaris would be a good bet.

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[Tahr]

If you come here, get the real hunting experience. Which isn't buzzing around in a helicopter and then being dropped off near a good bull Tahr or Red stag to kill it. Or shooting an animal behind a fence.

Hunt private land by all means and use a helicopter for access, but use your legs and do some hard yards in our beautiful mountains. You will appreciate our stunning scenery more and gain greater satisfaction from your trophy.

Look for a guide who offers the real Kiwi experience but will fit the hunt around your physical abilities.

 

[abbrown]

If you come here, get the real hunting experience. Which isn't buzzing around in a helicopter and then being dropped off near a good bull Tahr or Red stag to kill it. Or shooting an animal behind a fence.

Hunt private land by all means and use a helicopter for access, but use your legs and do some hard yards in our beautiful mountains. You will appreciate our stunning scenery more and gain greater satisfaction from your trophy.

Look for a guide who offers the real Kiwi experience but will fit the hunt around your physical abilities.

100000%

 

[Nickziegler]

When I went all the guys prior to me did the helicopter assist hunt as described above. Just essentially find a bull. Drop off the hunter and the hunter shoots it and your head back. It was so much more enjoyable hiking those mountains and sleeping up there. The views are incredible.

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[Torrent50]

I understand I'm not getting a backcountry type of hunt. No helicopters for me though. I am more than happy to put in the miles on my boots to get to an animal. Really looking forward to it. Booked for May 25.

 

[Nickziegler]

I understand I'm not getting a backcountry type of hunt. No helicopters for me though. I am more than happy to put in the miles on my boss to get to an animal. Really looking forward to it. Booked for May 25.

I'm sure you will have a great hunt. Those animals are beautiful and the whole country is a beautiful place. Enjoy every minute of it

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[landlord]

I understand I'm not getting a backcountry type of hunt. No helicopters for me though. I am more than happy to put in the miles on my boots to get to an animal. Really looking forward to it. Booked for May 25.

Let us know all about it when you get back

 

[Torrent50]

Had a great time on my hunt last week. I shot a Tahr and a Stag in some amazing country. Those tahr live in some seriously nasty stuff. We climbed up after one and man it was step. OnX showed the "straight-line" distance at .6 miles, but we climbed 1700 vertical feet. Parts of it were the steepest stuff in have ever climbed up. All that to find that the big bull had disappeared and we had to head back down empty handed.

Luckily we found a couple bulls much lower on the mountain and only had to go up about 350 yards to recover my bull.

The next day we had a nice stag pull the old houdini act on us, leaving a long hike back to the truck. Found a stag I really liked later and made a long slow stalk on it, crawling the last 75 yards to get to 265 yards for an easy shot.

Outfitter and guide were great and I was treated like family. The other hunter in camp was definitely spending more money than I was but you wouldn't know it by the way I was treated. Great food, good company, lots of animals all in beautiful country. Had a great experience.

 

[landlord]

Had a great time on my hunt last week. I shot a Tahr and a Stag in some amazing country. Those tahr live in some seriously nasty stuff. We climbed up after one and man it was step. OnX showed the "straight-line" distance at .6 miles, but we climbed 1700 vertical feet. Parts of it were the steepest stuff in have ever climbed up. All that to find that the big bull had disappeared and we had to head back down empty handed.

Luckily we found a couple bulls much lower on the mountain and only had to go up about 350 yards to recover my bull.

The next day we had a nice stag pull the old houdini act on us, leaving a long hike back to the truck. Found a stag I really liked later and made a long slow stalk on it, crawling the last 75 yards to get to 265 yards for an easy shot.

Outfitter and guide were great and I was treated like family. The other hunter in camp was definitely spending more money than I was but you wouldn't know it by the way I was treated. Great food, good company, lots of animals all in beautiful country. Had a great experience.

Do you have any pics you could post? Can you give the name of the outfitter?

 

[mattmann]

I know this is “tacky” to ask, how much does a hunt with travel like this cost? I’m going to Africa next week and am planning Canada next year but would swap that for NZ if it wasn’t insanely expensive.


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[Torrent50]

Do you have any pics you could post? Can you give the name of the outfitter?

I went with Jim Gibson and New Zealand Safaris.

 

[Torrent50]

I know this is “tacky” to ask, how much does a hunt with travel like this cost? I’m going to Africa next week and am planning Canada next year but would swap that for NZ if it wasn’t insanely expensive.


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I don't think it's really that 'tacky' to ask. Obviously the biggest variable is the hunt that you pay for so that will vary greatly depending on what animals you target and the size as well. Luckily for me, I don't like the big gnarly stags with trash hanging all over. I much prefer the more traditional look, which is less expensive. My hunt was 12k for 5 days. With travel from Christchurch and back, only 4 days in reality. All food and lodging during the hunt was covered. My airfare was right around $1700 out of Seattle. I am still not sure what the total cost for doing trophies back will be yet.

 

[mattmann]

I don't think it's really that 'tacky' to ask. Obviously the biggest variable is the hunt that you pay for so that will vary greatly depending on what animals you target and the size as well. Luckily for me, I don't like the big gnarly stags with trash hanging all over. I much prefer the more traditional look, which is less expensive. My hunt was 12k for 5 days. With travel from Christchurch and back, only 4 days in reality. All food and lodging during the hunt was covered. My airfare was right around $1700 out of Seattle. I am still not sure what the total cost for doing trophies back will be yet.

That’s not bad at all man. That’s way more reasonable than I thought. Thanks! Let me know what taxidermy fees are when you know please. I’d be interested in this as well!


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[landlord]

That’s not bad at all man. That’s way more reasonable than I thought. Thanks! Let me know what taxidermy fees are when you know please. I’d be interested in this as well!


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You will learn on your trip to Africa that taxidermy may cost as much as the entire trip.

 

[Southern Lights]

I don't think it's really that 'tacky' to ask. Obviously the biggest variable is the hunt that you pay for so that will vary greatly depending on what animals you target and the size as well. Luckily for me, I don't like the big gnarly stags with trash hanging all over. I much prefer the more traditional look, which is less expensive. My hunt was 12k for 5 days. With travel from Christchurch and back, only 4 days in reality. All food and lodging during the hunt was covered. My airfare was right around $1700 out of Seattle. I am still not sure what the total cost for doing trophies back will be yet.

When you get to the genetic freak dozens of point stags is when trophy fees get astronomical. Normal stags as you'd find in the wild are more reasonable as you point out. The genetic freak stags are virtually all behind the wire on small paddocks. That kind of animal is never seen in the wild.

That would be nice country where you were in Fairlie. Glad you liked the hunt.

 

[ozyclint]

When I went all the guys prior to me did the helicopter assist hunt as described above. Just essentially find a bull. Drop off the hunter and the hunter shoots it and your head back. It was so much more enjoyable hiking those mountains and sleeping up there. The views are incredible.

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I hiked in from the road end to this exact location almost exactly a year ago.

 

[Nickziegler]

I hiked in from the road end to this exact location almost exactly a year ago.

Did you do a write up on it? I think I remember that. It's a very cool place. Insane that you hiked in there. That would be some work but would be a blast

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