NZ Hunter

New Zealand’s premier hunting and outdoor magazine . For everything hunting - adventures, tips, how-tos, and reviews of the latest products. A great read with something for everyone.

NZ Hunter

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Q&A

ALPINE DOUBLE • IT STARTED OFF AS AN IDEA THAT QUICKLY BECAME ‘WHAT IF?’ ‘SHOULD WE?’ ‘LET'S GO!’ IT WAS A BUCKET-LIST HUNT FOR ME, AND I CAN TELL YOU NOW - HAVING NEVER HUNTED THE SOUTH ISLAND - I COULDN'T HELP BUT IMAGINE THE ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES OF ANIMALS AND EPIC WEST COAST SCENERY.

MINES BIGGER THAN YOURS • Matariki day morning greeted us with the usual chaos of getting the children ready to stay at their grandparents so we could spend the long weekend in the Clements Mill Road bush

TAHR BALLOT BUCK • Every winter, Dad and I try to make a point of spending a week on the West Coast chasing tahr and chamois in the rut

A TALE OF TWO HUNTS • THIS IS A TALE OF TWO HUNTS. THE FIRST OF WHICH PLAYS OUT IN THE SKIN-TEARING, SHIN-BEATING, EYEBALL-POKING MORASS THAT IS THE SCRUB COUNTRY OF THE AHIMANAWAS

PLAYING CATCH UP • THE AREA KRUGAR AND I HUNTED WAS NOT THE ONE WE HAD PLANNED, BUT AN AVERAGE FORECAST FORCED US TO PLAN B AND IT ALL WORKED OUT IN THE END.

Allan Jackson Deer Research an interview by Hannah Rae • Allan Jackson didn't grow up in a hunting family, but his curiosity and love of the bush led him into a life of fieldwork, research and hands-on conservation

Roaring Ruahine Reds • I wanted to do a decent week chasing Red stags in the Ruahines and after scanning maps every evening for days on end, I found a likely-looking spot

CHAMOIS HUNTING IN SOUTH TYROL • First of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to present our way of hunting chamois in Europe

SUCCESS ALL ROUND • MY BROTHER ANTHONY AND I HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOING ANOTHER STEWART ISLAND TRIP FOR HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY, AND SO LAST YEAR IN MARCH, I BOOKED US IN.

LAND SEARCH AND RESCUE Tales from 92 years in the hills • In 1933, four trampers were lost in the Tararua Ranges

SIKA FOUNDATION SIKA SPIKER SATELLITE TRACKING PROJECT • The Sika Foundation obtained sponsor funding and support to embark on a ground-breaking Sika stag movement study in 2024

Group Hunting • Group hunting and hunting with experienced hunters is a great way to share and learn knowledge and build great connections within the hunting community

Moose encounter “an impressive and surprising moment” • Annie-Pier Bourgeois, now back at work in Quebec, was leading the Canadian trio on the Kepler Track when they spotted a moose, and says it was “an impressive and surprising moment”

GAME ANIMAL COUNCIL NEWS

POKER GULLY TAHR BALLOT BLOCKS • Situated far up the Wanganui River is our northernmost tahr ballot landing site, Poker Gully

KAKAPO HUT • Kakapo Hut is located in Kahurangi National Park at an altitude 360m on the true left of the Kakapo Valley, one of the main tributaries of the Karamea River

HUNTECH MACKINNON WATERPROOF PUFFER JACKET • Huntech has been through a bit of a revival in recent years. With the launch of their expedition line it has been great to see a focus on premium gear that caters to serious kiwi hunters

LEUPOLD VX6 HD GENERATION 2 3-18X44 CDS-SZL2 • Leupold's VX5 and VX6 need no introduction to New Zealand hunters, with the VX5 in particular being one of the top selling scopes in recent times

Gundog Faults and Fixes • While some of us in the Northern regions are waving goodbye to the ducks and turning our attention to pheasant hunting, hunters in other regions will be in full swing mid-season chasing them down

WHAT'S NEW: JUN JUL

MY SWEET DEER HEART • Enough of this soppy stuff… this dish serves two, so could be for any...