havgunwilltravel
Active member
Well we all made it through customs to be greeted by mate ready to go. No time for small talk we headed straight for the hills with plans of getting set up by dark in a back country hut. There was a couple of big rivers that we well braided that we needed to cross many times and the stones we had to navigate our way around, over and across were endless for the next 3 days.
With 90 minutes to dark we made it into tahr country and straight off the bat we glassed 3 bulls up.
It didn't take long to grab headlight, backpack, camera and start a climb up them. I knew it was going to be dark on the walk out, but i also knew we had to make the most of every opportunity as terrible weather was due the next day.
Ninety minutes later i eased over a ridge and glassed the bulls within range. The young bloke, (JB) that i took over for a hunt had never hunted overseas before, and whilst he loves bowhunting, i said he better roll something with the rifle if we get the chance early on.
Hot barrels and a few empty cases later and JB had his first bull. No monster, but good to get one on ground with a few minutes of daylight left.
The walk out was a little challenging as we had a big waterfall that made things tough and some very steep stuff to get down. JB had his heart in his mouth as he had only been in NZ a couple of hours, but i walked him through it and it was a couple of happy hunters who eventually hit the river bed below.
One slip here was not going to end good.
I also like to test the mind and body in challenging country and on the way down on a nice grassy section, although a little steep, i told JB to turn the headlamp off and see how he can go getting down by using the light of the moon. Learning to feel his way through each step and be mindful of rocks and shifting soil. It is a good lesson for when the time comes that batteries run out, or a failure happens with the headlamp and punching back out in the dark is the only option.
Next morning we headed upstream, and glassed 14 bulls on a grassy bench in amongst some bluffs.
There were 3 big mature bulls in the group and i was tightening up the laces and climbing within a minute or so of glassing them. I always look for descent routes on the way down whenever i am climbing and this morning was no different.
Two hours later, and some challenging bluffs where i had to climb up on hands and knees i eased over the top to fund an empty bench with no bulls in sight. I wasn't really expecting them to still be there so i looked at my options. The winds were howling, forecasted 80-100kms an hour and a couple of times on the climb up i had to be very careful i didn't get blown off the steep knife ridge i was traversing at the time.
A look up valley showed the weather turning and dark/black clouds full of rain/snow heading my way.
It could take 5 minutes or 3 hours, i wasn't sure, but i knew it was coming and going to get here with full force. Decision time and as i was about to keep punching further up a bull tahr appeared on a ledge heading my way. 450 metres and closing i held tight. Finally he got to 250 and it was time for action. I could see he wasn't one of the big boys and as he didn't pick them up or stay out of sight i knew the bachelor herd had left this little basin, it was time to accept what was presented and whilst i was surely tempted to let him walk and look for the big boys, i had to let the weather make my decision and took this bloke when he was side on.
As he fell.
Content with my morning i had no need to be greedy and headed down just as the first spits of rain started. It took a while to get onto level ground, but i was lucky i didn't get bluffed out a couple of times and a short 3.5km upwind hike on the valley floor put me at the door of the hut. Got the fire going, watched the snow and rain come in and enjoyed a cold beer.
Not long into the afternoon i hear JB coming and greeted him outside as the weather deteriorated.
It poured well into the night and we slept well with a nice fire and a good feed of tahr backstrap.
Come daylight it was still raining hard and with rising river levels we had to get lower down valley otherwise we would be in trouble. Stopping on the way we glassed the same group of bulls i had chased the day before, in the same spot, but with heavy snows coming, and low visibility i decided to not give it a go and we kept going back down to the first hut. We shot a few hares we shot with the .22 along the way.
The hours passed as we kept a close eye up valley both on the river levels and the snow/rain and finally a couple of hours before dark a gap opened up. Straight away we found a few nannies and a bull in the 15's in a good spot and as we were packing gear to go for a hunt i looked over into another face and found a herd of bulls on the Spring grass. These guys were very get able and with Julian keep for a crack at a bull with the bow we raced over. 45 minutes to dark i had us stalking over a rock in the last known position of the lowest bull hoping to find him 30 metres below but he had got itchy feet and climbed back up to greet his buddies. 100 metres distance and with shifting breezes the animals were onto us. I took the biggest bull in the group with the .270 and JB left with no other option rolled the next biggest with the rifle. Mine fell in a tight scrubby creek terrible for pics and JB's was in hung up on a rock ledge one kick from coming into the basin below for relatively easy retrieval. He never gave that last kick so after sorting out my bull we navigated up through some ledges. It was pretty tough going and i knew there was no way down this way once we where out of the basin and on the spur where JB's bull lay. Retrieving him was a challenge with a cliff underneath but we got it done.
Whilst taking pics we see another bull ease out into a gut, he looked ok, but too far with the bow. Now with 20 minutes to dark we had no choice but to climb up and around this steep basin and get over to the ridge. It was hard work but a tahr track gave me guidance and we looped around mindful that we would have to spend a night on the hill if we didn't get around to easier country before dark. Keeping that other bull in my mind i navigated a route past where we last seen him and JB spotted him at 25 metres in a tight gully. Easing back on the bow, this would be his only chance with the archery gear on this hunt at a bull. Perfect placement and the bull toppled over in seconds. We were estatic, the teenage kid had taken a nice bull on public land with the bow and was probably one of the youngest kids from Oz to have achieved this. He was no private land bull that had been looked after. Wild and free, the only way.
Still high up, we had to get down and we punched back as quick as we could to the valley floor. A couple of chancey decisions got us back safely and we were very happy to cross one last stream to get to the 4wd.
We celebrated a little that night in the hut, some good times on the hill and a young kid realising a dream. It brought back memories of my first nz hunt as an 18 yo when i hunted solo for 8 days after a big chopper ride to get into the backcountry before finally shooting a nanny chamois off a glacier. Times were different back then i suppose and the younger kids of today are a lot different to 2 decades ago.
Hangovers all round the next day lasted well into the morning as we made it over to the coast by nightfall.
Motel booked we were settled and ready for a crack at the chamois. We had planned to chopper in to fly camp for a few days on the tops, but heavy rain was predicated all week and there was no point being somewhere we couldn't hunt, might as well stay low and hunt the creeks and slips rather then be sitting in fog up high with no chance of glassing.
First thing in the morning we were at an area we had hunted chamois before and my kiwi mate put the optics on a nanny, she was mature, and i told JB to get set up and shoot it, he did so and she stumbled into the scrub, then a good buck came into the open and he fired at him but missed.
Some vertical climbing up there to get onto the level of the chamois had the hearts in the mouths a bit, but we got to her and carried her whole off the hill to get back to level ground.
Back on the river bed.
JB had got his Alpine double so were very happy. We continued glassing, seeing some more chamois, but nothing i wanted to pull the trigger on.
Next day we were glassing i found a one horn chamois, it had a good horn, but the other side was rotted off. This happens a lot on the wet damp conditions of the West Coast where it rains a bucket load pretty much every week.
Best thing was this Chamois was in a very killable position for the bow so we raced over and started the climb up the designated side creek that would get us up to the level of the Chamois.
To cut a long story short we found ourselves 34 metres from the feeding Chamois and 3 busted arrows and no blood on any of them told us all we needed to know.
I thought it would be a little too much for the kid to get both with the bow on his first hunt and sooner or later we would have to have a little something not go our way. But there was still a couple days left and we sent JB up a river to hunt the next day.
Back at the pick up point he had a good buck chamois and a fabulous achievement for his efforts..
I spent the rest of my days in between the heavy rains trying to find a decent buck, a few chamois were seen and some nice country hunted, but i didn't find what i was looking for, the trip though was a complete success and certainly we did as best we could in the conditions.
This was the hunt where i asked if any Hunt Talk guys could have made it over, bit if a shame none could, but at least you guys can have an insight into how it went.
With 90 minutes to dark we made it into tahr country and straight off the bat we glassed 3 bulls up.
It didn't take long to grab headlight, backpack, camera and start a climb up them. I knew it was going to be dark on the walk out, but i also knew we had to make the most of every opportunity as terrible weather was due the next day.
Ninety minutes later i eased over a ridge and glassed the bulls within range. The young bloke, (JB) that i took over for a hunt had never hunted overseas before, and whilst he loves bowhunting, i said he better roll something with the rifle if we get the chance early on.
Hot barrels and a few empty cases later and JB had his first bull. No monster, but good to get one on ground with a few minutes of daylight left.
The walk out was a little challenging as we had a big waterfall that made things tough and some very steep stuff to get down. JB had his heart in his mouth as he had only been in NZ a couple of hours, but i walked him through it and it was a couple of happy hunters who eventually hit the river bed below.
One slip here was not going to end good.
I also like to test the mind and body in challenging country and on the way down on a nice grassy section, although a little steep, i told JB to turn the headlamp off and see how he can go getting down by using the light of the moon. Learning to feel his way through each step and be mindful of rocks and shifting soil. It is a good lesson for when the time comes that batteries run out, or a failure happens with the headlamp and punching back out in the dark is the only option.
Next morning we headed upstream, and glassed 14 bulls on a grassy bench in amongst some bluffs.
There were 3 big mature bulls in the group and i was tightening up the laces and climbing within a minute or so of glassing them. I always look for descent routes on the way down whenever i am climbing and this morning was no different.
Two hours later, and some challenging bluffs where i had to climb up on hands and knees i eased over the top to fund an empty bench with no bulls in sight. I wasn't really expecting them to still be there so i looked at my options. The winds were howling, forecasted 80-100kms an hour and a couple of times on the climb up i had to be very careful i didn't get blown off the steep knife ridge i was traversing at the time.
A look up valley showed the weather turning and dark/black clouds full of rain/snow heading my way.
It could take 5 minutes or 3 hours, i wasn't sure, but i knew it was coming and going to get here with full force. Decision time and as i was about to keep punching further up a bull tahr appeared on a ledge heading my way. 450 metres and closing i held tight. Finally he got to 250 and it was time for action. I could see he wasn't one of the big boys and as he didn't pick them up or stay out of sight i knew the bachelor herd had left this little basin, it was time to accept what was presented and whilst i was surely tempted to let him walk and look for the big boys, i had to let the weather make my decision and took this bloke when he was side on.
As he fell.
Content with my morning i had no need to be greedy and headed down just as the first spits of rain started. It took a while to get onto level ground, but i was lucky i didn't get bluffed out a couple of times and a short 3.5km upwind hike on the valley floor put me at the door of the hut. Got the fire going, watched the snow and rain come in and enjoyed a cold beer.
Not long into the afternoon i hear JB coming and greeted him outside as the weather deteriorated.
It poured well into the night and we slept well with a nice fire and a good feed of tahr backstrap.
Come daylight it was still raining hard and with rising river levels we had to get lower down valley otherwise we would be in trouble. Stopping on the way we glassed the same group of bulls i had chased the day before, in the same spot, but with heavy snows coming, and low visibility i decided to not give it a go and we kept going back down to the first hut. We shot a few hares we shot with the .22 along the way.
The hours passed as we kept a close eye up valley both on the river levels and the snow/rain and finally a couple of hours before dark a gap opened up. Straight away we found a few nannies and a bull in the 15's in a good spot and as we were packing gear to go for a hunt i looked over into another face and found a herd of bulls on the Spring grass. These guys were very get able and with Julian keep for a crack at a bull with the bow we raced over. 45 minutes to dark i had us stalking over a rock in the last known position of the lowest bull hoping to find him 30 metres below but he had got itchy feet and climbed back up to greet his buddies. 100 metres distance and with shifting breezes the animals were onto us. I took the biggest bull in the group with the .270 and JB left with no other option rolled the next biggest with the rifle. Mine fell in a tight scrubby creek terrible for pics and JB's was in hung up on a rock ledge one kick from coming into the basin below for relatively easy retrieval. He never gave that last kick so after sorting out my bull we navigated up through some ledges. It was pretty tough going and i knew there was no way down this way once we where out of the basin and on the spur where JB's bull lay. Retrieving him was a challenge with a cliff underneath but we got it done.
Whilst taking pics we see another bull ease out into a gut, he looked ok, but too far with the bow. Now with 20 minutes to dark we had no choice but to climb up and around this steep basin and get over to the ridge. It was hard work but a tahr track gave me guidance and we looped around mindful that we would have to spend a night on the hill if we didn't get around to easier country before dark. Keeping that other bull in my mind i navigated a route past where we last seen him and JB spotted him at 25 metres in a tight gully. Easing back on the bow, this would be his only chance with the archery gear on this hunt at a bull. Perfect placement and the bull toppled over in seconds. We were estatic, the teenage kid had taken a nice bull on public land with the bow and was probably one of the youngest kids from Oz to have achieved this. He was no private land bull that had been looked after. Wild and free, the only way.
Still high up, we had to get down and we punched back as quick as we could to the valley floor. A couple of chancey decisions got us back safely and we were very happy to cross one last stream to get to the 4wd.
We celebrated a little that night in the hut, some good times on the hill and a young kid realising a dream. It brought back memories of my first nz hunt as an 18 yo when i hunted solo for 8 days after a big chopper ride to get into the backcountry before finally shooting a nanny chamois off a glacier. Times were different back then i suppose and the younger kids of today are a lot different to 2 decades ago.
Hangovers all round the next day lasted well into the morning as we made it over to the coast by nightfall.
Motel booked we were settled and ready for a crack at the chamois. We had planned to chopper in to fly camp for a few days on the tops, but heavy rain was predicated all week and there was no point being somewhere we couldn't hunt, might as well stay low and hunt the creeks and slips rather then be sitting in fog up high with no chance of glassing.
First thing in the morning we were at an area we had hunted chamois before and my kiwi mate put the optics on a nanny, she was mature, and i told JB to get set up and shoot it, he did so and she stumbled into the scrub, then a good buck came into the open and he fired at him but missed.
Some vertical climbing up there to get onto the level of the chamois had the hearts in the mouths a bit, but we got to her and carried her whole off the hill to get back to level ground.
Back on the river bed.
JB had got his Alpine double so were very happy. We continued glassing, seeing some more chamois, but nothing i wanted to pull the trigger on.
Next day we were glassing i found a one horn chamois, it had a good horn, but the other side was rotted off. This happens a lot on the wet damp conditions of the West Coast where it rains a bucket load pretty much every week.
Best thing was this Chamois was in a very killable position for the bow so we raced over and started the climb up the designated side creek that would get us up to the level of the Chamois.
To cut a long story short we found ourselves 34 metres from the feeding Chamois and 3 busted arrows and no blood on any of them told us all we needed to know.
I thought it would be a little too much for the kid to get both with the bow on his first hunt and sooner or later we would have to have a little something not go our way. But there was still a couple days left and we sent JB up a river to hunt the next day.
Back at the pick up point he had a good buck chamois and a fabulous achievement for his efforts..
I spent the rest of my days in between the heavy rains trying to find a decent buck, a few chamois were seen and some nice country hunted, but i didn't find what i was looking for, the trip though was a complete success and certainly we did as best we could in the conditions.
This was the hunt where i asked if any Hunt Talk guys could have made it over, bit if a shame none could, but at least you guys can have an insight into how it went.
