NZ opening?

[MTGunner]

Received a call from GH New Zealand Hunting yesterday. We have had a trip booked since 2019 to hunt at his lodge. Appears, will see, that NZ is opening to nonresident hunters in May. But, given covid is not entirely off the table one has to wonder what the entering requirements will be. I suspect covid testing, perhaps quarantine for xxxxxx amount of days et al. But, this is a step in the correct direction.
This is all looking good albeit we booked an Ibex and moufloun sheep hunt in Spain for Oct. 2022. Do not feel bad for us! Cannot in all realistically put two trips together for one year. All Spain arrangements have been made. Besides, I am not 60 yrs. old anymore. Therefore, NZ will have to be planned for 2023/2024. But, for those that have considered a NZ trip I suggest contacting outfitters to discuss future hunts.
Having stated this one has to consider that nature is nature and politicians are sore to relinquish any power of the public. Who knows? Perhaps all will come to fruition in the short future. Good luck all! MTG

 

[TheGrayRider]

Following. My NZ hunt deposit has been paid since 2019. I am in touch with my outfitter regularly. Luckily, Air New Zealand refunded my paid airfare right when the virus hit and they shut down. Cautiously hopeful for 2023 or 2024 hunt!

 

[OntarioHunter]

New Zealand kept itself almost death free during the pandemic. Passing on tourism frills seems to have paid off. That gal still seems to be riding on a huge wave of popularity in spite of restrictions. Hard to criticize success. She was slightly more in touch with reality than the bright boy who thought injecting disinfectant and gulping malaria meds was the answer. I hope you can make it soon. I made it to Africa last summer but it required overcoming a whole bunch of obstacles, COVID related and otherwise. I suggest cramming in as much adventure as fast possible at our age (I'm almost seventy). I'm trying to work up an ibex hunt for next year but the situation in that part of the world has been turned upside down by one crazy person in Moscow and his millions of uninformed minions. Who knows where he'll be focusing his next empire building efforts. I'll be returning to Africa for the third time this August. It should be a smoother journey this time. Couldn't be any more difficult than the last one.

The nice thing about hunting both ends of the globe is I can fit in two hunting seasons in one year. I'll be back in Montana chasing birds, deer, and elk by the end of October.

 

[MTGunner]

Ontario, yes the European situation seems tenable given Putin’s goals. But, at my age of nearing 75 I have to cram in as much as possible while my health holds. I/we love RSA. Have hunted down near Kimberly three times. My only regret is that I did not take a sable.
I put in for bighorn sheep as a resident of Montana and have 20 bonus points. Have not drawn but wife says with our year so heavily planned this will be the year that I draw. I would give up the regular MT season to hunt sheep exclusively if I draw. But, not going to give up trip to Spain. Love the Ibex and as a bonus a Mouflon. Wife is so looking forward to the trip, culture, food, flamenco dancers and sights. Should be a true adventure.
Stay safe all. MTG

 

[glass eye]

I'd love to return to NZ but as long as vaccine passports are required for travel I'll continue to hunt the US.

 

[MTGunner]

I understand. MTG

 

[S-3 Ranch]

I'd love to return to NZ but as long as vaccine passports are required for travel I'll continue to hunt the US.

Yep I still don’t understand the passport deal, wife is a heart patient
and we had all three vaCinn, and yet couldn’t travel,
not like the vaccines did anything as I caught CV19 twice in 2021

 

[MTGunner]

S-3, please keep yourself and your family safe. I too do not have the full information in regard to completing our hunt in NZ. We do work with a very good travel agent that has, in the past, been extremely informative. The travel agency is Navigator Travel out of Polson, MT. Their services have been exemplary. MTG

 

[kiwi hunter]

New Zealand kept itself almost death free during the pandemic. Passing on tourism frills seems to have paid off. That gal still seems to be riding on a huge wave of popularity in spite of restrictions. Hard to criticize success. She was slightly more in touch with reality than the bright boy who thought injecting disinfectant and gulping malaria meds was the answer. I hope you can make it soon. I made it to Africa last summer but it required overcoming a whole bunch of obstacles, COVID related and otherwise. I suggest cramming in as much adventure as fast possible at our age (I'm almost seventy). I'm trying to work up an ibex hunt for next year but the situation in that part of the world has been turned upside down by one crazy person in Moscow and his millions of uninformed minions. Who knows where he'll be focusing his next empire building efforts. I'll be returning to Africa for the third time this August. It should be a smoother journey this time. Couldn't be any more difficult than the last one.

The nice thing about hunting both ends of the globe is I can fit in two hunting seasons in one year. I'll be back in Montana chasing birds, deer, and elk by the end of October.

If you look up latest info on NZ will be surprised to see her ratings now down to 37 as against the opposition of 39. People got sick of suppression and now they have anything up to 20 thou of new cases daily and more death per day than the two yrs she had a throttle on the country.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Yep I still don’t understand the passport deal, wife is a heart patient
and we had all three vaCinn, and yet couldn’t travel,
not like the vaccines did anything as I caught CV19 twice in 2021

You stayed alive. Might not have had you not vaxed.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Ontario, yes the European situation seems tenable given Putin’s goals. But, at my age of nearing 75 I have to cram in as much as possible while my health holds. I/we love RSA. Have hunted down near Kimberly three times. My only regret is that I did not take a sable.
I put in for bighorn sheep as a resident of Montana and have 20 bonus points. Have not drawn but wife says with our year so heavily planned this will be the year that I draw. I would give up the regular MT season to hunt sheep exclusively if I draw. But, not going to give up trip to Spain. Love the Ibex and as a bonus a Mouflon. Wife is so looking forward to the trip, culture, food, flamenco dancers and sights. Should be a true adventure.
Stay safe all. MTG

Looks like I'll be going back to Kimberly area again this time. I shot hartbeest, sable, and buffalo there last time then down to East Cape for black wildebeest, and waterbuck plus second each of warthog, kudu, and impala. Also culled two more defective impala rams for staff meat and a kudu cow in bad shape. Took the buffalo skull down yesterday to put stain and finish on the hanger I made for it. Measured it while it was down. I was surprised he made both SCI and Rowland Ward minimums. He was nice but didn't think it was that good. Barely cleared SCI by 1/4 (measured it three times) but breezed past RW. Go figure. His bosses carried him.

The lack of culture (human habitation in general) in the central Asia high country appeals more to me. It would definitely be a huge challenge, especially at my age. Life on the edge is nothing new, but my grandson is very specially attached to his Papa. Something suddenly goes wrong with my health at the end of the earth and I'm toast at age 70. Hunting ibex in Spain maybe is sounding better.

 

[MTGunner]

We took our grandson to hunt with Huntersgame Safaris in 2015 at his of 13. His first trip abroad. He took a very handsome Impala on this trip. He is our only grandchild, the last and only male of my last name. He has impressed me with his desire to be successful. He will take his test to become a licensed electrician this coming January at the age of 21. Our ages are progressing rapidly and lists long. But, it is imperative that we pursue our bucket lists.
I came from nothing, worked way too many hours , days away from my family and spent too few hours with my son. We lost him to a traffic accident in 2003. I regret not being able to speak to him. His son, my only grandchild is the embodiment of him. A clone if you wish. Therefore he is my families future. He will not get the vaccination shots. We have spoken of this but we do not, will force our will upon him. He makes his own decisions and we abide by them.
We are booked with Adictocazar for our Spain hunt Oct. 2022. In the works is a return trip to NZ for 2023/2024 whatever is best. Then, who knows. If my health remains constant and my will strong perhaps more. Time will tell.
To anyone who may read my random blatherings I say “GO FOR IT”! IMHO only, I believe you are born, have lived and then dust in the wind. MTG

 

[OntarioHunter]

We took our grandson to hunt with Huntersgame Safaris in 2015 at his of 13. His first trip abroad. He took a very handsome Impala on this trip. He is our only grandchild, the last and only male of my last name. He has impressed me with his desire to be successful. He will take his test to become a licensed electrician this coming January at the age of 21. Our ages are progressing rapidly and lists long. But, it is imperative that we pursue our bucket lists.
I came from nothing, worked way too many hours , days away from my family and spent too few hours with my son. We lost him to a traffic accident in 2003. I regret not being able to speak to him. His son, my only grandchild is the embodiment of him. A clone if you wish. Therefore he is my families future. He will not get the vaccination shots. We have spoken of this but we do not, will force our will upon him. He makes his own decisions and we abide by them.
We are booked with Adictocazar for our Spain hunt Oct. 2022. In the works is a return trip to NZ for 2023/2024 whatever is best. Then, who knows. If my health remains constant and my will strong perhaps more. Time will tell.
To anyone who may read my random blatherings I say “GO FOR IT”! IMHO only, I believe you are born, have lived and then dust in the wind. MTG

I lost my son to a nighttime seizure 2009 and his mother to car accident ten months later. My daughter's son is an exact duplicate of his late uncle. The resemblance is scary. We have an extraordinary bond, something that neither of us seem to have worked at to achieve. A blessing. I would love to take him to Africa but he's only eight. Not ready to hunt yet. Hopefully I will hold up long enough for us to make a trip together. He has his vax. Followed his mom and doctor Papa's informed examples. Didn't have to pressure him at all. He's in crowded school and could bring COVID home to his Papa or baby sister. Not an attempt to scare him but if Papa somehow did get infected and the worst happened, we don't want the little guy blaming himself.

That is a very fine wildebeest. Big bosses! Mine was almost identical ... until the damn taxidermist over there boiled it almost to pieces.

 

[kiwi hunter]

Holiygamily I feel for you. Not a taxidermist , that man be da butcher