::. Four Star Adventures .::

FIORDLAND WAPITI:

Hunting Wapiti in the Fiord Land National Park has to be one of the most exhilarating and physically demanding hunts on offer in the South Pacific. Very few outfitters have the knowledge and experience to guide for this trophy. Hunters need to have a high degree of fitness and patience to be successful.

Each year, several hundred hunters enter the annual Fiord Land Wapiti ballot for a chance to hunt one of our most sought after trophies. Only a few will be successful, and hunting takes place during the mid March/April rut period (bugle). Access to the hunting blocks is by helicopter, floatplane or boat. Hunt duration is normally fourteen days. The hunting area is typical Fiordland terrain, steep and rough and very damp. South west New Zealand has one of the highest rainfall climates in the world.

Once in the hunting area we set up a base camp where all spare food and clothing, etc. will be stored. Base camp is always at low altitude incase the weather gets rough and we have to abandon our fly camps up on the open tops.

A typical hunting day is spent moving along the ridge systems, glassing the surrounding country side and listening for a distant bugle. The secret is to stay high and let your binoculars do the walking.

This is a hunt for the purest hunter, and not for the faint hearted. The trophy, the memories and the friendships gained will be with you forever. Most hunters return year after year to hunt in this awesome country.

The ballot for hunting blocks close early January. Our success rate in Fiordland for this trophy is second to none.

HIMALAYAN TAHR:

Himalayan Tahr are one of the most sought after New Zealand trophies, and sometimes the most difficult to hunt. They live at high altitude in the Southern alps, anywhere from 5,000ft. to 10,000ft. The terrain is often steep and bluffy making access difficult. To avoid the rough terrain most hunting (glassing) is done from the valley floor. Once the animal has been spotted we make the stalk up the mountain. Another option to make access to these trophies easier is to use a helicopter to fly us right up into the head basins. We can then make camp and hunt from there.

High alpine mountain huts are used for base accommodations, and tent camps are the norm when flying in especially when the weather is good. We like to camp right up there with the animals. Another option is day hunting, this involves being dropped off on the tops in the morning and then being picked up at night. This is a highly successful method of hunting these animals and is great for those hunters on time constraints or have health or fitness problems. On some hunts Tahr, Chamois and Red Stag can be hunted in the same area, all free ranging and fair chase.

Five days of hunting is the minimum time required for success on a trophy Tahr. The New Zealand mountains are very unpredictable as far as the weather is concerned so hunters need to have the very best in outdoor clothing. If you do not have access to this type of clothing, please let us know.

Trophies quality varies from silver to gold medal.

In combination with Chamois, this is one of our "Top Ten Hunts. This combination hunt is done in March to May and is for free ranging gold medal animals using either rifle or bow. This combination hunt is one of the most rewarding packages we offer and is a "must" hunt for the serious trophy hunter coming to New Zealand.

Minimum hunt time for this species is 5 days and 7 days if combined with a Chamois.

RED STAG:

You will be picked up in Queenstown and transported to one of our hunting camps. This could be a lodge, hut or "fly in" camp. All our Red Stag hunting is on private concessions of up to 100,000 acres in area. Hunting is completely free ranging and fair chase. Most other species can be hunted as a combo hunt with our Red Stag.

From mid March through to mid April the rut is the main focus of those big stage and probably the best time to bag one. We will spend the first couple of days listening for those deep throated moans and roars and glassing valleys, home to the many bands of hinds (female deer) that resident within our hunting areas. Once our trophy is spotted the hunt begins.

Red Stag can be hunted mid February through to the end of July. Prime hunting is the roar, mid March through to mid April. Next best is February. This is when the stags are in velvet and mobbed up (bachelor groups). The stags are in the open country this time of year and easy to hunt.

Hunters can choose to hunt out of a back country hut, fly in and tent camp (a helicopter is available and based in our hunting area) or stay in one of the luxurious units on the property and hunt each day from there using a 4x4. When booking your hunt be sure to specify the type of accommodations required as there is quite a cost difference between a fly campo and luxury units.

WHITETAIL BUCKS:

Our Whitetail Deer hunts are taken February, March and May. This is a most sought after trophy and we offer the mecca for Whitetail hunters in New Zealand. The remoteness of the island we hunt seems to draw hunters year after year. Expect to camp out in the mountains for up to ten days. Hunting involves finding a good glassing spot and waiting. The bucks often move about early in the morning. Sometimes we will stakeout in the sand dunes and not move for a couple of days, even eating and sleeping there.

Use the following link back to main our main New Zealand Trophy hunting Species Information page.