The wife and I were down there a couple of years ago, on a tour the bunch of us booked. I talked to the bus driver, who is also a hunter, he told me that the best way to hunt down there if you don’t have local connections is to get with a guide. The locals have everything locked up and tight. Yes you can go into the back country, but the RED STAGS threat are the big boys are not native. Yes there are a few that have escaped and made it to the wilds. There are no native deer to New Zealand, only what has been imported in. Start checking for hunts in preserves, many thousands of acres, they have guided and self guided hunts. I don’t know the costs but time verses cost in knowing that there are animals there? On the South Island where all the hunting is done we saw hundreds of stags with racks that are massive! The lower half of the South Island as the driver told me is the best area to get a good trophy! Also little info, stop at a local das station and get some of the hand pies! They are drool worthy! We started our tour in Queenstown. There are massive Stag farms about 1 hour south!
Good luck and enjoy your trip
Smokeploe
