New Zealand

[Ballance1]

Does anyone have any experience with DIY hunts in New Zealand?

[longrange7mm]

contact  carpsniperg2

[bearpaw]

Yes I do, I have about 10 weeks on the ground exp in NZ.

What do you need to know?

[rosscrazyelk]

You can do a hunt there on your own? I am in..

[Ballance1]

Just trying get a feel of supplies in case I forgot something on my list.  Also trying to figure out if the area I am looking at has been gone over by the government with poison or helicopters.

[bearpaw]

Just trying get a feel of supplies in case I forgot something on my list.  Also trying to figure out if the area I am looking at has been gone over by the government with poison or helicopters.

They used to have a document posted on the NZ Dept of Conservation website that explained where all actions were taken. Look around online and you can probably find it.

[Black Ghost]

A couple suggestions
1. bug spray, insects are voracious near any body of water.
2. Contact a taxidermist that is competent to prepare, and ship internatinally. I used Big Game Taxidermy NZ Ltd to prep my capes and ship the antlers and capes back to the states.  Also contact a local taxidermist here that can receive international shipments.   www.biggametaxidermy.com 64 3 343 1617  They are out of Christchurch South Island NZ
3. I found a helpful book called Hunting Guide New Zealand Spot x    http://spotx.com/shop/Guide_Books/1877374644.htm
4. Lots of DIY opportunites, find the DOC (department of conservation office) and they will give you appropriate tags and direct you to good locations.
5. Register your weapon and get appropriate paperwork from airport in US (frustrating cause most people don't know what your talking about), they have very strict laws in NZ regarding firearms.  When you get to NZ you will need a Visitors Firearms License, which you can get at the police station just outside of the airport.  It will cost about $25.
6. Make sure you have a lot of time, you may never get to do it again!  Gas is way expensive, take lots of pictures, and have a friggin blast!

[Ballance1]

Thanks for the info. I have looked at the DOC website as far as huts fut haven't found the areas that they poison or cull

[bearpaw]

Maybe it's changed in the last year, but last time I flew in, there was a Police Counter right across the isle from the baggage claim where it has been for years.

I found NZ to be very relaxed about firearms, just get the permit at the police Counter, they do tell you not to leave your weapon unattended in the car overnight.

Make sure your hunting boots are clean.

Are you going to the south or north island?

While there you need to contact some landowners and get permission to spotlight possums, rabbits, and wallabies. Funner than the big game hunting and perfectly legal on private land.

[Phartridge]

Be sure to post pictures when you get back.  When are you going?  Good luck, and have a blast!  (No pun intended).   

[Ballance1]

South Island looking at the arthur pass area.  Don't know if I can afford the rounds for the rabbits, etc. cause I have heard you can blast a ton of those

[bearpaw]

South Island looking at the arthur pass area.  Don't know if I can afford the rounds for the rabbits, etc. cause I have heard you can blast a ton of those

There's some good hunting back in there away from roads. Remember, in NZ hunting is open year around. You have to get back in or have good access to good hunting private land. A good idea is to get dropped off by a chopper. Probably the best chopper pilots in the world live in NZ. A good chopper ride is worth the trip to NZ, one of the most exhillerating things I have done is fly the southern alps in a chopper with a good pilot that isn't afraid to really fly... 

[engelwood]

I'd contact Carpsniperg2 if I were you. He has a lot of good info on NZ and can also give you some very good pricing on stags and other game over there that I'm sure you would be surprised to see. Hit him up and at the very least he will give you a lot of good info.

[Ballance1]

DIY. no fences, no huge$$$$ why pay when you can do it yourself?

[carpsniperg2]

Just saw this.

Not all hunting in NZ is high fence. You can hunt with many outfitters, like mine down there that offer both styles of hunting. Huge money is not the case at all, 5 days all inclusive is 3950.00 other then your airfair. which you can get for about 900.00 and you are going to have no matter what to get there. That's nothing compared to a lot of hunts out there. By the time you figure out renting a car and fuel and insurance and food and etc. you get up to a few k's pretty easy if not more. Why not hunt with a outfitter? Then you know you are going to have a great chance at some trophy animals. That is why I prefer guided over DIY in some situations. Good luck on your hunt. You should keep tabs on your costs and post them up when you get back. Would be very intresting to see the huge$$$$ in savings Nothing wrong with DIY either, but I would not bash guided hunts.

[Ballance1]

Not bashing outfitters, but would rather shoot multiple species of animals and not just one for the price. 

[carpsniperg2]

You can always add animals Good luck to you.

[Ballance1]

Update on New Zealand.  Bought plane tickets for 1100 round trip from spokane.  Looking at Thar and Chamois for free. 

[bearpaw]

What island are you going to? I have been all over both islands and can offer some recommendations on things to do and where to go if you are interested.

All types of hunting, fishing, bungy jumping, helirides, rafting, jet boating, diving, sky diving, a lot of fun things to do.

[addicted]

I expect a well documented write up of your adventure with lots of pictures. 

[Machias]

I expect a well documented write up of your adventure with lots of pictures. 

 

[Ballance1]

Going out of Christchurch, looking at the Arthurs pass area

[carpsniperg2]

Same way we go to my place down there. Some cool places along the pass. I have some pics on here of the pass as well. Hope you don't get car sick My wife hates the drive for that reason. Kiwi's drive a little fast on the pass for me

[Ranger91298]

So when are you going on your hunt?

[Ballance1]

Going the first two weeks of April. 

[boonerboy]

awesome! Good luck and give us a full report. 

[bearpaw]

Going out of Christchurch, looking at the Arthurs pass area

The red stags will be roaring at that time. The right area will have reds, tahr, and chamois.

Rent your car in advance online, it's cheaper if you shop for a deal online. The last time I rented a new 4x4 diesel landcruiser for a month, it seems like it cost me around $1200, 4 of us traveled comfortably, and we took it anywhere we needed to go.

Arthurs pass is close enough to Cristchurch it gets hunted quite a bit. Most animals are back off the road a ways, be prepared to hike a few miles from the pavement. If you continue to the west coast and head south along the coast to Fox Glacier, there are a couple good places where we have hiked up about a mile and got into a lot of Chamois sign. I never killed any there, but a good friend has twice.

Wherever you go in NZ, ask about landowners that might allow possum or rabbit shooting. It is legal to spotlight on private land and is an absolute blast. The right place you might kill 50 critters in a few hours of shooting and you are doing the country a favor.

If you continue south along the coast and then go east toward Waimate, you will be in wallaby country, same rules there, find a landowner that allows night shooting, it's a blast. (from Waimate it's only 3 hours back to Christchurch)

If you like adventure, go to Queenstown, its the adventure capitol of NZ and my favorite city on either island. You can do anything that makes the heart beat fast near that city.

If you find that you aren't getting into the tahr and chamois, you can hire a heli to drop you off in the high country where there's game for a few days. Those chopper pilots all know where the animals are located. That used to cost about a thousand bucks or so for two guys.

Keep in mind, all animals in NZ are feral, the government often operates eradication programs where they either poison or heli shoot to eliminate animals that are eating native vegetation. They may shoot 500 or 1000 tahr out of an area to protect native plants. It's OK to talk hunting to anyone in NZ, so just ask locally if there are any areas that you should avoid due to eradication programs.

Another cool thing is the fishing, there is excellent ocean fishing, and excellent trout and eel fishing in the streams. (check on regs)

You will find NZ people easy to talk to, very inquisitive, and some of the nicest folks on the face of the earth. I have actually looked at real estate there as I like it so well. You will have a blast no matter what.

[bearpaw]

Almost forgot, be sure you have an expeditor lined up to ship your animals back. You will also need a recieving agent here in the US.

[carpsniperg2]

I heard my first roar on arthurs pass. I remember it like it happened yesterday

I echo fox glacier amazing pictures and some great hunting to be found.

[Machias]

I have actually looked at real estate there as I like it so well.

What did you find out?  Is it possible for a foreigner to own a small piece of property in a good hunting area?

[Ballance1]

looking at hiking into Minchin Lake for part of the trip.  Not sure yet about the other options.  Playing some of it by ear

[bearpaw]

I have actually looked at real estate there as I like it so well.

What did you find out?  Is it possible for a foreigner to own a small piece of property in a good hunting area?

They will sell you land, but it's hard to become a citizen if that matters to you.

[Machias]

Nope I like being a U.S. Citizen.  I don't want to hi-jack this thread, I'll start a different one.  Thanks Dale!!

[carpsniperg2]

I have actually looked at real estate there as I like it so well.

What did you find out?  Is it possible for a foreigner to own a small piece of property in a good hunting area?

They will sell you land, but it's hard to become a citizen if that matters to you.

I have looked into it as well. As of last year you had to have a high power degree that can help the country or bring in at least 300,000 when you move and apply for citizenship. Lucky for me my wife is in the medical field and has one of those Fancy degrees

[Ballance1]

Spent 2 weeks out of Christchurch running hard.  My buddy and I shot a dozen wild pigs, 60-80 wallabies and I got a chamois.  We saw thar, stag etc. just couldn't seal the deal.  The weather was warm and the stags didn't really start cutting loose untill the second to last day.  All total we spent about 2500-2700 apiece for the trip.  1100 for the plane ticket 700 for the helicopter, and the rest on food and diesal.  Everything we did was on our own with advise from friends there and no high fenced animals.  Was a great trip.   

[Holg3107]

Pics???

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats we need some pic's!!!

[Ballance1]

Whitened out the face, not big on face pics on the Web

[h20hunter]

Do you eat the wallaby?

[Ballance1]

we didn't, but heard that you can

[rasbo]

my friend just got back from there..here is his stag,his daughter lives there which makes things nice...

[Austrian Hunter]

Thats a great thread!  I can't wait to do that in NZ!   

[bearpaw]

Possum shooting is a kickass time too. 

I never tried eating the wallabies or possums, but we did eat kangaroo in AU, it wasn't real good and all I could think about while chewing on it was that I was eating a big rat. 

[Ballance1]

Was that stag high fence or free range? I couldn't see eating wallabies cause of the rat impression too

[huntnphool]

I expect a well documented write up of your adventure with lots of pictures. 

+1