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Big Game Hunting => Other Big Game => Topic started by: The100Road on March 02, 2025, 03:44:58 PM


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Title: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 02, 2025, 03:44:58 PM
Dream hunt of mine came true last week. Red Stag has always been my number one. It was a wild experience hunting on a ranch. To fancy for me and the wife but we had a blast. We seen many animals and had many opportunities but could not talk myself out of this guy. Stags have so much character but the crowns on this one were to good to pass up for me in my “class”. I could not be happier, year and half for shipping and taxidermist work can not come soon enough.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: MADMAX on March 02, 2025, 04:25:00 PM
Great stag
Was that in NZ ?
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: bearpaw on March 02, 2025, 05:13:56 PM
That's a nice stag, congrats
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: Dan-o on March 02, 2025, 05:25:51 PM
That's fantastic!!!
Congratulations and thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: Bob33 on March 02, 2025, 06:15:18 PM
Beautiful animal.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 02, 2025, 06:15:51 PM
Great stag
Was that in NZ ?

Yes, in New Zealand. :)
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: MADMAX on March 02, 2025, 06:43:41 PM
Great stag
Was that in NZ ?

Yes, in New Zealand. :)

Trip of a lifetime
Congrats on a beautiful trophy👍👍
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: carpsniperg2 on March 03, 2025, 08:23:00 AM
Congrats
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: LDennis24 on March 03, 2025, 08:43:35 AM
Congratulations on a nice stag! Did you go for anything else while you were there?
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: vandeman17 on March 03, 2025, 09:01:45 AM
Great stag. That is a bucket list for me to hunt stags during the roar. Would love to piggyback that off with a sight seeing vacation.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 03, 2025, 09:07:48 AM
Congratulations on a nice stag! Did you go for anything else while you were there?

Thank you! I wish. Stag was my number one and only thing in the budget. If I had more to spend I’d probably just go after a bigger stag. lol. They had lots of fallow, tahr and chamois though, very cool place. Could also hunt opossum and wallaby at night.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: redi on March 03, 2025, 09:28:21 AM
That’s an awesome stag congratulations. Definitely my bucket list item. Thank you for sharing
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: ASHQUACK on March 03, 2025, 09:31:45 AM
Awesome post! Awesome stag and perfect timing. We leave on the 1st of April for our trip. Anything you would recommend bringing or taking along?
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 03, 2025, 12:06:32 PM
Awesome post! Awesome stag and perfect timing. We leave on the 1st of April for our trip. Anything you would recommend bringing or taking along?

Awesome! Going during the roar. :) our outfitter had a pretty good checklist to bring that was pretty accurate. The only thing that I wish I brought and didn’t was a spotting scope. My thoughts that the guide would have them. Which they did. Was just kind of a pain sharing. They did have extras. I just should have brought my own as well.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 03, 2025, 12:11:40 PM
Great stag. That is a bucket list for me to hunt stags during the roar. Would love to piggyback that off with a sight seeing vacation.

Do it! I decided to go before the roar in the first couple weeks of the season to have a bigger selection. Roar would be cool though. So much to see. We went for an additional week for touristy stuff and could have spent another week. Especially if we could jump over to Australia.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: teanawayslayer on March 03, 2025, 02:02:03 PM
How many did you look at and couldn’t shoot because they were to big?
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 03, 2025, 02:52:04 PM
How many did you look at and couldn’t shoot because they were to big?

A lot. I paid for 360”-400” mine scored 393 6/8.
I passed on about 10  that looked to “elky” or to small. Probably 20-30 that were above 400. I shot mine on the second day. lol. 
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: bearhunter99 on March 03, 2025, 03:12:08 PM
Congrats!  Red Stag is high on my list.  Hopefully in a couple of years we can swing it!
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: Cylvertip on March 03, 2025, 07:22:43 PM
Could you share who the outfitter/ Ranch was? 

Did you pay normal rate, or did you get a bit of a deal?

This one is bucket list for me too and a trip The Boss would be down for.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 03, 2025, 08:47:55 PM
Could you share who the outfitter/ Ranch was? 

Did you pay normal rate, or did you get a bit of a deal?

This one is bucket list for me too and a trip The Boss would be down for.

Hey there! You gotta do it. I paid for the 360-400 range but there are much bigger l. Mine ended up scoring about 394. I paid $10,000 for the lodging, meals and stag with a 1/1 guide for the week. $150 for rifle rental. They pick you up and drop you off in queenstown.

Gary actually waived the $300 per day fee for my wife.

I went with https://www.nzhuntingsafaris.com.

Very very fine establishment. Top notch. All honesty it was a little to fancy for me. Gary is a great guy and makes you feel very welcome no matter your budget. The staff and guides are all amazing. Very very nice and welcoming. The food was amazing.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I did quite a bit of researching before I went. I’m happy that I choose Gary and dont regret it at all.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: b0bbyg on March 03, 2025, 09:10:40 PM
Tagging,
May never go but NZ just sounds cool. Going self guided sounds fun but may be too hard to plan remotely without knowledge.
Not concerned with killing a big one, just getting to experience the hunt for a fair chase stag sounds really cool.
And NZ, what a cool place to visit from what I have read
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: Torrent50 on March 03, 2025, 09:34:16 PM
I leave April 28th for my New Zealand stag/tahr hunt.  Can't wait.  I'm still trying to decide how I'm going to handle getting trophies back.  I have my taxidermist here that I just have to have do them.  Some have said to bring them back on the plane, some say have them shipped.  Guess I still have a little time to decide.

Awesome stag and glad to see you fulfil a dream. 
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 03, 2025, 11:00:47 PM
I leave April 28th for my New Zealand stag/tahr hunt.  Can't wait.  I'm still trying to decide how I'm going to handle getting trophies back.  I have my taxidermist here that I just have to have do them.  Some have said to bring them back on the plane, some say have them shipped.  Guess I still have a little time to decide.

Awesome stag and glad to see you fulfil a dream.

Awesome! I’ve never heard of bring them back on the plane from out of the country. My stag is expected to ship in 45-60 days after the hide and antlers are dry. Can’t have zero blood or meat to go through customs I believe. From NZ it ships to the importer. I chose coppersmith out of Seattle. From there, after it’s cleared I can pick it up or have it shipped directly to the taxidermist.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: Torrent50 on March 04, 2025, 08:07:14 AM
I leave April 28th for my New Zealand stag/tahr hunt.  Can't wait.  I'm still trying to decide how I'm going to handle getting trophies back.  I have my taxidermist here that I just have to have do them.  Some have said to bring them back on the plane, some say have them shipped.  Guess I still have a little time to decide.

Awesome stag and glad to see you fulfil a dream.

Awesome! I’ve never heard of bring them back on the plane from out of the country. My stag is expected to ship in 45-60 days after the hide and antlers are dry. Can’t have zero blood or meat to go through customs I believe. From NZ it ships to the importer. I chose coppersmith out of Seattle. From there, after it’s cleared I can pick it up or have it shipped directly to the taxidermist.

PM sent.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: The100Road on March 04, 2025, 08:54:28 AM
I leave April 28th for my New Zealand stag/tahr hunt.  Can't wait.  I'm still trying to decide how I'm going to handle getting trophies back.  I have my taxidermist here that I just have to have do them.  Some have said to bring them back on the plane, some say have them shipped.  Guess I still have a little time to decide.

Awesome stag and glad to see you fulfil a dream.

Awesome! I’ve never heard of bring them back on the plane from out of the country. My stag is expected to ship in 45-60 days after the hide and antlers are dry. Can’t have zero blood or meat to go through customs I believe. From NZ it ships to the importer. I chose coppersmith out of Seattle. From there, after it’s cleared I can pick it up or have it shipped directly to the taxidermist.

PM sent.

 @Torrent50  I tried to reply to your PM but your inbox is full.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: Torrent50 on March 04, 2025, 09:47:13 AM
I leave April 28th for my New Zealand stag/tahr hunt.  Can't wait.  I'm still trying to decide how I'm going to handle getting trophies back.  I have my taxidermist here that I just have to have do them.  Some have said to bring them back on the plane, some say have them shipped.  Guess I still have a little time to decide.

Awesome stag and glad to see you fulfil a dream.

Awesome! I’ve never heard of bring them back on the plane from out of the country. My stag is expected to ship in 45-60 days after the hide and antlers are dry. Can’t have zero blood or meat to go through customs I believe. From NZ it ships to the importer. I chose coppersmith out of Seattle. From there, after it’s cleared I can pick it up or have it shipped directly to the taxidermist.

PM sent.

 @Torrent50  I tried to reply to your PM but your inbox is full.

Should be good now.   Sorry.
Title: Re: New Zealand Red Stag
Post by: Falcon on March 05, 2025, 07:30:52 PM
BEAST :drool:
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