- Joined
- Aug 8, 2012
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- 302
Had a few more views so here comes the next installment! By all means, ask questions and make comments. I have a wild adventure for you guys 
Part 3
I had one month to try and salvage an overseas free range hunt. Everything I had planned and prepared for Fiordland and the Stillwater block was instantly scrapped... What were my options?
The research grind began again. Red Stags, Chamois and Tahr were all on my bucket list and a crack at any of them would satisfy. I called outfitters all over the NZ South Island and typically the conversation would go like this:
Outfitter "Yeah we can do trophy Tahr no problem."
Me "That's great, how does it all work?"
Outfitter "We just head up to the hills, shoot one and come back. We do it in 2 days and have a 100% success rate over the past 3 years."
Me "Oh ok... It's that simple." *Sigh*
I spent some time really confused. Am I after a trophy animal or an experience of a lifetime? I wondered. I started to worry that the best I could hope for was an overpriced walk in the hills with a professional holding my hand and telling me to point and shoot. (No offense intended to outfitters, I do value their services.).
Now I know there are options out there to go on 10 day long adventurous free range hunts with outfitters. I also know that these outfits pre-plan and prepare areas with all the scouting done to ensure you get the trophy. Is that what I was looking for...?
I can do this... I'm no professional, but I can make this happen. I may need to move slowly. I may need to carry extra items in case of emergency and I may not even see a trophy animal... THAT is the adventure I need!
Trout, Chamois, Red Deer, Tahr, Scenery - It no longer mattered what I saw. The adventure of being there and the possibility of seeing the animals was the dream. Full steam ahead with DIY planning once again and back in good spirits knowing that I was willing to make this happen solo if required.
It was only a few weeks out when I called another one of my closest friends. We had grown up together, trekking across his family farm looking for trouble. He taught me how to shoot and hunt. I moved across the country as an adult and he came to visit and took me on my first deer hunt. We are like brothers. I asked him if he was interested and he said: 'I'm in!"
This mate of mine is a wild one. He works 3-4 months a year then disappears around the world. He has lived with the Aboriginals on islands, trekked across jungles in Thailand and lived with the Sherpas in Nepal. If there isn't a chance of death or adventure he has no interest. He pushed himself base jumping until one day his shoot didn't work and he face planted a granite mountain at near terminal velocity. He broke his back and smashed his pelvis into dust - He re-learnt how to walk and 6 months later you would never have known! He was the perfect wild and tough partner I wanted.
When I called, he was in the middle of a trip around Australia. Hunting and exploring as he went. He took between 100-200 animals (I'm not being conservative) on his way around including camels, donkeys, buffalo, boar and deer. He helped station owners remove problem herds of all of the above and filled cool rooms around the top end of Aus.
When he finally came around the country and made it Melbourne, Victoria I gave him some of my favourite hunting spots and he headed out. He took this malform Sambar stag and carried out the meat from the entire animal in one go - Roughly 50-60kg. Also took a few Fallow deer and some fantastic capes for rugs.
He came back to fill my freezer and tell some tales. There was something else he brought back on this trip though. His new girlfriend came with him on the trip and I met her for the first time.
"Mate, I'm gonna bring my Mrs with us to NZ on our hunt too."
To be continued...
Part 3
I had one month to try and salvage an overseas free range hunt. Everything I had planned and prepared for Fiordland and the Stillwater block was instantly scrapped... What were my options?
The research grind began again. Red Stags, Chamois and Tahr were all on my bucket list and a crack at any of them would satisfy. I called outfitters all over the NZ South Island and typically the conversation would go like this:
Outfitter "Yeah we can do trophy Tahr no problem."
Me "That's great, how does it all work?"
Outfitter "We just head up to the hills, shoot one and come back. We do it in 2 days and have a 100% success rate over the past 3 years."
Me "Oh ok... It's that simple." *Sigh*
I spent some time really confused. Am I after a trophy animal or an experience of a lifetime? I wondered. I started to worry that the best I could hope for was an overpriced walk in the hills with a professional holding my hand and telling me to point and shoot. (No offense intended to outfitters, I do value their services.).
Now I know there are options out there to go on 10 day long adventurous free range hunts with outfitters. I also know that these outfits pre-plan and prepare areas with all the scouting done to ensure you get the trophy. Is that what I was looking for...?
I can do this... I'm no professional, but I can make this happen. I may need to move slowly. I may need to carry extra items in case of emergency and I may not even see a trophy animal... THAT is the adventure I need!
Trout, Chamois, Red Deer, Tahr, Scenery - It no longer mattered what I saw. The adventure of being there and the possibility of seeing the animals was the dream. Full steam ahead with DIY planning once again and back in good spirits knowing that I was willing to make this happen solo if required.
It was only a few weeks out when I called another one of my closest friends. We had grown up together, trekking across his family farm looking for trouble. He taught me how to shoot and hunt. I moved across the country as an adult and he came to visit and took me on my first deer hunt. We are like brothers. I asked him if he was interested and he said: 'I'm in!"
This mate of mine is a wild one. He works 3-4 months a year then disappears around the world. He has lived with the Aboriginals on islands, trekked across jungles in Thailand and lived with the Sherpas in Nepal. If there isn't a chance of death or adventure he has no interest. He pushed himself base jumping until one day his shoot didn't work and he face planted a granite mountain at near terminal velocity. He broke his back and smashed his pelvis into dust - He re-learnt how to walk and 6 months later you would never have known! He was the perfect wild and tough partner I wanted.
When I called, he was in the middle of a trip around Australia. Hunting and exploring as he went. He took between 100-200 animals (I'm not being conservative) on his way around including camels, donkeys, buffalo, boar and deer. He helped station owners remove problem herds of all of the above and filled cool rooms around the top end of Aus.
When he finally came around the country and made it Melbourne, Victoria I gave him some of my favourite hunting spots and he headed out. He took this malform Sambar stag and carried out the meat from the entire animal in one go - Roughly 50-60kg. Also took a few Fallow deer and some fantastic capes for rugs.
He came back to fill my freezer and tell some tales. There was something else he brought back on this trip though. His new girlfriend came with him on the trip and I met her for the first time.
"Mate, I'm gonna bring my Mrs with us to NZ on our hunt too."
To be continued...
