BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I knew how good this thread was going to br. Thanks for the off-season yarn!
Jaydog goes hunting: Tahr and Chamois in New Zealand
- Thread starter jaydog
- Start date
Awesome story telling, "JD." That was a worthwhile experience, with enough effort going into it for proper appreciation of the outcome... thanks for sharing... you helped to break-up the winter "blahs" as I shovel out from a foot of snow last night.
This thread makes me excited for the future. My career path will likely involve some amount of traveling and I can only hope to turn that into chances to hunt in locales I otherwise wouldn't be able to make it to for just a hunting trip.
And if not, I get to live vicariously through you. And just hope my wife can be equally understanding (so far so good...)
And if not, I get to live vicariously through you. And just hope my wife can be equally understanding (so far so good...)
I'm glad everyone could enjoy a break from the winter blahs. The last two days of hunting were much less exciting but I will write them up over the next bit as there are some nice photos. Tomorrow I get on another plane and the best I can hope for in the next two weeks is a quick bunny hunt in terrible weather. As long as it doesn't involve a body cavity search by some Grade 9 dropout wearing blue gloves I will be happy!
Suther- I couldn't do these hunts 100% on my own dime either, I just don't make that much. When the call comes to fly though I don't mess around. Look what's available for hunting and call them to see if they have room for you on short notice, price work only travel and print that out, then price out work and hunting travel (often its cheaper if I stay for longer) and print that out too. Take the two printouts into the office and show how you are a company man
and are saving the company a few bucks! Then get hunting......
The trick is always staying 'hunt ready' shape and shooting ability, having a family that will put up with the absence and having a small amount of money ready to be spent in a moment. My hunts make a somewhat unbearable job bearable- the life of Shania Twain's pool boy is not an easy one!!
Suther- I couldn't do these hunts 100% on my own dime either, I just don't make that much. When the call comes to fly though I don't mess around. Look what's available for hunting and call them to see if they have room for you on short notice, price work only travel and print that out, then price out work and hunting travel (often its cheaper if I stay for longer) and print that out too. Take the two printouts into the office and show how you are a company man
and are saving the company a few bucks! Then get hunting......The trick is always staying 'hunt ready' shape and shooting ability, having a family that will put up with the absence and having a small amount of money ready to be spent in a moment. My hunts make a somewhat unbearable job bearable- the life of Shania Twain's pool boy is not an easy one!!
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The OP was suddenly called to a job in New Zealand. He had to go. Shania was/is living in NZ. What Canadian would say no to her summons?
- Location
- Lumby Town!!
Great write up. Sounds like a fine time. I've been lucky enough to do it a few times too. The kiwi hunting experience is really special, I've even had the same "aerial " problems that you did....but mine was an orange 500C, those animals get hunted quite a bit from the air. Just the sounds for a plane/chopper can end your day. What area where you in? If you don't mind the asking....west coast?
At the start someone asked me if I was Shania Twain's pool boy. It sounded a hell of a lot better than the job I have...... I may even just start telling people that is what I do!
I was on the east coast, south of Christchurch. Given how far into the mountains we flew I might have been in the middle, but close enough.
Yup, public land and not a fence to be found. There was a high fence property within reasonable chopper range, which is why these tahr had been heli-hunted though. Considering the guide's truck had a "Ban Heli Hunting" bumper sticker you can imagine the conversation after the tahr started running!
No but I saw Mount Cook. While DIY hunting is legal and doable in NZ, I hired a guide.
www.tahrhuntingguide.co.nz/
A great guy, hugely knowledgeable and generally fun to hang out with. He was a government hunter for much of his life and wrote a book, which I bought a copy of. Shooting 10,000 rabbits in one winter to make a living is beyond most of our comprehension!
I hate it when threads get left hanging so:
Horn spread.
Next day we headed out after a wallaby. The option/idea of hunting a marsupial was more than I could imagine but as I bashed through spear grass after one the helicopter came early due to a storm in the area. I've spent a fair bit of time in helicopters over the years but having to tighten my seatbelt on the way out convinced me it was worthwhile to leave early. We spent the next day in thick fog searching for a wallaby but despite hearing THUMP THUMP THUMP twice I never laid eyes on one. Who knew a tiny kangaroo could live on mountain slopes??
On the way home we stopped off at the taxidermist. He was thrilled to hear I was Canadian as he needs a moose hide to complete a project and I happen to be related to a serious moose hunter. Gotta love a good horse trade on work done!
All in all a great trip. The hides will be tanned as we sit around the fire in the front of our property most nights and need a bit of comfort. This will be a topic of conversation for my family- helping to raise hunting children plus getting a much wider audience to understand hunting culture (my wife and I both work with people who are likely to be 'huggy'). How can I guy go wrong?
I spend 12 months a year giving up on things that most guys take for granted to make these hunts possible but likely the biggest factor is having a wife that is willing to do the same. Sometimes the best hunts are in our back yard together.
Horn spread.
Next day we headed out after a wallaby. The option/idea of hunting a marsupial was more than I could imagine but as I bashed through spear grass after one the helicopter came early due to a storm in the area. I've spent a fair bit of time in helicopters over the years but having to tighten my seatbelt on the way out convinced me it was worthwhile to leave early. We spent the next day in thick fog searching for a wallaby but despite hearing THUMP THUMP THUMP twice I never laid eyes on one. Who knew a tiny kangaroo could live on mountain slopes??
On the way home we stopped off at the taxidermist. He was thrilled to hear I was Canadian as he needs a moose hide to complete a project and I happen to be related to a serious moose hunter. Gotta love a good horse trade on work done!
All in all a great trip. The hides will be tanned as we sit around the fire in the front of our property most nights and need a bit of comfort. This will be a topic of conversation for my family- helping to raise hunting children plus getting a much wider audience to understand hunting culture (my wife and I both work with people who are likely to be 'huggy'). How can I guy go wrong?
I spend 12 months a year giving up on things that most guys take for granted to make these hunts possible but likely the biggest factor is having a wife that is willing to do the same. Sometimes the best hunts are in our back yard together.
There were moose released in the South Island along with elk and white tail deer but nobody has seen any evidence the Moose survived ,although rumours exist. I taught the barmaid in a small country pub to call moose,and wrote her up a certificate saying she was a 'qualified moose caller' ....she pinned it up on the wall (there was $50,000 reward for anyone producing evidence of a surviving moose)
Very interesting place,it was in a little town called 'Canterbury ' as I recall, about an hours out of Christchurch we were the only overnight guests and the innkeeper and his wife were going out for the evening and gave us the keys to let ourselves back in....
I did see one set of old moose antlers,they were in a sporting goods store.....couldn't believe the prices,a one lb Coleman disposable propane canister was $20....but they sold silencers for guns, perfectly legal.
Very interesting place,it was in a little town called 'Canterbury ' as I recall, about an hours out of Christchurch we were the only overnight guests and the innkeeper and his wife were going out for the evening and gave us the keys to let ourselves back in....
I did see one set of old moose antlers,they were in a sporting goods store.....couldn't believe the prices,a one lb Coleman disposable propane canister was $20....but they sold silencers for guns, perfectly legal.
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I heard the tales of moose being hidden in the backcountry too but with as many hunters and trekkers as they have in NZ, something would have been seen by now.
Hunting with a silencer ruins you for life too. No hearing damage, less recoil and better shooting. The animals get less freaked out so follow up shots are better too. It really makes you shake your head at our laws......
Hunting with a silencer ruins you for life too. No hearing damage, less recoil and better shooting. The animals get less freaked out so follow up shots are better too. It really makes you shake your head at our laws......
I had to mute that video part way though too. Funny part is the guide had a portable speaker and played really good music in the evenings while we ate. This sounds more like what I'm used to hearing the crew playing on Russian fishing ships......
I did get to Thailand but sadly never got a chance to go fishing. With everything I saw going into the river I definitely would have been catch and release though!!
I did get to Thailand but sadly never got a chance to go fishing. With everything I saw going into the river I definitely would have been catch and release though!!
