New Zealand Record Wapiti from Fiordland.

[WhelanLad]

Well, i had the pleasure of being taken on a little personal Tour of the New Zealand Deer Stalkers HQ in the North Island and this was one definate piece of History which really tickled my turkey

Reads- Wapiti Glaisnock Valley Fiordland 1933 "Edgar Nitz" Douglas Score 474 NZ Record.

Now the Real Part

Amazed by sheer Size- a beauty.

There was 2 brothers in the Nitz clan, an a Valley in Fiordland was named after one, the Nitz Valley fiordland.

If anyone has interest in the World Class Fiordland Wapiti history from early 1900s there is a wikid Documentary avilable on DVD from pointssouth.com i think, maybe wildsouth.co.nz i will have to double check..... its a 2 part sseries- the Golden days and the Decimation of the Herd in the 2nd part called "Wapiti Wars" when the whole Meat Harvest and Culling days spiked, decimating the only Southern herd outside of their home range.

Gifted by Ted Roosevelt in exchange of a Handful of Tahr.... these Wapiti are now slowly gettin back to somewhat original trophy size however the Cross breeding of Red Deer has caused some blood line loss..... anyway
Enjoy.
WL

 

[PatchRat]

That's unfortunate about the bloodline loss. I believe those elk were stocked with eastern elk, which is a debatedly distinct subspecies which has since gone extinct in its native range.

 

[WhelanLad]

That's unfortunate about the bloodline loss. I believe those elk were stocked with eastern elk, which is a debatedly distinct subspecies which has since gone extinct in its native range.

"Roosevelt Elk " they rekon, i thought there was rooseys in oregon?

 

[PatchRat]

There's plenty of Roosevelt's around on the western slopes, I had read that it was elk taken from east of the Mississippi that were sent.

Of course, as always, my tagline is a disclaimer.

 

[1899]

Um....maybe it's me, but that doesn't look like a 474" bull.

 

[WhelanLad]

Um....maybe it's me, but that doesn't look like a 474" bull.

Douglas Score i would happily Assume 99, goin by the Words Douglas Score infront , Which would Vary alot from the ### Inch Bulls of the States an the like?

 

[156821]

That’s pretty cool. Hunting history from different corners of the globe. I never knew about any of this.

 

[WhelanLad]

That’s pretty cool. Hunting history from different corners of the globe. I never knew about any of this.

well im glad that ive passed on something to someone Today Mate

wl

 

[1899]

Douglas Score i would happily Assume 99, goin by the Words Douglas Score infront , Which would Vary alot from the ### Inch Bulls of the States an the like?

Ah yes, that might be different

 

[Ardent]

"Roosevelt Elk " they rekon, i thought there was rooseys in oregon?

Roosevelts are on the BC Coast too. They’re substantially bigger than inland elk in body, bulls are around 50% heavier than a Rocky Mtn Elk, with smaller antlers generally, and much darker hair.

 

[bearkilr]

"Roosevelt Elk " they rekon, i thought there was rooseys in oregon?

I've read the elk were a gift from President Roosevelt, but are Rocky Mountain.

Roosevelt are in northern California, Oregon,Washington,Vancouver Island and coastal BC and some Aleutian islands in Alaska.

That's unfortunate about the bloodline loss. I believe those elk were stocked with eastern elk, which is a debatedly distinct subspecies which has since gone extinct in its native range.

I think they were extinct before NZ got elk. And the red deer have been in NZ longer than elk.

 

[Power Pill]

What is 474 referring to?

 

[Ardent]

Curious about “Douglas score” too and how they do it, as that would be #2 in North America under Boone & Crockett, here’s a 478. The 478.

 

[WhelanLad]

Some of the old heads from the golden days have the Crown at the tops which are Also common in the Rooseys, i read a great book on the top 66 or so Fiordland Wapiti from the first illegally taken one an the first legal one with the permits back in the early days-
the bloke mentions the resembelence of the Rooseys with their top tines at times forking/or crowning which only the Jungle Rooseys do. as the terrain an rainforest liek conditiosn were similiar to their home range- coastal.

474 REFERS to DOUGLAS SCORE you guys proberly havnt heard of it , it originated in New Zealand by some Bloke named Norman Douglas and is available for all Deer in Aus and NZ species.
it actually favours Symettry as opposed to whoa factor, and overspread gets penealised heavily---- an we all know a wide set of antlers adds to a trophy. so its controversial to a degree, but its out main Gauge on Trophys an one which the Top Heads are kept.

i wont "in short" the theory an how the scores work, thatwill be up to you guys to find- limited info on it online.


However that head is over 50 inches long- cant remember exacts-


The Score is no Inches , like how you guys add all lengths together- its quite complicated.................. thats all i'll say LOL

 

[WhelanLad]

minimal info on the douglas score- but the FWF is tryin to get the herd back to older times with guidlines to succesful ballot hunters below

The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation info site
http://www.fwf.net.nz/wapiti-bull-evaluation/


some links to game park stuff, but touches on the Wapiti history etc. an mentions the Above pictured Elk...
http://www.nzhuntinginfo.com/game/elk.html

 

[WhelanLad]

I've read the elk were a gift from President Roosevelt, but are Rocky Mountain.

Roosevelt are in northern California, Oregon,Washington,Vancouver Island and coastal BC and some Aleutian islands in Alaska.




I think they were extinct before NZ got elk. And the red deer have been in NZ longer than elk.

but not Red Deer in Fiordland before the Wapiti, reds were released elsewhere from a handful of different herds in the world, windsor park, an alot of european stock of different areas- mind blank right now