During the colonization of New Zealand, the British brought with them the most beloved species of animals for hunting: red deer from Scotland, sika deer from Asia, as well as fallow deer, white-tailed deer, wapiti and sambar deer.
And now it is here, in New Zealand, that the best hunting for red and sika deer takes place in natural, non-fenced areas. A lot of record trophies were obtained in local farms.
Hunting for Deer, Fallow Deer, Tara, Chamois
Local hunting also differs in a variety of ways. With helicopter air support, they challenge walking mountain hunts for Himalayan tar and chamois for physically hardy hunters.
Traditional hunting with warriors of the Maori tribe for wild boars, from the approach with dogs or on horseback, using hunting knives as weapons – Bowhunting.
They hunt local pests – rabbits and possums all year round (night hunting). On the lakes, hunting for waterfowl is carried out – various types of ducks and swans and exotic species: paradise duck, pukeko marsh hen, wild peacock, black swan.
Hunting grounds are located on both large islands, especially in the mountainous regions. There is a practice of dropping by four-wheel-drive vehicles and a helicopter and active running hunting on all the grounds.
The North Island is covered with dense forests, so shooting is usually carried out at 50 – 150 m. The moderate climate of the South Island and fewer forests lead to hunting in more open spaces and, as a result, shooting at a distance of more than 150 m.
The mild climate, the beauty of nature, excellent places for accommodation and recreation, the availability of land, the abundance and variety of trophies, a variety of additional programs for recreation and adventure – all this will make hunting on the New Zealand islands one of the most beautiful and memorable trips.
Location
- The central part of Severny Island – red and sika deer, wild boars, goats
- Yuzhny Island (red deer, tar, chamois)
How to Get There
- By plane to Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch via Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong
- Transfer by car or helicopter
Season
Net-trophy hunting takes place in New Zealand all year round. Deer, tara and chamois are hunted mainly in autumn and winter (from March to August):
- Red deer, wapiti: February to August, best period March-April (rutting period)
- Tar, chamois: April to August
- Fallow deer: March to September
- White-tailed deer: May to November
- Sika deer: February to October
Hunting
Classical Deer Hunting
(red deer, sika, valiti, russa deer, sambar). Most of the time is spent tracking. In the morning, hunters get out into the grounds and begin to study the surroundings with binoculars.
After a worthy trophy specimen is found, concealment begins using the terrain and taking into account the direction of the wind. The task is to reach the point of a confident shot (from 30 to 400 m).
In conditions of an excellent food base, mineral feeding and the absence of predators, the horns of some specimens grow to enormous sizes.
Wild Boar Hunting
Carried out with dogs. Having found fresh boar digs or their tracks in the forest, the huntsmen release the dogs and wait for them to beat the wild boar from the herd and keep it in place.
Dogs are often dressed in radio collars to make them easier to find in the forest. New Zealand wild boars are usually not large: an adult boar rarely weighs more than 50 kg. Dogs hold it so tightly that you can use a knife instead of a gun.
Hunting for the “Paradise Duck” Is
Carried out on the fields of scraps using profiles and decoys.
Exotic Opossum Hunting
A little more than a cat, a possum that climbs trees and feeds on leaves, is a natural disaster for New Zealand. More than 7 million animals living in the country are destroying trees and shrubs.
Therefore, hunting for him is allowed by any means, incl. and traditionally considered poaching – “out of the spotlight.” This night hunt requires maximum attention since the animal can be under a bush or at the top of a tree about twenty meters from the ground.
Mountain Hunting for Tara and Chamois
They are held in the mountains of the Southern Alps on the South Island. Hunters get to hunting places (rocks and gorges) by helicopter directly from the lodge.
Choosing a trophy animal from the air, the helicopter lands the shooters, after which the approach begins at a distance of a confident shot—an exciting hunt for Tara – a mountain Himalayan goat with a mane resembling a lion’s.
In New Zealand, he received the honorary nickname “King of the Mountains.” And not in vain: to watch how fearlessly the animal gallops down the cliffs is simply impossible without a sinking heart. It is believed that you need to be in good physical shape to hunt tara.
In addition, to these species, it is possible to hunt the Canadian goose and black swan in New Zealand. Hunters are provided with a variety of hunting weapons on site. They are hunting for deer, fallow deer, tara, chamois.
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