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View Full Version : Back from New Zealand, pic heavy thread. What a hunt!



BiG Boar
05-18-2009, 11:38 AM
Well after leaving New Zealand on Friday at 4:45pm I arrived in Vancouver at 3:30pm the same day. Get to redo that one hour in life. Though on the way their I missed a monday all together. The flight is only 13 hours. Not too bad. I have done farther drives to go for a hunt in northern BC.

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The Tahr hunt was absolutley awsome, hiked up some huge mountains, just like our stone sheep hunting here. Glassed a mob of them one night and as the next day looked clear, we found them in the morning and them planned the climb/stalk. Halfway up the mountain we were busted, but I got a shot off at around 500 yards, at a huge angle. Hoped to have dropped him, but when we got up there, there was some hair and not a speck of blood. They of course had all ran a lot furthur up the mountain. So we pressed on after them and of course I didnt have a range finder. 500-700 yard shot 45 degree angle again. This time he dropped and then started running like a madman down the mountain, away from me. We pursued again, and peeking over the edge, as he ran down a gully, we spoted 3 feeding below us. I pulled out the spotting scope, and looked for blood, as we were following a heavy trail. No blood on any of them. We dropped in after them and as we went over the next ledge saw one hobbling below us, bleeding. Thats our boy, whipped the gun off my shoulder, jacked my second last shell in, grabbed the bi-pod and my finger must have touched the trigger. Stupid mistake, heat of the moment, and I sent a bullet over into another mountain. Have one shot left, and he was 30 yards below us, he took his final step, presented a shoulder between two ferns and down he rolled....and rolled....and rolled....luckily it was in a foot and a half of snow. He was down for the count. And a very beautiful bull at that. Recovered one of the handloaded TSX's. Will have to wiegh it in. The scariest part about the whole thing was the descent. Going down the mountain a different way then we had went up was a bit challenging, it was getting dark soon, and there was cliff after cliff to negotiate. Over the whole days hunt it was 10 hours of slogging it. I can see why people do the helicopter assist. However I am glad I did it the hard way.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn5/bigbore14/IMG_4272.jpg?t=1242670904

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn5/bigbore14/IMG_4285.jpg?t=1242671218


Also did a Arapawa ram, was an outstanding hunt, after missing the first two shots because my guide was ranging in meters and I was shooting in yards, and he didnt tell me that. We re stalked in even closer to about 30 yards, came over the top of a hill, with the wind in our face and dropped him good. Beautiful trophy.


http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn5/bigbore14/P1060166.jpg
Also, did some hare hunting. The TSX 180 grains were outstanding again.

Video taped all the hunts, and hope to put something together on youtube soon, however I am in the middle of preping for my grizzly hunt.

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Bighorn hunter
05-18-2009, 11:54 AM
Where's the story on the stag? Looks like you had a great time. well done and thanks for posting

buckguy
05-18-2009, 12:03 PM
Nice looking animals, congrats. Looks like lots of fun and a lot of hard work.

BiG Boar
05-18-2009, 12:31 PM
Blast, in putting together this car wreck some would call a post, the stag story got totally deleted.

Here goes. shortened version

After listening to the ROAR for 3 days, following a few calls, and spotting tonnes of great stags, I finally decided on an animal. They are fairly territorial and stay in a 1 km radius usually. It was hilly country and the hiking was hard. First thing on the 3rd morning I spot my stag, nice and even fronts, red colored cape, and mass like I had not yet seen. 1 300 win mag pill and he was down, a second to end his grief. What a beauty of a stag, and just as he went down the snow started. Didnt stop untill it was 15 inches deep.

I would highly recomend New Zealand hunting. It was a lot of fun, and it was a beautiful country.

whitetailsheds
05-18-2009, 01:54 PM
What an absolute beautiful trophy that stag is!! Love those dark horns and ivory tips on him. Thanks for posting. Beautiful country!

gamehunter6o
05-18-2009, 01:58 PM
Good one Bigbore. Now you have a taste of NZ, you'll be back. Try bush hunting Sika deer in the central North Island if you really want fun.

kennyj
05-18-2009, 03:25 PM
Wow! Thats an awesome red deer.Thar and sheep are nice too.Great photos
and story.Looks like you had a blast and earned those animals.
kenny

Wild Images
05-18-2009, 04:46 PM
Very nice Stag, good luck with the Griz

Steeleco
05-18-2009, 09:02 PM
Trip of a lifetime Dave, sadly not mine, LOL!! Congrats on a very successful hunt.

bearass
05-18-2009, 09:57 PM
Congrats on the stag,sounds like the hunt of a life time.

Mik
05-18-2009, 10:51 PM
Looks like you covered a lot of terrain. Great pics and congrats on all the kills.

leadpillproductions
05-18-2009, 11:05 PM
Nice stag looks like a great trip . one day i'd love to shoot one of those

Laurence_Erickson
05-18-2009, 11:05 PM
a huge congrats ,sounds like the trip was a blast ,good luck on your G bear hunt

Kitimat Killer
05-19-2009, 12:02 AM
way to go on the awesome trip those are deadly animals and sounds like you worked hard for every one way to go

kk

srupp
05-19-2009, 01:24 AM
Well done Bigbore14...AWESOME KICK ASS PHOTOS..and trophies of a lifetime...congradulations on getting it done in style...

truly amazing country..


Steven:shock:

island grown
05-19-2009, 07:33 AM
i think my legs would run away screaming bloody mary!!!!!

awesome pics, looks like beautiful country.

riflebuilder
05-19-2009, 08:46 AM
I am heading to New Zealand in June Anyone want to come I need bodies for a video.

Elkhound
05-19-2009, 09:28 AM
Thats awesome Dave.....looks like you had an unbelievable time.......I need to do that some time.

srupp
05-19-2009, 01:48 PM
hmmm lets see..Florida...then New Zealand....oh ya a month in California..then this fall South Africa..:shock:...

I get to go to Sheridan Lake fishing..:tongue:

sounds like a winner of a year Dave..:smile:


Steven

David Heitsman
05-20-2009, 10:31 AM
Rich antlers on that stag. Love the dark chocolate colour. Are you getting him mounted there or here in BC? I can show you a couple done by a local taxidermist if you want. Also could make a recomendation on importing the crate if you like.

JeremyCarrano302
05-20-2009, 04:41 PM
congrats on your hunt and you bagged sum nice looking animals expecially that red stag thats a monster

BiG Boar
05-20-2009, 04:47 PM
Rich antlers on that stag. Love the dark chocolate colour. Are you getting him mounted there or here in BC? I can show you a couple done by a local taxidermist if you want. Also could make a recomendation on importing the crate if you like.

The crating is on its way, I am getting it shipped with a couple of the other guys stags directly to ganders taxidermy. Hopefully they get it done sometime in the next few years. Over there they were having problems with thier local taxidermist, and they dont want to be caught between you and the taxidermist about how their taxidermist did a crap job. Makes sence, however you would think they would have people who specialize in the few animals they do have over there. Aparently the Tahr mane is the hardest thing in the world to get to stand up.

Johnnybear
05-20-2009, 04:54 PM
Living the dream bigbore!!!! Great thread. Awesome animals you harvested there. Congrats big time. Thanks for sharing all those photos.

BCbillies
05-20-2009, 04:59 PM
Sounds like a great hunt and beautiful country! Would love to try this one day but may have to wait 20 years or so.

BiG Boar
05-20-2009, 05:54 PM
Sounds like a great hunt and beautiful country! Would love to try this one day but may have to wait 20 years or so.

If I have half as many stories to tell when I reach your age as you have, I would consider my boots well travelled.

gamehunter6o
05-20-2009, 10:55 PM
The crating is on its way, I am getting it shipped with a couple of the other guys stags directly to ganders taxidermy. Hopefully they get it done sometime in the next few years. Over there they were having problems with thier local taxidermist, and they dont want to be caught between you and the taxidermist about how their taxidermist did a crap job. Makes sence, however you would think they would have people who specialize in the few animals they do have over there. Aparently the Tahr mane is the hardest thing in the world to get to stand up.
Taxidermists over here are snowed under with work. And of coarse the better the work the more work he has.
I think it's wise to take trophies home to be mounted.
On a side note. I personally wouldn't go near the "freeze dried" mounts.

rishu_pepper
05-21-2009, 10:50 AM
Your wife must be an angel to let you go on all these trips Dave! :D

Awesome looking animals for sure. I'm waiting for that one day when I too will hunt overseas, most likely Africa. :)

Derp
05-21-2009, 04:56 PM
Truly amazing Dave, Congrats on an awesome outing. Whats after the grizz? Africa? Keep it up!

ElectricDyck
05-22-2009, 01:08 PM
Sounds like a sweet time, what does something like that cost if you don't mind me asking?

BCHunterFSJ
05-22-2009, 01:17 PM
Thanks for the story and pics. I'm going next April for red stag and tahr!
Can't wait, especially after reading your post...

deer nut
05-22-2009, 02:00 PM
Awesome stag! I'd also like to know the ballpark costs for a trip like that. Once in a lifetime!

Is that a Sako Kodiak you're shooting?

ratherbefishin
05-29-2009, 06:47 AM
didn't the NewZealand government want to kill off all the deer as an introduced species?

gamehunter6o
05-29-2009, 01:29 PM
didn't the New Zealand government want to kill off all the deer as an introduced species?

That was the plan. Times are a changing. We now have a Game Animal Panel looking into the long term status of introduced animals in NZ.
Key points are; introduced animals will be called game as opposed to pests and hunters will have to buy a hunting licence to hunt public land.
Game numbers will be managed by hunters, not eco terrorists using poison.
This change to hunting in NZ was only achieved by hunters getting their act together and using our MMP (proportional) voting system where the tail can wag the dog.

deer nut
05-29-2009, 01:49 PM
Gamehunter60: Is it possible for non-residents to do a self-guided hunt in NZ or do you have to hire a guide? Is all the best hunting ground private or exclusive?

gamehunter6o
05-29-2009, 03:43 PM
Gamehunter60: Is it possible for non-residents to do a self-guided hunt in NZ or do you have to hire a guide? Is all the best hunting ground private or exclusive?

Hunters from any country can hunt, unguided, the public land (Department of Conservation, DOC) at any time and at no cost (as yet) and shoot as much game as you like and not even remove the back steaks.
There is a $5/10 night charge to stay in a DOC hut.
Sporting firearm entry is easy.
If your idea of "best hunting" is seeing plenty of game and big heads then private land is best. Success rate is 100% but costs, and in many (not all)of these free range properties the deer are not much of a challenge.
There are some areas (DOC) in NZ where trophy type heads are shot on a regular basis, but are not easy. Our deer are hunted all year, on foot and from helicopter and are no push over. It's all bush hunting.
Airfares to NZ are as cheap as it's ever been. If your an experienced hunter and want to hunt unguided, do a lot of home work on the species you wish to hunt, and spend at least a month here.

jasper
05-30-2009, 07:05 AM
awesome stag totally cool looking animal wish there were some in our country dont think ill be able to go to new zealand any time soon maybe ill try planting a money tree in my back yard lol

Brew
05-30-2009, 10:15 AM
Really nice stag. I like the dark antlers with white tips. It will make a great mount.

Mr. Dean
05-30-2009, 02:09 PM
WOO-HOO!

Fine trip.

moosehunter16
07-13-2009, 06:34 PM
hey looks like you had fun. just out of curiosity what was the rough price of the hunt flight ticket and all? i am planning on doing a new zealand hunt to but am not sure on the price.
Cheers CD

gameslayer
07-14-2009, 10:07 PM
Wow looked bettter than Wild TV, awsome looking Stag. Thanks for sharing and congrats on a great adventure.

hawkdog
08-13-2009, 10:39 AM
Nice pics!! New Zealand is awesome!
If you go again you should try and get in on pig hunt with someone who has dogs. My dad grew up there, he used to take his dogs out and they would pin the boar and he would kill it with a knife. I got to go on one about ten years ago, but not with a knife.

gamehunter6o
08-13-2009, 01:05 PM
Nice pics!! New Zealand is awesome!
If you go again you should try and get in on pig hunt with someone who has dogs. My dad grew up there, he used to take his dogs out and they would pin the boar and he would kill it with a knife. I got to go on one about ten years ago, but not with a knife.

Did that yesterday:smile:

Buck Skin
08-13-2009, 03:04 PM
Congrtaz:mrgreen: looks like fun!

BiG Boar
09-07-2011, 04:39 PM
Well I finally finished the pedestal for the mount. I built the pedestal with much help from Geronimo, and the taxidermy work was done by the Great Ray Weins! Thanks Ray, it looks awesome!

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn5/bigbore14/f687a660.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn5/bigbore14/e6f8bce3.jpg

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http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn5/bigbore14/P1060223.jpg

monasheemountainman
09-07-2011, 04:52 PM
wicked, Friggin jealous, gonna have to go back myself

Elkhound
09-07-2011, 10:05 PM
That is awesome...cant wait to come over and see it

Mr. Dean
09-08-2011, 12:04 AM
Well now. :shock:

That pedistal is finally done eh???
That critter looks MUCH better than it did laying on the floor.

Congrats!

srupp
09-08-2011, 03:19 AM
Looks amazing Dave..well done....soon you will need a bigger house....cant wait for recent successes also..

cheers
Steven

5 spike
09-08-2011, 04:57 AM
very nice dave. great pics good times some awesome animals. i will pm you soon.

The Dude
09-08-2011, 06:20 AM
Awesome animal, D. Nice looking base too. Looks like you don't plan to move anytime soon.
Trying to sneak out of work to get some hunting done this year........might have to quit :-)