Thread: Advice from locals - Nov tahr trip

I'd planned for the last 6 months or so to come over from Aus for a tahr trip in the first week of November, so the recent going's on with the Sage announcement have been of considerable interest and a bit of a concern.

I'd planned to head to either the Gamack or Liebig Raage areas. Looking at the DOC cull maps from winter - both these areas were shot pretty well, but as they weren't (supposed) to be culling bulls then I figured they'd still be worth a look, but with the current going's on, how these areas will be treated over the next 6 weeks or so is the unknown.

In order to sort out the mountain of paperwork required in bringing a gun out of Aus, I probably need to make a call this week as to whether I go ahead as planned, But I'd hate to spend a couple of grand in flights, hire car, accommodation etc to get over there and walk in to an area only to have it culled whilst we're in there or just before. How helpful is the DOC office at twizel on providing info on planned cull operations?

So any advice from locals as to whether you'd bother going ahead with the planned trip in the current climate would be appreciated. I was planning a walk in trip but now that I'm almost committed to the trip I wouldn't be adverse to a short chopper trip to get into an areas amongst a few animals if it other options were looking a bit shaky as to whether they would be on the cull list - or maybe I go elsewhere to look for a chamois and leave the tahr for another trip.

What would you do?

I'd recommend coming over, the latest sounds like the cull has been postponed.... Get into them before they get started I say

Come on over, there will be tahr to shoot. Dont be a cheap skate, spend heaps on food and accommodation, helicopter, hire car, etc etc, and then a $50 donation to the Tahr Foundation and all will be good.

Gidday Nak - I'd say your plans are fine, DOC will have given the nanny mobs a good stir up in those areas but the juvenile bull groups and senior bulls should have fared better. In any case we don't know where the WARO guys have been so any particular spot can be a lottery. Generally Tahr will be low in November ( Bull mobs possibly right down in the riverbeds in some places), its a great time to get some experience and bag an animal or two, it might be a bit hit and miss to get a trophy though.

Originally Posted by Husky1600

Come on over, there will be tahr to shoot. Dont be a cheap skate, spend heaps on food and accommodation, helicopter, hire car, etc etc, and then a $50 donation to the Tahr Foundation and all will be good.

Already donated, and yep any trip over always ends up costing a fair bit, I try spend $$'s in the small towns on the way to the mountains and mention that I'm over hunting. It would be an interesting exercise to work out how much the average self guided international hunter pumps into the NZ economy.

Originally Posted by Tentman

Gidday Nak - I'd say your plans are fine, DOC will have given the nanny mobs a good stir up in those areas but the juvenile bull groups and senior bulls should have fared better. In any case we don't know where the WARO guys have been so any particular spot can be a lottery. Generally Tahr will be low in November ( Bull mobs possibly right down in the riverbeds in some places), its a great time to get some experience and bag an animal or two, it might be a bit hit and miss to get a trophy though.

Cool. I think I'll book the flights tonight.
Yep, I've hunted there in Springr before - the Tahr are generally nice and accommodating for an aussie who is pretty respectful of your mountains, where I'm from you can drive a car to the top of all our highest hills.