Thread: Advice for a new hunter - Tararuas

Looking for some advice as I’m planning my first hunt for Red Deer, I live 10mins outside the Tararuas and my current plan is a day hunt, walking in from the Waihoine gorge car park making my way up to Cone Hut, then head across the saddle and up top and across the Cone ridge and down to Totaroa Flats Hut, before heading back down the river to the car park again. Figure this gets me both up on the tops and across the flats and hopefully in sight of some deer, would love some advice on the likely spots to keep an eye out for and wether this would even be feasible for a day trip (from what I’ve read it’d be 7-8hrs at least but planning to make a full day of it). If there’s any other suggestions from the same entry point I’d love to hear about those too. Excited to get up in the hills and get amongst it.

I have been hunting those areas for 20 years plus. This time of year bush hunting in there will be very difficult, the leaf litter on the ground is crunchy and stalking will be very noisy. During the heat of the day they will be up high to get a cool breeze or hold up in a wet shaded gut in the bush. Deer still like the open areas though throughout the night, late evening and morning, anywhere on the rivers edge with grass flats or sandy spots they will come out to play/feed.
You wont need to go that far though to see deer, that is a hell of a walk in this heat, especially to carry something out from mid way. I would either stay in one valley or up on the tops, either will have deer. I have shot a shit ton of deer in there over the years around Tutuwai and Totara flats. Save the big missions for when the weather cools down. Go up to Cone from Smiths or Totora flats from Waiohine and work all the bush edges/flats evening and first light, you will see deer.

Gidday - welcome to the forum.

Its been 40 years at least since I hunted in the Tararuas, and in those days the deer were spread mighty thin, so I can't be at all specific.

From my limited knowledge and worse memory of the area your proposed trip looks more like an "armed tramp" rather than a hunt. I've been an "armed tramper" all my life and I can tell you that its a wonderful thing, BUT it won't get you many deer, unless you are usually disciplined (to stay out in the hill at the right times in the right places) and/or lucky.

Best to have a bloody good look at a map, pick out some good feed areas and climb to them. Watch till dark (or success) with the wind in your favour then return to base the same way. Make sure you take enough gear so an unplanned night out on the hill won't end in tragedy.

All the best

never been there...BUT you planning 7-8hr walk....minimum....could be far more productive to walk for hour or two to good vantage point,stay UNSKYLINED and sit and let binoculars do the walking.....far better to walk couple of hours,look for another hour or two,move along a little more,look some more,hopefully find and shoot/recover animal and walk the 2 hours back....if you shoot animal 4 hours in,either way its a 4 hr carry back out....
take water,make a cuppa when you get bored looking,then look again..sooner or later animal will pop out.hopefully you can then plan how to get into range without being winded by animal....
good luck.

Originally Posted by Tentman

Gidday - welcome to the forum.

Its been 40 years at least since I hunted in the Tararuas, and in those days the deer were spread mighty thin, so I can't be at all specific.

From my limited knowledge and worse memory of the area your proposed trip looks more like an "armed tramp" rather than a hunt. I've been an "armed tramper" all my life and I can tell you that its a wonderful thing, BUT it won't get you many deer, unless you are usually disciplined (to stay out in the hill at the right times in the right places) and/or lucky.

Best to have a bloody good look at a map, pick out some good feed areas and climb to them. Watch till dark (or success) with the wind in your favour then return to base the same way. Make sure you take enough gear so an unplanned night out on the hill won't end in tragedy.

All the best

Love the “armed tramper” term haha! Indeed I think from what’s been posted I’ll be overdoing the walking with my plan. Will look to do either the flats or ridge only and save bigger trip for an overnighter when it cools down. Thanks for the advice, so glad there’s a forum like this!

Originally Posted by oneshot

I have been hunting those areas for 20 years plus. This time of year bush hunting in there will be very difficult, the leaf litter on the ground is crunchy and stalking will be very noisy. During the heat of the day they will be up high to get a cool breeze or hold up in a wet shaded gut in the bush. Deer still like the open areas though throughout the night, late evening and morning, anywhere on the rivers edge with grass flats or sandy spots they will come out to play/feed.
You wont need to go that far though to see deer, that is a hell of a walk in this heat, especially to carry something out from mid way. I would either stay in one valley or up on the tops, either will have deer. I have shot a shit ton of deer in there over the years around Tutuwai and Totara flats. Save the big missions for when the weather cools down. Go up to Cone from Smiths or Totora flats from Waiohine and work all the bush edges/flats evening and first light, you will see deer.

Thanks so much for that advice! So good to have experienced hunters share their knowledge on here, I thought I might be overdoing it with my plan so glad to have it confirmed ��
I’ll look to head up the river to the flats and back as my first trip and then have a look at the ridge on a second trip. Will save the big trip as an overnighter when it cools down Glad to hear there’s a good chance of seeing some deer! I’ll aim to start before dawn so I can be at the flats by first light.

Thanks again !

I'm with Dusty Fog in that theres good hunting in the Haurangis and would be your best bet.
Further around the coast past the stone wall is good but steep.
Another area is from the end of Ruakokoputuna road - alot of people go in here but theres quite a lot of scope.
Good luck!

Clems creek was a good spot years ago when deer were as scarce as rocking horse shit, a bit of a boulder hop in places but there were slips there that were always good for a bit of venison. You can sidle out on the cone side back to walls whare or cone hut or the other way towards makaka and further up river.

My 10cents worth.Blast straight up to Totara Flats from Walls Whare.Ford the lower flats to the T.L. and stay @ Sayers Hut approx opposite DOC Totara Flats Hut.Probably not officially marked on current topo maps.Then just stalk the valley floor on that side in the last 1 hour shootable light in evening either up or down stream depending on catabatic movement on dusk.Ditto for a morning shot.Once suns up sidle thru the damp supplejack guts say 3-500 mtr contour where they are chewing their cud til noon.Spend the rest of the day fishing/sun bathing.Good luck from an ex NZFS hunter who shot that block a while ago.Regardless a good spot is always a good spot

I tend to head up to the flats in summer hunt the evening and stay in sayers or totara flats hut then hunt the morning and wander home. Saw a big pig up there just before Christmas too. Missed him though. Need to get better st shooting. Looks as though they’ve been ripping the place up a bit round there.


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Originally Posted by bluebaiter222

My 10cents worth.Blast straight up to Totara Flats from Walls Whare.Ford the lower flats to the T.L. and stay @ Sayers Hut approx opposite DOC Totara Flats Hut.Probably not officially marked on current topo maps.Then just stalk the valley floor on that side in the last 1 hour shootable light in evening either up or down stream depending on catabatic movement on dusk.Ditto for a morning shot.Once suns up sidle thru the damp supplejack guts say 3-500 mtr contour where they are chewing their cud til noon.Spend the rest of the day fishing/sun bathing.Good luck from an ex NZFS hunter who shot that block a while ago.Regardless a good spot is always a good spot

Thanks mate, Sayers hut is listed on Topo50 app I’ve got so know where you mean! The flats area at Totaroa looked bigger so that was the only reason I’d picked that first, good to know that side has done well for you will head there

Hunting till last light and then finding your way out in the dark can be a bit nerve racking if you dont know the country. I would take a fly and sleeping bag and sleep where I finished hunting in the evening. Johnny on the spot for a morning hunt too

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Hunting till last light and then finding your way out in the dark can be a bit nerve racking if you dont know the country. I would take a fly and sleeping bag and sleep where I finished hunting in the evening. Johnny on the spot for a morning hunt too

Thanks mate in reality I was likely only going to get there for first light and stay until late afternoon before heading back as a first trip out, exactly as you said so I wouldn’t be walking out in the dark until I at least knew the route well. Plus with a 1 year old at home the wife would be blowing up if I spent all day/night out having fun haha 😂

Originally Posted by sharps no 1

Clems creek was a good spot years ago when deer were as scarce as rocking horse shit, a bit of a boulder hop in places but there were slips there that were always good for a bit of venison. You can sidle out on the cone side back to walls whare or cone hut or the other way towards makaka and further up river.

Awesome thanks for that mate really appreciate it, will give it a look when I head out, it’s a lot closer to my walk in spot so may a good option for me

Walking the tracks is a good way to start in an area. Set your phone or gps to record your route in daylight and it will be handy when youre crashing through after dark on another trip. Your original idea to do the full cone ridge totara flats and out on the sidle track is a good one if youre quite fit and have some experience of tramping or mountain running. Im not sure what the route from cone saddle through the head of clem ck to makaka ck is like. To get to the flats from the road by first light you will need to leave by 4 AM. A waste of nice bush walking. A gentle walk up to totara flats and sayers hut and back to familiarise yourself with the area would be nice. Expect to see other people up there specially at dawn and dusk. Can you get someone to drop you off and do a through trip from holdsworth lodge to waiohine (walls whare). It would be the same length and extra interesting.