Thread: After advice on winter hunting red stags (north island)

Hi Team,

There is a reasonably small native gully not too far from home where I have spent a fair bit of time over the last 6 years. For 6 long years I have also had game cameras in the area just quietly watching the movements of the resident red deer, not really trying to track their movements to the second so that I can get one step ahead and go on a killing spree but rather just fascinated by their comings and goings. 2 years ago a large mature stag entered the photos, seemed to have won over the hinds off a younger local stag, but haven't seen him for a while? he's either gone to deer heaven or got a nice harem of hinds somewhere else.

Anyway long story short, one of the "photographed" stags this year is looking pretty good to me. Wouldn't mind trying to catch up with him over winter. I've been doing a fair bit of reading on winter hunting stags but it usually goes something like " finding the stags up on the tussock tops feeding up" there ain't no tussock tops around here, its straight bush, like 1980's porno magazine bush, thick n dark, all shapes and sizes bush ,

I know where he hangs out during the roar but I don't know where he goes after that. Any advice or tips on where, when, and how I should go about tracking this bugger down?

Thanks in Advance

Grass paddock, probably after dark

Sunny spot with grass.

Sun, and up a bit higher on a spur or terrace so he has a good vantage point to detect smell and noise, somewhere close to a patch of good feed during the mornings/evenings.

Block of salt, but it depends how much you want to “artificialize” your hunting

why not go in now and get him?you know where he is and he might still be roaring.or wait till next year chances are hell be back.

Find his mark and track him. Sounds like you will hunt this block for years to come. It’s much like trout fishing, the best lie holds the best fish. Same with mature stags. Find this one’s home and sooner or later another will move in. If it’s fairly small, then there’s only so many spots that hold feed, safety and peace and quiet for a stag to hang out in

Originally Posted by Yesmate

why not go in now and get him?you know where he is and he might still be roaring.or wait till next year chances are hell be back.

Good Question! spent a week in the bush start of April, I have to give my girlfriend some time & attention now before I get out there again.

your GF will still be there next week(Probably)the stag won't.

Originally Posted by JesseYoung

Good Question! spent a week in the bush start of April, I have to give my girlfriend some time & attention now before I get out there again.

There's the problem

Originally Posted by JesseYoung

Good Question! spent a week in the bush start of April, I have to give my girlfriend some time & attention now before I get out there again.

get her a pair of 10 x binos and get out there extra pair of eyes

Hmm girl friend or stag? Girl friend or stag?

Younger days it would be girlfriend, now days without question stag.

he may live up to km or so away...the hinds live there all the time,he comes courting, does the deed,then goes back to his Batchlor pad.....there is school of thought that stags occupy the more risky territory as less important to gene pool ...yes n no...they dont get big by being silly.
agree he will have feed cover and sunlight..... try moving that camera to where you THINK he may be living.... that nearby crop of swedes/kahle/fodderbeat/maize will be a magnet as he will have serious case of the munchies after the shaghimselfsilly month is over.... walk around outside of anything nearby and might give clue as to where he is hanging out.

Put up some peanut butter drilled with some holes and put your camera up. Time his arrival.