Thread: American Hunter Needing Advice

Depending on the time of year I could be keen, not vast experience hunting but spent a bit of time in nz wilderness. Helicopters are your friend in new Zealand and he more people brings the prices down per person

Hi wyohunter and welcome.

Since your trip is a long way out you've got plenty of time for the main thing...fitness. The fitter you are the more enjoyable the trip will be, by fit I mean a good heavy pack on your back and serious miles up hills, you want to be walking 25km minimum a day and maybe 500 vertical metres before you get here. Karangarua is serious country and timing the trip will be very important, there is a high snow fall up top around there and if you haven't done proper mountain work it should be avoided.

For Tahr @headcase would be a good man to talk too.

After fitness your boots are next, plenty of threads on here weighing all the pros and cons with them. I'd bring two well broken pairs, then your sleeping bag, minimum 15 degree Celsius below zero, 10 below would be ok maybe depending on time of year. As for clothing, I've gone back to basics and you will possibly find a lot of what you get in America doesn't really work here, but I stand to be corrected. The flowery crap just doesn't seem to last all that well.

How good are your map/compass skills, or are you a gps man?

Thanks everyone for the advice. Like I said I still have about 2-3 years to plan everything out. I'm going to keep looking at DOC maps and doing my research. As of right now my physical capabilities are pretty good. I run 3 miles about every day and do a lot of backpacking up Colorado's mountains. The hard thing will be to stay in good shape for the next 3 years.

You'll be fine mate. Get fit, bring good gear, set realistic goals and just be happy to experience our wilderness. That's what hunting's all about. Thousands come to NZ to walk our great walks, and while hunting is off the beaten track so to speak, many of those tracks are in some pretty rugged country and many come woefully unprepared. The vast majority survive ok!. You'll be more prepared than 90% of them! Get involved on here and no doubt you'll get a chance to meet a member or two and possibly tag along for a hunt. I'm happy to take you out, if it fits in with my calendar.

An old thread but...I have moved over here for a couple of years (nearly at an end ) mainly for the hunting and spend most of my spare time doing it. Daunting at first but as above, doing plenty of research, having decent gear and fitness makes all the difference. NZ is an amazing country to explore both hunting and non-hunting. I hunted the area you first mentioned earlier this year and would be happy to help out where possible with your planning process - pm sent

Originally Posted by Al3x

An old thread but...I have moved over here for a couple of years (nearly at an end ) mainly for the hunting and spend most of my spare time doing it. Daunting at first but as above, doing plenty of research, having decent gear and fitness makes all the difference. NZ is an amazing country to explore both hunting and non-hunting. I hunted the area you first mentioned earlier this year and would be happy to help out where possible with your planning process - pm sent

Try mount Thomas or if you have any experience with mountaineering then Arthur's pass.

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guys ,ref thar&chamios -i happened across the new book ofZef Veronese the other day. Zef an italian kiwi is a real man ofthe mountains ,is a nth canty NZDA member luvly bloke to talk to generous to a "t'with his time and advice.his tales are extraordinary -not only his gear for his mountain jaunts but the contry hunted and the trophies taken!
the pack size he carries would give a pack horse a bloody hernia!
well worth a looksee,though im aware a few of you locals will be familiar with him. you may be able to source it stateside wyoming -bloody good read and bloody good insight into the country as this guy is also an expert landscape /wildlife cameraman.
BTW-welcome to the land of the long white cloud.fancy an earthquake or two ,three ,four whilst youre here -just saying!

second Kotuku, My wife brought that book for me earlier this year.