Camo or not to Camo? Gear recommendations?

Hi Guys,

I am planning on coming over to NZ to do a hunt mostly on the North Island, planning to be out in the bush for a week or so and been looking at good quality gear to keep me warm and dry. Hunting gear here in the UK is good stuff but I have been looking at NZ gear like Hunters Element and Stoney Creek, particularly Hunters Element with their Desolve camo gear. It looks good stuff and worth the money but is camo essential in NZ? I very rarely use it here in the UK, but the terrain in NZ seems more open where camo may be useful. Any recommendations?

The other gear I have been looking at is a good quality pack to fit all my gear in and be rugged enough to last so far I have picked a Wisport Reindeer 55l (you may not have them in NZ). They seem a good pack and enough capacity for what I need. Will be taking a two man tent, sleeping bag, small camping stove, small gas bottle x 2, first aid kit of some sort, spare waterproof jacket, mid layers x 2 jacket and trousers, spare waterproof trousers, few pairs of thick socks, binoculars 10x42, ammo x 40 rounds (encase need to zero after a knock), rifle cleaning kit, dehydrated food packs, 2.5 lite camelbak, 3 Mora knives, sharpening stone of some sort and I can't really think what else I would need... Here in the Uk a hunt is just pop out in the morning for a few hours and then head home. No idea on what kit I do need or what I don't. Any thoughts?

On rifles, here in the UK I use varmint contour barrels due to the number of deer I shoot in quick succession but I can imagine the long hill walk weight but be the main factor to consider. Any recommendations on rifles for long hunts up in the mountains? I am looking at getting one in .300 win mag to make sure I have the power for what ever I come across. Maybe its overkill. I only use a .243 or .270 here and shoot deer at no further than 300m (most either 100m or under). Whats the norm shot range in NZ?

Thanks

Tom

avoid hunters element like a case of dirty womans fleas...... buy a top to toe polarfleece pack for couple hundy $$$$ at most.... top it off with decent rainproof coat you dont need to spend big bucks to get reasonable quality stuff.
if you go back 40 years north island hunters wore a wollen swannie and shorts for bush stalking....things have got better but the weather hasnt changed that much.
camo is up to you......plenty of deer been shot both with and without it....blaze debate goes on and on and on....for me personally the blue gets the nod as being best as red/green colour blind fellas can see it,Ive shot plenty of deer wearing it.

Have a quick look at Ridgeline polarfleece. Cheapish, but works ok.

Avoid hunters element,swazi is great gear and made locally,farm stores carry a lot of good wooden gear for decent price,the 243 will kill any north island deer you will come across except maybe a sambar stag.nz mountains notorious for being 3seasons in one day so good gear is essential.

Dont worry to much about camo man, just cover your skin up !
My 2c anyhow.

I've had good luck with the Hunters Element stuff I have used but wouldn't recommend it over anything else.

Like others have said get a fleece pack and a decent jacket you pretty much good to go. .300 win mag is probably excessive for most of the game in NZ but it isn't my place to start that debate.

.308 or 7mm08 etc are likely most common because ammo isn't hard to find or overly expensive and they get the job done.

My 2c.... knee high gaitors in a material that is not noisy and still offers protection. You will know why if you hit bush lawyer or similar.

Just looking through you list of clothing and gear it seams a little heavy with 1 key omission.
You don't need 3 knives. 1 combination knife (gut hook, skinning, fixed of folding 4-8" blade plus maybe a small 2" pocket knife.
Taking 2 coats is a lot of space in your pack as in the north island you will only be wearing them in the evening.

Typically in the north island I would have a cheapish 2-3 layer wind and some rain proof coat ($200) and then have a light stowaway type wind/water proof coat and over trousers if I was going into the tops or open areas.
Generally we hunt in shorts as we are always crossing rivers, Possibly a set of thermals under them if it's cold.
1 change thermals and short and long sleeve fleece shirt and shorts and long pants & coat for day use and a clean set 0f thermals and light pants & shirt etc for Hut wear.
Gloves and hat / balaclava.

What you have missed is a PLB. Most hunting areas won't have cell phone coverage except on the tops.

Rifle. 243 will do most North Island hunting except larger pigs and some in the know wild cattle.
I shoot 243, my mates shoot 223 & 7M08.
All my north island public land deer have been shot at ranges of 30 - 150 meters. (with the exception of private land hunts) ( not that I have shot a large number)
Most North island hunting is bush and river flats hunting or bush margins.
if you are going to be carrying your rifle for 5 days then you don't want a varmint contour.
I'm not a fan of ultra lite's but you don't want a 10-15 lb rifle either (including scope & extras, bipod & silencer if you insist on taking them)
I saw a comment from another member the other day that suggested you can only expect to cover 2-3 km per hour walking in and that fits with my experience. 20 min / km + 20 min per 100 mtr altitude climb.
Zq

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Originally Posted by ZQLewis

Just looking through you list of clothing and gear it seams a little heavy with 1 key omission.
You don't need 3 knives. 1 combination knife (gut hook, skinning, fixed of folding 4-8" blade plus maybe a small 2" pocket knife.
Taking 2 coats is a lot of space in your pack as in the north island you will only be wearing them in the evening.

Typically in the north island I would have a cheapish 2-3 layer wind and some rain proof coat ($200) and then have a light stowaway type wind/water proof coat and over trousers if I was going into the tops or open areas.
Generally we hunt in shorts as we are always crossing rivers, Possibly a set of thermals under them if it's cold.
1 change thermals and short and long sleeve fleece shirt and shorts and long pants & coat for day use and a clean set 0f thermals and light pants & shirt etc for Hut wear.
Gloves and hat / balaclava.

What you have missed is a PLB. Most hunting areas won't have cell phone coverage except on the tops.

Rifle. 243 will do most North Island hunting except larger pigs and some in the know wild cattle.
I shoot 243, my mates shoot 223 & 7M08.
All my north island public land deer have been shot at ranges of 30 - 150 meters. (with the exception of private land hunts) ( not that I have shot a large number)
Most North island hunting is bush and river flats hunting or bush margins.
if you are going to be carrying your rifle for 5 days then you don't want a varmint contour.
I'm not a fan of ultra lite's but you don't want a 10-15 lb rifle either (including scope & extras, bipod & silencer if you insist on taking them)
I saw a comment from another member the other day that suggested you can only expect to cover 2-3 km per hour walking in and that fits with my experience. 20 min / km + 20 min per 100 mtr altitude climb.
Zq

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Some good advice there. I generally suggest 308 or 7mm08 or 270. Not because they are better or worse than anything else, but because they are perfectly suited to NZ game out to 300m (or more if you know what you are capable of). The big plus with those calibres is they are common, which means it wont matter what sports store you walk into, there will be a variety of ammunition available for them at a reasonable cost. Resale is reasonable for the same reasons. Popularity means there is demand for them. It also means you wont have to learn to handle the additional recoil from a magnum calibre when you dont need to.

And for the PLB. Yes, yes and definitely yes again. More important than any other piece of kit, especially if you are unfamiliar with the enviroment and weather.

Bring your UK stuff, it will be fine.
If you are going to the mountains, your .270 will be perfectly adequate.

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Originally Posted by chalkeye

Bring your UK stuff, it will be fine.
If you are going to the mountains, your .270 will be perfectly adequate.

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Now you gone done it !

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Originally Posted by Pengy

Now you gone done it !

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At least it is not his mates 7mm08...:thumbsup::ORLY:

I still wear a swannie and shorts.

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Originally Posted by oneshot

I still wear a swannie and shorts.

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Same...most f the time. Except mine was a Lambie rather than the swannie....Remember the green woollen blanket hoody bush shirt?

Gidday Tom

Ive pig hunted for years and also deer hunt, so i really push any clothing i wear getting into the thick nasty stuff like gorse, blackberry etc. In my personal experience all the box brand NZ clothing companies are rubbish. I've worn all the brands mentioned and they all bust stitching, leak and fall apart in my experience. Also they're all way over priced.

Now days i pretty much only buy army surplus as its a fraction of the cost and way more durable. British army surplus is awesome, i'd imagine its cheap as chips for you in the UK? Else armyandoutdoors in NZ stocks a lot of British kit. An army smock for a wind proof layer and a gortex outer for the rain and you cant go wrong. You can get both for under $200 NZ, if you wanted to throw in some gortex pants then just over $200.

Camo wise, not really necessary for game as they only see black and white. Movement is more what sticks out rather than colour. Two schools of thought, wear the bright blaze or high vis type clothing so your seen and hopefully not mistaken for an animal by another hunter. Or go the camo route and hopefully not be seen at all. Each to their own really, theres passionate arguments on both sides and conflicting science as well. Personally i choose the camo route.

Firearms, if your bringing yours over they'll do the job in the north island no problems. Reality is most shots in the north are under 100m, unless your seeking out longer range shots. But if purchasing here then you won't go wrong with a 308, plenty of ammo choices and availability, also one of the cheaper calibers and will drop anything that walks in NZ. It'll also give you the option if you do need a longer shot. South island is a little bit different with the longer shots and terrain, however cullers had no problems with .222's and .303's for years.

All the best!

Caveat, if you plan to hunt the mountains in the south island, buy good outdoor gear.

Most of the hunting brands are shit for that kind of application, and the ones that know what they are doing are very overpriced, and don't do anything a reputable hiking / mountaineering brand doesn't.

EDIT: Worth getting yourself a good down jacket too.

Whatever you decide you want to get, buy it in the UK. NZ is not a cheap place to do shopping.

Thanks for all the input guys. Sounds like I can just bring my own kit I have a lor of swedish goretex gear, some sitka gear and loads of army surplus so that sounds it will fit the bill. I dont know wht i thought it would be any different than what i do hear, just tryng to plan for getting stuck in some bad weather.

I will definitely be renting a PLB! Im pretty good at map reading and getting about steep rocky ground but only takes one slip up. Plus peace of mind will help me concentrate on the hunt.

As for calibre sounds like I will stick to .270 or .308 as I know my drops for them calibres. Good point about resale value and likely could get a good deal on a second hand rifle closer to my trip.

So far this forum has been awesome thanks for the advice guys.

Personally I would upgrade the size of your pack unless you are only day hunting. 75 to 80 litre works for me

Back to your original question: often you will be at quite close to deer like <20m so although movement and concealment are key, camo can help. I personally wear some blaze orange - not perfect but dont overthink it. 90% of the time it makes you more visible.

If you like books order a copy of the nz Bush craft manual 40 from the mountain safety council org online shop. It has good safety and gear info very extensive and will step you across from UK to NZ competency.

I've liked a few other excellent advice here.

I went through that whole thing when I got in to hunting. Bought all the flash camo hunting gear. Now I don't even think I own any camo. Reckon the best way to go is to buy high quality tramping gear in neutral colours. Keep the quality high and you'll be good to go. Winter hunting in the NI around the Kaimanawas etc I generally wear a base layer of light merino, long sleeve shirt, fleece top and some light tramping pants. Keep a light weight rain jacket and a down layer and then you can just build up your layers. Crazy how warm a reasonable down jacket is with a windproof layer over it. I have never bothered with insulated boots, just nice merino socks and gaiters to help keep dry. Run a 243 for the bulk of my hunting but keep a 7mm rem mag when I venture to SI. I run a 65L pack which fits all of my gear for a multi day ok but do have to keep a few elements on the outside of the pack if I take a spotter and tripod.

I can show you a dozen Samba shot with the 243, one that's getting mounted at the moment. Never under estimate the mighty 243. Like any rifle place your shot. :thumbsup: