Thread: Chamois general catchment advice

I have a non hunting mate in CH who has agreed to drop me off/pick me up from a road end in Canty so I can go for a Chamois hunt.

I am after some advice of general catchments that would get me a representative head, but tbh I am not even that fussy, anything would do.
Preferably somewhere within 2.5 hrs of the airport


I don't need a hut but wouldn't say no if one was in the area.

Thanks in advance and yeah - I know what I am asking of you.
I will bang and email to DoC as well and post the reply here

Cheers
Mac

First you find a catchment full of steep shitty gullies in a mountain range to your west (mainly because there are sweet bugger all mountain ranges to your east that are above water) then within that catchment of steep shitty gullies you find the steepest, shittiest gully where the only thing likely to live there is the occasional tenacious shrub with no nutritional value at all. Then you go there... because chamois like to live where you think no sane animal would bother hanging out. If its steep, great. If its overhanging, even better because chamois like to wear crampons.

I see photos of chamois happily eating grass on farmers paddocks but the bloody things are never there when I go hunting so I've come to the conclusion those are photoshopped to lure me out of the comfort of my couch. Somehow they get word I'm coming and all bugger off up into the bluffs, blowing me raspberries from altitudes reserved for airliners.

The rewards are of course worth it. How else do you get to learn about avoiding forests of speargrass? Or how ice remains in shaded areas well into summer? Or how quickly your legs turn to jelly when you look down? But they're a beautiful animal to watch, huge fun to hunt and bloody tasty to eat. Of all the animals we have the privilege to hunt I find chamois to be the most rewarding. Them, and tahr.

Enjoy. And good luck.

Oh, and post photos/story of your success. Or failure.

Anywhere in the Arthur's Pass area on the cold faces.

PM sent

Originally Posted by planenutz

First you find a catchment full of steep shitty gullies in a mountain range to your west (mainly because there are sweet bugger all mountain ranges to your east that are above water) then within that catchment of steep shitty gullies you find the steepest, shittiest gully where the only thing likely to live there is the occasional tenacious shrub with no nutritional value at all. Then you go there... because chamois like to live where you think no sane animal would bother hanging out. If its steep, great. If its overhanging, even better because chamois like to wear crampons.

I see photos of chamois happily eating grass on farmers paddocks but the bloody things are never there when I go hunting so I've come to the conclusion those are photoshopped to lure me out of the comfort of my couch. Somehow they get word I'm coming and all bugger off up into the bluffs, blowing me raspberries from altitudes reserved for airliners.

The rewards are of course worth it. How else do you get to learn about avoiding forests of speargrass? Or how ice remains in shaded areas well into summer? Or how quickly your legs turn to jelly when you look down? But they're a beautiful animal to watch, huge fun to hunt and bloody tasty to eat. Of all the animals we have the privilege to hunt I find chamois to be the most rewarding. Them, and tahr.

Enjoy. And good luck.

Oh, and post photos/story of your success. Or failure.

So much of this. I've climbed all over the mountains for days and then defeated started driving home only to shoot one in the river bed while the truck was still running stopped half way across the river.

Best nz hunting and you'll keep going back for more.

Originally Posted by planenutz

First you find a catchment full of steep shitty gullies in a mountain range to your west (mainly because there are sweet bugger all mountain ranges to your east that are above water) then within that catchment of steep shitty gullies you find the steepest, shittiest gully where the only thing likely to live there is the occasional tenacious shrub with no nutritional value at all. Then you go there... because chamois like to live where you think no sane animal would bother hanging out. If its steep, great. If its overhanging, even better because chamois like to wear crampons.

I see photos of chamois happily eating grass on farmers paddocks but the bloody things are never there when I go hunting so I've come to the conclusion those are photoshopped to lure me out of the comfort of my couch. Somehow they get word I'm coming and all bugger off up into the bluffs, blowing me raspberries from altitudes reserved for airliners.

The rewards are of course worth it. How else do you get to learn about avoiding forests of speargrass? Or how ice remains in shaded areas well into summer? Or how quickly your legs turn to jelly when you look down? But they're a beautiful animal to watch, huge fun to hunt and bloody tasty to eat. Of all the animals we have the privilege to hunt I find chamois to be the most rewarding. Them, and tahr.

Enjoy. And good luck.

Oh, and post photos/story of your success. Or failure.

Gold. I will ensure I have my compass the right way up in order not to venture too far east. The lack of a boat will help immensely with this venture

@imaca Chams dont like great open tops and faces. If they have a choice they favour little gully heads with flowing water, toitoi and Hebes. they have annual migrations between summer and winter areas and tend to move around having a pick here and a pick there. They will have an 'eagles nest' lookout that they move up to for the day but that is not where they are feeding. So in the morning they are in the gully heads with green hebes etc and then through the day they are up at a lookout point watching the valley below for danger. They can be hunted all day from above.

@Moa Hunter, epic, thanks

Originally Posted by imaca

@Moa Hunter, epic, thanks

@imaca, I have posted this vid before but even if you have already seen it, it is worth watching and studying. Not too much is said about Chams but what is said is gold. Also observe the country around and before the family group of chams are found and then the type of taller snow grass etc where they are feeding in a steep little creek https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rc...7gwFojwjFFRaI4

Frustrating that the issues around balancing recreation, commercial and conservation interests that they discussed still have not been resolved.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

@imaca, I have posted this vid before but even if you have already seen it, it is worth watching and studying. Not too much is said about Chams but what is said is gold. Also observe the country around and before the family group of chams are found and then the type of taller snow grass etc where they are feeding in a steep little creek https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rc...7gwFojwjFFRaI4

@Moa Hunter do you know If the new owners of Mt White let hunters in?

@outdoorlad I dont know personally but I have been told that access for hunters is not being encouraged. Apparently the main track has been improved to the status of a road and a lodge is to be built out the back