Thread: Doc Land

My old man and I have started trying to get out on the hill more so I was nominated to begin the tedious process of try ing to find a DOC block that hasn't been shot up, baited or the Longwoods. Located Woodlands have traveled to the Takitimus but saw bugger all. Any suggestions

Buy a nice place closer to your chosen hobby

Whats wrong with the catlins?

keep going back until you KNOW the block...and you will start to find animals....VERY SELDOM do we go to a new block and strike animals first time around..when we do it because years of experience has taught us where we should be looking/where animals are likely to be.

https://maps.doc.govt.nz/externalmap...sticidesummary - not much poison activity


https://www.doc.govt.nz/map/index.html lots of open hunting area


https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/mon...tes-2022-2023/ plenty of ungulate abundance (go to the map and look at "Park level" results)

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

keep going back until you KNOW the block...and you will start to find animals....VERY SELDOM do we go to a new block and strike animals first time around..when we do it because years of experience has taught us where we should be looking/where animals are likely to be.

bingo!

@Brindog is the longwoods expert

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Originally Posted by kukuwai

@Brindog is the longwoods expert

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Think he's back up in north island, so he will be a sika expert by now.

Originally Posted by Brad S

Whats wrong with the catlins?

Plenty of deer there but it's tight typical coastal bush, quite hard going most of the time. Better off hunting northern southland rather than the coastal blocks.

Try going west Monowai, Haroko way, plenty of deer in the hokonui's, (just have to go further than the average day hunter) but as you know not many access points. or join the NZDA so you can get permits for the southwood blocks,
The catlins can be hard hunting but very rewarding when you do get a animal down.

Originally Posted by TussockHunter

My old man and I have started trying to get out on the hill more so I was nominated to begin the tedious process Any suggestions

first off CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE to a day out on the hill with your Dad.
appreciate just spending time together..he wont be around forever
appreciate just getting out of the house and out in fresh air
appreciate the little things,seeing bush robins or bell birds just because they are there,that funny twisted up lancewood,that drink from cool clear stream,the feel of sun on your back after climb through damp dark bush
hunting is about FAR more than the harvesting bit.... once you appreciate the other 90% of the time spent out on hill...the whole experience becomes somewhat better/enjoyable. yip getting skunked 9 times out of 10 sucks..but man when you manage to get an animal on the deck the sence of achievement is so much higher.
far too many folks now think hunting is all about driving out back of some station ,shooting numerous animals out window of ute then posing for photos before driving off again..often not even recovering any meat...
there are good numbers of animals around at present and every year or two a big spiel in papers about how they are overrrunning southland appears.... so there must be one or two around,keep getting out there dawn n dusk on bush edges...and just keep looking,if youve got wind right sooner or later you will trip over something.
good luck,keep trying and do keep us posted how you get on.

Agree 100%@mickeyduck well put

I've been trying to come to grips with bush hobbiting as it's my only option these days.

For a while now I have been of the opinion that I am merely pushing a bow wave of deer in front of me were ever I go.

Recovered an SD card yesterday, last video is of a deer bouncing off the clearing into the bush... at about the exact time I arrived at the far side of the clearing.

Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they aren't there.

@7mm tragic slow down some more..when you think your going too slow your nearly right..as soon as you stumble..sit down and rest and look around....MOST of us will have either spooked or shot a deer within 30 seconds of moving off from a rest break...that clearing,well you now KNOW it holds deer so spend time looking carefully around and into bush edge,binos are major help here as can focus under the trees on far side....
I know Im always guilty of going too fast..RUMPY is always telling me so LOL.

Theres a lot of deer within 30ks of Bluff,east side,up the coast abit.Knock on farmers doors close to bushland.