Thread: Fiordland Wapiti and Red Hunting Advice October-November

Hello, I am a young deer stalker based in the Hamilton, I've been hunting up here for the last 6 years and my father has finally received his firearms licence and we are now in the process of planning a trip into Fiordland hunting at the end of October/ start of November.

While we have done a lot of traveling around the south island this will be our first hunting trip there. We are flying into Queenstown and then planning to head into some of the Wapiti blocks for the first 4 nights, I was originally planning on heading into the North west arm by boat but it appears another party has booked a tip in there for part of the same period. Next idea is the South West Arm- Doon and wapiti river blocks does anyone have any information on this area or advice otherwise?
(I understand the ongoing management on the Wapiti herd and we would only be shooting cull animals if anything!).

Also in the following days we are planning on doing some hunting around Monowai- Borland road area and/or or the Mavora lakes area, any information on these areas would be greatly appreciated!

Happy to give hunting or fishing advice up this way.
Feel free to PM.

Cheers!

The Wapiti River block is easy enough to access, easier if you could take a dinghy or Kayaks and Kayak up Lake Hankinson to the hut as its a mission to walk around the lake. From the hut you could head up towards Henry Saddle which is about a day's walk if you go at a good pace and will allow you to access some tops country, another option would be to continue up past Lake Thomson, there's a good population of animals in the Bush around that area. Wherever you go, be prepared to get wet. On topos and sattelite images etc it's hard to tell but most valley floor travel is pretty much swamp land, even in the Bush and along marked routes etc.

Borland and Mavora are both great areas, if Borland I would check out the green lake area if Mavora check out the kiwi burn or many of the huts behind the lake

Long Gully or the Narrows in Nth Fiord would be other possibilities. Wind will be going up both those so fairly difficult stalking but I'd say Waps will be in the "inversion zone " well below the tops just now anyway.

Mavora gets absolutely hammered to hell.

Wouldnt go there myself. If you like breaking vehicles and seeing few animals then it's a choice spot.

Far better for the fishing than hunting from what I've seen.

I'd be thinking of using some of the walking tracks on the milford road as access points.

I live in Monowai , I'd plan any trip in this general area around a week day , people from all over arrive here in weekends on the lake and bush . Tracks are clear animals aren't as spooked during the week.

Heaps of spots for red deer on eastern fiordland. You'll do ok. Borland, monowai, around te anau and manapouri, off Milford road (but not on far side of tunnel). Take your trout rod as fishing in all waters. Just check regs for fly vs artificial vs all methods.