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Myself and an old mate are heading south in 3 weeks for our first tahr hunt, we are flying in Stone Hut with Station Air , we are celebrating being 65 this year, so ticking off a bucket list trip .
After some advice as to what gear we should be taking besides the usual, good sleeping bag,cooker, clothing suitable for an alpine environment, any tips or advice would be welcome
we flew in that area around this time last year and had extreme cold skifield like conditions for 2 days , then 2 days of tee shirt and sunburn hot still weather so be prepared for both . a good strategy is to spot the tahr you are after and then the next day get up to the area they come down to early , and just wait for them to drop down in the late afternoon .they seem to feed down in the afternoon to more accessible spots , then feed all night , and in the morning feed back up into the bluffs and stay bedded for the day , then 3 oclock start moving down again . There is always exceptions though. Good luck.
Climb up behind the hut and sidle downstream till you hit the bluffs. Should be plenty to shoot at. If the stream is high and uncrossable you'll be a bit restricted, otherwise plenty of country to hunt.
You should see them from the hut. Bloody cold hut
Further to what Anotherhunter has mentioned (his legend dad Brian taught me "old fella Tahr hunting") and you want to be in Tahr feeding areas (which in November will be quite low, often in the creek/riverbeds) right at dark, they feed downhill surprisingly quickly . . . The point being have really good headlamps and plan constantly how to get down and back to the hut, take any liberties and for sure you'll end up trying to exit off a spur that bluffs out into the creek, or just about worse, is choked with matagouri (speaking of which, good gaiters to keep it and Spaniard out). Enjoy!
There is likely to still be a lot of snow in there in three weeks time. May limit where you can go..
Thank you to everyone for the advice and information, on the road this morning to Wellington, ferry in the morning and tomorrow night at Peel Forest DOC camp then Monday on the chopper.
2 excited old fellas like kids on Christmas Eve.
good luck have fun .
https://youtu.be/Dr-IZukSDt4?si=cIlQjlefxO11pXHh
Something to pass the time on the ferry for you