Thread: Heli sika dropping multiple parties into the same block

Just got home from a walk in trip the western side of the kaimanawas. As always during the roar, lots of hunters around. To my surprise and perhaps a bit naive on this, is the fact that heli sika was dropping multiple parties into the same block. We were at waipakihi hut for a night, and found out that heli sika had dropped 3 different parties, totalling 11 people into the hut. The people at the hut told us that Omaru hut had about 20 people in there the weekend before, also dropped in by heli sika.

Is this a normal thing now? And how does everyone feel about this? If you booked a hunt over the roar and turned up at the hanger knowing there are 2 other parties at the hut already.

Depends if it is a bookable hut or a starting point hut, Boyd is the same

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That sux...big time. If that’s what they plan on doing then they should be upfront and tell you that before you book FFS

Personally I would like some honesty or more of a heads up in something like that. If I’m shelling out my hard earned I would prefer them to say we have dropped 11 people off there in the last couple of days. Then possibly I could plan something somewhere else. It’s only fair for a company like that to try and spread clients out as much as possible, the more successful they are the more return business they are likely to receive. Just my 2 cents worth

I hear what you are saying, Oamaru and Waipakahi are non bookable huts as Boyd, I have to ask what your other options would be as most of them will have had multiple parties dropped in...did you think to ask or did you think you have it all to yourself? Not sure why it should be on them to ask.

When you hop in an Uber or taxi to the pub I'm sure you don't expect them to tell you how many people are already there

Hamish

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Surely on public land you aren't booking a hunt or a block, you're booking a flight. Different story for the private blocks though.

I was always under the impression that anywhere you fly, you'll be pretty certain the same heli operator isn't going to drop another party on top of you the day after, or vice versa, you dont fly in and then found out another party is already there.
Admittedly I don't fly in that much, maybe once a year. I've never heard of an operator dropping multiple parties into one block on top of each other.
The boys we spoke to didn't even know there were already two parties in there until they landed.

Originally Posted by crocodiledavid

I was always under the impression that anywhere you fly, you'll be pretty certain the same heli operator isn't going to drop another party on top of you the day after, or vice versa, you dont fly in and then found out another party is already there.
Admittedly I don't fly in that much, maybe once a year. I've never heard of an operator dropping multiple parties into one block on top of each other.
The boys we spoke to didn't even know there were already two parties in there until they landed.

I was atbthe Boyd and they dropped in 2 to 3 times a day, but then there was so many diff ways to go....

Shame either way

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Originally Posted by HNTMAD

I hear what you are saying, Oamaru and Waipakahi are non bookable huts as Boyd, I have to ask what your other options would be as most of them will have had multiple parties dropped in...did you think to ask or did you think you have it all to yourself? Not sure why it should be on them to ask.

When you hop in an Uber or taxi to the pub I'm sure you don't expect them to tell you how many people are already there

Hamish

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Well that’s probably because you expect others to be at the pub, and in fact is also probably part of the reason you go there. So poor analogy, and unhelpful, IMO.

I have found those that walk in most always complain about those that choppered in.

Originally Posted by Maxx

Well that’s probably because you expect others to be at the pub, and in fact is also probably part of the reason you go there. So poor analogy, and unhelpful, IMO.

Should always expect others to be at a public hut, especially at happy hour

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Originally Posted by crocodiledavid

Just got home from a walk in trip the western side of the kaimanawas. As always during the roar, lots of hunters around. To my surprise and perhaps a bit naive on this, is the fact that heli sika was dropping multiple parties into the same block. We were at waipakihi hut for a night, and found out that heli sika had dropped 3 different parties, totalling 11 people into the hut. The people at the hut told us that Omaru hut had about 20 people in there the weekend before, also dropped in by heli sika.

Is this a normal thing now? And how does everyone feel about this? If you booked a hunt over the roar and turned up at the hanger knowing there are 2 other parties at the hut already.

Waipak is a 12 bed hut, so one bed to spare.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Not really a bad analogy. If you know the Boyd, Oamaru and Waipakahi, they can be busier than some pubs. Going to any of those three huts and expecting to be there alone is very wishful thinking. Especially this time of year.

When looking at the website I was under the impression that paying to hunt in an area meant you were booking the private hunting block for your hunting group. Especially with the hefty land fees. But I guess there may be different fees and expectations for public blocks, and being lifted into a public open doc area I would definitely not expect exclusive rights to it.

Flew into Te Pukeohikarau one time, 4 of us had the hut to ourselves, by the time the sun went down there were 13 of us in the 6 bunk hut...a bit of top-n-tail bunking for a few days...another tramping party called in at sunset and decided to push on to the next hut, Harkness, I think, we didn't tell them that we had already flown there on our way in and hut was full.

Back when Hamish had Helisika he dropped us off at the Oamaru for a couple of days until he could get us up to Te Matai due to weather conditions, a woman at the hut informed us that the hut was divided into male and female dormitories and there was no room for us as all male bunks were taken and she and her daughter were in female dormitory...soon got told of top-n-tail for her kids and mixed gender for bunk rooms...I think she sat up all night keeping an eye on sleeping hunters and trampers.

When we used to fixed wing fly in the helicopters used to fly straight down the valleys, now that the blocks are chopper only they fly the block boundaries...so I noticed in the North Arm a couple of weeks ago.

If it is a public hut and the helicopter company told me this was the case what they were doing i would be fine. (but would change my plans)

I think it was couple years ago a company down south was dropping hunters basically on top of hunters along a ridge or in the general area. He was just collecting the money flying in as many hunters as possible .
The few times i've flown in i will work with the pilot in that general area and get dropped in to a fresh spot and ask if he has had any over parties in that area. Most heli company's that want a good name will be straight up.
Its still not a 100% that somebody hasn't walk in or another heli hasn't dropped another party in.