Thread: How did you get interested in hunting?

Hmmm, genetically inherited. My Dad was a hunter in Fiordland. We were bought up on deer and pig. School holidays meant the family had a week in places like the the Hope Arm Hut, there was always a carcass hanging from a tree (much to the disgust of trampers). Dad was also a gun collector, so as kids, we were never away from them. At 11 we moved to Central Otago, so was straight into rabbits with a .22 and after school and weekends during cherry season shooting birds with a 410. Then I spent years doing pest control on rabbits. A gun has never been far away from our family.

Hunting wasn't in my family in any way though. Dad was a early paramedic and had done National service including being sent to visit the sites of some of the extermination camps used by the Nazis, he would have been there very early 1960's. He hated firearms and abhorred any form of violence

No one in my family were hunters, or even gun friendly, By my obsession with guns eventually lead me to hunting.
Nowadays I own firearms for hunting only really.
I live in Central Otago so no shortage of places to go.
Was a lot harder when I was getting into it coming from the city, even had a couple of guys from here take me out once which was a massive help and a huge eye opener.
I got in with the Deerstalkers and went out with them which was helpful.
I just went on a lot of hunts where looking back I didn't know what I was doing at all. Slowly you start getting luckier and luckier the more you learn.

Josh James videos and impulsive behaviour where I actually followed through!

Dad shot goats with a 303 at ngaruawahia christian camp back in the 70's. and I'd shot 12 gauge , 22's and an sks at various other ones but no one in my family ever owned firearms or hunted.

I don't think they would have supported my application if I was 16 but when I got a safe and joined nzda they were pretty happy.

shot bugger all but really enjoy the whole experience.

Like most, I was introduced to it by my dad. As soon as I was big enough to follow along behind him while he went rabbit shooting I was pretty much hooked.
From there the progression to us deerstalking together was natural, I went on my first hunt at 12 and had my first deer by 14. It all seemed quite easy really.
Now I've built up a career around it (in a roundabout way), and it makes up an enormous and valuable part of my life.

Dad was self taught, him and his best mate spent two years of hunting in the late eighties before either of them shot anything. He did whatever he could do to learn and as a result I grew up with a pretty vast hunting library at my fingertips which I could hardly keep my nose out of once I started enjoying reading.
He always had the hunting bug as a kid, but my granddad wasn't interested in anything to do with hunting or fishing.

I asked him once, on a hunt, what was it that really got you into hunting and fishing? His reply was something like this.

"When I was about 13, I'd worked after school and saved up enough money for a spinning rod and reel. I couldn't catch a single fish within biking distance of home and barely knew what I was supposed to do. I asked your grandad for weeks to take me to the Mataura river to try and catch a fish. After a while he angrily gave in one day, and he ordered the family into the car and we drove to Mataura Island. The day we went it was pissing down, and your grandad basically told me to get out of the car and go fishing. It was miserable. But I had to go fishing now because we were there. And so I fished until I was soaked through while everyone else sat in the car and watched me fish. I didn't catch a single thing."


I mulled on that for a minute, and all the implications of that story. We sat in silence by the fire.


I'm pretty lucky to have had the introduction I did. Kudos to those who have learnt by themselves , I have a lot of respect for people like that.

Grew up with stories of the old man hunting pigs with a knife over dogs. I thought that was the dumbest most suicidal thing and wanted no part of it. Started of shooting sparrows, Mynah’s and starlings with a cousins slug gun and then migrated to rats (at the Tokoroa dump) and rabbits with the old man’s single shot Lithgow .22 (which I still have in my safe). I loved shooting and my passion for that lead me into hunting.

My mother was from Stewart island and father was a ex deer culler/ fisherman, so as a kid we would go mutton birding, white baiting, duck shooting and eat everything that got shot or a hook and netted. We never had money but had a awesome time living off the land from one season to the next.

My own story isn't very interesting. A bit of largely unsuccessful pest control with my dad and fishing. It was always me pushing to do these things, even as a young boy. Unlike other sports, I think hunting/fishing are in the blood for want of a better description. I don't know if it's nature or nurture or both. Some of us are fortunate enough to take part in these activities from an early age, others get there long afterwards.

My dad had been a shooting champ and bren gunner in the army during WW2. When he got his own farm, naturally it was the family sport. Massive amounts of bush to hunt in the South Waikato back in the day. Bred all our own pig dogs, hunted pigs/deer all the time because there wasn't alot else to do in backblocks rural NZ. Shot first bunny at 6, in competitions by about 10. My own sons thoroughly enjoyed hunting times too .. Great memories...

I expressed some interest in hunting a few years back after we moved here from the UK. I had a wayward teenager who was known to the police so didn't do anything about persuing a FAL. Fast forward to 2 years ago and I had a bit of a health scare (hypertension) and the lifestyle nurse told me I had to become vegan or die and if I MUST eat meat then eat organic meat. I took the latter option and decided to finally apply for a FAL. I work in IT and spend all day sat on my arse looking at a screen and wasn't overly an outdoors type. My passion is/was in painting models and playing table top strategy games but this has fizzled out in favour of hunting.

My life changed a great deal after getting my FAL, I walk 10's of km a week - usually 15 - 30km on a weekend and at least 7km each day walking to and from work. I'm out every weekend (virus notwithstanding) walking the hills. I have some survival skills now, a lot of gear that can double up in a civil emergency (camping and such) and a cool little car (Jimny) and start to get cabin fever If I don't see a creek or bush covered hill for 7 days. I've met some amazing people in the hunting community have never looked back. My wife also has a FAL now although shes not over enthusiastic about hunting but she has been out a couple of times and taken a goat with a sweet shot over open sights.

I started because I was told no. As a 16 year old I was offered my late grandfather's winchester u/o shotgun when he was no longer able to use it. My father being anti firearms politely told him no and there would be no firearms under his roof. To this day I regret never being able to have that winchester.
Fastforward to 19 and I got my fal, bolted a rifle rack to a wall in a wardrobe and bought my 1st browning. Things were simpler even then. I got my 1st ducks with my maxus and got to show grandad before he passed, the smile on his face will stay with me.

Since then rifles have come and gone but now that I'm hooked on reloading I tend to hang onto them if I can. (Never sell an accurate rifle).I've spent a bit of time in the ruahines and kawekas and cant wait to do more.

Must be getting bored, am on the internet too much.
My father worked in the bush logging and was in the Army after the war as an instructor.
A mates dad also worked in the bush, and family were keen pig hunters.
Mum bought the NZ Outdoor which I read repeatedly.
Got to going rabbit shooting and camping around the hills at Upper Hutt, eventually tramping in the Tararuas. The Tauherenikau valley seemed to have half the kids from the Hutt Valley in it, during weekends. They got the nickname of Tauherenikau Cowboys. Tahr here was probably one of them to.
seemed like most kids I knew at school had a 303. it was the thing to do. Even though we were all townie kids
Unlike now
Father never took me hunting, but he got me a 303 at 14, and then was going further into the Tarries, every weekend. except that sport interfered a bit. school holidays were spent in the hills.
Got to going alone, mates started work. or couldn't go, and covered most of the range by time left college. Organized a fly in trip to the Waitoto when 15, spent summer holidays in there. met up with meat hunters Mike Bennet (Bonehead) and Rod Rudolph. Saw 100s of deer, in the head of Te Nahi, one day bout 100 crossed the flats in the head. bombed up a few. Picked the Waitoto causeof article in NZ Outdoor, and read up Miors Guide book, Mr Explorer Douglas etc. stayed in Rock camp Charles D used, I think.
Had cousin at Hokitika who ran the culling in the whitcombe etc, took me on trips back of Hoki. When 17, he sent me into the Whataroa for 3 weeks alone to shoot Tahr. Probably called child abuse now. Was good experience, but bit scary. I cut the first track up the Butler to the present Top Butler hut. wasn't that great a track, but last time I came down it, it follows the same route. stayed in the new Butler hut.
met a lot of cullers in the Tararuas on my trips, and eventually left college and went hunting for the NZFS, began in the Ruahines then Tararuas.
was fortunate to have a mentor like my cousin, taught me a lot.
57 or so years later, still going. (just) Got more lots fancy gear, which is good, wish I had it back then.
I suppose its a wonder I never came unstuck, in the hills. when alone. And had to be rescued. My sons did likewise.
Probably not seen as the thing to do now.

From around 4 years of age I just started following Dad though the bush stalking deer. We predominantly hunted the dense scrubby bush of the Tongariro National Park and also had a private access farm, family owned out the back of Otorohanga. For some reason it just always stuck with me, whenever he asked if I wanted to come the answer was always yes and if he went without me I would be gutted. As always I grew up progressing from slug guns and birds, to 22s and rabbits / possums and eventually took upon Dads Sako .243 which he still has to this day. The rest is history, it was just always my thing.

I think it's something I was just born with if that's possible , my Dad was a keen duck shooter but was never into deer hunting.
In my early years I lived with my Mum up in Auckland and can remember reading a few books about the early deer cullers and then Philip Holdens books which I still have now, well I was hooked probably obsessed and still am ,my wife recons I'm too narrow minded in my interests and she's probably right but that's never going to change.
At 16 I moved down to live with my Dad on the farm near Taihape and already had my own .22 and a sporterised .303 . There was not a rabbit hare or possum that was safe anywhere on the farm. Shot my first deer at 18 in the nearby Hihitahi bush and from then on couldn't get enough of it .
These days it's just for the pure injoyment of being out in the bush , always on the lookout for a good stag but quite happy to just see and watch deer and shooting a few for the freezer . Cheers

Hello ,
I was first introduced to fishing at a young age as my grandad and my father were very keen fishermen. I spent a lot of summers on taupo catching trout and in my dads later years out off kapti in his boat. He ended up being killed by his boat and tractor as he tried to start it in gear and it crushed him basically and then went on to bowl the neighbours fence and come to a rest there. He died when he just about to retire , but that's life huh.. He was into a bit of rabbit hunting but nothing major. I married a country lass and ended up moving into the family farm cottage on a little section on a big farm. I have ended up with a major passion for hunting rabbits , my wife says im obsessed with shooting the bastards. I have been hunting for about 6 years with air rifles and am in the process of getting my licence, well actually ive got the licence , just waiting for the plastic card to turn up. Im super excited bout using a 22 to shoot rabbits and magpies. My brother in law lives next door on the farm in the family farm house , he is into duck shooting and hunting deer so hopefully he will take me out to experience this aswell.
Anyways that how I got into hunting and fishing, and I hope to get my girl into it aswell