How often are you successful?

I started hunting deer this year, the first hunt I went out with someone else and they got a young stag. I went out once more with him (nothing) before starting out on my own (with the wife). We got a yearling/spike on our first outing (Pureora) - my first deer. Second outing there - nothing seen.
Since then we have started hunting the Kaimai's due to access with our vehicle, we have been in there 6 or 7 times (day hunts) - has never come together for us there despite lots of sign about, and 2 sightings.

Are we just terrible at this?

2 deer out of your first 10 days hunting? Chin up mate, you’re doing just fine

Sounds like my experience.
When younger, fitter and keener it was a deer every second trip at least

Most of the times now I’m just ‘walking the rifle’, probably because I’ve been out of the loop for quite some time.

so many virables man keep it up sounds like your doing just fine

I'm successful every time I hunt, successful in getting out the door and going hunting. Thats enough to keep me happy :thumbsup: You are doing fine ;)

Remember that you are hunting in two of the N Island’s toughest habitats.

I know a couple of guys local to me who hunt the Kaimais frequently, and have done for probably 25 years plus. One from each side. They get a deer roughly one in every two trips I guess? Sometimes a deer every trip for a while, then a dry spell.

One hunts with a deer dog, the other doesn’t. What they have in common is that they seem to hunt the exact same areas every time.

Talking to them about this, it is because they have a highly detailed knowledge of the terrain, deer trails, clearings, slips and vantage points. I have not asked to go with them and nor has it been offered, because I know that they guard this knowledge jealously. But I have seen the one guy’s GPS screen and whilst it was impossible to glean where it was in the ranges, it was absolutely packed with routes and waypoints. And I also know that he bought some very high resolution aerial photography from one of the mapping companies awhile back, for finding small slips and working out how to get to a good overwatch position.

What I’m saying is that the knowledge built up of these hunting areas has taken them years to amass. Their access points are highly unlikely to be the standard DOC walking trials. I am 99% certain that the one guy accessing from near Katikati is going through private land and then up an improbably steep climb before topping out well away from others.

Keep on going mate, and fastidiously record what you see / smell / here, where and when.

Hunt less and look more

Most young guys do far to much hunting and not enough looking.
Watch the wind
Look at where its cold and warm and where you would be if you were a deer

When you do see an animal just stop and watch it for a change, you will learn a lot more from a live deer than a dead one.

Like Mathias, Im successful every hunt, cant recall my last unsuccessful hunt. But I dont shoot much tho. Sounds to me like you're pretty successful already, you've had a good number of days in the bush, you've seen animals, you're still alive, and you've been in on 2 kills. And me thinks you're way more successful than many guys, cos your wife is your hunting' buddy! Keep it up, its not all about the kill.

Took me over a year for my first one. Have probably been out over 60 times and have only shot 4 deer

But I am trying to Bush stalk and train a dog at the same time. Don’t so much slip watching

got my first deer first time out ( i was 14) , then it took 2 1/2 years to get the second one.
i still remember the old bats (mums) face when i came home with the first, she to this day believes meat comes from a supermarket

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Originally Posted by Husky1600

Like Mathias, Im successful every hunt, cant recall my last unsuccessful hunt. But I dont shoot much tho. Sounds to me like you're pretty successful already, you've had a good number of days in the bush, you've seen animals, you're still alive, and you've been in on 2 kills. And me thinks you're way more successful than many guys, cos your wife is your hunting' buddy! Keep it up, its not all about the kill.

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I agree - love the fact that my wife gets up at 4am when she'd rather sleep in late and comes out with me. Slowly working on getting her to stay in the bush - will start with a hut over summer and go from there. I love a day in the bush, the meat is really a bonus, I asked as my wife joked to me on Saturday that there's clearly only 1 deer in the Kaimais, it shits a lot and is really good at hiding - or we really suck as hunters :XD:

Used to hunt the kaimais myself, its real tiger country and you will need to accumulate data over time to increase your chances of regular contact,just keep plugging way and it will happen.how ever spring is near the waipaikahi valley offers good spring hunting grab sleeping bag and do an over nighter,i would wait till November though there are plenty of access points but if you are after a handy hunt try waipaikahi rd road end.all the best.

Short answer,cheat and get a thermal spotter :P

Take your time and learn the country where your hunting up the kaimais. Once you find out where the deer are they will usually be in the same place and then you can start figuring out what time of day they are there and carry on from there. Dont get caught up thinking only hunt morning/evening- hunt all day the deer are always in the bush I encounter most of mine between 10am-2pm in the kaimais

I have been hunting the kaimais for 16 years now . At the beginning my success rate was 1 animal out of 10hunts. It started to get get down to 1 in 5 hunts. 1 particular good year I had 1 in 3. Now I am back to 1 in 5 ( hunting with a bow as well)

Guess that’s why it’s still called hunting.
If it was easy, then you would be going out for a shoot.
Picking going for a shoot would not be as enjoyable as going for a hunt..


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I see animals nearly every trip out, I don't always take one tho. I'm finding that I will tend to sit and watch them more and more.

Seems everyones circumstances are different. I see deer or pigs every time I go out for a hunt because I hunt 95% of the time on private land. Not everyones that fortunate, I know only to well. I choose not to shoot an animal more often than not, mainly because theres only so much meat you can eat or give way. After a life time of hunting, Id much rather see the grandson or a mate shoot something,and watch the kick they get out of it. Thats success right there

Another couple months the deer will start moving around again, river flats slips etc etc. Took me for ever to get my first deer numbers were low and choppers were buzzing ever where.
Now in places deer are numbers are out of control, only if i was twenty years younger

If you want to be more successful then change the way you measure success

If you haven't already, start a hunting diary. Log time, place, weather conditions, sign seen, deer seen, moon phase. The more info the better. After a few years you will start to see patterns develop as to where you see sign, in what conditions, and at what times of the day/year. If you are seeing fresh sign the deer won't be far away so persist.

Depends on your definition of success. Nearly every trip I learn something new about the area, animal behaviour, plants, or even myself. Don't feel any stress or pressure, just enjoy the outdoors...that's my philosophy anyway.

If recreational hunting it's not ncessarily about getting an animal or two, thats a bonus for sure.If you learn or see something new, push your limits a bit more or just experience a great day out observing nature then you're having a successful day.
If you're doing pest control/culling then it's purely a numbers game, if you can also achieve previosly noted points then it's a great day.IMHO.

success is very difficult to judge. As mentioned by others the number of animals seen varies immensely on where you are looking. We had a private block up until recently. Every time we went out we would see literally dozens of animals - pig/deer but only ever take one. the rest of the time we would just watch and learn. The best day I ever had out hunting was on this block. We had shot our one deer on the first day and the second day we were just wandering around with the rifle on the odd chance an easy pig wandered out just to mix it up in the freezer a bit. Watched a fallow slowly feeding in the sun and then from behind a bush a youngun comes bounding across on those spindly legs and starts suckling from mum and playing around her feet. We watched this completely enthralled for a good 10 mins. That is one of the most memorable 'hunts' i have had.
We have now lost that block due to it being sold and are back to public land. I know from experience that now we will rarely see anything except goats and even if we do the chances of a shot are slim as they are jumpy as hell. But wont stop us enjoying just being out there...
And if anyone knows of private land I could hunt with the family somewhere in the top of the south by all means let me know...lol

Successful at shooting an animal? Not too often.

But the hunt itself and the anticipation of something being around the next bend in the river or over the next hill is part of the enjoyment for me.

I like the challenge of the search as much as getting an animal.

I’m not 100% on the math for how to define success but for me so far my score is 0 sightings and 0 misses.
On the bright side that’s got to be much better than many sightings and all misses (or worse woundings).
My spend hourly rate probably good too as mostly been 2 to 4 hour walks so not expensive multi day 4wd or heli trips.
Gained plenty of smiles from effort put in, views gained, fitness tested, etc so I reckon I’m winning so far, even with zero meat in freezer. One day that’d change.

slow down.....and when you think you on hot sign slow down some more...if you think you going slow enough....your not..slow down some more.
@Flyblown is spot on.....for shits n giggles I pegged all my kills in my usual hunting spot from last 30 years of hunting it....interesting to look at it...not a huge area and even now I still find weird wee topographical bits and wee feed guts I havent seen before.
back in 80s if I spooked a deer every 3rd trip I thought we were doing well.
wind direction is VERY important...
slow down.

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Originally Posted by akaroa1

Hunt less and look more

Most young guys do far to much hunting and not enough looking.
Watch the wind
Look at where its cold and warm and where you would be if you were a deer

When you do see an animal just stop and watch it for a change, you will learn a lot more from a live deer than a dead one.

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Yip! When we were young and fit and lacking in knowledge km travelled equalled hunting...or so we thought. Now, old and broken and wise we have a saying that if we have gone further than 600m from our camp, and not tipped something over we have stuffed up. Lots more looking, observing surroundings and less walking.
Come the magic months (Dec/Jan) its multiple deer every trip.
Oh, did I say we have been hunting the same place for more than 30 years:ORLY:

Never such a thing as an unsuccessful hunt! There's no substitute for time spent on the hill, hunting th kaimais as a beginner is a hell of a challenge! The harder it is the better it is when you do finally get one though.

My advice on stalking speed is go fast, cover the ground and learn your areas intimately first before slowing down. No point going slow if you're inexperienced and don't know you're area, you'll learn the fastest by covering as much ground as possible. Most deer I've shot in the bush I haven't been stalking super slow.

An hours drive will get you into better country, slogging the kaimais is tedious and frustrating a beginner.

All the best!
Cheers.

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Originally Posted by Shearer

If you haven't already, start a hunting diary. Log time, place, weather conditions, sign seen, deer seen, moon phase. The more info the better. After a few years you will start to see patterns develop as to where you see sign, in what conditions, and at what times of the day/year. If you are seeing fresh sign the deer won't be far away so persist.

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This.

I started keeping a diary when I moved up north 5 years ago. I did it mostly to keep records while I was trying to find good areas to hunt. It's worked wonders for my hunting and hopefully it will make for good reading when I'm old. You can compile stats on your years hunting etc also which I quite like.

The best diary you can have is the old school photo album. Take a photo of what ever you shot, but even if you shot nothin, take a photo of the hut, or camp, or your ugly mate. Write the location, date, am or pm, and whether you saw any animals
Surprising how patterns can show up over time

Some awesome advice in this thread. All depends on outlook & what you consider success, but put the yards in, pay attention & never feel like you’ve learnt enough & you’ll find your ‘luck’ improving.

I got lucky on my first ever deer hunt. A buddy took me into a public block he’s hunted hard so knows very well. He had access through the neighbouring farm to be able to drop in at the back on the DOC block. After that I started putting in the yards in that block myself. Never been back to the area he took me as I felt like that’d be abusing his generosity a bit as I know he’s spent years learning that area. But found a new part of the block to spend my time in & started putting what I learnt off him to use in the new area. Took me quite a few trips in there & almost a year, but I finally got my second deer. Now in that area I see animals almost every trip & was recently even able to take a mate out and get him his first deer. But I still learn more every trip.

Then I just moved up to Welly from the Deep South a couple months ago & now have to put the hard yards in again to learn some new areas/country. First trip out to the Orongarongas I saw a few goats & took one. Then I’ve just done a couple of trips into a different block- saw 2 deer the first trip, & a couple of pigs the last trip in (plus I almost hit a couple of deer that ran out in front of the car on the drive in to the DOC carpark). A couple of my colleagues tried offering their condolences that I’ve been out for two hunts & haven’t come back with any meat, but I quickly informed them that both trips were successful & that it takes time to learn a new area. I was bloody happy to have even seen animals my first two trips in there as it means I’m onto the right spots.

Plus, I might not shoot (or even see) anything on every trip, but the alternative would’ve been sitting at home on my arse wasting the weekend away before dragging myself back to work the following Monday.

I found hunting the bush fringe the most productive when hunting the Kaimai's, I spent many a day slogging through the crap and learnt the deer trails and then looked for advantage points overlooking areas where deer frequented...success rate was sighting an animal around every third trip and then got a rifle that would shoot the distance as the .270 was like aiming at the sky to allow for the drop...deer are more prolific in the Kaimai's now than they ever have been for many years past. Another bonus is that at least 4 hunters I know have given up hunting the Kaimai's for various reasons (age, work commitments, injury), one has gone into only photographing animals, be worth looking over his shoulder, he showed me a photo that took two hours of waiting just so he could get all 7 deer in the one frame.

Don't keep changing area's if the deer sign is there, just get to know the area as well as the deer do and you'll be rewarded, if you have what it takes. Changing hunting locations every time you fail will let you see plenty of our country but you won't get to know it. Your beginners success is above the norm for the areas you've hunted, good luck or what ever it's put down to.

Thank you for all the advice and encouragement.
Hunting is something I was always interested in but never had the opportunity to get into whilst younger. Now that I can, I try to get out as often as I can, and look to learn more every time.
I understand the sentiment of success not requiring an animal to be harvested. I do value the time in the bush much more than a lazy day at home, we are lucky to have such a beautiful country and the ability to enjoy it freely.

1st trip : 100% overall success
2nd trip : 50% overall success
3rd trip: 66% overall success
4th trip: 50% overall success

Probably should have quit after my first outing!

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Originally Posted by DavidGunn

I found hunting the bush fringe the most productive when hunting the Kaimai's, I spent many a day slogging through the crap and learnt the deer trails and then looked for advantage points overlooking areas where deer frequented...success rate was sighting an animal around every third trip and then got a rifle that would shoot the distance as the .270 was like aiming at the sky to allow for the drop...deer are more prolific in the Kaimai's now than they ever have been for many years past. Another bonus is that at least 4 hunters I know have given up hunting the Kaimai's for various reasons (age, work commitments, injury), one has gone into only photographing animals, be worth looking over his shoulder, he showed me a photo that took two hours of waiting just so he could get all 7 deer in the one frame.

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You sure about that??

I thought they are a pretty flat shooting cartridge too?

I'm a 308 fanboy however lol.:thumbsup: