Thread: hunting in the Hapuakohe and kaimai ranges?

Originally Posted by kimjon

I went for a quick walk up there last night. I hadn't been up Thompson's for 15 years or more, which is disgraceful considering I look at it out the window of my house each day. The last time I was up there the track was in such bad condition it was like entering the gates of hell! Put off by my last experience I decided to park at the entrance and walk up...about 200m into it I was thinking to myself that you'd get a family sedan up this road...about 3km into my walk I was thinking to myself ''you dumb f#$%'' why are you walking up this track when there is a Hilux parked at the bottom, the track is mint and I wouldn't have even needed to put it in 4WD to get up...bugger, needed the walk anyway I guess and it only to 50minutes to get to the top, so no big deal.

I broke out onto the clearings with an hour or two of light left. I found my old vantage point where I used to sit and wait, which is what I did until it got too dark to see anymore. No deer seen; but then again I didn't put a lot of effort into this hunt, so no harm in trying for an easy one.

I walked out in the dark and didn't even need to turn on my head lamp as the track was so good and there was enough light to make out the track. I did turn on my head lamp each time I heard a possum, of which I counted 27 on my way down...shame they weren't the target species I was after haha.

Anyway, it was good to head back to my old stomping grounds for a hunt even if not successful.

kj

The Matamata-Piako District Council have a budget of $3000 per year for the up-keep of Thompsons Track...which amounts to a quick run up the track with a bully or excavator once or twice a year...they do no work on the other side as it is out of their area...BoP council do nothing on their side...in fact they dug two bloody great holes several years ago to discourage any one wanting to drive it, which only added to the challenge. Most spotlighting is carried out on the cut over pines or the 'one hundred acres'.