Hunting Permits

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Originally Posted by Nick-UK

Free ?!!, I can't believe it, your so lucky down there. I was budgeting quite a lot of money for the permits. It would cost me the equivalent of about $400 NZ dollars to have a 3 hour stalking session here and then the same again to buy the hind that I'd shot, a lot more

for a stag!!

many thanks for taking the time to reply HOO, you have made me very happy.

Best wishes,

Nick

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You'll need to put that $400 towards diesel and RUC's;)

It will be quite challenging to get deer here in the south island with a bow, sure its possible but if you are hoping to feed yourself on deer, that might be quite hard. Goats can be a lot more plentiful and stupid but only in certain limited areas. Much of the south island there are no goats around. If you do need a feed, I wouldn't go past possums, they are very easy to find and kill with a bow almost anywhere in the south island. I haven't tried them myself but I have heard they are pretty good. Make sure to check them over and cook them well as they can carry diseases. The problem is it is much easier to find them at night but it is illegal to hunt at night on public land. In saying that, if you are in the middle of nowhere and you are only using a bow at close range and the possum is on the ground.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDbad1Ubvvw

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Originally Posted by HOO

Some people would disagree but numbers are too high here so shoot hinds does or nannie’s for camp meat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Hi HOO, thanks for your replies, it is much appreciated, I fully agree.

Hello Everyone,
I'd just like to say a big thank you to you all for taking the time to reply, many thanks. Some great points raised and lots more to think about, also the more I learn about New Zealand the Greater it sounds, more questions to follow.

Many thanks.

Hello yeah_na_missed, thanks for taking the time with such a detailed and generous reply, some great links and info there, especially about the inreach, I'll be looking into PLB's now. Many thanks indeed.
Best wishes,
Nick

Hi Juicy, thanks for that info, in a way it is the challenge of getting that close to a wild animal, about 12 yds ideally, that I much prefer the bow. Over here I practice hunting and getting close to deer but without a weapon, just trying to get as close as possible and no kill.
That guy on youtube, "keeping it wild", is great, very knowledgeable and inspirational, along with "Strider", "Just wild NZ", "westcoast Adventures" and "South Island Rifle Walkers", these have been my main inspiration for planning this trip.

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Originally Posted by XR500

You'll need to put that $400 towards diesel and RUC's;)

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Hi XR500, what are RUC's?

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Originally Posted by Nick-UK

Hi XR500, what are RUC's?

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Here we have a fuel tax on petrol but not diesel, for historical reasons relating to farming. The tax is hypothecated for building and maintaining roads. The diesel cars that drive on the road pay Road User Charges instead, levied on kms driven, not litres of fuel.

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

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Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

For a lot of us deer are pest animals that need to be gotten rid of.

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Managed is a better word.
Otherwise you're pandering to the lefties.

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Originally Posted by Nick-UK

Hi Juicy, thanks for that info, in a way it is the challenge of getting that close to a wild animal, about 12 yds ideally, that I much prefer the bow. Over here I practice hunting and getting close to deer but without a weapon, just trying to get as close as possible and no kill.
That guy on youtube, "keeping it wild", is great, very knowledgeable and inspirational, along with "Strider", "Just wild NZ", "westcoast Adventures" and "South Island Rifle Walkers", these have been my main inspiration for planning this trip.

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Also https://www.youtube.com/@NZWildAdventures is one of my favourites. Some of the missions that guy does in his inflatable boat are nuts (stewart island and Fiordland). Send me a private message and I can point you to a spot in Canterbury where I reckon you would have a fair chance of getting close to a deer. I also know where most of the spots where the South Island rifle walker videos are. I'm guessing your best bet will be bush or bush edge hunting in the valleys rather than the open tops with the bow. Although I have seen some pretty good efforts of sneaking right up on deer and thar even on the open tops in the previously mentioned videos. The more remote you go the less switched on the game animals are generally.

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Originally Posted by Juicy

Also https://www.youtube.com/@NZWildAdventures is one of my favourites. Some of the missions that guy does in his inflatable boat are nuts (stewart island and Fiordland). Send me a private message and I can point you to a spot in Canterbury where I reckon you would have a fair chance of getting close to a deer. I also know where most of the spots where the South Island rifle walker videos are. I'm guessing your best bet will be bush or bush edge hunting in the valleys rather than the open tops with the bow. Although I have seen some pretty good efforts of sneaking right up on deer and thar even on the open tops in the previously mentioned videos. The more remote you go the less switched on the game animals are generally.

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Hi Juicy, thanks for your message and offer, I can't work out how to pm, maybe I'm not allowed as yet. It is very daunting just looking at a map of the whole South Island and wondering where to go.
Best wishes,
Nick

Hmm, you may not have enough posts. Perhaps flick us an email jmr.chch@gmail.com

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Originally Posted by yeah_na_missed

Greetings Nick! Love your part of the world, and miss bits of it terribly.

Permit application form is here:
https://huntingpermits.doc.govt.nz/huntingpermits/start
Probably best to just tick them all to give yourself flexibility. I think there is also info on the main hunting areas whether it's open or restricted/balloted.

More info here on rules (incl. for bows)
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-re...unting-permit/

And the map with open/restricted hunting areas
https://www.doc.govt.nz/map/index.html

Would highly recommend using NZTopoMaps app. The free version you can see Topo maps (obvs) and good aerial phot, as well as overlays with the open hunting areas. For I think NZ$12 you can get the pro version which allows you to plan and record all your tracks, and some other things I prob don't use. Not sure if it works overseas, but you could prob sort that when you get here.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...is.nzmaps.free

I use Topo maps app in combo with this website which shows public access routes (landowner permission still required for some routes, bur would prob be a courtesy for most anyway)
https://www.herengaanuku.govt.nz/map...r-access-maps/

Saw your other post. I would probably say if going solo, an Inreach is apparently useful for non-life threatening situations, but most would recommend a PLB as well. You'll find a few threads on here where Inreach hasn't got through. For the price of 5 weeks hire, or a bit more than your 3 hour stalk, you could buy one here, and maybe even sell it before you leave. Peter on here as @CooeeBay will be able to help you more on that front probably. I bought mine from him, great prices, great knowledge, and excellent customer service.

Also, I have a fair bit of extra stuff sitting here not getting used, so if you wanted to borrow a tent/tarp/sleeping bag/bivi to save bringing it out, should be able to work something out.

That's prob a good start. There will most likely be some good tips on where might be good to focus your attention for not-difficult access with a good chance of getting something. Wrong island, but if you find yourself in Wellington, there's a bed here (2.3 star rating, so don't get your hopes up! Although luckily the guest suite is in the non-rotten part of the house).

Good luck with the planning!

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DOC interactive map is amazing for pre-mission planning. i usually print off areas im going to A4 sheets with Topo on 1 side and Sattelite on the other.
And NZ Topo50 app on the phone is great when youre on the hill.

I just tick every box there is for every area. All Islands. That way I am covered. @Nick-UK you might as well do the same.

By law in NZ you need to obtain permission to hunt on any land. The hunting permit is essentially just a formality that allows DOC to give you permission and for you to prove that you have that permission to hunt on DOC controlled conservation estate.


What parts of South Island are you thinking of heading to?

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Originally Posted by longshot

I just tick every box there is for every area. All Islands. That way I am covered. @Nick-UK you might as well do the same.

By law in NZ you need to obtain permission to hunt on any land. The hunting permit is essentially just a formality that allows DOC to give you permission and for you to prove that you have that permission to hunt on DOC controlled conservation estate.


What parts of South Island are you thinking of heading to?

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Hello Longshot, that makes sense, I will be ticking lots of boxes. I haven't yet finalised my plan of travel but I'm thinking the Arthurs Pass area first, then out to WestCoast, then maybe up to Kahurangi or down to Fiordland, too much to see really.