Thread: Kaimai hunting areas

Originally Posted by nz_hunter

I'm now rather scared to post on this forum asking for help on where to start and so forth. I try my hardest to no offend or step on anybodys toes but by the looks of this I feel like I might habe already. With my last thread regarding blocks out of the Naki to hunt for deer in I felt like it was worthy of asking as I've had no luck here when trying to hunt them. But I definitely feel as though I would have offended people by simply asking where to start off instead of trying a random block.
I thought it was the purpose of the forum for young keen hunters like myself to be able to ask for a starting hand but I'm now very hesitant and not sure what I can and can not ask.
I apologise if I've offended people by asking for a hand in finding a different block to start in but I had tried as much as I could.

Just hope you guys on here don't think I'm another James Sully.

@NZHunter... And any other young fellas or newbies to hunting.

My father introduced me to hunting and after a few unsuccessful although bloody brilliant introductory deer hunting adventures, I was totally hooked. He however, was not. And neither were any of his mates, colleagues or brothers etc. So I'm a largely self taught hunter and I know exactly why you guys are asking for help and what level of help you're actually asking for.
As I sought out older and experienced hunters who worked in gun shops etc and asked respectful questions of "where to go?", their answer was invariably "just study a topo map for good looking spots with clearings or open tops and go walk it and learn it". Thanks guys (ya wankers!). So I would buy up groceries etc, load up my pack and vehicle and head off for days and days wandering around the Kawekas or Ruahines or Te Urewera in areas with very few deer and, on a couple of occasions, sharing my 'good looking area' with arsehole helicopter meat shooters flying ahead of me and laying waste to any hope I had of encountering an "easy deer". Determined, although often driven close to tears of frustration, I joined the North Auckland NZDA... and again, generosity of useful information was less than forthcoming. I understand their reasons why, as there was a war going on at the time between helicopter hunters and ground hunters, and deer were in very short supply. But they certainly are not in short supply now and every hunter I speak to says the same..."it's never been so easy to find a deer".
So my advice to you is, ask the same questions you did already, on this forum and at NZDA and of any hunters you meet in the bush. But with your emphasis being on respect for their knowledge and generosity with that info. If you meet and impress the right type of hunter, he'll likely take you under his wing and teach you all he knows...guys like me maybe.
Last words of advice...slow down! Successful hunting requires great patience and understanding, so slow everything you want from hunting down and 'earn' your first deer. I assure you that when it comes, your sense of victory will be all the more profound.
Happy hunting mate

Originally Posted by Hunt4life

@NZHunter... And any other young fellas or newbies to hunting.

My father introduced me to hunting and after a few unsuccessful although bloody brilliant introductory deer hunting adventures, I was totally hooked. He however, was not. And neither were any of his mates, colleagues or brothers etc. So I'm a largely self taught hunter and I know exactly why you guys are asking for help and what level of help you're actually asking for.
As I sought out older and experienced hunters who worked in gun shops etc and asked respectful questions of "where to go?", their answer was invariably "just study a topo map for good looking spots with clearings or open tops and go walk it and learn it". Thanks guys (ya wankers!). So I would buy up groceries etc, load up my pack and vehicle and head off for days and days wandering around the Kawekas or Ruahines or Te Urewera in areas with very few deer and, on a couple of occasions, sharing my 'good looking area' with arsehole helicopter meat shooters flying ahead of me and laying waste to any hope I had of encountering an "easy deer". Determined, although often driven close to tears of frustration, I joined the North Auckland NZDA... and again, generosity of useful information was less than forthcoming. I understand their reasons why, as there was a war going on at the time between helicopter hunters and ground hunters, and deer were in very short supply. But they certainly are not in short supply now and every hunter I speak to says the same..."it's never been so easy to find a deer".
So my advice to you is, ask the same questions you did already, on this forum and at NZDA and of any hunters you meet in the bush. But with your emphasis being on respect for their knowledge and generosity with that info. If you meet and impress the right type of hunter, he'll likely take you under his wing and teach you all he knows...guys like me maybe.
Last words of advice...slow down! Successful hunting requires great patience and understanding, so slow everything you want from hunting down and 'earn' your first deer. I assure you that when it comes, your sense of victory will be all the more profound.
Happy hunting mate

+1 great advice Hunt4life.... @nz_hunter....when i took up hunting about 18 months ago, i didnt have a clue where to start (still dont!) i decided to join this forum, (thank fuk) read every thread in the magazine section, bought a copy of 'spot X'
booked a guided hunt on a deer farm to learn the basics from an experienced hunter....then joined the NZ Deerstalkers (Auckland branch)....all this at least got me started.....

first two outings (both solo) got me out learning and making mistakes (its a loooong journey, get that into your head first) but on my second 'armed tramp' i saw my first ever wild deer (Sika) which gave me great confidence & encouragement!!

i had no 'hunting spots' because of course i was starting out.....i then went on a forum hunt/meet (Rushys Roost) where i met fellow forum members for a weekend hunt!
This was in the Whirinaki Forest, and I learned bush hunting techniques from Rushy (Yoda) this added to my skill set….I posted my many ‘no shot weekends’ on the forum and other members saw I was ‘keen as’ and PM’d me advice and areas (Sako75, Pengy) but it still took me another year and many fruitless weekends before I finally secured my first kill…

Looking back, it made it much more satisfying to have taken the animal by my own efforts, planning ect…..

Use New Zealand Topographic Map - NZ Topo Map and google earth to find likely spots and get out there, fall over, miss shots, go 4-5-10 weekends without even seeing one, scream at yourself “what the fuk am I trying to do out here, im useless’….and eventually (there’s NO timescale) you’ll ‘do it’……but only if you want to do it…..the animal is not the goal, the journey is the goal......my 2c