Kaimanawas on short notice

Have ended up with an extra day-and-a-half this weekend and have got it into my head I'll go and chase Sika around the Kaimanawas. Never been and have been itching to for a while, plus I've got a new pack to put through the wringer. I'm a fairly novice bush hunter most of the time so it will all be new to me.

The plan is only just taking shape so I'm looking for advice. My initial plan was going down Thursday mid-morning, camping at one of the road end sites off Kaimanawa Rd and then heading up Umukarikari for three days of hunting. Trying to identify some likely areas to target. Are the Sika likely to be at the bush edge up high in early Nov. or lower down? Some of my reading seems to indicate river flats and others the bush edge.

Any other advice or guidance appreciated for a Kaimanawa rookie

I'd be looking lower down. There are loads of grassy tracks through the Manuka between kaimanawa road and Rangipo. They would be well worth a wander.

Here in the Central North island we are making silage 3 weeks to a month earlier than usual. The bush here should be similarly advanced. Those bush clearings should be crawling. Even try under the powerline towers off the Desert road.

How about a walk over Urchin and hunting the Waipakihi?
There are plenty of river flats, good bush and great views on the walk across the tops.

The lower Urchin country can be productive. Turn right at the trig and head down towards the main creek. Across the creek is good but a bit of a jungle. I mostly got one though.

Great, this has all pointed me in a new and more sensible direction. Cheers fellas. Saw some older posts of yours about the Urchin while searching @Tahr which have also proved useful.

Might try a night in the Urchin campsite and have a walkabout around the flats, then up to the trig and see what's happening. Looking forward to four days away and some cracking views.

There’s water in a couple of little creeks along the right hand side of the track a bit further along. You just have to drop off the side a bit.

If I’m not mistaken the 3rd photo is the area Tahr is referring to. The trig is up to the right out of the photo.

It’s an awful place.

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Great views from up on the ridge. There are a few "hidden" clearings that you can't see from down in the river which attract deer. You can sus them out from above and plan from there. Lower end of Thunderbolt creek is worth a look too.

There is a camp site half way up to the trig on the left and a little bit of water below it. And about 50 yards before you break out of the bush under the trig there is a little camp site hidden in on the left. There is water on the tops but you have to drop quite a way down to get it.

Jumping back in here to say thanks to everyone again for the advice. Had an excellent time - might write it up a bit for the forum later.

I ended up camping just below the trig on the first night and having a poke around on last light at some of the Urchin faces mentioned. Managed to spook a hind on my way back down the trig tack to get water while armed only with my bottle. Exciting nonetheless. I was joined by a couple of hunters who were also pretty fresh to the area. After a rainy night (in which I copped a bit of flooding) we awoke to find ourselves majorly banked in the clouds. Had a bit of a pow-wow with the other two and they were pretty keen to head into the valley and up the Thunderbolt. I thought I might drop down the side of the Urchin in the other direction but the wind was not in my favor, so I instead opted to head down into the valley as well. The walk amongst the clouds along the tops was epic but obviously visibility was nil, so went in a bit blind. I targeted a couple of creeks further downriver from the Thunderbolt and some of the grassy tables between them. Sign everywhere & stalking my way up the creeks was exhilarating. Nothing down this trip but the walk alone was worth it and now that I understand the ground a bit better I feel I could push in for overnighters etc. a lot easier.

Thanks again for the pointers, even though the conditions changed my plans a bit having all your advice bouncing round my head gave me a lot of confidence.

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Originally Posted by Chur Bay

I'd be looking lower down. There are loads of grassy tracks through the Manuka between kaimanawa road and Rangipo. They would be well worth a wander.

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This. My son was in there 2 weeks ago and ended up videoing sika after accidentally killing a very small hind. Was in a gully and 2 hunters passed thru without seeing him and 5 minutes later 2 sika hinds back tracked over the hunters tracks. He said he learnt more about sika that day than over the last 9 years chasing them. Said they were not big deer.