Planning another excursion into North Arm any advice? Stories? for me
Cheers :thumbsup:
Planning another excursion into North Arm any advice? Stories? for me
Cheers :thumbsup:
Yeah I have a prediction. You are about to get shafted.
Unfortunately if you want to fly to that region, you don't have a choice.
Apart from the cost factor it can produce the goods depends when your planning to go winter will be tough going,spring is good as it is in most places but spring comes late there. Late nov or feb have been best . Have not been there for a few years . Good Luck
Only story I can regale you with is my young associate got pissed as a newt in the hut on evening, stepped out to take a slash and fell down the bank into the river - necessitating being rescued in the dark before he drowned .
But otherwise it was a great trip , back in the Air Charter Taupo days
Attachment 251630
This guy came from North Arm. Back when Air Charter had it. Up where the Blue duck forks way up from the bivvy.
Spent a lot of time at North Arm but wouldn't go there now.
Ignore all the negativity Bruce.
It's a lovely block. I went a few time back in the air charter days and took the fam there this summer.
Up blue duck was always good hunting.
This last trip I saw animals every day but as it was hit waited to shoot later in the week. Saw at least 20 animals in the open. Shot an old barren hind and left three velvet stags(one being very nice and just on the other side of the strip from the hut. Shot a yearling a couple hundred mtrs from the hut so my kid could be apart of the whole show.
My girl and I snuck in on hinds and fawns.
Advice. Go in spring or summer. I only bothered to hunt from dawn with a couple of bush hunts training my dog.
https://youtu.be/gtItUa9ngm0?si=0NsfwrT38JUsJAb_
I'd been teaching my kid not to wave her hands around when we're saw animals and this was a good opportunity to prove the point.
Thanks Huk...the plan atm is October/ November....and there is always a cost but it could well be my last hurrah at 78 years old....!!!!
Thanks Cowboy...see my comment to Huk
It is quite an easy block for an old guy. Nice open bush and plenty of places to sit and watch if that's your style. And bugger all scrub to bash your way through.
I'd probably go late Novemberish.
Still quite winter like in October.
I had heard Helisika had cut it in half and Blue Duck was now a separate block. Is that correct?
Great block, have been there many times and always done well. Always left spring hunting to second week of November. This was when access was "fixed wing" never returned since.
Blue Duck was now a separate block. Is that correct?
No. Still part of north arm. Long way to go to get out of the block and no better ground. Last year hunting from mangamingi I never hunted to the boundary with north arm so there's alot of ground that doesn't get to hassled
Haven't been there but here's my advice - Go this month!
Helisika prices are going up 20% across the board at the end of this month.
I’m surprised anyone flys with them anymore. Definitely won’t be seeing anymore coin from me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sika 8
Not too many options these days, i just price everyone up and go with the best price (doc blocks)
Sika 8...everything goes up, smokin [btw I don't anymore] drinkin, wild wimmen....the cost now is less relevant to this old mutt....hunting with grandsons and mates is the whole point...oooh that plus the elusive 8 pointer...lol....lol... :omg:
Thanks 7mmwsm, that's good intel....."old GUY" go tell Willie Nelson that...lol..lol...:thumbsup:
What NO HANDRAILS....:wtfsmilie:
Thats true!Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceY
I'm just repeating what the pilot told me on my last flight 3 weeks ago.
website updated just now, took it from manageable but doable for a single person trip to unaffordable for the high kawekasQuote:
Originally Posted by Sika 8
Yep, takes the fun out of it for sure!Quote:
Originally Posted by striker
Good hunting all through there Bruce. Hit me up for a brew or a cuppa before you go and I'll point out a few spots on the map for yaQuote:
Originally Posted by BruceY
Usually a few bone heads floating around toohttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c74f676b01.jpg
Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
Lovely block. There is a flat knob in the middle of the valley not far down stream from the hut (before you get to Blue Duck). If you sit up there in the evening you will see the sika ghost out of the scrub below the native. It can be long shooting from there but you can make a plan once you know where they are. Nice easy walking. I saw a very good 8 in there when I flew over one winter. Circled around him as he bounded his way through the snow back to the bush.
@strikerQuote:
Originally Posted by striker
Got a link to the new prices, please? Had a look at their website and I could only find the 2023_24 price list, not 2024_25?
@Maxx
They have updated the individual hut page prices.
Only seen the changes as I went to book for a july trip.
Went there a few years ago during the big snow storm that crushed all the trees.
First and last time flying helisika. They had zero consideration for timings when it came to the pick up, several hours late without an attempt to explain anything.
Made to feel like a privilege to pay them money.
Plenty of great hunting in the public areas.
How much now to Northern arm?
Was there a few months ago. Woken up at 3am to deer right outside the hut. Heaps of sign everywhere. Saying that I’m done flying with them
I don't really get all the negativity around helisika?
Have heard stories about dropping multiple parties at the same LZ but surely the booking system in the Kawekas has put that to bed?
The Kaimanawa LZ's can't be booked so parties should be aware sharing hunting areas is possible, and all the private stuff is 1 party at a time.
Prices always go up & there aren't to many options at the moment, Personally I have had great service from them.
I spent alot with them and will probably continue to do so.... However. I was just doing some pricing in the south island and there was alot more reasonable prices for flying time. I think lack of competition may be the problem..
As for quality of business, they have been OK. We did get forgotten the roar before last. Luckily we had an inreach. The missus was told, no they are out to which she replied.. No they are sitting on the helipad lol.
I find that they are a bit like bus drivers with little in the way of block fly overs or anything. These are common with other companies I use.
RTB helicopters will soon be flying out of Taihape in Chris Crosses old 500, still a bit of a ferry though from Taihape & the pricing will reflect that.
Need a platform where parties can sync their own trips & all fly from the same location making it cheaper for everyone, Kuripapango campsite as an example for the southern kawekas & say Mangatutu hotsprings for the northern kawekas.
That's good to know rtb doing that bottom end he's a good bugger.
In there 8 years ago?, helisika dropped us off and picked up another party. They said they saw and shot at heaps in the valley but sounded like it was a bomb up with no one getting a result. I managed a small spika in the bush on the opposite side - the only sika I saw all weekend. Disappointed we had followed them in.
What do they sting you to fly in there these days?
Can see these blocks being attractive yesteryear when venison recovery and live capture was in full swing and deer numbers were at all time low. Today deer numbers in the public and private areas are huge so these costs to hunt can easily be reduced in the present tough economic times.
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.helisika.co.nz/content/uploads/2024-25-HUNTING-PRICELIST-MASTER.pdfQuote:
Originally Posted by avon_7
Not sure who rtb is but Midwest fly into the Kawekas a bit and will try and work your flight in with a back load to make it cheaper.Quote:
Originally Posted by Parky
