Thread: Northern Kaimanawas

Anyone been into the Kaipo/Tikitiki/Cascade area recently?

I'm heading in for 5-6 nights fly camping tomorrow. Just wondering what the ground condition is like in there at the moment? Crunchy cornflakes under foot or not too bad? Doesn't look like it's had a huge amount of rain this year yet.....

Originally Posted by Liquidasset

Anyone been into the Kaipo/Tikitiki/Cascade area recently?

I'm heading in for 5-6 nights fly camping tomorrow. Just wondering what the ground condition is like in there at the moment? Crunchy cornflakes under foot or not too bad? Doesn't look like it's had a huge amount of rain this year yet.....

Haven't been into those specific valleys but was bushhunting the last few days not a million miles from there so likely subjected to same weather. Going underfoot was soft from most recent rains and pretty good for stalking. Looks like some light rains coming through should maintain this situation.

Originally Posted by 30.06king

Haven't been into those specific valleys but was bushhunting the last few days not a million miles from there so likely subjected to same weather. Going underfoot was soft from most recent rains and pretty good for stalking. Looks like some light rains coming through should maintain this situation.

Cheers for that, sounds nicer than I was expecting. How did you get on? We were hoping opening of duck season would pull some of the crowds away from the bush ��

If the suns out it will be dryer than when it’s raining

If it’s raining it will be damper than when the suns out

Go hunting

There looked to be 4 or 5 cars at Te iringa today, clements pretty quiet. but no doubt will be busier in the weekend. Stags quiet aswell, only 2 very distant faint hehaws heard where I was deeper off clements. Bush nice to stalk in with the rain last night

Cheers man, looking forward to getting in. Hearing mixed experiences from people, sounds like there’s a fair bit of roaring overnight then going quiet once the suns up. Who knows what we will find but more chance in there in a tent than slogging away at work that’s for sure

Originally Posted by Liquidasset

Cheers for that, sounds nicer than I was expecting. How did you get on? We were hoping opening of duck season would pull some of the crowds away from the bush ��

First day a little roaring early morning and late afternoon. Following three days virtually nothing. Sounds like roaring was strong early April but faded pretty quickly. Been told ( Sika ) roar has been pretty uneventful generally. First two days nice and cool. Last two days warmer, probably didn't help. Only saw one stag, not a shooter. Found three good wallows but no luck finding the makers.
Shot some meat animals. Had a great time.
Wish you good luck.

Originally Posted by 30.06king

First day a little roaring early morning and late afternoon. Following three days virtually nothing. Sounds like roaring was strong early April but faded pretty quickly. Been told ( Sika ) roar has been pretty uneventful generally. First two days nice and cool. Last two days warmer, probably didn't help. Only saw one stag, not a shooter. Found three good wallows but no luck finding the makers.
Shot some meat animals. Had a great time.
Wish you good luck.

Thanks bud, will report back here once we are out of the bush. Going in for an adventure, animals on the deck are a bonus. Looks like she will be fairly cold nights for us in the tent, in an ideal world we catch the hinds second cycle but we aren’t holding our breath

was in the tikitiki 2 weeks ago bush was pretty quiet after a decent rainfall should be quiet had abit of rain since then

Originally Posted by 30.06king

First day a little roaring early morning and late afternoon. Following three days virtually nothing. Sounds like roaring was strong early April but faded pretty quickly. Been told ( Sika ) roar has been pretty uneventful generally. First two days nice and cool. Last two days warmer, probably didn't help. Only saw one stag, not a shooter. Found three good wallows but no luck finding the makers.
Shot some meat animals. Had a great time.
Wish you good luck.

was in the aera for 3 weeks from easter Friday until 2 weeks ago quietest roar in there on record, mate shot a meat animal on the 12th that still had rounded tips and only just stripped velvet going by the red antlers definitely a very quiet roar in there only roaring in 1 or 2 shitty gullys not all over the show so hinds not cycling everywhere

Originally Posted by 30.06king

First day a little roaring early morning and late afternoon. Following three days virtually nothing. Sounds like roaring was strong early April but faded pretty quickly. Been told ( Sika ) roar has been pretty uneventful generally. First two days nice and cool. Last two days warmer, probably didn't help. Only saw one stag, not a shooter. Found three good wallows but no luck finding the makers.
Shot some meat animals. Had a great time.
Wish you good luck.

Every year the general consensus seems to be its been a quiet Sika roar. I think you just have to be Jonny on the spot to get some roaring action, i honestly believe its partly due to hunting pressure. You only have to drive clements in the roar to see anywhere between 50 and 100 cars, Kikos the same 20 plus cars all at a road end heading in similar directions 10-20 cars in the public access poronui poled route carpark.. pretty much all kaimanawa access points are choked up with humans, If i was a stag id probably keep quiet aswell.

In saying that they do still roar at times,I had a bit of action last weekend with single callers Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Good luck out there, I hope you find some roaring stags

Originally Posted by Nick.m

Every year the general consensus seems to be its been a quiet Sika roar. I think you just have to be Jonny on the spot to get some roaring action, i honestly believe its partly due to hunting pressure. You only have to drive clements in the roar to see anywhere between 50 and 100 cars, Kikos the same 20 plus cars all at a road end heading in similar directions 10-20 cars in the public access poronui poled route carpark.. pretty much all kaimanawa access points are choked up with humans, If i was a stag id probably keep quiet aswell.

In saying that they do still roar at times,I had a bit of action last weekend with single callers Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Good luck out there, I hope you find some roaring stags

i hunt an area that pretty much no one does, never seen anyone in the last 3 years and we have 5-7 cameras operating at any one time and have never had a person on them.... we spent a considerable amount of April in this area, plenty of Sika, 11 stags visiting one camera and one of the worst ruts for sika roaring action in the last 20 years... we heard 5 Sika single calls for about 3 weeks combined hunting and around only 20 territory calls... while hunting pressure will play a part there is more to it than that, but don't ask me what it is... i have spent the last 10 years going to Japan for the Sika rut and some years they do not roar much there either, usually when it is a warm rut. Been hunting Sika for over 30 years and still do not have them figured out.... but as Nick has said above you just got to be in the right place at the right time to get some good action.

Hope your timing is on point.... early May can be a good time to get some roaring action.

Originally Posted by Rosco

i hunt an area that pretty much no one does, never seen anyone in the last 3 years and we have 5-7 cameras operating at any one time and have never had a person on them.... we spent a considerable amount of April in this area, plenty of Sika, 11 stags visiting one camera and one of the worst ruts for sika roaring action in the last 20 years... we heard 5 Sika single calls for about 3 weeks combined hunting and around only 20 territory calls... while hunting pressure will play a part there is more to it than that, but don't ask me what it is... i have spent the last 10 years going to Japan for the Sika rut and some years they do not roar much there either, usually when it is a warm rut. Been hunting Sika for over 30 years and still do not have them figured out.... but as Nick has said above you just got to be in the right place at the right time to get some good action.

Hope your timing is on point.... early May can be a good time to get some roaring action.

Rosco, cheers for that. Do you think it’s got anything to do with an imbalance between stag and hind numbers? Was listening to a podcast with Cam Speedy talking about the Sika herd, was mentioned that a lot of people in there will only hunt for antlers rather than meat hunts. It made sense to me that if there’s more hinds than stags then the boys don’t have to compete as hard for the ladies which would make the roar a bit of a fizzer. We are heading in hopefully to bring some meat home, would love a wall hanger but first prioity is to tip a couple of hinds over to top up the freezer.

With respect this is the same crap we all hear every year."shit roar-good roar-same old roar".Johnny on the spot is all the counts, ya just gotta be out there and have a bit of luck fall ya way re a good roaring day.dont wind yourself up to much expecting roaring but if its on try and remember you've hit the jackpot and enjoy.

Originally Posted by Liquidasset

Rosco, cheers for that. Do you think it’s got anything to do with an imbalance between stag and hind numbers? Was listening to a podcast with Cam Speedy talking about the Sika herd, was mentioned that a lot of people in there will only hunt for antlers rather than meat hunts. It made sense to me that if there’s more hinds than stags then the boys don’t have to compete as hard for the ladies which would make the roar a bit of a fizzer. We are heading in hopefully to bring some meat home, would love a wall hanger but first prioity is to tip a couple of hinds over to top up the freezer.

Where we hunt there is no imbalance as not many animals are getting hunting and shot, i do not know why they did not roar, it is low country with lots of feed so the hinds should cycle every year.
Anything Cam says to do with Sika and their habitat is normally worth listening to. Early May the good condition yearlings can cycle and also any hinds that did not cycle in early April so some good action could happen..... all about timing..... have fun and good luck.