Thread: Piropiro flats

Cycling the timer trail this weekend as support for my wife who’s running it. Starting early so I can hunt the afternoon, any tips on what elevation the deer in the area hang out over winter? I know they don’t move around much, should have camp set up by lunch so will have time to cruise into the bush somewhere but thought someone might feel kind enough to share a bit of intel 👌

You should check Docs site for 1080 drops. They were supposed to drop the Pureoras today.

Yeah I realise that but the doc site only shows the whole park not the area they have dropped in so far. Are they using deer repellant in the baits this time? Have had good hunting in the kaimanawas right after a drop, just way less people in the area 🤣

Howdy, From the flats head down the track that generally heads south. Head towards (spot height 517) once that's on your right/left dependent on your route selection. Change into stalk mode and generally head towards (spot height 559) taking your time you will drop into some low ground with a stream crossing before doing that have a sit, listen and glass around. In front of you are numerous clearings which you will find deer, not far from.

You will need a topo map, compass and be familiar with using them. Good luck be careful in there.

thats very generous advice. I hunted off some of the trail whilst cycling it with my family a while ago. I wasnt successful but it was a good adventure. all the best.

And for at least the next 5 days or so its gonna be minus 3-4 during the night/into the early morning. You and the deer will want to be anywhere the sun hits the ground.

Haha yeah I have recently moved to Rotorua, been a rude awakening each morning with big frosts. Cheers for the info guys 👌

Originally Posted by XR500

And for at least the next 5 days or so its gonna be minus 3-4 during the night/into the early morning. .

ah the good ole days we used to pickup coal in huntly on the way had the firebox crankin wrap the lean to had it 35 degrees inside and a crisp -5 outside...........the wheels on the quad bike froze even the drinkin water froze

Originally Posted by HuntBeta

Howdy, From the flats head down the track that generally heads south. Head towards (spot height 517) once that's on your right/left dependent on your route selection. Change into stalk mode and generally head towards (spot height 559) taking your time you will drop into some low ground with a stream crossing before doing that have a sit, listen and glass around. In front of you are numerous clearings which you will find deer, not far from.

You will need a topo map, compass and be familiar with using them. Good luck be careful in there.

Great tip there HuntBeta! I've just been having a look on NZ Topo and Google Maps and there don't seem to be any clearings - I assume they're there and the aerial imagery just isn't up to date?

Originally Posted by Supertweed

Great tip there HuntBeta! I've just been having a look on NZ Topo and Google Maps and there don't seem to be any clearings - I assume they're there and the aerial imagery just isn't up to date?

I’ve had a look on to computer, hard to see clearly but I will report back on Sunday night 👌

I used to hunt the heads of the Maramatha, from the big bend(where the river turns north n follows the range) into the heads. There used to be a hut up the side in one of those small creeks, straight up from the big bend up on the top is a big swampy area, between the swamp and the bend and heading north was absolutely choice bush hunting. I was supposed to be catching live deer and using the dog as a finder after darting a deer but this one time she took off and bailed a dirty big boat in some tight crap, she always had a muzzle on as tended to tenderize the meat before I got to the deer, anyway back to the boar, I found myself on hands and knees till I could reach the dog and hauled her out by the tail, took off the muzzle and let her go again and pretty soon had a bail, open bush this time, she grabbed him by the top of the tail which sat him down and I managed to grab a lump of timber and sconned him between the eyes and then turned him over and introduced the Mercator. The good Old days.

Originally Posted by Supertweed

Great tip there HuntBeta! I've just been having a look on NZ Topo and Google Maps and there don't seem to be any clearings - I assume they're there and the aerial imagery just isn't up to date?

There are shit loads of small clearings throughout the pureoras which you cannot see on Google earth, the resolution is not clear enough to pick them out.
Good in some ways as when you find one sometimes not many people know its there.

Originally Posted by SmokeyJason

I used to hunt the heads of the Maramatha, from the big bend(where the river turns north n follows the range) into the heads. There used to be a hut up the side in one of those small creeks, straight up from the big bend up on the top is a big swampy area, between the swamp and the bend and heading north was absolutely choice bush hunting. I was supposed to be catching live deer and using the dog as a finder after darting a deer but this one time she took off and bailed a dirty big boat in some tight crap, she always had a muzzle on as tended to tenderize the meat before I got to the deer, anyway back to the boar, I found myself on hands and knees till I could reach the dog and hauled her out by the tail, took off the muzzle and let her go again and pretty soon had a bail, open bush this time, she grabbed him by the top of the tail which sat him down and I managed to grab a lump of timber and sconned him between the eyes and then turned him over and introduced the Mercator. The good Old days.

Fck, boar not boat

I see there is a proposed aerial job at some stage for the greater Pureora area...
anyone know more about this, when likely to be? assuming sometime this financial year.

PestSumMap (1)_240711_203859.pdf