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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 👌
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 frozeQuote:
Originally Posted by XR500
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?Quote:
Originally Posted by HuntBeta
I’ve had a look on to computer, hard to see clearly but I will report back on Sunday night 👌Quote:
Originally Posted by Supertweed
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Supertweed
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.
Fck, boar not boatQuote:
Originally Posted by SmokeyJason
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.
Thanks, heck of a lot sooner than I thought, need to make a plan soon.
750m to 950m North facingQuote:
Originally Posted by Liquidasset
62,000 hectares earmarked for aerial drop...wow. How long will that even take? I imagine this will be weeks and weeks of operations. Anyone have word on whether deer repellent will be used for any of the area (I don't hold out much hope)?
Liquidasset, hunting in winter is often very productive in Pureoras, I seem run into deer in the middle of the day and there's far less hunting pressure. We have had a mega run of frosts since the shortest day. People often say reds are less fussed about the cold than sika, but I reckon they still generally stay out of guts and creeks where it will be super cold. North facing is your best best, walk down a slope until you find some fresh sign and sidle from there. Good luck!
Cheers bud, with the 1080 drops I would say there will be even less pressure in there too. Looking forward to checking out some new ground….. just got to get through the 40km pedal to make it there hahahahaQuote:
Originally Posted by Bow Out
Roger. Thanks Liquid! Keen to get myself in there before the green rain tooQuote:
Originally Posted by Liquidasset
Just got home, fair to say there’s a decent population of the buggers in there. A lot of sign around the timber trail south of the Piropiro campsite, even had fairly fresh scat on the suspension bridges hahaha.Quote:
Originally Posted by Supertweed
There are some nice clearings around the area mentioned but there was no sign around them, another hunter in the campground said to stay away from creeks and low elevation due to the run of frosts. So hit the trail this morning up to 700m and dropped into some fairly open bush and had fresh sign almost immediately. About 20mins in I came across a pile of poo so fresh it was literally steaming! As I bent down to check it out a stag barked and bolted about 40m around the slope from me. Honestly I need to work on this as I seem to be making a habit of not being ready when I find fresh sign. Obviously it would’ve been a great idea to scan my surroundings before checking out this lads steamer but this is what learning is about hahahahaha will be back for sure!
Great campground up at Piropiro, easy access even in a 2wd car. Quite a few animals taken yesterday in the camp which was awesome to see 👌
Awesome man, thanks for posting your update. Haha you can't get fresher sign than that!
I usually cover plenty of ground when I hunt, but if I come across fresh sign, I slow right down. Like, one step...scan and look around...listen...another step, and so on. This time of year animals are moving about during the day so often they give themselves away as they wander along searching the forest floor for goodies. I was in there on Friday, saw a young stag in really good condition and a couple of pigs. I was hunting with a bow and it was one of those days where I just couldn't seem to get a clear shot before they spooked!
Awesome! Good to know the numbers in there are still good despite all the foot/wheel traffic. Hahaha it would be hilarious coming across a red skin doing it's business on a bridge :D Which trail did you take up to 700m?Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquidasset
I read in another forum thread that the 1080 was being postponed to some time in August due to budget constraints, so I need to make an effort to get down that ways.
Yeah the poo on the bridges was hilarious, would be cool to see one using it 🤣
I used the road that goes up to the Keremetangi track, easy 4x4 access if you have one I however did not so only got to the first peak then darted into the bush. There were other hunters further along as I heard their quad go screaming up the road at one point. Now weighing up wether I need a dog or a quad hahaha
Thanks for the good info in here for piropiro flats, looking to head in there soon
Have a look at the poison summary before heading that way.Quote:
Originally Posted by NZBeeMan
I rang Doc a couple of weeks ago. Its not happening until early November so there is still a couple of weeks.
depends on how many helicopters sowing two days with 3 machines if Huey sowing quicker than thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Bow Out
Glad you get some sense from them, get told they have nothing to go with the operation, ring the applicator.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chur Bay
Yeah had look at the site, current date looks like starting on the 4thQuote:
Originally Posted by tetawa
This is a hunt I did 15 Oct 2022. This part from 517 to 630 to 643 is the Timber Trail. I saw a deer right on top of the bush hill at the southern end of my walk at 759 but no he was too wary for me. My impression is this area is drier and more open with less deer food but more pig sign than other places. Doing the high loop around Ketemairangi track is good too, specially up near the top. If you guys all get up there this Labour Weekend I can go some place else ( but will come back another time. Nice bush. ).
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