Thread: Rotorua based hunting

So having lived in the South all my life looks like I will be relocating to Rotorua in a few months....

As a Mainlander born and bred I am slightly clueless as to the hunting opportunities in the area. I obviously have heard about chasing Sika in the Kaweka and that's about it! A bit of time on google has shown me that there appears to be a reasonable amount of DOC land within a few hours of Rotorua and also a fair bit of private Maori land that can be accessed (helisika, Te Urewera etc).

So my my question is, what general areas would you recommend to start poking about when I get up there? I'm happy bush stalking (cut my teeth chasing fallow around the Blue Mountains and bush stalking Fiordland valleys) but do enjoy hunting the open tops and broken country as well. Are there many options for day hunts or do most areas involve at least a weekend away?

My online reading seems to suggest every man and his dog head to Clements Mill rd or jump in a heli, guessing there's a bit more to it than that! ;-)

Not asking for anyone's spot X, just a few recommendations to get an idea of the lay of the land. Nothing like getting the boots on and exploring a new bit of country!

Many thanks!