Thread: Rotorua based hunting

Originally Posted by Hunty1

Cheers @Gibo! Very generous offer! I will flick you a PM once settled in.

Give us the hot oil on where to find decent Otago stags and ill PM you all of Gibo's best spots!

Get!!

Heaps of good hunting close to rotorua. In terms of variety it's one of the best spots in the country. Got like 5 varieties of deer within an hours drive.

Not a huge amount of open tops stuff until you hit the Kawekas kiamanwas. Some very productive slip hunting through the urewera and towards the Cape though.

Speaking of rotorua hunting, anyone know what Tarwera is like? Have recently acquired aquatic transport and was thinking or going for a mission over those ways. Boat safe ish to park up somwhere and go for a wander?

Originally Posted by Hayden C

Give us the hot oil on where to find decent Otago stags and ill PM you all of Gibo's best spots!

Now we're talking! GPX file okay?

Originally Posted by Nick-D

Heaps of good hunting close to rotorua. In terms of variety it's one of the best spots in the country. Got like varieties of deer within an hours drive.

Not a huge amount of open tops stuff until you hit the Kawekas kiamanwas. Some very productive slip hunting through the urewera and towards the Cape though.

Speaking of rotorua hunting, anyone know what Tarwera is like? Have recently acquired aquatic transport and was thinking or going for a mission over those ways. Boat safe ish to park up somwhere and go for a wander?

@Gapped axe is the man in the know down there. Send him a PM.

Originally Posted by Nick-D

Heaps of good hunting close to rotorua. In terms of variety it's one of the best spots in the country. Got like 5 varieties of deer within an hours drive.

Not a huge amount of open tops stuff until you hit the Kawekas kiamanwas. Some very productive slip hunting through the urewera and towards the Cape though.

Speaking of rotorua hunting, anyone know what Tarwera is like? Have recently acquired aquatic transport and was thinking or going for a mission over those ways. Boat safe ish to park up somwhere and go for a wander?

There is/was a full time person at hot water beach campsite, from there you can hunt between Tarawera and Rotomahana lakes

I hunted a block in the mamakus post roar 3 years ago. Supposedly fallow and reds in the area. Found a big scrape and let out some roars but nothing. Only had a short window so didn't get that far in but I think with some time you would find animals.

Originally Posted by Hunty1

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!

Hey mate,

I'm fairly new to rotorua also, it's always good to meet like minded people, if your interested once your up here, and want to t up a hunt or something, even head out for a beer, just let me know.

Cheers Bevan

Welcome to the North mate.
As a former South Otago resident, I can assure you the hunting opportunities up here are plentiful!