Thread: Ruahine deer control

Te Urewera is much the same deer levels are climbing - and certainly many areas of private land deer numbers are well up - about time DOC did start to give the Rec hunter more of a fair go - they always poo poohed the idea that Rec hunters could make any impact and largely they were correct - but the Rec hunter of today well the better ones are a different beast - thermal gear -better long range capability with their firearms - GPS and mapping especially aerial maps -the use of indicator dogs has taken of - -more communication with other hunters for info on areas all add up to a better hunter - and in some areas Rec hunters could make a real differnce maybe not Te Urewera or Ruahines but smaller areas of Public land - now if DOC are doing thermal imaging yes why not release that info - have any of you asked them -

Hinerua and Makaretu have lost access in recent years.

I’d love to hunt Pohingina (from the west) and Purity etc but access issues make it easier to hit the same reliable road ends.

If hunters can’t access areas then go for gold with culling, waro, and subsidised club hunts to the hard to reach areas.

What I don’t want to see is extensive commercial pressure being put on the limited areas where the majority of hunters are corralled into already.

Seeing ‘100’ deer in a week can be misleading as well when your optics and thermals can scan open country as far as the eye can see. I’ve done many trips from Longview - TeHekenga without seeing anything on the walk in.

I must say while I didn’t participate, I was really proud of NZDA for organising the last club hunt up there. Assisting competent and safe hunters to access hard to reach areas is a great start.

Well done.

one area I hunt in Taranaki we have lost three access points all blocked by landowners one could just drive thru they are legal roads but would one have a vehicle when you got back if DOC got of their backside and sign posted them a lot of the problem would be over but not interested- they throw it back at the the District Council who are not interested either - the only option is to have someone stay at vehicle as a guard

This is going to ruffle some feathers but, rec hunters need to be doing more shooting of hinds. Simple. Stop shooting cull stags for “the betterment of the herd”. The waro guys won’t get them all as, they need a 2k buffer from farm land if they can’t get a poison declaration off the cocky

Originally Posted by Fat ninja

This is going to ruffle some feathers but, rec hunters need to be doing more shooting of hinds. Simple. Stop shooting cull stags for “the betterment of the herd”. The waro guys won’t get them all as, they need a 2k buffer from farm land if they can’t get a poison declaration off the cocky

I wonder if sometimes, with the dramatic increase of Youtube hunting content, people feel compelled to appear as more 'ethical' hunters by being more selective.
This however starts to shift the focus away from the reality of recreational hunting being largely a pest-control activity (or at least, the majority of hunted species are considered pests).

Well a fishing anecdote would be the Taupo fishery. When I started fishing, the daily limit was 8/day. The fish were plentiful enough and often big and fat.
Then they reduced the limit to 3/day. Quickly the behaviour changed to be more and more catch and release. Trying to up-size your catch because after keeping 2, you were down to 1 left for the day.
Funnily enough, the fish became more plentiful, and year by year smaller and smaller as there were more competing for food in the lake.

Originally Posted by Ned

Well a fishing anecdote would be the Taupo fishery. When I started fishing, the daily limit was 8/day. The fish were plentiful enough and often big and fat.
Then they reduced the limit to 3/day. Quickly the behaviour changed to be more and more catch and release. Trying to up-size your catch because after keeping 2, you were down to 1 left for the day.
Funnily enough, the fish became more plentiful, and year by year smaller and smaller as there were more competing for food in the lake.

Correct. My son does a lot of fishing at Taupo and says the quality has declined because there are too many fish. But Taupo is unique unlike other fragile fisheries.

I was going to participate in the Deerstalkers chopper hunt. However after being told it was $400 p/p, only to shoot hinds and no stag antlers would be flown out.
All your own gear and ammo.
I decided fuck that, pay to cull hinds in public land and be told that we couldn't shoot stags!
So i walked in less than 1hr to a new western Ruahine spot, saw 12 hinds, 3 spikers and 1 stag. Also 7 unkowns in the bush in a 2hr bush hunt. I shot 4 hinds for backsteaks only, the stag was crappy but old and he was too hard for me to get to when i tried a couple of days later (he was the only roaring stag heard).
I think I'll start shooting more Ruahine hinds to waste that i see on the other side of the gully or below the leatherwood belt.

$400 is cheap for a heli trip!

I've long been considering coming up from the Wairarapa for a cull day hunt in the Eastern side of the Southern Ruahines but I've not known where to start. My limit is 250m so tops hunting might not be for me. Any ideas? I heard Copper Mine Rd was closed.

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Originally Posted by Fallowdear

I've long been considering coming up from the Wairarapa for a cull day hunt in the Eastern side of the Southern Ruahines but I've not known where to start. My limit is 250m so tops hunting might not be for me. Any ideas? I heard Copper Mine Rd was closed.

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Everyroad end is good bro plenty of slip hunting under that range anyway and bush bashing.

Coppermine track is closed but its an easy scoot around iys under cut from the creek i think still and a bit of a slip further on

I used to go along the Wharite track from the tower for easy access back in the day. Heaps of hunting off either side. A little saw for the leatherwood was handy at times. All slip sort of hunting. I recall some nice spots to the west.

Originally Posted by TeRei

Correct. My son does a lot of fishing at Taupo and says the quality has declined because there are too many fish. But Taupo is unique unlike other fragile fisheries.

Lake Brunner would be in a similar boat. Catch and keep as many trouts as you can from there, maybe they'll get bigger

hi team , keen to hunt 3 days eastern Ruahine for meat , no trophy needed just venny and pest control . What would be more productive , Longview area or Sunrise access? open to suggestions.
Recent trip to Kaimanawa , we were fast packing(no gun) Makorako and spooked 12 sika in 30 hours . Will come south for the reds.

Originally Posted by Helz_water

hi team , keen to hunt 3 days eastern Ruahine for meat , no trophy needed just venny and pest control . What would be more productive , Longview area or Sunrise access? open to suggestions.
Recent trip to Kaimanawa , we were fast packing(no gun) Makorako and spooked 12 sika in 30 hours . Will come south for the reds.

Id take sunrise at the moment, longveiw thrashed buy hunters at this time of year sunrise track gets you to the top in a less hunted area with good access north and south on the tops.
The slips behind sunrise never lack an animal morning or night.
Just be aware there will be lots of trampers about

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