Thread: Search for the Holy Grail of deer

When it comes to hunting one thing i enjoy most is not actually going bush and getting a deer but exploring new places and areas in search of that hidden deer gem thats out there somewhere, what i call the holy grail.
As i just hunt DOC, and dont travel miles and miles generally from home base theres lots of hard yakka and miles of areas to go in search of places that hold animals.
Ive done ok, i hunt many places that i have a chance of a animal, and some the odds are in my favour i get one bush stalking so been happy.

Still, going to yet another new spot always excites me more, be it if animals are in there or not so thats what i have used by energy on this years winter hunting on.
For a change, and i thought it could lead me to the Holy grail was to get a foresty permit for the first time and hunt areas in DOC that without one you cant access easily.

These Doc Blocks that back onto foresty, vast areas that may had limited hunting i thought could hold good numbers of deer and in the last couple of weeks i been on a mission.

Last two hunts i have hunted areas of DOC that needs abit of effort to get to, thru foresty and then hard slogs stalking back into the native and both areas i thought would be great but i was wrong.
First one was locked of, no drive access but ok by foot. Bit of a walk and come to the native, that was steep but looks the good and had high hopes of animals.

Long story short, yes, there were a couple of deer in the native, the wind blew it for me when a animal crashed away from 40 yards. Overall thou, this wasnt the Holy grail, the bush was abit too thick for good bush stalking , and deer sign was average but still, was a good day and nearly got a animal.

The second hunt was a huge surprise for me. this area has had access problems in the past, even thou theres a public easement road leading to DOC thur the foresty.


i really thought i do great here, the bush requires a trek though some knarly pine trees then a steep climb then you into native that goes for miles. Honestly, this was the best native for bush stalking
i have ever seen. Open, but plenty of cover, good feed around, it was amazing but fu k me, five hours, yes, five hours it took me to find one piece of deer shit.
Yes, its rained hard in the week, but i couldnt find a mark of a deer or a pig in hours in some of the best looking country ive been in for a long time.
Even worst, i saw 3 birds in 3 hours and the bush had hardly any bird song.
Yes, this wasnt the Holy Grail for deer. i have no doubt 1080 as killed the place . The lack of animals in a out of it place surprised me and the lack of life in there the only thing i can say is 1080.

I know it was done, but it was quite awhile ago so i just didnt understand but the deer in here are generally fallow so maybe they just have been wiped out, sad but true.

Anyway, im likely to head to a new spot in DOC again tomorrow, even thou i could go to another couple of spots i know for certain i see a deer. Its not all about getting a animal for me.
Exploring and just seeing different country and bush is great.

What keeps me excited about the search of deer heaven is i have found it once. My spot X. Took me a year of hunting that DOC block and travelling further and further back i discovered the Holy Grail.
Nobody had hunted that area for years, there were deer everywhere. Shoot one, then on walk out turn down another couple as one was always enough.

Ive shot more deer in that block than anywhere. Some good stags, it was great. Started to manage it more, didnt go there often at all but other hunters got wind of it, 1080 came and screwed it over .
Left it alone for quite some time, deer numbers went way down but i know the place like the back of my hand.
I only go in there once in spring, once in the roar and maybe if i really need a deer but thats hasnt happened in quite a awhile.
Its still my spot x. I still get a animal in there but its not the HOLY Grail anymore.
The search continues..........

yup - I live right on Pirongia Forest park - bushline edges my inlaws farm, 10+ years since deer have come out of the bush onto the farm - too much poison. Low numbers even then but none now - havent had pigs out of there either. There are goats in there but I don't feel the urge to go shoot them as i'm not that keen on eating them.

Finding the Holy Grail of deer isnt about gettinga heap of them, more the case where theres a heap of deer maybe thats where that monster 12 point bush stag is.
Maybe that really is reason the search continues......... trip report tomorrow if anything of notr happens

Originally Posted by deer243

Finding the Holy Grail of deer isnt about gettinga heap of them, more the case where theres a heap of deer maybe thats where that monster 12 point bush stag is.
Maybe that really is reason the search continues......... trip report tomorrow if anything of notr happens

I’ll read your trip report even if nothing of note happens.

Awesome good luck tomorrow. I am similar in mindset to you but much less experience.

Have found an area last week and I believe it could yield good numbers. No public walking acces, like one of your other posts you mentioned you have to pull over on the side of the road and walk in. Turned on the YouTube and a video posted very recently shows my spot. I was able to recognise it immediately by the bush and then when he came out into the roadaide. Confirmed it yesterday as well when I seen the same dead tree by the road.

Still a good spot I reckon and I’m still exploring the rest of the “block”.

The search continues.

Nice @deer243 I enjoyed reading that Some good philosophy coming through !!

I've given up on forestry permits....

Tried Mt Campbell communications; answer.. "no we only grant access to people who work for us or we know personaly"

Tried Tasman forests; answer..."sorry not issuing any permits, too many permit holders and not enough ballot blocks"

Thank goodness we have so much DOC land, I'm resigned to just hunting that. I have been finding the topo50 app very useful for locating the consevation land boundries.

Best of luck tomorrow & enjoy your search





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Originally Posted by kukuwai

Nice @deer243 I enjoyed reading that Some good philosophy coming through !!

I've given up on forestry permits....

Tried Mt Campbell communications; answer.. "no we only grant access to people who work for us or we know personaly"

Tried Tasman forests; answer..."sorry not issuing any permits, too many permit holders and not enough ballot blocks"

Thank goodness we have so much DOC land, I'm resigned to just hunting that. I have been finding the topo50 app very useful for locating the consevation land boundries.

Best of luck tomorrow & enjoy your search





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Have you tried Nelson Forests for permits?? @kukuwai

Originally Posted by mikee

Have you tried Nelson Forests for permits?? @kukuwai

No mikee I haven't. Perhaps ill give them a go

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Originally Posted by kukuwai

No mikee I haven't. Perhaps ill give them a go

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Thats where i got my permits from, 50 dollars one area, 70 for 2 or 90 for 3 areas (rai, goldendowns, northbank)

Originally Posted by deer243

Thats where i got my permits from, 50 dollars one area, 70 for 2 or 90 for 3 areas (rai, goldendowns, northbank)

Cheers, i will definitely give them a try.

Its been said before, but I will say it again...

"There are some top blokes on this forum!"

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Originally Posted by deer243

Finding the Holy Grail of deer isnt about gettinga heap of them, more the case where theres a heap of deer maybe thats where that monster 12 point bush stag is.
Maybe that really is reason the search continues......... trip report tomorrow if anything of notr happens

The search never ends I reckon,I think I could have found holy grail vicinity you talk of, i also bush hunt doc land and have a few spots where deer are likely most trips,i went for a walk on duck shooting opening morning to a usual spot but pushed one gully and ridge further for a look.i usually mainly see hinds in the area but on this ridge I saw 2 stags and a spiker, the spiker was the first encounter, I had him in the cross but didn't take him cos I wanted a stag having missed the roar, he was a inquisitive fella don't think he had seen a human before, he hung around trying to wind me for a couple of minutes, once he cleared off i pushed up the steep ridge another 30-50 metres and a good stag a big stag broke 20-30 metres in front of me left to right catching me in a bad position which I couldn't shoot from, by the time i shouldered the rifle he quartered away behind a tree and was gone,he was a serious ruahines bush stag my main memory of him was his head tilted back keeping his antlers low along his back to avoid hook ups going for it thru the bush.after cursing myself and thinking about what should have been I pushed further up the ridge another 100 odd metres another stag crashed away down the side of the ridge, by now it was mid arv and time to head out and id only made it half way along the ridge i wanted to check out.stag ridge is gonna be getting visited again soon.

The search ends when I die

even then some other hunter is going to keep looking - just one more ridge