Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

Alpine Ammo Direct


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 12 of 12
Like Tree15Likes
  • 1 Post By Barry the hunter
  • 2 Post By Chur Bay
  • 1 Post By longshot
  • 1 Post By Bagheera
  • 2 Post By Bagheera
  • 2 Post By Micky Duck
  • 1 Post By Allizdog
  • 1 Post By Bagheera
  • 4 Post By No.3

Thread: Seeking Tips for Tracking Red Deer in the Kaimai's

  1. #1
    Member TakaRat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2024
    Location
    JAFA Land
    Posts
    52

    Question Seeking Tips for Tracking Red Deer in the Kaimai's

    Hey everyone,

    I just got back from a hunt in the Kaimai's and wanted to share my experience and seek some advice. During my trip, I managed to close in on a stag, but it was only because it started roaring. I did hear it initially walking, but it was very quiet and difficult to track.

    I'm familiar with looking for fresh droppings, but I'm looking for more tips on what signs to look out for when trying to find red deer. What are the subtle clues and indicators that can help me locate them more effectively?

    Also, I've noticed that fantail birds and other small birds sometimes come to me and hang around. Do these birds also hang around deer? Could their behavior be an indicator of nearby deer?

    Thanks in advance for your help!

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2022
    Location
    New Plymouth
    Posts
    3,310
    the fantails hanging around are after the many small insects you are disturbing as you move thru the the bush - will try and give you some pointers re your general question tomorrow
    TakaRat likes this.

  3. #3
    Member Chur Bay's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Cambridge
    Posts
    1,683
    I would be surprised to hear a roaring stag this time of year. More likely it was barking at you. Hinds will also bark so might not have even been a stag.
    charliehorse and TakaRat like this.

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wairarapa
    Posts
    1,176
    Quote Originally Posted by TakaRat View Post
    Hey everyone,

    I just got back from a hunt in the Kaimai's and wanted to share my experience and seek some advice. During my trip, I managed to close in on a stag, but it was only because it started roaring. I did hear it initially walking, but it was very quiet and difficult to track.

    I'm familiar with looking for fresh droppings, but I'm looking for more tips on what signs to look out for when trying to find red deer. What are the subtle clues and indicators that can help me locate them more effectively?

    Also, I've noticed that fantail birds and other small birds sometimes come to me and hang around. Do these birds also hang around deer? Could their behavior be an indicator of nearby deer?

    Thanks in advance for your help!
    Thats good thinking with the fantail, the reason the hang around is because they like to eat the bugs that you disturb, but as far as using them to track deer goes, unless the scrub is the correct height, you will be able to see deer and fantail or neither.

    Knowing the deer diet and putting yourself amoung food trees and looking for browse is productive.
    TakaRat likes this.

  5. #5
    Member TakaRat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2024
    Location
    JAFA Land
    Posts
    52
    Quote Originally Posted by Chur Bay View Post
    I would be surprised to hear a roaring stag this time of year. More likely it was barking at you. Hinds will also bark so might not have even been a stag.
    449188060_8230092457025144_7443331460619572225_n.mp3

    Yeah, my thoughts are the same. I've attached an audio file my mate recorded when we heard it initially. You can faintly hear it in the background
    Last edited by TakaRat; 25-06-2024 at 11:12 PM.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    2,095
    Sometimes you just get a feeling the scrub has been trodden on and disturbed . This is more in open areas and by river banks. If there are few deer around small plants just look fresher and more exuberant. Goats do the same but even more so. You see trails where animals have pushed through the scrub even if they dont leave much definite sign in the ground.

    This is on top of seeing plants actually eaten or fresh droppings or hoof marks.
    TakaRat likes this.

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    2,095
    A clue that a deer is REAL close is finding new droppings balanced on top of grass or bushes. Once I even saw them suspended on a knot of supplejack vines in the Kaimais. A few steps further down and “Wooof !” They appeared and disappeared into the jungle.
    Micky Duck and TakaRat like this.

  8. #8
    Member TakaRat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2024
    Location
    JAFA Land
    Posts
    52
    Quote Originally Posted by Barry the hunter View Post
    the fantails hanging around are after the many small insects you are disturbing as you move thru the the bush - will try and give you some pointers re your general question tomorrow
    Awesome, cheers!

    Sent from my SM-G780F using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Geraldine
    Posts
    24,813
    Deer trails in the bush can sometimes look like sheep yards.lots of Pooh's and a path down to dirt.foot prints show up well in dirt,not so good on rock or leaf litter...but they are there.leap frogging is moving forward in what you think is right direction and finding footprints/ sign again. PERSONALLY the tracking of individual animal only gets done after a shots been fired if it doesn't drop...hunting into the wind through likely areas and areas with visible sign is more productive for me. And go slowly.three or four steps and stop and scan around,up down sideways and back behind you.
    bigbear and TakaRat like this.
    75/15/10 black powder matters

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    South Island
    Posts
    1,192
    In my experience an indication a deer is reasonably close is a barking noise lol. Although catching up with it is another story.
    TakaRat likes this.

  11. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    2,095
    Name:  IMG_5589.jpeg
Views: 232
Size:  6.05 MB

    Heres an example of a windfall light gap in the kaimanawas thats just not as well vegetated s it ought to be. Sort of trampled and denuded but not much obvious prints or definite browse. screamed deer to me but nothing seen on the day.
    TakaRat likes this.

  12. #12
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2021
    Location
    Tauranga
    Posts
    5,143
    The kaimais is a bitch of a place to close-hunt red's.

    The reason for that is nothing short of the fact that several thousand people go through there every week including school trips, mum's walking groups having a day "communing with nature" while chattering and making more noise than a 747 at take off thrust, old people tramping groups, Kauri tree lovers, F&B nature types, various other groups plus all the hunters.

    The deer are onto this human lark. They will hear you coming, bolt hole, and reappear like ghosts once the coast is clear. I've been having a rest and a drink on the main track when a group of ladies wandered through, heard them coming about 10mins before they went past yabbering on about how great nature is, not one of them saw me standing two meters off the track in bloody hi-vis cams (new, bright orange stuff) and they departed as loudly as they arrived. Not 1min after they had gone, three reds crossed the track about 10m from me. Can't shoot on the track with DOC permit rules obviously but bloody hell...

    Your best option for the kaimais is learn the behaviour of the deer for the seasons and the prevailing weather of the time and go where they will be. This is a factor of feed, access to water, security and pressure (i.e. distance from things that want to kill them) and comfortable conditions. It's easier to intercept them on the move so they hit you heading into the wind basically, as they hold all the aces on you once they've got you pegged.

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 22
    Last Post: 28-02-2024, 04:44 PM
  2. Greetings from the Black Forest, Germany - Seeking Tips and Contacts
    By BlackforestHunter in forum Introductions
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 10-02-2024, 06:19 AM
  3. What do kaimai's deer eat?
    By Russian 22. in forum Hunting
    Replies: 41
    Last Post: 13-05-2018, 11:59 PM
  4. German dog tracking wounded deer
    By stug in forum Hunting Dogs
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 27-10-2017, 06:36 PM
  5. New to deer hunting seeking advice.......
    By Jojiyo in forum Hunting
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 26-01-2014, 08:24 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!