Thread: South Opuha Tahr Hunting Canterbury

I'm heading down to South Opuha hut for a week in October to do some Tahr hunting. Will be based out of South Opuha hut. Anyone know what the tahr numbers are like down there?

Also has anyone seen deer or chamois down there. They're listed on the DOC website but I'm not sure how common they would be.

Any comment is appreciated.

Cheers
David

If the south Canterbury doc people are any good they'll point you in the right direction for a tahr

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Heard of a few vehicles getting a rough time I'm the car park be aware I guess

In there a few years ago, animals there but light numbers. More across river but that's private land as I recall. Great country. Good luck.

Dont hunt the true left - its private land. But there are a few tahr around, maybe, just maybe, the odd chamois. Lovely little spot, but absolute nightmare if you're walking in, helicopter is the way to go.

Tekapo helicopters will fly in,you would be better off with a group to keep $$ down. So called you use to be able to use the cocky's track by $$. Not sure how easy that would be or if he will let you. It is a good hard walk in/out.
If your after meat animals there is other options which have lots more animals and less $$ and less of a slog, pm me if you choose to. And like Husky1600 said about tahr there are a few around depending on the day and year,that's the chance you take,is a lovely little spot.

South Opuha is an area of easy to hunt country with tahr, a few chammy and wallabies present. When the new hut was built in 2012 the area started seeing a lot more hunters, mainly flying in as the walk in there is a bit of a sod as is getting permission to cross private land first. The area also sees a lot of heli-hunting (seen this first hand). Further down the creek was the old South Opuha Hut which I think has now been removed.



The new hut was built by a bunch of keen outdoors people with lots of donated time and materials



Lots of history associated with the old hut



A magnificent young bull tahr I photographed doing the classic bull tahr pose

Rode to old hut on my XR with a group of great mates, NZFS kero cooker and half a drum of fuel there. We got a bull and a chamois not many animals around then must have been about 1989?? Nice spot :-)

Nice spot but theres better places to go if youre spending money on a whirlybird

Cheers for all your replies. I m heading in there mid October. Will let you guys know how I get on.

Some pix from 2010 (late April). Old hut in centre of last photo.