Tahr and Chamois mid April

A friend and I are coming to take our chances hunting tahr and chamois in mid to late April. We are looking at different areas but don't know what the tahr do prerut. Is it common to find large mobs around the 15th of April? Should we plan to go high or stay lower? Realizing that there will be a lot of red deer hunters out-should we stay away from areas with red deer?

I'm full of excitement for this opportunity but there is a real struggle to gain the knowledge needed to be successful. Thank you for any help.

I believe tahr will be well up high in April, and if you don't have previous experience in the mountains of NZ, I would urge caution. Chamois may be a better target.

There are some spots where the tahr stay in the scrub all year round, but you'd need some local knowledge to find them.

Couple more posts and PM me mate.

Mid April is right on the border of change in behaviour. Bulls will be just starting to move to nanny areas. Id say either try arrive earlier in march, or later in may if possible. May definitely the tahr and cahmois hunting will be better and more exciting, and easier for a newbie too that hunting.

From springtime (late October onwards) the tahr will gain height with the new grass growth and stay fairly high right though to the rut.
What experience do you have in steep icey country?
I lived and worked in Chester, MT back in 1996.

The area your planning to hunt will have a big influence on where to find them, high vrs low etc. You will almost always find ‘mobs’ of tahr at any time of the year, the question is will the mature bulls be with the nannies if that’s what you're targeting. At that time of the year, you are right on the cusp of them being there or not and can possibly endure some of the worst conditions NZ can throw at you.

If you are time poor then try and find someone local to take you out for a hunt. There are many options depending on your ability and what you're looking for.

To help us (and you) post a story or two about the type of hunting you do in the states and what you are hoping to get out of a visit to NZ.

Ppl here are very interested in hunt swaps……Id stick my hand up but cannot commit 100% at that time of the year. But I would be happy to help if I can.

I reckon that a lot of guys make it seem like a dark art to find and knock a bull tahr over, but they are where they are, get in the mountains and if youre in the right general area, youll find them, you might have to walk up a hill, you might have to walk down a hill. Happy to pm some info once you have a few posts and are able to PM. Im pretty out of touch with the chamois the last few years but its not terribly difficult to figure them out if you get into the right general area. The west coast is quite literally the wild west and although they will in general maintain distance from each other I have seen plenty of Chamois in "Tahr Country" and vice versa, there are large swathes of land on the east coast where you will find a heap of Tahr but not many chamois, and likewise areas where you will find a heap of chamois but no Tahr (Chamois are far more widely distributed and live outside the "accepted" feral range for Tahr) If anything I think a good Chamois head is a far more difficult ask than a good bull Tahr, I was mad on them for quite a few years before I finally put a 10" on the ground and have only ever found one other of that class which @Philipo bowled over, interestingly mine was from the east coast and we got his on the west coast. Chamois are notoriously difficult to asses from a distance also compared to Tahr and dont mob up into the big mobs that Tahr are commonly found in, personally I find chams a much more fulfilling animal to pursue. If you wanted a "proper" NZ alpine and west coast river valley experience and a real good chance at seeing both animals with limited time then I would head for the west coast, put together $700 and give James Scott a call and ask him to drop you somewhere you have a chance at a Cham and a Tahr and walk your way out.

Good advice Ryan

Ah, if only the Turkey's would allow flights into Douglas hut in the head of Copeland. Neat place and both animals reside side by side. Another alternative is fly into head of Karangarua.

This beauty went 10.25" taken with Ryans mighty 270wsm & thanks to Songhurst guiding, the area was only five minutes flight from the main road.


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Chammie are great fun to hunt & can pop up anywhere & anytime when ya in the southern hills

Chester is about an hour away. Thank you for the information, I have some experience in the steep icy country. Would you recommend more of a low land hunt?

Once you can Pm, let me know and Ill give you a couple of spots that will be worth while considering.

If you want chamois and tahr then the West Coast is probably better. West Coast will be steeper, thicker scrub, harder to get around. The East coast is more open, less scrub easier to get around but probably harder to get close to animals. Would probably be harder to get a chamois on the East coast with the bow.