Thread: Tahr hunt - Gammack Range

I was up there in early May. I took my son (15) and my Bother-in-Law up for their first Tahr hunt and we had stunning weather but being so warm the animals were right up on the very tops. The lads managed to secure a young nanny each for the pot from just over 250m but the big beasties eluded us on the hill. On the last morning we were about to climb up a face opposite camp when a helicopter came around the corner working the guts, flushed a huge Bull from the heavy scrub and shot it just 300m from us. I was livid. It wasn't a nice way to end what was otherwise a marvellous 4 days in the mountains. As the animal was shot from the hovering helicopter it was clear that this was an illegal activity because the area we were in is not available to WARS licensees. The rules for guided heli-hunting say you have to put the shooter out on the hill and leave him to shoot from the ground... so these guys were operating illegally no matter which way you look at it.

I heard from both DOC and another local operator that yet another Wanaka-based helicopter was in the area soon after our trip, having a big bomb-up with heli-hunters. I was planning to go back in June but there seemed little point. Next year. Definitely next year.




Spot the young bull. He's still up there waiting for you. Give him a couple more years though.




Still a bit of a climb yet to go - the Lad contemplates the way he's going to spend the next hour or so of his life.




I've got to give him is dues, despite the shaking knees the lad put in the hard yards and didn't complain.


You can't accuse us of not putting in the effort. Awesome location too... so beautiful. We're guardians of a stunning country.