Thread: Tahr hunting advice please - Next weekend

Originally Posted by Goosebayhunter

Middle gorge hut. Awesome hut. Fly in with tekapo helicopters. Fly in plenty of firewood. Amazing hunt and warm with fire. Usually a few Bulls in there this time of year.

The Tekapo Heli base has been shut down, they've just been absorbed into the coast operations now.

Originally Posted by StrikerNZ

The Tekapo Heli base has been shut down, they've just been absorbed into the coast operations now.

Clint flying from the station now tho?

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Ah that makes sense, I hadn't heard about that.

Originally Posted by StrikerNZ

Ah that makes sense, I hadn't heard about that.

I could only assume I messaged him a while back and he was still flying so dunno.

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I’m pretty sure Tekapo Heli has closed and the machines redeployed to the coast operations?

Originally Posted by Gkp

Take a ice axe and crampons! Could save your arse. I will lend you mine. Rope is also handy

Ice axe and crampons, without the experience to use them correctly, and without the experience to read the snow condition, could get you into a great deal of trouble, or just dead.

You don't need to be a mountaineer to strap a pair of crampons on. It's like having a PLB in your backpack, just because you got it doesn't mean you have to use it.
What happens when you come to a steep frozen section that you need to get across safely? It doesn't even need to be steep! Having an ice axe and crampons in Thar country is a must no matter how experienced you may be or think you may be. To not have them would be like rock climbing without a rope!
Safety first.

If you have a good weather window and permission for the Reardon hut etc it would be my pick. You will have the area to yourself and good animal numbers when I’ve been in. If it’s cold take more clothes

Originally Posted by Gkp

Take a ice axe and crampons! Could save your arse. I will lend you mine. Rope is also handy

If you haven't done the training, dont take a rope.
Same goes for ice axe and crampons to a lesser extent.join NZAC and do a basic snow craft course.

Originally Posted by Goosebayhunter

HI Guys.

Biggest thing at the moment is the large amounts of Snow above 600mtrs.


I have not done many flight up the dobson but bull always tent to be really high.

If you want good Bulls sometimes the best places is not where huts are. I could recommend flying up first or second creek in Jollie, tenting it out and then walking out to save you one trip and usually a good bull or 2 in there.

The murch is OK if you got a big gun same again tho Bulls are usually high and mountains are huge.

This time of year you will need an ace and crampons regardless of low country. Once it freezes over night and if you slip in the mornings it can be fatal.

Any other info on Saftey, gear, camping in snow let me know Happy to help.

Many thanks Tom

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I really don't recommend flying into the Jollie. It takes 35 minutes to walk to the first hut and another 35 minutes to get to first and second creek.

I cut my teeth hunting tahr the Jollie, have done around 10 trips there.

Just make sure you don't shoot all of the immature/juvy bulls like some people are renown for @moovet. There is a huge population of nannies in the jollie.

If its cold you will need crampons, you can strike clear ice right after you hop out of your truck and take a heavy fall practically on the flat - don't ask how I know that. If you haven't done a course in self arrest then don't go on steep stuff in them. However if you watch a few you tube vids before you go and find a safe place to practice (where you won't drop off a bluff or start an avalanche) a bit you'll be in the same position as if you did the basic NZAC course.

Originally Posted by Gkp

You don't need to be a mountaineer to strap a pair of crampons on. It's like having a PLB in your backpack, just because you got it doesn't mean you have to use it.
What happens when you come to a steep frozen section that you need to get across safely? It doesn't even need to be steep! Having an ice axe and crampons in Thar country is a must no matter how experienced you may be or think you may be. To not have them would be like rock climbing without a rope!
Safety first.

No.

To "not have them" will prevent someone inexperienced in winter alpine conditions, going somewhere that is going to give them trouble if their luck is not good.

To have them, could easily see an inexperienced person climbing into difficulty because of misplaced confidence.

But, if you were to spend a day teaching him where, when and why the danger zones are, and how to save yourself when it goes tits up, then your offer of a gear loan would be a great idea.

I think it is fair to say that anyone going into an alpine mountain environment should be aware of the dangers and precautionary measures to keep safe. Or at least if they are not familiar with alpine hunting I hope they do the research and ask someone who can help them out.
It all turns to Shit a lot faster when there is snow, ice, cold temps, short daylight hours and mountain weather involved.
Stay safe.

Also posted this under the Tahr Cull Update:

If you are looking for a male tahr see if you can follow this lead.

All male tahr left during DOC culling operations will be way-pointed and the information published on the DOC website.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets...ional-plan.pdf

Page 11, appendix two, item 4

Advice is to glass lots - take a piece of foam bed roll to sit on so your arse doesn't freeze.

Morning and evenings are critical times to be in position for animals moving to and from feeding country. There's been culling through those areas for yonks, so the tahr become pretty wary of machine activity, so you won't see many through the day time. If you spot animals coming to a spot on the first evening, get in a position on the second to ambush them. They'll come back to that area normally.

The older/bigger bulls generally won't always be away up high, they're not that silly. Glass the scrub belts, fingers of bush edge etc. That said, you will see tahr up high, you don't necessarily have to chase them away up there. Last time I hunted the areas you've mentioned there were good bulls in the scrub, and they retreated there as soon as the first sightseeing machine flew over.

The bulls will follow the nannies around at this time of year, so if you find nannies, take your time to check for bulls rather than just have a bomb up on the nannies.

Take warmer clothing than you think you'll need, a decent down puffer under a good jacket is key. Take good gloves, hard to glass when your hands are stinging/burning with cold and you're shaking like a leaf.

Do take an ice axe minimum, do check out on youtube how to self arrest. Take a day course if you can, or get an experienced person to give you some tips. Better to have that equipment than not, as you may at some point on a tahr hunt find yourself in a precarious situation and need to climb down safely. An axe may save your life if you have a slip, which means carry it in your hand, not on your pack. Two points of contact on the ground at all times.

I do carry crampons but have only used them once to retrieve a tahr. I avoid going into situations where I think they'd be needed. That said, I have been caught out retrieving tahr and been thankful to have the option of using them.

As said, rope can be handy - not to assist you on a slope, but more to lower packs over big rocks or down steeper faces, or tie a animal to a bush to hold it while you cut it up/skin it etc. Don't go abseiling without the experience obviously.

Remember a south facing slope will freeze earlier in the day - so be wary of routes to the tops up a south face that you may take mid day. They can be treacherous on the way back down later in the day.

And a north facing slope covered in snow can get quite soft and risk of movement increases. Travelling in deep soft snow is a bitch anyway. Tahr don't like soft deep snow, so I generally avoid it.

Watch your mates backs for rolling stones/rocks as ground thaws or tahr travel above you, or you travel above your mates etc

If you find a good route to the tops, and plan on coming off in the dark, use the same route, don't opt for a shortcut. Ideally mark your route with GPS, I have been caught out in the fog/cloud and in the dark without a GPS on the way home and it's not a nice feeling.

Keep your PLB on your body, not in a pack. Take two forms of light and spare batteries.

The Reardon hut is cold. I'd almost opt to camp out on the flats across the valley to try get some sun. You'll see tahr from the hut/that general area, its a wicked valley.

Try and keep your boots dry, they will freeze solid if you don't. Sleep with your rifle, or at least cover the scope and check too make sure it is clear of condensation or frost before you leave camp.

Have fun, know your limitations and assess risks before you charge up after a bull. Tahr hunting in the bigger alpine country is very addictive. I wish I had more time to do more these days.