Thread: Tararua ranges hunting

Gidday everyone! I’m new to the world of hunting and I’m having some troubles locking eyes on a deer. I’ve done some walks up the Shannon dams and have found sign but nothing fresh. I did the walk up to burns hut which held the most sign and looked promising but to no avail. Are there any areas that tend to hold animals consistently without having to walk for hours up to the tops? Am happy to have a look at other parts of the Tararua’s aswell so doesn’t have to be limited via access from the dams. Any advice is appreciated cause I’ve got heaps to learn. Cheers!

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Love the Tararuas, look at them every time I drive up the hiway.

If you're seeing sign but no deer it's probably a time of day thing, ya gotta be on clearings at first or last light (whatever else is happening in your life doesn't count when you're hunting)

I’ve been trying to be at my spots as early as I can but still no luck. I might just need to get out there more often. I’ve found it difficult to find any clearings or slips unless it’s right at the tops by the hut but even then the weather is usually less than ideal up there��

It’s a wicked set of hills that one, I enjoy exploring them even if I don’t have a rifle with me

the tararuas are loaded with deer,esp down the end your hunting,your prob sick of hearing that line but its true but that doesn't mean they are easier to get.Time in the game is the only way you'll start getting/seeing deer.try bush hunting some gully heads close to road ends you'll be surprised how Many deer you'll be walking past to get to the "spots".Saying that bush hunting is at the top of the ladder when it comes to deer hunting skills.youll need to commit.

It gets hammered by spotlighters and the like up by the dams. There is an impressive amount of leatherwood up by Burn hut aye I haven't got a deer around there but feel like around Otaki forks might be a bit easier going although you have to walk a fair way in to get past the hikers

Thanks for the tip man, I’ll give that a try. Half the battle is knowing the habits of the deer and where they are depending on time of day and year aswell and I’m still trying to work it all out

Ahh bugger, I’ve heard a couple story’s of people saying that the dams gets smashed at night but was hoping it wasn’t true. Isn’t it illegal to spotlight on public land? There’s definitely no shortage of leatherwood up there makes for some fun bush bashing off the main track haha. Any pointers on where to start looking up otaki forks? Cheeers

I’ll have a look into that, thank you

Just need to stick at it mate and all of sudden you’ll start getting on to them easier, deer closer than walking all the way up to burn hut, you could try walking up 3rd creek which is the creek with the wooden bridge over it on the way to burn hut, some big slip faces up there. College creek, baber creek, dick creek, Harris creek etc all worth a walk.

I’ll give that a try man thanks for the info!

And nothing wrong with not seeing much sign about. As long as you're having a think about it and why then it all gets stored in the memory bank. Then over time it starts to become second nature eg this time of year the deer should be in this habitat or this part of the catchment and not in these parts.

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try penn creek or any of the creek heads off fields track , the ohau wasnt to bad or behind manakau.