Thread: Tops hunting newbie

Hey guys hoping to pick some brains! I'm finally able to get away for a hunt for the first time in 4 months! Looking at doing a tops trip specifically up the urchin. Is this a good time of year? Any tips? Appreciate any help!
Cheers

use your eyes more than your feet..take plenty water and a small bit of closed cell foam pad to park your bum on. old pillow cases to put meat in and keep flies away.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

use your eyes more than your feet..

This. Has taken me years and years to realise that I have sprinted past hundreds of deer in search of the next valley or slip. So obsessed with seeing new ground that I forgot to ever endeavour at actually looking for deer...
I've seen so many more deer since just slowing down, sitting and watching, you don't have to be far off track, or even far from a hut, sit down and glass. Find a good spot that gives you a good view shed, sit down and shut up.

plenty water and the likes of a jetboil..or even beercan cooker for "many heaps cupsa tea" or coffee if thats your flavour..or latte if your a 7mm/08 user..or chai latte if you man of outstanding class LOL.
the little things make sitting in one spot so much easier to do.
any twit can sit there for a bit,but a little bit of forethought makes it much more comfortable....like fellas taking an umbrella into a layout blind.

Originally Posted by Makros

I have sprinted past hundreds of deer in search of the next valley or slip. So obsessed with seeing new ground that I forgot to ever endeavour at actually looking for deer

That IS me

I'd be heading to umukarikari tops.
Far bigger area to hunt.
Find an elevated spot with a good view. Two hours before dark you should start to see animals come out Be Patient.
All of the sudden they just appear.

Morning need to get up real early in the dark. Middle of the day just sleep.
Find a good camp spot handy to water.

Originally Posted by Chur Bay

I'd be heading to umukarikari tops.
Far bigger area to hunt.
Find an elevated spot with a good view. Two hours before dark you should start to see animals come out Be Patient.
All of the sudden they just appear.

Morning need to get up real early in the dark. Middle of the day just sleep.
Find a good camp spot handy to water.

How long does it take to walk up there? Bit limited for time

#1 rule for tops hunting.....think before you shoot, just cause you can see it does not mean you can recover it. Have a quick assessment of how you can get to and recover an animal before you pull the trigger. As previously mentioned find a good vantage sit and use your glass, it's harder than you think to sit in 1 place for a few hours, definitely jet boil and snacks are a great idea.

Originally Posted by superdiver

How long does it take to walk up there? Bit limited for time

No real difference to get to the tops. Just a bigger area.

Originally Posted by superdiver

How long does it take to walk up there? Bit limited for time

Think of a number and triple it. It will be carnage in there just now, trees down everywhere.

Originally Posted by XR500

Think of a number and triple it. It will be carnage in there just now, trees down everywhere.

Good point.

I havnt really hunted the tops but, stumbled across a couple on the walk in And also would of walked past one 100m off the track on the way out of the umukarikari, but my dog indicated on it and I didn't believe her, thinking it was in the bush and by the time I realised where it was it was gone.
I think it took me. 3 to 3.5hrs last time to get to the tops but that was with kit for 5 days. And i was really unfit. 7.5 total to the hut including lunch Nd all my stops.

Argh of course the storm will have shagged it. Didn't think about that...

Unfortunately @superdiver I'd be surprised if you could get to the start of any of those tracks currently....

As mentioned above not sure how you will go getting in to these places now after the storm. Plenty of deer on the umukarikari tops. Bit of a grunt up the hill depending on how fit you are, with tent & gear for a 3-4 day trip takes me 2 hrs 45 give or take to get from the carpark to bushline. Plenty of good country to hunt all the way in to the waipakihi hut, but you wont need to venture far from the bushline to find animals. Water can be tricky to find so pays to take a reasonable amount up with you. I have had more success at first light than in the evening but still plenty of animals around in the evening. If your just doing a day trip i would try leave the carpark 3.5-4hrs before sunrise. About 20-30 mins after breaking out onto the tops theres some pretty good spots to sit & glass alot of country. Park up with some warm clothes on & be patient. Even if you dont see them, they are there. As danny mentioned, some of the country can be pretty hard for recovery, so pays to have a good think about that before squeezing off. Alot of it is fairly open country with not much cover to stalk in, so naturally you could be in for some long shots. Shortest shot i have taken up there has been 467m, Not to say i couldnt have got closer on some of them but it can be difficult with how open most of the country is.

Good luck