Tops Hunting Tips

Tops Hunting Tips,

All of my hunting up until now has been North Island bush, river flats and slips hunting, recently relocated to the Top of the South Island and would like to get try my luck at hunting the open tops around the area as we move into spring.

Any tips on how to approach the upcoming spring and summer Tops hunting season, I assume late November before we will see animals making their way high for spring growth and the yearlings kicked off?

Essential equipment besides a rifle and a good set of binos, assume a range finder will be a good investment anything else from you seasoned pros?

Slowly getting fitter but been mid 50’s I am probably past my peak and never going to be quick up the mountains, slow and steady hopefully still gets me up the hill….

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Cheers FBD

Hi mate, pm me if you’re keen to team up.. I only tops hunt. As for gear, a set of walking poles and a pack you can strap your rifle to, a spotting scope comes in handy, def binos, a rifle you can dial out to 4-500 yards is a bonus, if you over night which helps with factoring in the climb then wind sturdy tent and sleeping pad. Wind proof, water proof layer. Gloves. The wind up high can be brutal even out of winter. Other than that just get after it, you’ll soon figure out which areas get pressure and which get overlooked. If you love the mountains and the grind of getting up into the hard to get mountainous areas then an animal becomes a bonus. Generally speaking, there are always animals in the tops, however late summer before autumn is when the alpine/sub alpine growth seems to really kick off and the deer seem to mob up in the tops to feed. Oh and a plb…

Get a good vantage point a couple of hours before sunset or just before sunrise with the wind right and use your binos. The deer can be sitting in the tussock all day and not be seen until they stand up. Take a 400mm square of foam bed roll to sit on. Some shooting sticks could be handy. Shooting over pack in tussock can be frustrating sometimes.

A square of foam to sit on while glassing.

Walking poles to double as shooting sticks for getting above the tussock.

Wide-brimmed hat.

Ha ha, @RUMPY - you best me to it

a water bottle.....didnt do so for years..always water around,but its nice not to have to loose altitude to get it.
patience...my biggest downfall other than fitness...... the ability to just sit and watch is golden.

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Originally Posted by Jus

Hi mate, pm me if you’re keen to team up.. I only tops hunt. As for gear, a set of walking poles and a pack you can strap your rifle to, a spotting scope comes in handy, def binos, a rifle you can dial out to 4-500 yards is a bonus, if you over night which helps with factoring in the climb then wind sturdy tent and sleeping pad. Wind proof, water proof layer. Gloves. The wind up high can be brutal even out of winter. Other than that just get after it, you’ll soon figure out which areas get pressure and which get overlooked. If you love the mountains and the grind of getting up into the hard to get mountainous areas then an animal becomes a bonus. Generally speaking, there are always animals in the tops, however late summer before autumn is when the alpine/sub alpine growth seems to really kick off and the deer seem to mob up in the tops to feed. Oh and a plb…

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Thanks Jus thats a kind offer.

Not sure if I enjoy the grind up, but man when I get up there in the mountains, it is good for the soul.

Great info on the gear thanks everyone, will have to do a bit of shopping.

Cheers FBD

Leave very early in the morning for a big hill climb,like 3am 4am.Bet the sun to the tops,nice and cool for hill climbing in the dark with a good head lamp.

Good headlamp:
https://www.piercingthedarkness.co.n...d25lr-headlamp

Very easy to put a spare battery in a case and take that with you too.

Thought I was only one who does my travel in the pitch black haha good to know I’m not the only mad bastard!!

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Originally Posted by Joe_90

Good headlamp:
https://www.piercingthedarkness.co.n...d25lr-headlamp

Very easy to put a spare battery in a case and take that with you too.

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I splashed out a while ago and got the Cyansky HS6R - great headlamp if not a bit heavy

https://www.piercingthedarkness.co.n...e/cyansky-hs6r

Range finder and dial up scope are next on the list, maybe the sig BDX combo

Let your binos do the the walking...
Try and get above the animals if possible.
Resist the temptation to walk on top of the ridge, sky lining yourself.
Watch out for Spaniard grass [emoji3]
Enjoy the views !!!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Sig BDX is a good system. Definitely rate having binos, range finder, and solution in one package as it saves tons of time and faffing. Might not be as important on the SI tops as you’ll probably have more time but bloody NI deer love to wander across slips pretty quick sometimes

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Originally Posted by Jus

Thought I was only one who does my travel in the pitch black haha good to know I’m not the only mad bastard!!

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No, some of us also walk up hills way too early in the day

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The best time to hunt the tops is when you can. It is just awesome being up there.

Walked up a few Canterbury doc tracks 3hrs or 4hrs before day light yrs ago.Had a few deer nearly run me over at different times.Couple of pigs snorting their way down the track towards me one morning,the head lamp on them then they crashed thru the bush.Use to hear the thumbing of deer hooves trotting away.Loved hearing the morporks in the distance.Different world out there at night,loved it.

If you were younger I would suggest taking a book. To make you sit down and not worry about the time, and covering more country. But at your age you most probably will need a little lie down once you hit hunting elevation (I know I do), and do lots of glassing. And then some more glassing. They are all there, you just haven't seen them yet.

Might be stating the obvious but If you can see them, they can see you and that can be a loooooong way off. If you need to close the gap get out of sight somehow. I havent used a sig combo of the likes so cant comment but dont be afraid to get a rangefinder and dial in moa. Good bipod, set of carbon poles and sunscreen!!

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Originally Posted by XR500

If you were younger I would suggest taking a book. To make you sit down and not worry about the time, and covering more country. But at your age you most probably will need a little lie down once you hit hunting elevation (I know I do), and do lots of glassing. And then some more glassing. They are all there, you just haven't seen them yet.

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I am always partial to a bit of a lie down and snooze, more so now as an old bugger. My last dog was pretty keen on a snooze the one and only time we walked up and camped on the Ruahine tops/tarns, I was a bit younger then but still pretty stuffed after climbing up from the Kawhatua base.

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cheers FBD

Never leave a deer to find a deer!
Its a mental thing but sometimes you decide (wrongly) that its to far away, or its to much of a climb, or theres to much shit to push through
If you see an animal and you've got enough daylight, then start hunting towards it. It might be the only one you see for the trip

I always seem to see more animals after a little lie down in the arvo sun for an hour or so... Either by looking too intently and not relaxing into the landscape or by moving around too much, when I try too hard I never see a damn thing. Relax and 'zoom out' your attention, as it were. Works for me anyway.
If you can't maintain a slow and steady breathing rhythm in and out through the nose, you're charging too hard and you'll blow yourself to pieces... Even if you do make it to the top you'll be in no shape to hold a cuppa steady never mind the binos or rifle. No shame in trudging slowly, you'll probably take less breaks and end up getting around faster than you think.

If you don’t have them already, buy the best binos you are comfortable spending money on.

Another thing I didn't mention was "hunt your feet first ". So many people crest a ridge and start glassing a km away from where they are and an animal might be sitting within shooting range right in front of you.

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Originally Posted by XR500

If you were younger I would suggest taking a book. To make you sit down and not worry about the time, and covering more country. But at your age you most probably will need a little lie down once you hit hunting elevation (I know I do), and do lots of glassing. And then some more glassing. They are all there, you just haven't seen them yet.

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I download a book to the phone, which I'm carrying as a GPS and camera anyway. Sitting still in a good spot pays more dividends than racing all over the place I believe.

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Originally Posted by RUMPY

Another thing I didn't mention was "hunt your feet first ". So many people crest a ridge and start glassing a km away from where they are and an animal might be sitting within shooting range right in front of you.

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some of us have fired a unsuccessful barrage at out of range deer,then stood up and had yearling bounce past at 50 yards too...not my finest moment and many years ago.

I just upgraded to the leupold mckenzies in the 12x 50 magnification, bust thing i ever did! Love them to bits