Thread: Umukarikari Track Advice

Hi team,

I'm planning to go out the Kaimanawa next weekend for a overnighter in the Waipakihi hut, via the Umukarikari Track.

Been to the neighbouring Kaweka and Ruahine couple of times. How does the Kaimanawa compare to those areas?

At the moment I have a 223 that I can consistently hit a clay target with at 200m, and a 308 at 100m (still getting used to the gun). Which would be the more suitable one to take out? What sort of shooting distance would be typical in this area?

Any other tips about the area would be genuinely appreciated.

Thank you.

308 for sure, have you much experience on hunting animals?

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Originally Posted by HNTMAD

308 for sure, have you much experience on hunting animals?

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Lots of small game, usually with the 22.
Heaps of goats, usually with the 223.
Complete noob when it comes to deer and pigs. Done plenty of miles trying, but just don't see them for some reason.

Sweet, slow down, look and look again, defo take ya 308

Gd luck

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Get your binos and find a nice spot to sit in the evening where you can look out over some broken bush/open country. Stay until it is too dark to see. Do the same thing first thing next morning.
Use whatever rifle you feel most comfortable with.

Or speed up a bit and cover more country, you will soon or a later bump into something

Originally Posted by HNTMAD

Sweet, slow down, look and look again, defo take ya 308

Gd luck

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Excellent, thanks for that.

Like shearer said do plenty of glassing at dawn and dusk. The sika should almost have their summer coats by now and should be easy to spot. Definitely take the 308. I haven’t hunted the waipakihi before but it appears to be big open country. In this sort of terrain shots of 200yd or more are common. To flatten deer at these distances with a 223 requires precision shooting with premium projectiles that penetrate and expand consistently. It is an expert’s weapon. The 308 has a lot more energy and a greater margin of error if the shot isn’t quite on the money. I’ve used both cartridges quite a bit and the 223 always remained in the safe on a sika hunt...

.308 for sure,more margin of error..

It's a long walk for a over night hunt, be a good 5 hours each way from memory which doesn't leave much time for hunting and your also walking past alot of reasonable hunting along the way. Better off to camp up on the top there if the weather is good.

There's some good hunting once you reach the first bush edge from the car park. Its a grind over the top to the river. If you just want to get a deer, you will walk past a lot this time of the year if you go right over the range. There is a camp site on the right not far past where you break out of the bush, and you can hunt along the ridge towards the top of the Urchin loop track.

If you camp above the bush edge you will have to carry water (I think?). Can't remember there being any handy up there.

Originally Posted by Shearer

If you camp above the bush edge you will have to carry water (I think?). Can't remember there being any handy up there.

Around Easter a mate and I had to drop down to the first creek head at the top and it was a gentle trickle

Yea water will be scarce but you can get it up there. There's generally water about 50m before the Bush edge if you drop into the little creek on the true right of the track.

Yeah Bugger going all the way to the waipakihi hut for an overnighter its a big walk with plenty of up. Get up to the bush edge and base yourself there. Shots pretty common at 300plus in there although usually you can get closer.

Good bush hunting off the tracks once you are a ways up there too, have shot deer with 50m of the track there and bumped them when walking.

Go for an explore either way, its a bloody mint walk, view is epic off the tops