Thread: Unsuccessful stories in the Kawekas.

Originally Posted by Larskramer

thats some sounds advice kiwijames although im trying to google what tutu is... and am having no luck.

tutu's got two-two leaves...

Very grateful of this thread as as I'm in the same boat more or less.

Evening gents.

I managed to get out again on the weekend (not for long but I'll take whatever time I can get), here's how I went.

We headed out Saturday arvo and got to the Kaweka flats bivvy about 4pm. There was lots of new growth on that beech forest along the way. Lots of young broadleaf and bright green young fern fronds. They looked tasty even to me. No sign of any of it being chewed though. When we got close to the big river crossing, there was quite a lot of Tutu and lots of it new growth. Again, I didn't see any sign at all of that new growth being browsed on. Looked like some of the older leaves were chewed a few weeks ago (maybe more?).

I dropped my wife off at the Biv to read and then I doubled back some ways and left the track to try to get through to Dick's spur. I stumbled and crawled through the scrub for about an hour and I don't think I got 100 metres. Lots and lots of fallen scrubby trees at just the right height so they can't be easily climbed under or over. I figured I must be doing something wrong so I gave up on that and then went past the bivvy, through that beech (birch?) forest near the Iron Whare and had a look around there. It was dry as, no new growth at all. It was getting close to dusk at this point so I headed back to the bivvy and glassed the tops from there while the sun set. Didn't see anything around. Then I cut up some of the fallen trees for fire wood. Wifey made an awesome chicken curry for dinner.

In the morning, I got up at 5 and rushed back out north east through the beech forest and down the slips to the river, then headed upstream. I probably should have gotten up a bit earlier as it was starting to get light by the time I was down there. There wasn't any tutu down there but there at least was some coprosmas and broadleaf. I paused for a snack, waited, looked, listened a bit then headed further upstream. I found some deer tracks that looked to be maybe only a day old. The imprint was very clear and no sign of being washed away by rain but it had crossed the river a few times but there weren't any wet prints on the rocks. Didn't see droppings. I followed the prints along, trying to figure out the story. Interestingly, it looks like it stopped in an area to chew on some fern but the fern looked to have been chewed many days ago. Maybe prints look fresh for longer than I thought? Had to leave not too long after that. Headed back, wifey cooked bacon for breakfast and then we hiked back to the car.

Saw a deer on the road while driving back about midday. F**K ME after all that walking! I pulled over and ran into the bush after her but all I got was a face full of bush lawyer, she was long gone. Next time, I intend to go back to where I saw the deer as there's a good spot nearby where I can park. Why the hell was it out around lunchtime? Did it get caught out by the heatwave and go out for a drink?

Took the wife out afterwards (full points to Te awa winery for not looking down on me for showing up in hiking gear with bloody scratched up arms and pretending not to notice me chugging water like I was dying) then drove back to Auckland.

I'm having fun and learning but the biggest question I have right now is how the hell do you guys get through that scrub?

Originally Posted by Hyllest

Evening gents.

I managed to get out again on the weekend (not for long but I'll take whatever time I can get), here's how I went.

We headed out Saturday arvo and got to the Kaweka flats bivvy about 4pm. There was lots of new growth on that beech forest along the way. Lots of young broadleaf and bright green young fern fronds. They looked tasty even to me. No sign of any of it being chewed though. When we got close to the big river crossing, there was quite a lot of Tutu and lots of it new growth. Again, I didn't see any sign at all of that new growth being browsed on. Looked like some of the older leaves were chewed a few weeks ago (maybe more?).

I dropped my wife off at the Biv to read and then I doubled back some ways and left the track to try to get through to Dick's spur. I stumbled and crawled through the scrub for about an hour and I don't think I got 100 metres. Lots and lots of fallen scrubby trees at just the right height so they can't be easily climbed under or over. I figured I must be doing something wrong so I gave up on that and then went past the bivvy, through that beech (birch?) forest near the Iron Whare and had a look around there. It was dry as, no new growth at all. It was getting close to dusk at this point so I headed back to the bivvy and glassed the tops from there while the sun set. Didn't see anything around. Then I cut up some of the fallen trees for fire wood. Wifey made an awesome chicken curry for dinner.

In the morning, I got up at 5 and rushed back out north east through the beech forest and down the slips to the river, then headed upstream. I probably should have gotten up a bit earlier as it was starting to get light by the time I was down there. There wasn't any tutu down there but there at least was some coprosmas and broadleaf. I paused for a snack, waited, looked, listened a bit then headed further upstream. I found some deer tracks that looked to be maybe only a day old. The imprint was very clear and no sign of being washed away by rain but it had crossed the river a few times but there weren't any wet prints on the rocks. Didn't see droppings. I followed the prints along, trying to figure out the story. Interestingly, it looks like it stopped in an area to chew on some fern but the fern looked to have been chewed many days ago. Maybe prints look fresh for longer than I thought? Had to leave not too long after that. Headed back, wifey cooked bacon for breakfast and then we hiked back to the car.

Saw a deer on the road while driving back about midday. F**K ME after all that walking! I pulled over and ran into the bush after her but all I got was a face full of bush lawyer, she was long gone. Next time, I intend to go back to where I saw the deer as there's a good spot nearby where I can park. Why the hell was it out around lunchtime? Did it get caught out by the heatwave and go out for a drink?

Took the wife out afterwards (full points to Te awa winery for not looking down on me for showing up in hiking gear with bloody scratched up arms and pretending not to notice me chugging water like I was dying) then drove back to Auckland.

I'm having fun and learning but the biggest question I have right now is how the hell do you guys get through that scrub?

My rule of thumb for sign is areas that have congregations of prints. Single tracks moving up or downhill are migratory corridors and are low percentage places. What you want are spots that have multiple tracks across the hill as well as up and down, these are areas where deer are congregating and spending time feeding/sheltering. This could be a sheltered gully head, a broadleaf terrace or a clearing/slip face. I'm not particularly interested in scat as sign. Feeding areas are usually morning and night spots, sheltering areas I hunt during the day. This time of year hungry deer take more risks and can popup in feed areas throughout the day.

Scrub is a PITA but after a while you learn to embrace the suck.

The best thing you can do is stick to an area and get to know it well, you'll learn where the nice faces are and where the deer hold up.

Keep at it, don't be discouraged. I started the same way as you did, on my own, and had similar nerves about getting to far off track etc. A GPS will help with confidence with this, although try not to over use it. It takes time but you start getting a sense for it and start recognizing patterns.

It took me ages before I shot a deer, and I duffed a couple of sitters during this time. I slowly got better though and nowadays I shoot a deer pretty much every second hunt on NI public land.

Stub is a bugger soup jack is also a sod! But with the jack I look for the base of the plank and the aim for that as the plant bends away from there. With scrub I look for the path of lest resistance. Sometimes though you just need to push through as that is the line you need to take. As soon as I see that it is clearing I slow right up as you can bump them on the fringes.
You sound like your moving very fast. My rule of thumb is if I’m sweating I’m going to fast, for bush stalking.

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll slow down and keep my spirits high. My PLB and two power banks arrived in the mail today! That's definitely going to help with my confidence.

You are driving past a whole lot of hunting spots on the way to the Kawekas. Kaimais, Pureora, Clements Road, Urewera.
Predominantly bush hunting though, but still worth a look.
I'd be inclined to have a good poke around in Kaimais. Wairere Falls or Te Tuhi for access.