Thread: Waihohonu, Tongariro NP

Hi all,
I'm thinking of heading into the Waihohonu hut later this month (club hunt), and am after a bit of advice.
I'm not after anyone's spots, just some ideas of strategy to hunt this type of country as I mostly bush stalk and have never hunted this type of open country before.

It looks like it's bino sit-and-glass country. There appears to be limited areas of bush, so do you watch the edges of the bush areas, or will the deer be out in the open scrub country as well? The area should get the moring sun, so I expect watching the sunny west/north faces and guts is worth a try (assuming the sun comes out!).

Is the carpark on the Desert Road okay to leave the vehicle? Or best to try and organise a shuttle?

TIA for any info or tips

I wouldn't leave a car there. No way.
Bush edge up high is a good spot in spring. Reds and Sika.

Excuse the 2008 era Blackberry phone camera pics.

Some great country in there and your strategy is sound. You will find lots of spots in all directions that you can glass and the open country is well worth a look.
I have never had issues leaving vehicles at the road end before but maybe I was just lucky.
Good luck

Thanks to those who gave advice and info, I'm heading in there on Friday for the weekend. The weather is looking okay but might not be much sunshine.

Originally Posted by Cigar

Thanks to those who gave advice and info, I'm heading in there on Friday for the weekend. The weather is looking okay but might not be much sunshine.

Let us know how you get on.

Done a lot of hunting in there over the years. The Te Mako bush on the way in can be quite productive, or the north side of the ridge behind the old hut site is a favorite of mine. Picture of a Waihohonu Sika stag a couple of roars back

That's a hell of a deer.
Did you carry it all the way to the road? Veeeery impressive.

Not all the way. I put it down at the new hut and while all the trampers at the hut were fussing around with great interest and I was telling quite the tail of the hunt, it ended up on your back for the rest of the carry!

Good stuff.
I had a similar thing a few years back when I shot a couple of stags in that area. My wife and I made one trip out with all the meat and one head and I dragged a friend back the next day to collect the second head. Huge amount of interest from the throngs of people using the new hut and surrounding tracks.

This post bring back some awesome memories.
In March 1989 my wife and I were in there hunting....got a nice stag up behind the hut.

I carried the stag out to the car and she carried the pack, not bad going considering she was 5 months pregnant...she still hunts with me today.

Memories! In 1962 and still a boy I shot my first deer unsupervised in the creek in the next
valley north from the original hut. Worst case of buck fever ever, shaking like a leaf I emptied my 10 rounds at two of them in the creek. As the last round sent on its wobbly way one of them sat down in the stream. I had to cut its throat and the only wound I found on it was a bullet had severed
both achillies tendons. Lot more in that story but it would take a book so will leave it there.

Looks like @Woody still has the shacks on that one

I would get the vehicle shuttle, I got away with parking there a few times but came out on a very wet night to find my drivers window smashed and had to drive 6 hours with the rain pissing in. While it can be a hassle, takes away the risk.
On that occasion there were 2 other car in the park and they suffered the same fate.
Happy hunting.

You used to be able to drive from the car park right into the bush edge (4x4). Probably a bit safer in there if you can still do it.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Looks like @Woody still has the shacks on that one

Ha ha. Got over buck fever but as I get older the shakes are there regardless- bugger this getting old shit!