Thread: Whitewater wapiti block

I have this block this year 3rd period.

Have been into 3 blocks previously but looking for any specific advise on whitewater

Cheers

Try Simon Gibson's book Wapiti Hunting in New Zealand. Most libraries have it.

It has chapters on most if not all the blocks including good info on the Whitewater.

Yep I have it and it's what I'm basing my plans on so far just keen to get another opinion

Great, feel free to ask me questions. I have been there, about 10 years ago.

Plenty of options for drop off points, how many in your party? Are you sharing the block with another party? Greg Duley did an episode in there where he was dropped on the tops between the WW river and south west arm of George sound.

Yes sharing with another party of two who have requested the north section bordering looking glass which I have no issue with.

I was thinking about getting dropped where my crosshair is in the photo below and then hunting the tops if weather permits followed by hunting out down the main valley.

Maybe even dropping supplies like fishing rod etc at mouth first. I'm in a party of two

Pretty sure this is the river where in flood, it can't fit through a slot gorge in the valley and the river backs up and rises up to 10m. Map seems to support that. Has huge levies on either side of the river. Behind the levies is swamp. Scary swamp, where you walk across it and the ground is like a huge waterbed. Deer among the levies and swamp. Big slips, some recent, come down off the hillsides and push out into the swamps. Very good deer numbers when I was there. The tops around George sound are pretty standard, but the valley bottom of the Whitewater is very weird and well worth an explore, but you have to be aware the whole thing goes under water regularly. This is my recollection from passing through years ago.

Sorry, my first attempt at uploading an image on the mac dropped the locations Doh!!
Your suggested location for drop off would be as good as any. I would seriously consider calling Greg Duley to see if he can give you any info, as thats very near where he was dropped. See if you can track down that series he did there. Tops might be a bit challenging in places to get off??. He would have picked that location for a reason??. Richard Hayes on our flight in pointed out that spur with the cross and said he had seen some big velveties summering there....Long time ago though??? We put 2 guys where the X is and they hunted expedition peak, and walked all the way down river. Other favourable areas circled, but only my opinion. I have seen a couple of reasonable heads come from the most westerly circled area if you have the chance to hunt it. an inflatable boat dropped at the mouth of the WW can open up the front country where you will hear the animals bugle/roar.
Hope you have a great trip and look forward to a report. feel free to ask any more questions.
Fred.

There is a tight gorge in the main river just East of that most westerly circle. We had a main camp just down river from that gorge. We had some reasonable fiordland rain and yes the river comes up, and there are some large swampy areas in the mid section. The river drops quickly after rain and we weere able to navigate it as effectively as any other areas I have hunted ...usual warnings for fiordland.....camp well above the rivers and stream and check trees for flood debris!!

Thanks for that yes a few options.

If a decent weather window at start will get dropped up top otherwise may just get dropped at mouth with dinghy. I'm flying to argentina the day after we are due out (19th) so do need to be reasonably watchful of weather and may have to pull pin early if necessary. Hopefully plenty of roaring/bugling, never been in 3rd period only 2nd previously

@PerazziSC3 might pay to have a look at what the weather did 90 years ago. Sorry not trying to be a smart baugger but I see nz has just broken a record so may pen it might give you an indication of where it's heading.
I do use this weather site which is very accurate. I no it from Norway but have found them consistent in Thailand, SA, England, Europe, Chile and NZ when I was home last two years ago.
https://www.yr.no/place/New_Zealand/...aland~2186223/

Yes I use same weather app.

Every year I have been to fiordland the weather has been pretty good. 2 years ago in the edith we didn't see rain for 7 days staright and were struggling to find water that hadn't been wallowed in.

I'm due some bad weather