Thread: Winter tops hunting

Hunt the warm gully heads where they merge into the tops. You will often see deer feeding up high in the broken tussock/leatherwood in these areas. Also glass the margin just under the leather wood. Especially when the sun hits it. In the Ruahines the deer feed on the soft silver flax (can't think of its name) around the tussock margins. They will camp up quite close to it if the WX is not too shite.

No matter where you go on the tops in winter you will mainly be seeing deer below you along the margins and down lower, rather than above you.

Plan your trip around the WX. Wait for a southerly to go through and then get hunting in the eye of fine weather that almost always follows a southerly.

You can get some great hunting in the lower tops areas of the Ruahines during the winter. Take good gear and plan your trip carefully.
I used to hunt the Ruahines year round because I had to, and the winter was still quite productive.