Thread: Otukota hut Ruahines

Recently spent a very enjoyable 3 nights a Otukota hut in the Ruahines, this was part of an organised club hunt with 2 other parties of 3 going to Colenso hut and Ironbark hut. I haven't had a full rundown on how the other two parties got on but think they got an animal each between them, with the weather playing a big part on seeing a few deer.
The rivers had been running as low as they get until a week before our fly in date , but typical, heavy rain in the Ruahines meant all rivers were running high and uncrossable so for us at Otukota we were limited to the hut side of the river.
With little hunting in the area since the roar there were a few handy deer close to the hut, with Mark shooting a hind and yearling/fawn on a steep slip close to the hut and myself shooting what ill call a yearling that was standing on the track, but really just a fawn LOL, but it will be good eating.
Keith had some bad luck with his rifle bolt jamming which cost him a deer and the next day after he thought he had fixed the problem missed another deer with trigger problems on his rifle so very frustrating for him.
We really only had 2 days of reasonable weather with rain and wind coming in again on our last night there and only just cleared enough for the helicopter to pick us up mid afternoon.
There was originally a 1080 drop scheduled for the northern Ruahines in May but the drop has been put off till June/July. I was interested in having a look around soon after a 1080 drop just to see the results for myself so that will have wait for another time.

Walked up to the boundary with Mokai station and off course seen a few up there which was good to see.

Nice one, what did they sting you to fly in there?
From Mokai station i assume?

Nice to see those huts done up

Originally Posted by Sika 8

Nice one, what did they sting you to fly in there?
From Mokai station i assume?

Nice to see those huts done up

Yip, got picked up from the end of Mokai road. The cost pp was $325 but the club i belong to (Central Districts Field@Game, based in Feilding) sponsored some of the cost with there fundraising activities like selling firewood so the actual cost pp probably more like $450-475 . Its only a few minutes flying time into Otukota from Mokai road end so not really a cheap trip. But i've found Midwest good to fly in with , if they can work your flight in with a backload they a quite happy to pass on the cost savings. In the peak of the roar there must have been twenty odd vehicles parked in the paddock out there so works out cheaper for everyone.
And yeah Otukota is looking good after a recent spruce up

Oh Dakota
I like this name better

I’m very surprised the Iron Bark hunters got one animal each. Have you had a chance to confirm that? The numbers around there are apparently very high.
Needs a good cull ip.
I was going to head in there.
Maybe not now. :-)

Was in there recently on a very successful trip. Were there any rats scurrying around the hut? The other party that were there when we were there took out a heap of old food out of the hut that someone had left behind. Probably what attracted the rats in the first instance.

Originally Posted by craigc

I’m very surprised the Iron Bark hunters got one animal each. Have you had a chance to confirm that? The numbers around there are apparently very high.
Needs a good cull ip.
I was going to head in there.
Maybe not now. :-)

I have since spoken to one of the guys that went to Ironbark and it seems they saw quite a few deer but they were either across the flooded river or too far away.

Originally Posted by Floundering Around

Was in there recently on a very successful trip. Were there any rats scurrying around the hut? The other party that were there when we were there took out a heap of old food out of the hut that someone had left behind. Probably what attracted the rats in the first instance.

We were given some rat bait to take in there but it got taken to the wrong hut (bugger) . There was a rat in the ceiling around the chimney flue that we tried to spear with a knife taped to the broom handle LOL but me mate missed him so the bugger is still there .!!

Bugger. Would have paid to sit down and watch you try to spear him hahahaha.