Thread: Summer tops humt

We stayed at the ranger station at Makahu a couple of years ago shortly after New Year. We used it as a base and hiked out towards Middle Hill Hut to the north. We bumped several deer in the timber between Makahu and Kaweka Flats bivvy, one right behind the orange public hut at Makahu. After the bivvy we saw several deer, and on the second day took a fat spiker up one of the rocky gullys.

It was hot as and we were in shaded timber most of the time, but still it was bloody hot. I remember climbing a bit and sweating my bollox off. I also clearly remember discussing with the wife how glad I was we hadn’t tried to go up to the tops (far too lazy anyway).

When we returned to Makahu a black chopper with two hunters arrived - they land at the clearing at the ranger station - both lads had been up at Ballard Hut since before we had even arrived. I can’t remember the details but bottom line is they came home empty handed and quite frustrated. And sun burnt.

Now several on here will be able to comment with proper knowledge cos my (extremely) limited impression of the area suggested to me that in the hotter weather the animals were lower down in the bush during the day and heading out as usual to feed in more open country later. Near water and shade for the most part. No idea if this is the norm there and would like to know as it was a magic area. We also hunted Littles one evening by walking into the wind across the clearing and setting up and waiting in a small stand of scrub in the middle of the clearing. We watched a couple of deer in the last of the light but they were out of range.