Thread: Is this years Roar late, or over?

hi all, although im new to hunting, and having just spent 3 days in the Kaimanawas 'looking' for Sika stags, do you all reckon the long drought summer has wiped out this years roar?

didnt see one, heard a few 'hee-hawing' but they did not reply or come to challenge, saw a couple of hinds i disturbed in their beds, but didnt even get the chance to shoulder my rifle.....

talked to about 5-6 other hunters and they all said more or less the same, one group of three had been 'bush' for a week and had only got one between them....

have any of you more experienced hunters had this in the past? will it all start soon?.......

The 'roar' is a time of year that brings out the best and worst of both man and animal...the stags are going to root those hinds no matter what...whether they will roar while doing it is another matter. The stags are a nocturnal animal [or are happy playing around in the dark] and roar while the man sleeps...where as man thinks they should roar when it suits him. To be successful during the roar the hunter must adapt to nature. Man also thinks he can communicate with a wild animal just by blowing into a piece of pipe...you have to learn to talk their language.

You won't get Japs coming in on you when they are hee-hawing, they need to be single calling. They may hee-haw right throughout the roar but only single call for a few days

If you are bumping hinds you are in the right spot, where there are hinds this time of year there are stags not far away. Stay back a bit and let out a single call see what comes in

Was that just this weekend, Scouser? You did alright to have spooked a couple. At least now you know where they are. I still haven't got to a point where I can consistently do that.

Big thanks guys, yes it was the weekend just gone, the two hinds i spooked startled me more than them........

Tried many single calls, and got a few back, but no stags came to join the party....

Pointer & Spook, i will deposit your wisdom and advice in my memory bank....cheers guys,

Scouser, I'll add a couple of things I've learned over many frustrating roar seasons:
Firstly, you probably know hinds 'cycle'. So, while April is 'the roar' month, it's not an exact science nor clockwork. So most hinds will come into heat in the first week of the rut and then again about a month later if not mated first time around. Naturally, there's a correlation for stag behaviour, meaning they may shut up for a bit during those weeks in between.
Secondly, the fact you got onto Sika means you were in a good area. Just because you didn't see the stags come in, doesn't mean they didn't. I've had Sika stags 3-5 metres from me and didn't know it, until they huffed and snorted as departing... Moving Silently and still unseen. I've roared occasionally for two hours where I knew a stag came out every day, then leaving only to walk around a bend in the creek to find him drinking 40metres from where he usually was...no reply to my roars
So what you need to hear, is you did good and with a but more trial and error, you'll be claiming trophies soon.
I wonder if, like me, you're choosing the hardest species to hunt first? Haha Go bowl a few reds first, then go back to those awesome Sika


Identify your target beyond all doubt! Sorry won't cut it later and no deer is worth the fall out. Safe and happy hunting

Good to hear you got onto them
Was that map any use?

Originally Posted by Hunt4life

Scouser, I'll add a couple of things I've learned over many frustrating roar seasons:
Firstly, you probably know hinds 'cycle'. So, while April is 'the roar' month, it's not an exact science nor clockwork. So most hinds will come into heat in the first week of the rut and then again about a month later if not mated first time around. Naturally, there's a correlation for stag behaviour, meaning they may shut up for a bit during those weeks in between.
Secondly, the fact you got onto Sika means you were in a good area. Just because you didn't see the stags come in, doesn't mean they didn't. I've had Sika stags 3-5 metres from me and didn't know it, until they huffed and snorted as departing... Moving Silently and still unseen. I've roared occasionally for two hours where I knew a stag came out every day, then leaving only to walk around a bend in the creek to find him drinking 40metres from where he usually was...no reply to my roars
So what you need to hear, is you did good and with a but more trial and error, you'll be claiming trophies soon.
I wonder if, like me, you're choosing the hardest species to hunt first? Haha Go bowl a few reds first, then go back to those awesome Sika


Identify your target beyond all doubt! Sorry won't cut it later and no deer is worth the fall out. Safe and happy hunting

Big thanks H4L, im going back in this weekend, same area, i more or or less picked the forest, not the quarry, will take you advice, cheers

Originally Posted by sako75

Good to hear you got onto them
Was that map any use?

Hi Sako75, that was my original w'end, will be using you maps this w'end, cant wait, love the Kaimanawas beech forest, even though its really thick and hard work......

Hi guys, 2 full days off Clements Mill rd, hunting the ridge tops, no result, rained all day on the saturday, i was probably too noisy if im honest, still learning the 'trade.............'

If you think you're going slow, slow down some more.

Time in the hills mate, you'll improve and develop your hunting skills on each hunt.

Another bit of advice which is not easy to take, is to take the pressure off yourself to succeed. I used to put deer on a pedestal of elite senses and cunning. They're smart and wary, but not as cunning as I had them pinned. What I'm getting at, is you'll stumble across deer when you stumble across deer. They may be where you think they'll be or maybe not. So always be ready to shoot, but relax and enjoy the bush. I used to get really wound up and disappointed after coming home from yet another trip empty handed, but realised how much I loved being out there doing it all anyway as an armed tramper, so learned to relax. Suddenly I start seeing deer before they see me and I'm successful 50% of hunts. Made all the difference for me and I realise now that those twenty odd hunting trips without success were my apprenticeship. Have fun out there mate


Identify your target beyond all doubt! Sorry won't cut it later and no deer is worth the fall out. Safe and happy hunting

Good advice on this thread. I'm cutting my teeth at the moment and as much as I love being out there, I do get tired reply "nothing" to that question "did you get anything?". I haven't got a deer on doc land yet in some 20 days hunting. In that time I saw 2 deer (hind + fawn together and I wasn't even hunting! Haha) and spooked who knows how many that I didn't lay eyes on. I've enjoyed every moment just like I did in my past life as an (unarmed) tramper, but hell, I won't lie, I'm going to enjoy it a lot more once I start getting them on the deck.

We'll get on to them eventually Scouser

Originally Posted by phillipgr

We'll get on to them eventually Scouser

Good on you Phillip. Yes you will and so will Scouser

Originally Posted by Rushy

Good on you Phillip. Yes you will and so will Scouser

And good on you, Rushy, and everyone else on the forum who has been helping me along the way :-D

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