Thread: Hi from Whangarei.

I have heard ther are some in the bryndewyns but I haven’t had looked for them yet. They are very cunning and can move very quietly through the bush at quite a pace.

Originally Posted by Ryanwiggins

Hey Guys,
I just moved to Whangarei recently and not yet bothered with any hunting up here as i usually head down the line, but this year i'll be staying abit closer to home with a young family around.
Has anyone heard if there are still sika floating about in the Russell forest or am i wasting my time? Also whats the consensus on parking vehicles etc at road ends, can any one recomend a good/ safe place for access? i was told by one person not to park my vehicle anywhere unless i plan on it not being there when i return

There's meant to be at least one stag and a few hinds running around but doc employs at least one full time hunter apparently to chase them. Especially in the roar.

This was off the fish n hunt forum so I don't know how accurate it is

Hi, I've moved to doubtless bay and been up here for the last year. Hunting pigs with dogs is great, lots of areas to hunt and good access, almost every patch of bush up here holds pigs. Wouldn't bother chasing Sika in russell though, 20,000ha of area to look for a handful of deer.

ok, i need to ask a favour you whangarei guys there was a house on the right hand side of abbey caves rd. at the time it was a cottage but got expanded. was the first house on the right. is it still there? if so i would love a pic, its where i spent my holidays as a kid

Originally Posted by gonetropo

ok, i need to ask a favour you whangarei guys there was a house on the right hand side of abbey caves rd. at the time it was a cottage but got expanded. was the first house on the right. is it still there? if so i would love a pic, its where i spent my holidays as a kid

Abbey caves road is a long road!
You will probably have to be a bit more specific!


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Originally Posted by Spudattack

Abbey caves road is a long road!
You will probably have to be a bit more specific!


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ok, at the time it was up memorial, passed the turn of to parahaki war memorial road. kept going thru metal roads alots were winding as hell till i hit a left turn onto abbey caves rd. straight ahead was private land
the cottage had a stand alone garage up front and originally was a 1 bedroom until it converted into a 2.
9 years old building a gravity fed water system inc a dodgy waterpump.
in the early years the water cane from a creek from the neighbours property, all sim and baby eels

Originally Posted by gonetropo

ok, at the time it was up memorial, passed the turn of to parahaki war memorial road. kept going thru metal roads alots were winding as hell till i hit a left turn onto abbey caves rd. straight ahead was private land
the cottage had a stand alone garage up front and originally was a 1 bedroom until it converted into a 2.
9 years old building a gravity fed water system inc a dodgy waterpump.
in the early years the water cane from a creek from the neighbours property, all sim and baby eels

Sorry gonetropo, I’m not to familiar with that area. Have you tried street view on google maps? You might be able to find it using that.

Hey guys, I'm also up here in whangarei, its interesting how many of us are willing to drive for hours to stomp around getting wet in the bush instead of doing the local thing and going fishing.

Russell forest did hold quite a few deer up till about 4 years ago doc did a massive eradication program and according to there data got them down to around 8 left. They did a press release on it, it was quite interesting reading, not sure if they have bounced back but I imagine they do a fair amount of hunting in there and trail cameras etc to monitor it, and yea don't leave your car any where up there.

Originally Posted by Sako851

Gday mate. Didn’t realise we had so many of you guys up so far north!

Yeah, it's a pretty dumb choice for hunters to live (pig hunters with dogs excluded).

Originally Posted by rusl

Hey guys, I'm also up here in whangarei, its interesting how many of us are willing to drive for hours to stomp around getting wet in the bush instead of doing the local thing and going fishing.

True. Fishing/diving is a big part of my life. Haven't really come up with a strategy for south of Auckland hunting. I did just drive 10 hours straight not to see a deer! We all know that successful hunting on public land takes time and effort, but it becomes a bit of a logistical nightmare when there is so much travel involved, plus working full time and young family etc.

Originally Posted by rusl

Russell forest did hold quite a few deer up till about 4 years ago doc did a massive eradication program and according to there data got them down to around 8 left. They did a press release on it, it was quite interesting reading, not sure if they have bounced back but I imagine they do a fair amount of hunting in there and trail cameras etc to monitor it, and yea don't leave your car any where up there.

DOC are very proud of their deer eradication in Northland, rest of the country, take heed!!!

Originally Posted by MB

Yeah, it's a pretty dumb choice for hunters to live (pig hunters with dogs excluded).

Yeah I've lived up here for a year now, pig hunting with dogs is pretty cool but I miss the mountains with deer, 8 hour drive minimum for me.

i drive up abbey caves road just about every day i will check it out there are no metal roads up there anymore are you going up memorial drive turn right that road goes to abbey caves road it winds down a ridge and there is a bridge at the end of it where it joins abbey caves road t intersection you can turn left or right onto abbey caves road is the cottage cross the road from the bridge

there was a couple of nice 8 pointers shot last year on edge of the said forest but i ,m not saying where fuck doc

Originally Posted by 57jl

there was a couple of nice 8 pointers shot last year on edge of the said forest but i ,m not saying where fuck doc

Yeah I've heard of 'somewhere' where they come out regularly onto a farm. Heard of another little population of reds in the 'mid north' but the farmer isn't letting anyone shoot them to build numbers up.

Yes I heard another story of red deer located somwhere in the north, allot of bush around Russell is private so doc will never rid the area completely, they may as well embrace them