Thread: Historical Interest: Tahr in the Tararuas?!

Hi everyone!

Stumbled across this curious article.

I have been accumulating a collection of NZ hunting books, pretty much accidentally for the past year now. When I opened my latest addition the below newspaper clipping fell out.

Keen to hear if anyone on here has come across this story before. No clues as to when it is from sorry.

Probably printed on 1st April

Although one of the SpotX books had a printing blunder where it showed that there was Chamois in the Tararuas (or Mt Taranaki? Can't remember) was hard case

XD Could well be! Haha

No other details.

Yes, a Tahr was shot in the Tararuas although I always thought it was in the Otaki Forks area. Whereami who was on the old forum saw the dead animal. He said that it had very badly overgrown hooves - a product I guess of not being in its rocky alpine environment.

one of our staff from Wanganui shot a thar from the roadside National Park some years back so maybe pets let go - some strange ones around- sambar shot on Moki road North Taranaki - there were 9 thar known in the Naki 7 in Pouakai zoo 2 at Stoney Oaks zoo - the Poukai ones were shot but the Stoney Oaks ones dont know but when I saw them they were massive bulls --the Pouakai ones were a very sad lot mainly nannies

I saw a big bull tahr in the Kaikoiras 15 years ago.
About 5 km away bit a bull for sure
The guys I was with gave me shit all day because I was supposed to be the experienced hunter.

Anyway having some beers with the farmer the next evening one of these guys tells the farmer how useless a hunter I was because " I thought I saw a bull tahr"
And the farmer says " there's one up there somewhere with no nuts that escaped from a game farm last year "

Who looked like a dick after that ?

Are there not some thar in a couple of private estate places behind wire in the North Island?

There were 6 or so in a private block just off Marshlands road in Christchurch in the 1990's god knows what they were doing there.

I thought that Tararua one got choppered in for a laugh. Vague memory of that story from a flatmate who knew of it.

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Originally Posted by Friwi

Are there not some thar in a couple of private estate places behind wire in the North Island?

I have heard persistant rumours that Bushy Knoll Station at back of Hangaroa Gisborne has some - but I cant confirm that - its a private safari block owned by wealthy Aucklanders

I don't think it has Barry just reds and follow. Lived in the area long enough now and never heard of them been there.

thanks mate I did hear that the fences are down in places - we used to hunt it many years ago 1969 1970 ish lot of deer - no fallow then- I was shepherd at Tahunga - mate worked on it

Can’t see why it couldn’t have happened. People have been shifting animals/fish around this country ever since man arrived here. Back in the ‘90’s a mature Tahr was seen in the head of Long Valley in Marlborough, by two experienced Tahr hunters,while spreading fertiliser on farm.