I am off to NZ for stag in a week, roar is late, and we will be unguided, but escorted into, an area with free range Red Deer. Of course, its only now I wonder if I should find a bugle or call for the stag.. do they respond like the North American Elk species? or do we just listen and stalk toward the roar?

Also, any other tips or wild lies are also appreciated. We will have several hours on the airplane to sort out the wild lies from the useful tips...

Looking for my first stag, hopefully a six-on-top!! but since these are all wild running free rangers, most likely to settle for as good as we see...We will have four days for stag than off to another spot for tahr, and thats another story.

Jameister

Jameister,



You can do it either way...I am not sure if you have heard a red stag calling, but they are nothing at all like Elk even though they are related.



I can not hold a tune in a bucket, so I have pretty much given up learning to call Stags. However I have a couple of friends that pretty good and all they use is a hard plastic pipe, about 15" long and 1 1/2" to 2" in diameter...its the stuff sold at hardware stores as waste pipe. You make the roar yourself and this amplifies it.



As with all calling there is always the chance you will scare the beasts off if you get it wrong, so you will have to balance that risk out.



If you have never heard it before, you are in for a treat. It really is breath taking to listen to various stags calling back and forth to each other...



Regards,



Pete

The first time you hear it, you'll be impressed. I remember it made me think of a crossbreed between lion and cow

Calling rutting stags is an art. If you have not done it before, it is probably wise to consider it a last option - you run the risk of scaring away the beasts, rather than have them come to your call. On the other hand, on your last day, and still no stag on the ground...

Attempting to describe here how and when to call would be preposterous, books have been written about this subject. The basic idea is the same for calling elk, though. You imitate a rival, hoping the other stag decides he is going to beat the sh*t out of you, rather than let you have any or all of his hinds/cows. So if you absolutely must, sound like you are in love, but do not constitute too much of a challenge

In the rut, the stags follow the girls, not the other way around. Find the girls, and with a bit of luck the stag at hand will show himself. Scare off the girls, and you will most likely have lost their lover as well. Except, stags do hold out a tad better in the rut, and sometimes you can get a shot at a stag who wants to convince himself that the threat at hand is not a threat to his love-life.

Weidmannsheil on your NZ venture! - mike

in wapiti, there is a secondary rut four weeks after the primary, when the girls that didnt take go into estrous again. Sometimes it makes for good shooting. sometimes it doesnt even appear to happen. But I have local report of a late rut this year, and I will watch and listen, unless our farm host wants to show off his calling skills....

thanks for the input. now the question: take the 12 pointer or wait for a four-on-top?

Jamie

Hinds and does will go into esterous three times if necessary.

thanks for the information. two daze of work to go. actually hope to see more than hinds, it is pure fantasy to worry about tres or quads...
J

If you get up while it is still dark and listen for the direction of the roars you will know where to do your days stalking. If the animals are undisturbed they usually congregate around a clearing in the early morning and late evening. Best of luck!