I was recently in NZ (Sourth Island), and I fell in love with it. The people were fantastic and as unspoiled as the terrain - the way people should be World wide. I'd like to return and hunt, but only truly wild game, not pen raised.

What percent of NZ is public? What would a quality public land hunt cost? What would a quality hunt "behind-the-wire" cost? Can you bring your own guns into NZ?

Warm regards, AIU

You can hunt in most of NZ for free. Most public land is administered by Dept of Conservation(DoC). If hunting is allowed there they issue permits in most cases at no cost.

The issuing of a permit does not mean that there are animals actually there, that you will see them or even see sign. But you can hunt there!

If you do actually see or get something it isnt likely to look anything like those farm bred deer in your other posting.

If you are going to spend several thousand $$$ not to mention at least 12 hours on a plane I think you would be better to spend some money on a guide. I am assuming you are in USA.

Tell the guide you want to hunt true wild animals on public land and none that have been in any way bred and released. Be aware there may be farm escapees in any area.

Accept that 18 point + red deer stags just dont exist in those conditions and if you get a nice 10 or 12 point red stag you should be very happy with a true Kiwi trophy as any of us would be.

Similar comments apply to all our game animals.

Accept that any kind of guarantee involving a minimum trophy size means the animals are probably not truly wild and/or not in true free range country.

Bringing in your sporting rifle is no problem and a visitors gun license costs NZ$25 at airport. You may live to regret doing this when you return home as US Authorities seem to be paranoid about guns and make it very hard if not impossible to take them in. Use the guides guns.

Muzza and Top Predator are preparing a "Sticky" of hunting in NZ and this will soon appear and will help.

If you really dont want a guide you need to strike up a friendship with a local hunter who can take you somewhere that has game and knows the local conditions.

Kiwi Vince I'd say your comments are very accurate with one exception.
I'll offer a quarantee on trophy size purely because with good private property with good management we can consistantly grow 200plus fallow, reds up to 320inches plenty of 12inch tahr and good chamois. All wild and true free range.
its a time and management equation that doea came at a cost, one to the visiting hunting and secondly to our reputation. Reputation again has 2 angles, the believes and the doubters.
there are a few to many local doubters but the reasons for that are in most cases self explanatory.

Highlander, I guess you are Gerald Telford.

For anyone reading this Gerald has an excellent reputation. I have never met him but have only heard good things. Another guide in that category is Mark & Felicty Brough of Ranginui Hunting. Again I have never met them but only heard good things.

Another thread here has info on a recent hunt there.

I have to concede that you are right with a carefully managed large private block and I should have mentioned this. If you can truly say that all your animals were born in the wild and there is no animal proof fence completely sealing off your property you are right. I believe that is the case!

I think the inquiry was about hunting truly wild game on public land.

It is possible to come half way round the world and do that but unlikely to be successful without a guide or at least a mate to get him into the right area and use the right technique for the area and season.

There are quite a few trophy breeders in NZ who sell animals that are fee range meaning let out of a pen ready to shoot. I am sure you know of a few.

AIU could do worse than use your services or others that run an honest operation like yours.

i havnt really hunting public land before, but have hunted a bit of farmed property. just sheep and cattle farms that have a bit of bush on them with the odd wild deer running around on it. actually on one place i went to someone said they counted 60 odd on a crop that was put in to fatten lambs on.

never the less, the place i hunted last roar i managed to get a good 13 pointer. every other stag i saw was young and mainly undeveloped 8 pointers, some with broken antlers . i saw a few 8s, and one spiker. never saw a 6 or a 10. it took me about 3 weekends to finally find a decent stag.

IMO knowledge of the area is #1 for finding a trophy.

i have no doubts that if the whole country was carefully managed most people could secure a decent 12 pointer over 250DS and some a lot larger