Here are some New Zealand trophy photos from Ed's hunt with Gerald Telford www.flyfishhunt.co.nz

Glad there were no problems.

Some nice animals there.

Nice one,we are going to need more details at some stage,rifle/bullet used

Goats and Gorse go together like peas and carrots

Way to go, Ed. It appears you had a great time and took some fine animals.

Congrats. Was it a hard climb up those mountains?

Just a quick note, I was to leave Queenstown on Sunday and due to weather and NZ Air I left Tuesday and just arrived this morning. I will add more later.

Welcome home Ed! And congrats on all those great trophies!

Looks like you had a great time, judging by the sh*@T eating grin in some of the photo's!
can't wait to hear all about it!


Hey Highlander,

Good going! You figured out the PC! Or did your better half do it for you!

Well I have been back a few days still battling the cold I got downunder.

I arrived on Sat to unsettled weather, on Sunday the weather in Wanaka was still sh*tty not what one would like to hunt in the high mts so off to the eastern shore south of Waimate to hunt for Arawapa sheep, goats and wild boar.

That afternoon (after settling in at a B & B) we traveled with another Guide Gary Oakes who had hunting rights on a few farms in the area. We glassed a couple of areas before finding a good ram with a young ram, ewe, and two kids. They were on a ridge above us and we decided to go around a hill side where we could use a dirt road to acceden the ridge to them and using the cutbank of the road for cover. We got with about 250 yds of them as the feed away from us. They fed over the ridge top and out of sight so we edged forward hoping to close on them, but to our suprise something spooked them and they barrel across in front us at about 10-15 yds and down the hill they went and over on to another ridge. Gerald left Gary and I so he could put a small push on the group, mean while Gary and I returned down the ridge to our original glassing spot to await (hopefully) for them to pass on a line to our right. Well they decided to go to our left and entered a brush covered hollow to our left. Gary said Sh*t not where I wanted them. Well much to our suprise the came back and walked in to a small opening about 125 yds bellow us and the rest is history one shot and he was dead. Thru all of this it was raining, snowing and blowing so hard it almost lifted you off your feet - not nice weather.

The next day had us on another farm looking for goats. These animials love to feed on a bush called Grolsh (sp) and Gary knew of many canyons filled with these bushes. The first canyon we glassed had (I would guess) about 100+ goats mostly nannies and kids, but had a couple of decent billies. We watched a nice billy feed to the top of the canyon and we circled around to try and catch him feeding in a hugh turnip field. He feed out of the field and back to the top of the canyon before we could catch up, but he presented a good 100 yrd shot and trophy #2 was in the bag. We then crossed to another canyon bigger than the first but no less populated with goats. We glassed and found a very nice goat and Gerald said "Yea it is a long way (320 yds by range finder) but we have one goat why not two. I shot and he ran in to thick cover so we waited for him to clear the scrub and at about 200 yds I threw more lead at him and he jerkled like he was hit and into the thick stuff again but he never came out. I continued to watch the area as Gary and Gerald went to investigate and a while later they emerged from the brush with goat #2. Gerald did not post a picture a of this one.

The next morning it was up very early to look for a boar feeding in a feild we had seen the first day and at the time Gary said friends had seen a big boar in this field the weekend before. We stalked to the edge of the field and across the field about 300+ yds we say a hugh boar feeding. We watched him feed around the fence row of the feild and come up toward our position but he dropped into a gullly and disapeared only to re appear about 75 yds in front of us and one 338 in the neck and he was destined to Garys cooler to provide a good many meals for his family.

In the afternoon we returned to Wanaka to very nice conditions and a Tahr hunt the next day.

We met with the pilot the next morning and after half hour chopper ride we were in the mts for Thar. We sighted a very good ram and and left the chopper to stalk him and I just screwed up the deal by not taking a shot that in retrospect I am sure I could have taken him. Three stalks later on a still good but not as good as the first I took a shot on a bull that was lying up under a wash and he came out of the like a scalled cat and I threw another at him as he crested the wash. I just couldn't think how I missed him. Well he only went a short distance and piled up. Another one hits the dust.

The next day we went to another area in the mts to look for Chamois and sighted a good group and were set down and stalked up a ways to an outcrop where we could see them but the had gone into a cave. It was now turkey hunting just sit and wait. About an half hr+ two Chamois came to the front and Gerald said it was a nanny but a good one so I took her. Now the big game species were completed and I still had 2 days left.

The next day we went in search of turkeys and yes it is not like hunting turkeys in the states, but I wanted a NZ Meriams. The hardest part was finding a gobbler with a good beard. I could make out 3 gobblers in a large flock of birds mostly jakes and a few hens, It took about half hr to 45 min. to find him and be sure I had a safe shot as Gerald was moving them toward me. He has a beard about 2" to 3 " and what one would say were spurs but not what we look for here on a trophy bird.

For those interested I used a Winchester Model 70 throwing 225 gr Nosler Accura Bonded. I know over gunned but all shots were pass thru except the Tahr in which we found a perfectly mushroomed projectile.

The worst part of the trip was spending 3 days in the Queenstown airport trying to get home, but I did arrive safely home three days late. Thank goodness I have a good partner and staff who covered for me.

As porkey pig would say Thaats All Folks

Gidday Die Ou Jagter,

I am really chuffed to hear you had a good time down here.

I think the bush that the goats were in is called gorse. A real shit of a stuff to get caught in but it provides plenty of cover for pigs, goats, quail and pheasants.

The weather has been pretty crap since you left with snow and rain. At the time you were due to fly out I was up in the Alps and just got out in the nick of time otherwise I would still be snowed in.

I have a week off now but can't get ou because of the weather so it looks like its just going to be ducks and geese. You picked just the right time to come.

Happy Hunting

Hamish