I have been approached to purchase an donated hunt originally sold at RMEF auction. The first buyer cannot go. Wanted to research the outfit before committing. Any help is appreciated.
Hunt dates are March-Sept 2019 or 2020. 1x1, 5 days, trophy fee included.


Thanks,

Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

The deer pics on their web page suggest farmed deer , behind wire. Thats not an issue as long as you know and are happy to shoot a farmed deer. Not all outfitters tell you that.

Otherwise they look like they run a pretty reasonable business. Dont bring a semi auto rifle , or your handgun and you should be fine

Thanks. I noticed the same. My offer is for Tahr. I don't think they are high fence!

Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

Then you need to ask how the tahr will be hunted - will you climb up the mountainside in the traditional manner or will you fly in a helicopter . Will you then spot and stalk or will the chopper haze the tahr continuously until its too exhausted to run any more and the you can shoot it from 20 yards away ? Or will you even shoot it from the machine ?

Dont want to sound cynical but this stuff all happens in NZ. A tahr hunt means climbing , spotting , getting into position to shoot , recovering your animal then climbing down again.Post pics if you do that . Dont post pics if you use a chopper for more than getting onto the mountain.

quote:

Will you then spot and stalk or will the chopper haze the tahr continuously until its too exhausted to run any more and the you can shoot it from 20 yards away ? Or will you even shoot it from the machine ?

Dont want to sound cynical but this stuff all happens in NZ.

That's the truth, sadly. It's not illegal but this "hunting" method raises a large ethical question in my view. I wish more overseas hunters would think about this before signing up to "hunt" Tahr. Discuss the proposed hunting method first with the hunting outfitter and find out if they offer hunting by ethical standards. Unless hunters speak against unsavoury hunting methods the status quo will continue under current NZ law. And yes, I understand the complications of weather windows, limited vacation times, physical abilities etc. By all means use the chopper to access the hill but hunt ethically from there. I promise you will long remember your trophy if taken through honest grunt.
Most hero pics I see of overseas hunters with a nice Tahr trophy show the sweet, smiling face of a guy who has not broken a sweat or climbed the hill and, I suspect, is just ticking off another one for the collection.
While saying the above I do acknowledge those overseas hunters who come here for a proper hunt and do hunt ethically. My hat is off to you guys for doing it right.

Thanks guys. I appreciate what you say about "ethical hunting".

I also have to laugh just a bit. You are all about using a chopper to "access the mountain" and consider that ethical. Here in Montana, you would be arrested and shamed for using a chopper to access anything. Meaning we would all laugh at you for not hiking in. In Alaska, you are not allowed to hunt the same day of flying.

We don't consider "diesel stalking" ethical in Montana. I have never read an African story without of mention of jumping out of the truck.

A reminder that the definition of "ethical" hunting varies from place to place.

Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

quote:

A reminder that the definition of "ethical" hunting varies from place to place.

Fair comment and I know this is true. State and national hunting laws, backcountry topography and hunting evolution over time all bear on the bar that separates ethical from unethical and separates one area / country from another.
My post was particularly a comment on our NZ situation. I admit the fact that ( what I consider ) unethical hunting practises occurring here is of our own making. Some outfitters here catering to overseas hunters actually recommend these questionable hunting methods and are not breaking any laws doing so. But I would expect any hunter, even semi experienced hunters, would know in their hearts what represents a fair and ethical hunt and as far as possible would want to hunt to that standard. Certain outfitters here are prepared to offer honest discussion and assessment of real hunts for Tahr.
Genuinely, wishing you the best for a Tahr hunt here. Hunting for a great bull is just awesome.

I have hunted tahr twice in my life . Walked in and out both times . Doubt I can do that now , just dont have the fitness level I once had.

As long as your actions sit well with your interpretation of "ethical" you should be fine . Unfortunately there are many trophy collectors ( not hunters) in the world for whom bagging as many animals in as few a days possible is their thing. These folk are not hunters , some of them are barely shooters but there is always an operator ready to cater to their requirements . Its all about dollars to some operators .
Have a great hunt - maybe attempt to meet up with some of the local forum guys while you are here.

There are quite a few farms that breed tahr behind high fence.

I was allowed on to a property and a friend and I were asked to cull 15 females for meat. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

They had over 100 bull tahr in 3 or 4 paddocks.

With regard to helicopters, some of the mountains here are impossible unless you spend a week to walk in. Our mountains are very wrinkled with many small gullies and crevices. Very few roads here.

quote:

Originally posted by SkiBumplus3:
Thanks. I noticed the same. My offer is for Tahr. I don't think they are high fence!

Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

I intend to hunt Tahr in the next couple of years.

I don't care if we chopper in. I wont be shooting one we just saw though. Find a place to camp, setup and eat some food. Then Start glassing. Id at least want to spend a full day in the mountains. Preferably a couple.

There are a few different classes of public land and access rules for them differ and are incomprehensible to a sane person. None of the rules are in any way to do with hunting and are about preserving intrinsic values such as wilderness and quiet etc, and allowing people a place to get away if they have the will to get there. National parks are largely considered wilderness areas, and no chopper access or indeed motorbike, horse or airplane. In some case's, no trails or huts. Then they go allow a guide to fly all over the same country with a client shooting tahr and chamois...
Public land outside national parks has fewer restrictions but in general you can choose to be dropped off/picked up by chopper and thats it. In some ways think of it like Alaska without the 24 hrs rule. I walk in mostly, but there are areas that will take 3 days to get too, and are exceedingly dangerous. The last trip I did for tahr we came very close to loosing a member of our party when he slipped from the trail and went over a bluff. He survived because his leg got caught in an over hanging tree branch.
Its hard to describe but our mountains are younger, steeper, the rivers are mostly unavigable once into the mountains proper due to gradient and we loose a disproportionate number of people each year in those places.
For those reasons I would never criticise a tourist, or indeed a kiwi who chose to fly in, hunt on foot and fly out again. As long as the machine isn't used to find their game.
I know I have been very critical of helihunting over the years, and will continue to be as there is no place for that! I do however have some sympathy for guides as I have taken quite a lot of foreign hunters into our mountains and only one guy of them all. Gryph from this site, was truely prepared and able to take a walk in trip in his stride. Others could do it but really needed some guidance. And the rest were just out of their league.
In saying that, I also realise from my experiences in hunting other countries that each place has its challenges and that I would have struggled in America for example, without local support.
With that in mind Thunderhead, if you are useing a guide, then there are some good ones out there, and if not, then im sure we will help you in any way we can and Ski, Talk to the company you are thinking of and tell them you want to do a foot hunt. They are not much of a guiding company if they can't provide a suitable hunt.

Thanks for the input guys. I have spoken with the guide. We will be hunting on 4 wheelers and feet. No chopper and no fence.
I'm looking forward to seeing your country! Having a hard time believing your mountains are much different than the mountains in Montana, BC, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan or Colorado.
Regardless. I have only heard great things about the people of NZ and I'm excited to spend some of my $ in your country.

Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

The main differance between out mountains and what you are used to is the changeability of the weather. NZs South Island is a long , skinny island with a mountainous spine . Clouds have to dump their rain to raise up and over the mountains so the western side can be very wet , and the weather can change in a very short time frame .
Poorly prepared people are at risk , but your local guides will have that covered.

Thankyou Ski for your decision to hunt here. Go hard and enjoy an awesome hunt.

Sounds great. hope to get there soon

Muzza:

That sounds much like here in Colorado.
At least where the mtns are. Out east here
on the plains is a whole different country.

Skibum: good luck for a fine safe hunt.

George