A wedding in the family afforded me the opportunity to inveigle my way into an "Old Farts Hunt" organised by members of the New Zealand "FishnHunt Forum."
The New Zealanders proved to be the friendliest people around, ever keen to help out with kit, rifle and lifts to and from Macaulay Valley in Mackenzie Country.
The target specie was Himalayan Tahr which for some mean streak, live up there where old beggars with gammy knees are not too likely to succeed in winging them. I did see a number of them, more than enough to know what they look like, but as luck would have it, well out of range, or having spotted us, moved away, far away.
It was an experience that I am not likely to forget, and although not succesful in obtaining one, I am fortunate enough to be able to say that I have hunted Tahr, and in some excellent company.
Lessons learnt, get fit, no, seriously fit. I thought I was, but not nearly as fit as I should have been. If you have a hint of knee trouble, get "Mac The Knife " to sort it out in time. 61 years of age is probably a little late in life to start mountaineering, although it can be done.
Regrets, I should have allowed more time.

Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo


Lake Tekapo


Lots of Tahr, Red Deer and Fallow deer, behind the fence.


A really fine bunch of fellows, a class act of "Old Farts."


Snorkels are not just decoration.


Them Tahr live up there.


Macaulay hut is up theerree. http://tramper.co.nz/?2070


The Hut


13 tahr nannies and yearlings seen on that slope, with not a hope in hell reaching them.


A nanny and a 4 year old bull spotted us, watched us, then climbed up and over.


A large group of tahr seen, but too far away and too late in the day.


Cold, NO SHORTS, a sheet of ice over a stream of snow melt.


Water, water everywhere.


It was so steep that you had to kick footholds to stop from going back down.


Meathunta wondering how he got lumped with an old wannabe tahr hunter, a good man and a font of knowledge.


Up there with the Keas, a NZ parrot with a fondness for meat.


Damn, but it was high.


Missy K at the hut, well dressed with her scarf.


The bath with a view, water is piped to the bath. In order to warm the bath, use the age old process of making a good fire underneath.


Picture heavy, I know, but I hope that it gives one an idea of the grandeur and beauty of the country.

Looks bloody lovely...... but bloody cold my friend!

I'm itching to hear more!

So GET ON WITH IT!

Wow, Doug, that's nearly impossible terrain for any but the young fellas. Spectacular photos! Glad you didn't take any serious spills. I have been on slopes like that and did not care for it.
Did you get a chance to fish whilst there?

Daunting...

great pic. more proof your old but you not dead

Great pics....

yep that looks like Tahr country glad you enjoyed your trip

Great photos. Something I should have tackled 15 years ago before my knees gave out.

A really pretty place. NZ is beautiful.

I know what you are talking about with the steepness and it being high. From my hunt report here in June, I fell down one of those slopes, breaking 3 fingers and 2 ribs.

Still, it was a great hunt. Got to see and feed the Keas a bit as well. Neat birds!

Awesome photos!!

As has been said, the pics are fantastic and I take my hat off to anyone who hunts in that kind of terrain........ I also take my hat off to whoever managed to build that cabin in such a location...... It really is one hell of an achievement!

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
I also take my hat off to whoever managed to build that cabin in such a location...... It really is one hell of an achievement!

The cabin is in a valley with vehicle access???

Cabins up on the mountains are an achievement. I know an outfitter who made pre-fab cabins and dropped them off by helicopter. Saved walking up and down every day.

***

Scriptus,

Great photos, and the pin points of the tahr, just shows how hard the hunting would be to get up to them for a shot. The difference between using a chopper or one's own hoofs!

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:
Picture heavy, I know, but I hope that it gives one an idea of the grandeur and beauty of the country.

The more pics the better as far as I am concerned....

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
A really pretty place. NZ is beautiful.

I know what you are talking about with the steepness and it being high. From my hunt report here in June, I fell down one of those slopes, breaking 3 fingers and 2 ribs.

I am glad that I had forgotten that. I might have thought twice or more.
I take it that you have healed and recovered. I can well imagine that if you lost it, gravity will win. I slipped one evening on that snow grass and ended up tobogganing on my butt bouncing over tussocks, stones, boulders and through every clump of "spaniard" on the side of that slope, eventually ending up looking like a hay-rake. I was encouraged to "scree walk," but was too nervous until I tried it, descent was a lot quicker and actually fairly safe once the dangers were pointed out.

quote: The more pics the better as far as I am concerned....

Charl Schoeman

Is that a hint?

Damn, I wanted to go on that trip, but they won't let me because I am too young. Looks like you had great weather.

Guys, I tagged along on this trip too.

Doug’s report is a beauty, and he was great company as well as being a lot more competent on “the hill” than he makes out. Thanks too for the photos, I don’t carry a camera much these days. To ensure folk don’t read to much “discouragement” into his report I just want to add a few ideas.

First one is that to acclimatise to walk in any new or unfamiliar terrain takes time, I wouldn’t for a minute think I could head into the higher altitudes of the Rocky’s or Veldt and climb at my usual pace – the increased elevation over our NZ mountains would kill me. Doug was at a distinct disadvantage imposed by the time available to him in NZ, if he’d had an extra few days to get accustomed to our hills the story would have been different.

For those who are considering a NZ hunt, come a few days earlier and someone from the forum should be able to take you for a hunt in slightly easier country to help you make the most of your primary hunt. I love to take visitors goat hunting in the Queenstown area, I get out on the hill for a day, meet new folk and they get tired and sore, but with a later dividend.

Second thing is that this hunt was a little later than optimum, which meant most animals were a lot higher than they might have be at other times. If you are a reluctant climber then make sure you get up to date local advice on when to undertake the actual hunt.

Finally (and there is a theme developing here . . . ) hunting in NZ is very difficult if you have inflexible schedules. You need to allow a lot more time for inclement weather (most injuries/deaths in our mountains are not from falling, they come about from poor decisions made in respect to weather, leading to either hypothermia or drowning) and the need to try another area etc if animals are not where you expect.

Doug had a scant 4 days on a fixed timeframe with us on this hunt, and it was always going to be a big ask for him to get a trophy from it, given 6 or 7 days and a bit of leeway in scheduling, who knows what might have happened.

My motivation in mentioning this is so that hunting visitors to NZ can feel that they can achieve their goals without resorting to heli hunting and other approaches that will set them apart from genuine NZ hunters.

Having seen the picture of the bath, I'm going to assume that you just decided to smell like a goat for the while you were there.

Good pics and story, Scriptus!

I was only 60 when I hunted west of Lake Tekapo in May but know something about the fitness matters you mention. It's marvellous how far you climb with a bit of adrenaline and a coach watching from below, directing you on the radio, though.

On our way in by LandCruiser, my mate spotted some bulls high up and told me it should take an hour to get up there. Not wanting to waste time, I bowled up the hill without even changing my elastic-sided boots or filling my water bottle. Pulling myself up on a convenient species of grass, it still took me about three hours to get a shot. It was late by then and I was not game to trust a secondary torch (having left the batteries for my headset in the car) too much for shingle-sliding back down the hill, so left the recovery for mañana. I still took me till 9pm to get off the hill.

Without a Kiwi watching my progress, it took three times as long to make the climb next day, even though my own dodgy knees managed to hold up.

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
A really pretty place. NZ is beautiful.

I know what you are talking about with the steepness and it being high. From my hunt report here in June, I fell down one of those slopes, breaking 3 fingers and 2 ribs.

I am glad that I had forgotten that. I might have thought twice or more.
I take it that you have healed and recovered. I can well imagine that if you lost it, gravity will win. I slipped one evening on that snow grass and ended up tobogganing on my butt bouncing over tussocks, stones, boulders and through every clump of "spaniard" on the side of that slope, eventually ending up looking like a hay-rake. I was encouraged to "scree walk," but was too nervous until I tried it, descent was a lot quicker and actually fairly safe once the dangers were pointed out.

quote: The more pics the better as far as I am concerned....

Charl Schoeman

Is that a hint?

Yep, healed up nicely. Still have a "T" shaped plate in the right pinky that needs to be removed along with 6 tiny screws. Seriously restricting range of motion in that finger, but otherwise, good to go. What you describe is exactly what happend to me. I put my left heel down on what I thought was a snow covered rock, only to find it was a snow covered clump of grass and very slick. Next I knew, I was sliding on my butt downhill. Problem was as I picked up speed, I hit a boulder which sent me summersaulting and tumbling. That's what injured me and I'm damn lucky I didn't break open one of those big rocks with my head!

Anyway, looks like you had a nice trip. It really is a beautiful place to hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

Is that a hint?

Yip......I just know you would have taken a gazillion pics

Great photos there Scriptus!!! It does get easier...........

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

<<snipped>>

That's what injured me and I'm damn lucky I didn't break open one of those big rocks with my head!

Yep, I can see the itemized account "1 x Broken rock - $50"

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:
Having seen the picture of the bath, I'm going to assume that you just decided to smell like a goat for the while you were there.

There are other ways to wash, there was a shower bag, basins, buckets and the like. Members of the Alpine Club spent one night there. They powered up the bath and that is all I know as there was a young blondy with them and my wonderful companions would not let me near the windows.
I did suggest to Meathunta taking a shower under a waterfall. His answer, "Okay, you go, I will go and radio for 'Rescue' to come and fetch your corpse."

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:
Having seen the picture of the bath, I'm going to assume that you just decided to smell like a goat for the while you were there.

There are other ways to wash, there was a shower bag, basins, buckets and the like. Members of the Alpine Club spent one night there. They powered up the bath and that is all I know as there was a young blondy with them and my wonderful companions would not let me near the windows.
I did suggest to Meathunta taking a shower under a waterfall. His answer, "Okay, you go, I will go and radio for 'Rescue' to come and fetch your corpse."

Wouldn't guide you to a Tahr - wouldn't allow you to perv over the blonde - probably wouldn't have washed your back under the waterfall either. I suspect these Kiwis weren't as hospitable as their reputation.

quote:

Originally posted by Tentman:
For those who are considering a NZ hunt, come a few days earlier and someone from the forum should be able to take you for a hunt in slightly easier country to help you make the most of your primary hunt. I love to take visitors goat hunting in the Queenstown area, I get out on the hill for a day, meet new folk and they get tired and sore, but with a later dividend.

Double DAMN, now you tell me. I had a whole week in Queenstown, fossicking around with this and that, walking around the lake while those who must be obeyed fussed and cl-[ph]-ucked around wedding matters.

Yeah - I knew that but was "under contract" not to distract you so had to cry busy (and bloody work was something of a problem in this instance).

Mentioning blondes, seeing as how we had to evaluate a lot of young bloodstock on the way home (especially that one in Tekapo as the gas station) yes its best I think to keep you zaffirs away from our nicer examples. Fancy saying "I don't think that's the sort of girl you'd take home to mother" !!

Ha Ha! Bastard!! Hey, I bet you a pound to a pinch of sh#t, that you might have taken that inked blondy home, but mother would never have known a thing. Ever!

Doug, surely you snapped a photo of the blonde at the gas station in Tekapo? Cough it up pal!

Sorry Bill, my mouth was so wide open that my chin made contact with my collar. She was indeed a picture wearing short black pants and a top revealing nearly all including the completely multi coloured left arm, shoulder to elbow. She definitely was built with a figure like a spanner. I got the giggles trying to think what my mother's face would have looked like if I had brought someone like her home.

Superb report and great photos.
It's really making me want to emigrate

Great pics,what a trip.

Keep 'em coming


Regards,

Christian

quote:

Originally posted by Carlsen Highway:
Damn, I wanted to go on that trip, but they won't let me because I am too young. Looks like you had great weather.

Carlsen, the boundaries are fuzzy! From what I hear you could pass as a honorary old fart. Bribe us with booze, volunteer to be camp bitch, talk about old firearms, carry our rifles for us, or whatever

Great write up Doug - it was only a matter of time before a spaniard got you.
Thanks for the entertainment and great company.
Now you know that scree is your friend you will be able to stay up high until it gets dark

Excellent advice Tentman. Good on you for keeping Doug on the straight & narrow on the way home.

Thanks for the story and the pictures.