Our latest NZ Guns and Hunting magazine contains a great article on the first Wapiti (American Elk) trophy legally taken in New Zealand's Fiordland area in April 1923. The wapiti were introduced to Fiordland in 1905 and protected until the first licence to hunt was issued to NZ hunter Viv Donald.

Of interest is that the big bull wapiti was taken with a 280 Ross rifle personally sold to Viv Donald by Sir Charles Ross the originator of the Ross rifles.
Viv Donald had ordered a new Ross rifle but the company could not deliver the specific rifle he wanted in time for his Wapiti hunt so Sir Charles sold him his own personal rifle with which he had recently returned from using on safari in Africa. The rifle had no serial number and was lacking in proof marks, indicating it was likely just pulled from the production line by Sir Charles for his personal use.

The rifle is still owned in NZ and the owner plans on a taking it back to the shore of Lake Katherine in 2023 as a centenary tribute to where the first legal wapiti trophy was taken in NZ all those years ago.

The wapiti head was a 14 pointer, length 53", spread 49" and weighs 34lb. It looks big but don't know how that compares to the American heads.

Yep its a great article.