Gents, I am seriously considering hunting Chamois in Macedonia with Safari International operated by Prof. Sergio Dimitrijevic (Italy). Can any of you comment on this company, this gentleman, or Chamois in Macedonia in general? Thanks.

Arts
Have you thought of chamios in New Zealand?

Bakes

Art,

I met Srdja many years ago when he was hunting in Yugoslavia. I know someone who hunted with him two or three times, and he was very happy with Srdja himself and his operation.

I think you'll be in good hands.

George

Bakes, I saw a show on tv this weekend about hunting chamois (or some type of mountain-goat-type critter) in New Zealand. I only caught half the show but I was enthralled. I've long wanted to visit NZ and that made me want to go all the more.

But please! I was hoping we could keep this a bit of a secret. Don't tell all these folks about how nice it is there, I don't want the competiton.

On a bit of a serious note, what are the popular calibers out your way and what would be your choice for hunting these and other NZ animals?

I have hunted twice in New Zealand. The first time I went on a backpack hunt for Tahr and Chamois. I do not believe I have ever went on a tougher hunt or more rewarding. The country you hunt in some of the steepest you will find anywhere in the world. You can do the helicopter hunt and which most do,which makes the hunt a cake walk. But, I was a bit younger then and opted to back pack in and set up a spike camp and I could not have asked for a better hunt. The last time I was over, I went for Red Stag and hunted with Shane Quinn. Had a great time, killed a very heavy palmated stag, the kind I was looking for. My wife killed a super fallow deer. She had never shot a big animal in her life before this trip. She crawled, walked, climbed, got cold, wet and by the time the fifth day rolled around of doing this. She said something is going to die today. By damned if she didn't kill a super Fallow buck. Before the hunt we spent two weeks traveling around the North Island. I went fishing out of Small town called Gisborne, set out traps for lobster and We had one of the most wonderful times of our lives. I going back this summer and I am going to hunt free ranging sambar and sika deer. The individual I am going with is a friend and said there is a couple of farms that have some fallow deer running around on them and the local farmer said we could shoot them if we wanted to because he wanted to get rid of them. You can use a .308 on any of these animals but, for Tahr, it should not be less than one of the 300 magnums. They are very hard to bring down. Chamois 25/06 would do fine. Red stag are somewhere in size between a small bull elk and a mule deer. Any 7mm mag or larger will do fine. But, Sambar are different story, The are huge bodied animal and are tough tough to bring down. The Kiwis recommend a .338 or bigger. One individual said a .375 was none to small for Sambar. Sika and fallow are small deer and 25/06 or larger caliber will do fine.

I agree with the poster above about the steep country but as for the calibers mentioned I dont.
Most animals in this country are shot with anything from a 222 to a 30-06.
Those large magnums are not that popular here and finding amo at the sports shop might be a problem also.
Most popular Tahr/Chamois cartridges here are the
223 243 25-06 7-08 7mm mag 270 308 30-06

I just did a so called chopper trip but this only gets you into the area to hunt unless you have loads of money and can afford to keep the chopper at your disposal.
As for a cake walk when you get there is far from it!

Most New Zealanders hunt on govt land(National Parks) not the game Safaris which a lot of overseas hunters do.Most of these animals on Game Safaris Parks have not had any if some hunting pressure. Not the type of hunting most NZ hunters do, mainly cost and not a real trophies in the eyes of most hunters here.

I just got back from a Chamois hunt last week with my father inlaw from Nevada and he found the country very difficult to say the least.
I shot a Chamois but we left the hut before sunrise and didnt get back to the hut till sunset.
Thats a hard day in anyones books. Including carrying the Chamois back down the mountain 3500ft.
The Chamois here are the same as the ones in europe, thats where ours came from.

Regards Milosmate

[ 05-29-2003, 07:30: Message edited by: milosmate ]

Wismon
I've never hunted NZ, but you got an answer straight from the horses mouth with our friend Milosmate. The Australian Airforce has an exchange exercise with the Kiwi Airforce, I'm trying to get on it and go over and see NZ and hopefully do some hunting. My sister-in-law is a Kiwi so accomodation is no problem. If I can I'll take my 6.5x55.

If you do make down that way here's something's to remember.
1.Speak slowly
2.if a Kiwi says fush it means fish,sux=sex,chups=chips
3.No jokes about sheep (it been done to death by us Aussie's)sorry Milosmate had to put that in

Bakes

Milosmate, I hunted both Thar and Chamois with my .270 and for nostalga sake I shot my Red Stag with my 300 H&H. Both these rifles were pre-war made. My wife used a .308 Steyr-Mannlicher Pro Huner on her fallow deer at 250 yards. My friend in New Zealand, says for Sambar, .270 and .308 are too light. I am taking his word for it. He has killed several all free ranging. I want to hunt one with my .35 whelen, which I think is more than adequate. He says no, but I have used it on it everything from Elk to eland and it does the job. I will wait and see. I have hunted Red Stag both on Estates and free Ranging, I prefer free ranging, but I could never find that super heavy beamed animal I was looking for. It only took me three days to find the one I wanted at Shane Quinns place.
If anybody wants to hunt free ranging sika or Sambar get in touch with me and I will put you in touch with guide over there that does nothing but free ranging hunts.

I should make note when I came out of the Mountains on the South Island after 7 days of hunting for Tahr and Chaomi, I could hardly walk, both knees were so swollen. I glad I had couple of days to rest up before headed back to the state's. This summer will be third visit to New Zealand. If I could move there I would but the immigrations laws are too tough.

Brooks,
The 270 or 308 should be fine for Sambar deer, I havn't shot one myself yet but I also shoot a 270 and that is what I would use.
Most animals in this country are shot under a 100 meters so I dont understand your friends view.
A 270 or 308 in the boiler room will take care of any Samber in my book.
Your 35 whelen would be fine for Sambar also.
I know what you mean about sore knees, mine hurt like hell after my last chamois hunt.

Regards Milosmate

I just talked with my friend in New Zealand and his passion is Sambar. He says they are very tough to bring down. A large stage will weigh as much as 300 kg's plus. They are very muscular. He said a .270 would be find if you were hunting fenced in areas. But free ranging no way, they are just too muscular and very tough to bring down. That is why he recommends a larger caliber with the 300's being the minium caliber. Anyway this was just some added information since I never have hunted Sambar. I have seen some on a Game Ranch once on the North Island and body wise they looked as big as elk but more muscular and shorter in leg.

Brooks,

I hunted Sambar with 2 Aussie friends and they also recommended the 338 Win Mag as the best Sambar caliber. Everyone seems to think the Sambar is really tough pound for pound maybe the toughest deer going. We hunted in the Wanangatta
Area and it was steep and rough but you could get shots from one ridge across to the other. I think a lot of the reason they use big calibers is because they want to anchor the Sambar so they don't get down in one of those rough canyons and haft to be packed out.

Hawkeye47

The smallest legal calibre in Victoria (where most of the sambar are) is .270 with a 130gr pill. From what I've read about them most people use 30-06 and up.

Bakes