| eagle27 |
| (.400 member) |
| 17/03/18 02:12 PM |
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Re: Tahr 2018
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Good stuff, as you found out hitting Tahr is one thing, recovering another.
Bit earlier for the bulls yet, need the first winter snow to drive them down from their lofty heights and then of course coming into the rut around this time.
Myself and two sons and a two mates of the boys all heading into our South Westland tahr block last week of May. Won a block last year in the ballot but DOC failed to allocate the block to me so gave me my pick of the blocks and the week of my choice for this years ballot blocks.
Looking forward to another great week on the tahr weather permitting of course. Always see lots of animals each day in the block we have but as usual those big bulls can often be seen but still very allusive to get. Then again sometimes they can pop up a few hundred metres from camp, just got to ready at any time.
Congratulations on drawing a block. Ive just started to look at putting in for the ballot.
Weather permitting! main reason we come over a bit early as limited experience with real cold conditions , so building up time on the ground. Slowly getting there with experience.
Losing the bulls over the edge was the low point of the trip. We pushed ourselves in the steep stuff that they went over. Decided on better judgement to stop as the ice sheet was something new to us. No ice axe or crampons. very slippery.
The visibility the next morning was very poor , gusting winds made the decision to get out very easy.
We were encouraged to take a few nannies and it improved our moral after losing the bulls. Gave some of the meat to one of the heli crew and ate the rest during our travels.
NZ great place , Next year. Cheers Mick
Good to hear you exercised caution around ice, too many people get caught out with these conditions. I carry a pair of instep crampons when hunting the high country, just four spikes strapped into the boot instep, and they are great for slippery conditions such as scree, snow grass, snow and limited ice. Can be worn around the high country all the time to give an extra bit of grip, also good in wet bush. They're inexpensive and light to chuck in pack.
Ballot blocks are popular and put you into blocks usually only visited during the balloted weeks in winter as there are no huts so tent camping only and most would be too arduous to get to on foot. Only time of year choppers are allowed to be used for access.
Have been successful getting a block for the last few years except last year when DOC mucked it up. You don't usually get in for the whole week (fly in Saturday and must fly out following Friday latest) as the weather doesn't always oblige. Chopper pilots usually arrange fly in and pick up times to suit weather forecasts and they get it spot on mostly. Don't want to be in one of these blocks during a storm in May/June but when weather is good there are heaps of animals. DOC encourages hunters to shoot six other animals for every bull taken but not many would have that much of a blat except maybe on the last day. Cullers are put into many of these blocks in the summer to keep numbers in check, they leave young and old bulls alone for trophies but take out nannies and yearlings.
The ballots are popular with a lot of overseas hunters applying so I'm told. Plenty more other places to go, able to fly into huts etc but they too are pretty full up around winter tahr time.
Good luck if you go for a ballot. Will report our success or lack of it in June.