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Hunting >> Hunting in Australia, NZ & the South Pacific

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eagle27
.400 member

Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1124
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand

South Westland 14" bull tahr
#201713 - 05/02/12 08:31 AM

A few pics from a recent hunt my two nephews undertook in the Southern Alps. This 14" bull tahr was the largest taken from three tahr and one also took a good chamois. The tahr head would be right up amongst the best trophies in the books. Taken at about 100m withone shot from a 7mm-08. It was a huge and heavy animal in body size.

Drop in by chopper to hut, at least day and half very difficult walk in otherwise and same coming out.

Tahr shot in area where patches of snow are, just looking over hut roof peak

Tahr stood up on rock in foreground, my nephew stalked up in scrub near the small rock about 100m straight down from where tahr was. He didn't see the bull until it stood up.

Looking down from where shot was taken, towards hut on scrub covered ridge.

Another zoomed shot of hut and surroundings.

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tophet1
.400 member

Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: eagle27]
#201717 - 05/02/12 10:44 AM

Fantastic scenery and a magnificent animal. Oh to be in my 20's again.

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Ben
.400 member

Reged: 22/08/08
Posts: 1917
Loc: Northern Territory, Australia

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: tophet1]
#201723 - 05/02/12 11:47 AM

Fantastic scenery!

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39261
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: Ben]
#201735 - 05/02/12 01:32 PM

Well done. Fantastic scenery again.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member

Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: eagle27]
#201736 - 05/02/12 02:01 PM

Nicely done. That's a great bull.

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tinker
.416 member

Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: mikeh416Rigby]
#201738 - 05/02/12 02:07 PM

Beautiful country, right there at 'breathtaking'

Very nice animal!

Cheers
Tinker

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--

"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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Rule303
.416 member

Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 4925
Loc: Woodford Qld

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: eagle27]
#201747 - 05/02/12 03:43 PM

Great scenery. I have a hankering to go back.

Terrific trophy. As you said that would certain be right up there in the record books. His horns have a good bit of depth to them. Eagle27 Well done to your Nephew.

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kamilaroi
.400 member

Reged: 18/12/04
Posts: 1803
Loc: sydney, new south wales, Austr...

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: Rule303]
#201754 - 05/02/12 05:57 PM

Fantastic drops too!

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375Brno
.333 member

Reged: 18/10/05
Posts: 354
Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: kamilaroi]
#201757 - 05/02/12 06:56 PM

Eagle27
As said before great hunt and scenery. Was this a guided hunt and if so are you prepared to name the operator? Just want to add another potential hunt to the list. Thanks
Rick

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eagle27
.400 member

Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1124
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: 375Brno]
#201761 - 05/02/12 10:04 PM

Quote:

Eagle27
As said before great hunt and scenery. Was this a guided hunt and if so are you prepared to name the operator? Just want to add another potential hunt to the list. Thanks
Rick

No completely free hunt, only cost of chopper to fly in and out, free DOC permit to hunt and free DOC hut to stay in. DOC is our Dept. of Conservation who administer our public land including National Parks. My two nephews and their friend all saw a lot of animals, some impossible to get to, but many others in shooting range but they were only interested in trophies this time. The older boy, his father and myself are hoping to get back in there in the winter.

Any one can get a permit to hunt in these areas even obtainable online now for any public conservation area you want. Many wilderness huts are free but some huts on popular tramping routes do cost a small fee per night. You don't really need a guide, the chopper pilot knows all the areas and the animals, tahr, chamois and red deer, are spread thoughout the Alps. Just a matter of getting reasonable weather, being fit enough and patient enough to get results once in these areas. Hunting in the Alps of South Westland is completely free range and having a guide is not necessarily going to produce any better results. It all comes down to the hunter's own fitness, skill at spotting and stalking and good shooting.

The chopper operator is James Scott, a long time pilot flying out from the Fox Glacier area, ex chopper meat hunter, now mostly flying tourists and hunters around. I have flown with him on numerous occasions even shot a couple of animals from his chopper for a German professor's research project many years ago, as below.

Picking up 3 stags shot earlier by his professional shooter, and a couple of chamois shot for research, James Scott and his 500C. Note the live animal capture net gun mounted on chopper skid.

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375Brno
.333 member

Reged: 18/10/05
Posts: 354
Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: eagle27]
#201858 - 07/02/12 09:04 AM

Eagle27
Thanks for the information. I am planning a tramp thru the Westland area in September / October. No guns just looking and planning at this stage.
Rick

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Cinghiale
.333 member

Reged: 15/04/08
Posts: 406
Loc: Northern Territory

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: 375Brno]
#202855 - 18/02/12 01:06 PM

Amazing Tahr!!!

Well done to your nephew and thanks for sharing.

Regards,

MOG

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Rod4861
.300 member

Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 243
Loc: Queensland, Australia

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: Cinghiale]
#205757 - 22/03/12 03:59 PM

Mate,
I shot the same area and stayed in the same hut about 10 years ago. It was my first trip into the West Coast. Mate the country was soo steep I reackon I was in shock for the first hour or two after the chopper left. However, I did manage to get around a bit, climbed up the falls (it's in the background of one of the photos) to the lake located up stream from the hut on the true right. What a climb!! Bloody unbelievable. Went up to the glacier, even walked on it, bloody enbelievable trip.
Didn't see any Thar but I shot 2 Chamois (one just over 10 inches)up above the hut and down river. And my mate shot another at the bottom of the moran wall just off the track leading from the river to the hut (In the bloody river bed).

I also read some where that that hut was or is rated as the most dangerous DOC hut in NZ?? When you look out the window straight up onto the mountain there is this bloody great ice sheet, all green and evil looking just hanging there.

Mate that is spectucalar country.

Thanks for posting the photos. It's got me all excited. I just can't wait to get back to NZ later this year. Hell, we're lucky to have NZ and it's public land just over the ditch. And even luckerier that those bloody Kiwi's share it with us. You've got to hate them in the rugby but love them with their hunting and hospitality.

Once again thanks for sharing the photos!!

Rod

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eagle27
.400 member

Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1124
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: Rod4861]
#205759 - 22/03/12 04:50 PM

Rod

I was pleased to share the photos and information for those that may wish to hunt in this area. It brought back memories for me too.

My oldest nephew, his dad and I are planning a trip into a tahr and chamois block a few rivers south of the Glaciers in South Westland late next month. You are right about the steepness and tough terrain in these areas and at my age now I'll be the puffing billy but speed is not always the essence of hunting I have found. Provided you have a bit of endurance, take plenty of energy food and drink and take your time, you can still get animals, many times quite close to a hut or campsite. Head down bum up is not always that productive.

After a day or two some of the old fitness does come back quite quickly and whether successful in scoring an animal or not it is just so awe inspiring to hunt in these areas and there is always the anticipation of that trophy appearing in range. I hope you do get back to NZ later in the year and always glad to share with fellow hunters, after all there is plenty of room for all.

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Rod4861
.300 member

Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 243
Loc: Queensland, Australia

Re: South Westland 14" bull tahr [Re: eagle27]
#205767 - 22/03/12 07:41 PM

Eagle 27,
your spot on with your advise. Patience, and determination are essential. Speed would be handy but not essential. I'm never fit enough when I go, but if you just keep on plodding your get there and generally see something. On my trip into that area I had to wait for 2 full days for the weather to clear to fly in. Spent a very pleasant 2 days in the pub in the town down near the river mouth. The locals were bloody great. Watched the rugby, and the netball on the telly, and listened to Slim Dusty on the jutebox. (I thought I was pissed when I first heard "when the rain tumbles down in July" in a West Coast pub.)
Anyway I guess you get the picture that I had a great time. I was last in NZ last May. Down on Stewart after Whitetail again. Got one, only a hind. But it's not all about shooting animals.

I'm heading back in Nov/Dec with my 17 year old son for his first adventure into the NZ bush. Planing on doing a few days on the Stewart Island west coast and east coast, then a few days on the eastern side of the Southern Alps (I'll get him used to the east coast before scaring him with the West Coast) and then maybe a trip in somewhere around Hamner Springs after a Chamois.
Catch you later
Rod

My last Whitetail, May last year.

My last West Coast Chamois. Not too far from Grey Mouth. About 4 years ago.?

The son, Monty, with a Qld pig shot a few months ago.

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